Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Hugo, an impressive 3-1 win against Soliham Wars makes it back-to-back wins and that was an excellent first half performance and managed the game well in the second half. Thoughts on that?
00:10Yeah, I thought we played some really good stuff in the first half. It's not the easiest surface to play on and I think the players need to be applauded for the type of football that we played in the first half.
00:21It's not easy to maintain that for 90 minutes, especially when you're playing a lot of football games back-to-back. We did more than enough to win the game in the first half and like you said, we saw the game out. I felt relatively comfortable in the second half.
00:37Really impressive, high octane, high energy play in that first half and obviously managing to keep the ball down on that pitch as well.
00:45Well, since the first day of pre-season, so we're going back to the beginning of July now, we've always worked on our playing style, our attacking play and we work on it pretty much every day in one form or another.
01:01And we're where we are now, we're towards the end of February. So, when you score three goals like that, it kind of sums up our identity a little bit. It's really, really pleasing. But the credit goes to the players because they're the ones who go out there and do it and they stick to the script and they've got the rewards tonight.
01:18Obviously, you'd always want a fast start and I suppose especially with Solihull not being in the best form and it was a dream start in the second minute when Cam Hargreaves obviously controls it and picks that top corner.
01:28Yeah, a great goal from Cam. It's nice to see that he's starting to score some goals because we know what Cam brings to the team. He did tell you himself he'd want to score more goals and it's been great. He's got three in three games now.
01:41Listen, Cammy's great. There's a reason we brought him to the football club. We had him at a previous club and a previous, previous club to that, certainly with the gaffer at Bristol Rovers. So, we know what Cammy's about and I'm just happy for him that he's started to score a few goals. And let's be honest, they ain't been bad goals either have they?
02:02Yeah, another special goal. And the second one, it seems they're all good goals but Aaron Jones picks that Aaron Jones at the back post and a great volley as well for the second one.
02:11Yeah, we try to encourage the wing-backs, so AJ's the one on the right, to try and get in at the back post. Pick and choose your times to go and fair play to AJ. He gambled on it, was in the right place and just gives us that nice little bit of a cushion. Listen, to be fair, AJ does weigh in with a few goals each season so I think he was due one.
02:35And then the third one, the ball from Luca over the top was just sublime really, wasn't it? It was just perfect for Ryan just to get on the end of that.
02:41Yeah, it was a very nice finish as well. But listen, we've got some really good players here and we've said that all along, even when things have been a little bit tougher. As well with Ryan, he's been in and out of the team. He trains like an animal every day. I have to put him on a leash a little bit because this is a lad who would train morning, noon and night if we let him.
03:05Obviously, he understands that he's got to have his rest and keep his freshness. But yeah, like the rest of them, we've got so many options that could play in different positions and tonight we picked him to do a particular job and he did it very, very well.
03:203-0 at half-time, it had been a really dominant, impressive first-half performance. At half-time, I guess you would have known that Sadio Saliho would have had a reaction. What was the message going into that second half?
03:32Well, there were some things that we wanted to improve on and tighten up on. We're not the kind of staff that will go in and congratulate a team at half-time for doing well because you haven't won the game, you've got half the job done. So, it was just about going in and just saying, well look, you've got three goals and we might have to be a little bit more streetwise, we might have to play a little bit longer at times tonight.
03:58But one thing we didn't want them to do was to try and slow the game down and see the game out. We wanted to try and keep the ball on the pitch and play with the tempo. But I thought we were quite streetwise in terms of managing the game in the second half and we could have scored more goals, let's be honest. I don't think Saliho massively hurt us. I know they got in once or twice but other than that, I felt quite comfortable.
04:25Yeah, it looked like Holman was the threat.
04:31Listen, they've got some really, really good players. Holman, as you've just mentioned, he likes to run in behind and he's quick and he knows where the net is. Conor Wilkinson is a great player, maybe didn't have his best night tonight. But players like Bagley Stevenson have come off the bench as well, who was with me at another club many years ago. They're good players and they've got lads at the back that are good players, good defenders.
04:59Maybe we just caught Saliho at a really good time for us and we took advantage of it perhaps. But they're a good side and I think they're the sort of side that once they get everything to click for them, which they're not far away from doing, I think they'll go on to cause a lot of teams problems in this league.
05:17And it's really professional when they did get the one back. You then can really shut it down really straight after that, didn't you? I mean, obviously sending off help.
05:25Yeah, of course it does. But as soon as we've conceded, we still try to go and score more goals. And that's what we're about. We're not a team that wants to sit off teams. We want to attack. We'd rather attack than defend. Obviously, there's moments in the game you're going to have to defend, sometimes for longer periods.
05:43But we're at home and the last couple of games, particularly the crowd behind the goal in the East Bank, have been really, really behind us. And it makes a huge, huge difference. Because there's times when the game can get a little bit difficult, a little bit complicated. And when you've got the crowd behind you, it does help the players to attack more. So, well done to everyone tonight.
06:06Obviously, there's been some good performances recently. But the last few days, I mean, obviously to get the six points in four days is obviously massive, isn't it? And obviously a boost.
06:14Well, that's what it's all about. It's the purpose of football, isn't it? To win. And that's what we're about to do. And sometimes you win a game by not playing great and not having much of the ball or having a frustrating afternoon. But you nick something and other days you can be absolutely brilliant and still lose.
06:30So, it's been nice the last two games. I think we've taken what we've deserved from both games, which is two wins.
06:36And, yeah, obviously, just a word on the ground staff again. Good efforts again, obviously, both games.
06:42It's not easy for them, you know. And they've done a great job to get both games on. So, there's a week now until we're back here. And so, hopefully, they'll keep working on it. No pressure, fellas. But I'm sure that they will.
06:55And obviously, lots of rain doesn't help anybody. And I'm hoping that as we're heading a little bit more into the springtime that we might have a bit less rain.
07:05And obviously, you'll enjoy tonight in the three points and quite rightly. And then, obviously, thoughts will turn to a very different type of test in the trophy at Sissingbourne.
07:12Yeah, of course. You know, we're not the kind of team or staff or whatever that we get carried around when we win and we don't get carried around when we lose.
07:21But tomorrow's a new day and we've got a new puzzle to solve come this weekend. So, yeah, we'll start on Sissingbourne tomorrow. And we've got two training sessions before we play them.
07:33And we look forward to going there. And hopefully, it'll be an exciting game for everyone involved.