As the Mariners prepare for Friday night’s Sky Bet League Two Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg at the Peninsula Stadium, forward Justin Amaluzor says the squad remain full of belief and ready to respond after Sunday’s narrow first-leg defeat at Blundell Park.

Despite the disappointment of conceding twice after making a dream start through Reece Staunton’s opener, Amaluzor insists the tie remains firmly alive and says the group are determined to show the resilience that has defined Town throughout the campaign.

Here’s everything the Town forward had to say ahead of the decisive second leg…

On reflecting after Sunday’s first leg

Amaluzor admitted the squad were frustrated with how quickly Salford responded after Town’s lightning-fast start but believes there are important lessons to take into Friday night’s game.

“It was an unbelievable start,” he said.

“An unbelievable goal by Reece and I think that was his first league goal, so he deserved it.

“We were buzzing with the start but gutted that they scored two in quick succession.

“I just believe we probably should have calmed it down because the fans were up for it and we were up for it.

“We thought we could replicate the Swindon game after the first goal and that’s where we probably should have settled the game down a little bit more and made that lead last longer.”

On whether Salford surprised the Mariners

Having already faced Salford twice during the regular season, Amaluzor says the visitors produced exactly what the Mariners expected.

“No, they were what we expected,” he said.

“We knew they were an energetic team and we are as well.

“We still think we have the edge in terms of energy and intensity, but it was just a few little errors which led to their goals.

“But we’re not affected by it going into the next leg at all.”

On what Town must improve

Amaluzor believes game management after taking the lead will be one of the key lessons carried into Friday’s second leg.

“As I said before, when we went 1-0 up, we probably just needed a calmer head,” he said.

“It’s a play-off tie and both teams are going to be right up for it.

“We wanted to go for the jugular and unfortunately it backfired, but we’ve got another opportunity now.”

On the squad’s reaction in training

The Town forward praised the mentality within the dressing room and says the response since Sunday has been exactly what supporters would expect.

“The biggest compliment I can pay to my teammates and the staff is that whenever we lose, we always bounce back,” he said.

“That’s exactly what we’ve done this week.

“We’ve bounced back in training and we’re flying again, ready to go on Friday.”

On knowing exactly what is required

With one game now standing between Town and Wembley, Amaluzor says the challenge is clear.

“Even before the first game, we knew what we had to do across the two legs,” he said.

“Obviously we came up a bit short in the first one, but the beauty of it is we’ve got another game now at their place and we’re ready to go.”

On confidence within the group

The Mariners have consistently responded positively to setbacks throughout the season and Amaluzor says there is no fear heading into Friday night.

“I’m always confident,” he said.

“We could have been three or four down and I’d still be confident because I know the talent we have in that changing room.

“Shaun said after the game that this club has a habit of doing it the hard way and it’s probably going to have to be the hard way again this time.

“But we’re ready for it.”

On Town’s strong away form

With the Mariners boasting one of the best away records in League Two this season, Amaluzor believes the supporters play a huge role in helping the team perform on the road.

“I think the main factor is the fans,” he said.

“Every away game kind of feels like a home game because our away fans are nine times out of ten louder than the home fans.

“That probably explains why we’re so good away from home.”

On what it will take to progress

Amaluzor says effort, togetherness and moments of quality will all be needed if Town are to book their place in the final.

“First thing’s first, we need to run for each other,” he said.

“They’re going to work hard and we’ve got to match that.

“And then we’ve got so much individual brilliance in the squad as well.

“We’ve got Jaze, Chaz, Darragh, Greeny, Cooky – players who can switch it on at any moment.”

On the importance of the full squad

With the possibility of extra-time and penalties looming, Amaluzor stressed the importance of every member of the squad being ready.

“Everyone’s going to be needed,” he said.

“That’s why you need a really strong squad.

“If it goes to extra-time, you need fresh legs and fresh minds.

“You’ve seen from other play-off games already this week that substitutes can make all the difference.”

On keeping preparation consistent

Despite the magnitude of Friday’s occasion, Amaluzor says preparation has remained unchanged.

“We’ve literally prepared exactly the same,” he said.

“That’s what’s got us to this point, so there’s no reason to change anything now.

“We’ve just focused on ourselves and the job in hand.”

On his message to the supporters

And with another huge travelling support expected at the Peninsula Stadium, Amaluzor delivered a clear message to the Town faithful.

“Just be prepared because it’s not over yet,” he said.

“We’re ready to go for it.

“As we always have done, we’ll come back again.”

With everything still to play for and belief remaining high within the dressing room, the Mariners now head to Greater Manchester knowing one big performance could secure a place at Wembley.

You can watch Justin Amaluzor’s full pre-match press conference here:

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