Exeter City defender Aaron Martin says the Grecians are ready for the battle against Plymouth as the side look to return to winning ways this Saturday in Sky Bet League Two.
The Grecians are looking to bounce back from two successive defeats, and the City defender is adamant that full focus is on getting the three points from the derby.
He said: “Every derby is obviously a huge game, especially for the fans and for the team as well. So everyone’s just looking to get stuck into it now and coming away with the three points.”
When asked whether there is a feeling that this weekend’s derby is more than just three points, Aaron commented that himself and the team are well aware of the importance of the game.
“Pretty much since I’ve been here actually and since the start of the season everybody’s been looking forward to this game and focusing on it,” he said. “It’s obviously a huge game for everybody here so we’re just looking forward to it now.”
In terms of preparation to the derby, Aaron reminded that the Grecians need to keep level-headed, play their usual game, and focus on getting back to winning ways.
He said: “It’s another game, everybody is going to forget about the last two games and really look forward to getting stuck in to this one on Saturday. I think the last two games have been a bit frustrating but we’ll put that behind us. Everybody has been training really well today and we’ll attack it again tomorrow and be ready for the game on Saturday.
“There’s still a long, long way to go yet in the season. It has been a little bump at the moment, we’ve had a really good start so we do need to get it back on track and hopefully we can do that this weekend.”
In terms of what the focus has been on after Tuesday’s defeat, the defender added: “Just getting everybody staying together, sticking together; learning from the mistakes that have happened and the last two games, and just putting that behind us now, and preparing for Saturday really.”
This weekend’s game will also be a welcome return to St James Park for the Grecians, and Aaron was keen to stress the importance of the City faithful in a game like this and after two tough away trips.
The defender said: “It will be nice, it’s been a lot of travelling and it’s been a long week, but everyone feels fresh and everybody trained really well today, and tomorrow we’ll be at it again as well so everyone can’t wait to just get stuck in.
“The support here is amazing anyway, in every game all the fans have been absolutely brilliant, so I think Saturday everyone will be a bit livelier than they have been. Looking forward to seeing that and hearing that behind us, and most importantly winning the game.”