Last updated 09:37, Saturday, 05 April 2008

FULL marks for optimism to John Ward in his attempt to swerve the jinx that supposedly stalks all managers of the month.

United’s boss has just landed the League One gong for the second successive month. Cue much looking over shoulders and scrabbling on the Brunton Park pitch for four-leaf clovers.

No-one will appreciate a reminder of what happened as Ward took receipt of February’s trophy: almost immediately, Joe Garner received the diagnosis on the knee injury which is now keeping him out for nine long months.

So surely the very least the man can expect today is an uncomfortable afternoon against Yeovil – and goodness knows what else?

No, protests the 56-year-old.

“I actually knew about the award on Monday, so we got the curse out of the way against Forest on Tuesday night,” he says.

Not sure it works like that, John, but hope you’re right.