Mike Williamson grateful for imposing fixture

Mar 9 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

Williamson, who has quickly formed an impressive central defensive partnership with Fabricio Coloccini, is excited about sampling his first Tees-Tyne derby.

"I’m looking forward to it," he commented.

"First and foremost it’s another game to try and get three points on the board but it’s always nice to play in the fiery ones when the battles are tough and it’s going to be a hard challenge. I’m looking forward to that."

To have come into such a happy environment after four months at crisis-hit Portsmouth – where the bottom-of-the-Premier League outfit refused even to play him because of the additional costs it would incur – has been a huge relief for Williamson.

"It was difficult," he commented of his Fratton Park experience.

"It’s been one of those careers, it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster. You’ve got to ride not too high when it’s going well and not too low when it’s going badly.

"But it’s going really well at the moment and I’m really enjoying myself. Before I’d even come here I could see the team they’d got and the position they were in, the defensive record, the scoring record, things like that.

"With the guys on the bench there’s quality throughout the whole squad. That hopefully can see us through. As soon as you came here you could tell it was a close-knit squad. You could see from the boys in training.

"It’s always easier when you’re winning and top of the league, but it’s obvious to see from the outside that it’s a great, great set of lads.

"On the pitch, on the bench, in the stands, it’s a really good place to be."

The only dampener on Williamson’s Saturday was the goal sloppily gifted to Daniel Bogdanovic with seven minutes remaining.

"We’re still disappointed with the one goal we conceded," he admitted. "As defenders, clean sheets are a great thing. That’s what we were talking about, that’s what we wanted. It didn’t cost us anything so it’s not too bad, but it’s slightly disappointing."