Badshot Lea manager Gavin Smith post-Chertsey Town
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00:00 2-0 defeat against league leaders Chelsea, what do you feel was ultimately the difference in that game?
00:07 From our point of view, obviously to come in at 1-0 was a positive at half-time because the win played a huge part in the game.
00:16 But I actually felt we had some little moments where we looked alright in possession, but felt maybe second half might be a different story.
00:24 But nothing happened. Either way, I don't think either keeper made a save. They saw the game out and probably showed better quality when it was needed.
00:35 So we need to look at that because I know we've got good quality, but we ain't seeing it.
00:40 And whether the conditions are playing a part in that. It's the same for both teams.
00:45 We were both out there trying to win in difficult wind, rain, pitch wasn't great.
00:50 We just didn't show anything, didn't show any desire really. It looked a bit flat.
00:56 And they've had one bit of quality at the end, great ball. We've given it away, but it's a great ball inside Neuilly and it's a good finish.
01:02 Which is the difference between the teams at the top and the teams who ain't going to achieve anything.
01:08 Is that a clinical bit of play then?
01:11 I think so. I think because we show enough quality on the ball sometimes, but it's that last little bit, that final third bit and being ruthless and just that natural instinct to want to score goals.
01:26 We don't seem to have it at the minute.
01:28 So against the wind in the first half, you'd have been hoping with it in the second half, maybe that might have been a bit of an advantage.
01:35 Yeah, we obviously thought that coming in at 1-0 was good. I wasn't pleased with some of the things we were doing, but it was difficult.
01:43 So 1-0 I thought, you know what, that's doable. The longer we were in it, anything could happen.
01:50 I think the closest we came was Cowitt in the half of a corner, which isn't good enough.
01:55 And then they've got one, you know, what was it? 86? 89. 2-0, game done. And we just didn't show enough fight and enough quality when it mattered.
02:07 So you sort of just raised that in there then after the game, maybe then?
02:11 Yeah, the thing is, I know the quality of the players we've got. We've seen it all season.
02:18 And for some reason, it's just not happening in that final third at the minute. We've taken people out, we've played other people, we've played two up top.
02:26 And it just doesn't seem to be making any difference.
02:29 Is it something you look to work on in training or can you make too much of it?
02:34 I think sometimes it's just in one game at a click, maybe a goal, you know, to get you back on track, an early goal, something like that.
02:41 Maybe a bit of luck. Have we had a bit of luck? I don't know. You can think too much about stuff.
02:49 Was it hard to get a bit of a rhythm going in the second half? Because they were obviously very effective at slowing the game down and that sort of thing.
02:55 Yeah, I mean, listen, they're going to do that. The ref said to me that we were doing it first half and I'm like, why are we going to waste time when we were losing the game?
03:03 Easton seems to think we were wasting time because of the wind, which I don't think we're clever enough to do that, if I'm honest.
03:09 No one's gone out there, we have no instruction to do that. Harry was just looking for options.
03:15 So I get what he's saying. But for me, the second half, it was so obvious.
03:20 But he's added on the same amount of time because he thought we were doing it first half, which is up to him.
03:25 He knows football apparently.
03:28 Thoughts on Leatherhead on Saturday? You won there earlier in the season.
03:32 We did. Another tough one. We look forward to it because I know they're a good side. I enjoy the game, watching them play.
03:40 And we all look to implement our game and hopefully we can be better because it's not good enough at the minute.
03:49 Just looking to get back on winning ways then? Is that sort of just to get it clicking?
03:54 For us, this season was about finding out about the league and trying to achieve something that people didn't think we could, which I think we're well on course for.
04:05 We want to push for more, but we need to be getting points or even being in games and having a go.
04:11 I'd rather have a real go. We don't look like we're doing that.
04:15 It looks like the games are just passing us by a little bit.
04:19 I don't think they had a real go either, if I'm honest.
04:24 We can be overly critical, but maybe the conditions are playing a massive part.
04:29 Our last few games have been really difficult conditions. Wind, rain, just pitches not great.
04:34 Chipstead wasn't great Saturday, our pitch wasn't great the week before.
04:38 So yeah, we'll see how we can improve, but we get in Thursday, have a good session and get people working hard.