Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on today's trip to Alfreton in the Isuzu FA Trophy.
DK: So close, but unfortunately nothing as such to show for it.
KH: It was always going to be tough coming here. We obviously know what Alfreton are about, they're good at what they do in terms of they just play long into a big man and then try and fight you and wrestle you, and first half, I thought we coped with it. Well, we coped with it all game really, but the goals were disappointing where it didn't come from them being direct, it was just being alive on the second balls and obviously 2-0 down at half-time, we've sort of come in and said we need to match that because it's very difficult at times when you play teams that are so direct. Don't play through midfield, just looking for percentages, looking for throw-ins to throw in your box. You have to match that, but then on the back of that, you have to then have the calmness to play. And I think first half, we just kept playing them at their game and you're always going to lose because they're good at it. We started going too long, too early, fight ball. At half-time, we just said, look, we have got to match that, win second balls, but then have the calmness to get the ball down and play. And I thought we did that. Second half, I thought we dominated. We got the goal and it looks like we're going to get right back in it. We've had a couple of chances where on another day we score and then obviously we switch off and go and concede a third goal, which really knocked the wind out of our sails. I'm proud of the boys, second-half performance especially, where we had them on the back foot and they were having a wobble-up, but unfortunately, we couldn't get that elusive second goal that would have drawn us level.
DK: The two goals were the least we deserved today, though.
KH: Yes, we looked. We've had chances. When we played, Seth had a header on another day, he scores. I thought he was brilliant when he went on. Ingers has had a couple of balls cut back to him where he said they're going in. The lads blocked them last minute. Mills' ball across the six-yard box should be a tap-in, but it's all ifs, buts and maybes. It was a good performance, barring obviously the two-goal head start, give us a mountain to climb.
DK: Yes, just one of those days where the way that it's been going for us, we find ourselves behind and it's hard to sometimes come back, but we did that.
KH: Yes, we battled, but we were always going to lose the battle because they were so big and so direct. I just said, look, we need to get the ball down and do what we're good at. When we played, we were a good team. I thought second half showed that. We deserved more from the game. I don't think anyone can deny that. Yes, they've got ball into our box. Yes, they're fighting for everything. You're looking at the referee for a little bit of protection, a little bit of consistency, which on the day I don't think really come. We give ourselves a chance. We huffed and puffed. Like I said, if that second goal comes, I think we'd probably end up winning, but then they scored the third. I don't know how the goal came about. If I'm totally honest, it sort of fell to the ten, he scuffed it and dribbled in the corner. It wasn't a clean goal by any means. It knocked the wind out of ourselves, but I can't fault the lads' effort. I thought they worked the socks off. If we play like that, with that much commitment, and second half where we're creating things in the final third, we'll win more games this season.
DK: Ingers is now officially our record goal scorer with that penalty and great for Seth to get a goal as well. Yes.
KH: Ingers has been here a long time. He scores goals. You always know what you're going to get from Ingers. He's a solid performer. I thought Seth was brilliant when he came on. He's up against land of the giants. For a young lad, I thought he out-muscled him at times. He's obviously got his goal. He's got the penalty. I thought he did ever so well when he came on.
DK: It's a good marker for the league, which we return to next week at Marine.
KH: Yes. That's your level where you've got to play to. Obviously, we've got to try and cut out the goals we concede, obviously. That's stating the obvious, but not all teams play the way Alfreton do. We've got to impose ourselves on games and give as much effort as we have done there. Certainly second half. I'm sure we'll pick up in the league.
Luke Ingram reflects on becoming the club's outright all time record goalscorer.
DK: A shame about the result, but congratulations on being our all-time goal scorer.
LI: Yeah, it's been a long time coming. Should have had it already really, but yeah, not the result we wanted, but anyone who's at the game, they'll know that we've had a right go there and we had them wobbling and it gives us something to work on for the next game.
DK: A very well taken penalty, were you always going top left?
LI: Yeah, I was always going to go there. When your goals ain't flying in, you just go with what you know, so that's the way I'm going.
DK: How do you mark today on how the season's gone so far?
LI: I'd say it's probably literally an indicator of our season. We were very timid first half, more worried about them. We were going up the slope against a team who play long balls, put ball in the box, so you've just got to try and get to half-time, minimal damage and play your stuff second half. But unfortunately, we've given away two goals that we shouldn't really give away and it's given us a bit of a mountain to climb and we've nearly climbed it, so there's not really a lot more you can say. It's just, on another day, we don't give them two goals first half and we beat them.
DK: How does it mean to you to be both all-time record scorer and appearance maker now for us?
LI: Yeah, it's obviously pleasing. I'm very obviously proud and happy to have them accolades. But to be honest, when you're losing a lot, things like that, I couldn't really care less about. I just want to get some wins and there's no doubt that we are starting to turn the corner and the result's going to start to turn. We've got some good fixtures coming up, so we've just got to all dig in together and see what these next few games bring and might be able to lift us out of the bottom three.
DK: Yeah, still early days yet, like you say, today could easily change our season for the better.
LI: Yeah, of course, it's still early. But at the end of the day, it's got to start somewhere and the performances have turned. We've been very good, but we've just got to start turning them into points now. Anyone who's been at the games, they'll see we've been very slack on set pieces. We give a lot of goals away as set pieces and that puts you up against it straight away. We've got to be more clinical in the box when we're going forward. We've really got to start scoring more goals. Today's a start, we scored two goals, had three more chances that on another day go in. We've got something to work with, but we're a team, we don't blame anyone.