Goalscorer Tevan Allen reflects on yesterday's draw.
DK: Deserved draw?
TA: Um, yeah, I think the game was a half-half, really. I think in the
first half, it was even stevens. Second half, anyone could have won the game, simply because I think the game was quite stretched.
It became kind of like a basketball match, going back and forth, because obviously we want the wins at the moment. They're going to win the wins, so it was a good contest, and I think in the end, draws, it's a fair result.
DK: You're the game changer in the end. We're not sure quite who scored, but you created it.
TA: Yeah, I think the free kicks, it's come off their guy, but whether it's gone on target or not, I don't know. It's just important that we got a goal and got a draw, to be fair. I've got a point. Hopefully, I don't know the results, but hopefully people around us didn't do so well, so we can start to put points on the board. And I think that's the main point, that we put points on the board.
DK: We're going to put it down, I think, as your goal, which will please you.
TA: I hope so. I needed one. So if the league can give me the goal, then thank you very much, but yeah, I'll take it, if they're giving it to me.
DK: It looked on target...
TA: Yeah, I don't know. I didn't really... I wasn't really looking, to be honest. I just tried to put it in an area. It's in a dangerous area where the defender didn't know whether to head it away or whatever to try and do. And it's obviously come off his head, gone in off the back post, so I'll take it as a goal. I'll take it.
DK: Four points in the last five days, not bad.
TA: Yeah, not bad at all, I think. Obviously, one being away at Leamington, which is always going to be a hard game after last year, knowing about them a lot, andobviously, with the unknown of Scarborough, I never played them before, at our home pitch,
which was very difficult. I think the pitch is very heavy. So it's a difficult game to play in and to come on in, to be fair, but four points, we take that. We're not going to grumble at it. It's better than zero.
DK: And Saturday, we're back here against Hereford. Hopefully, do the double.
TA: Hopefully, do the double. I think Hereford are a very good team. We knew that. I think that day, we just turned into adifferent animal against them at their place, so hopefully, we can do the same here, and I think they might struggle because their pitch is so pristine, and I'm not saying ours is not a good pitch, but compared to theirs, it'll be very different for them, and I think it's like a lot of teams that come down here. They're not very used to it, and we are. So hopefully, we can use that to our advantage.
DK: Talking about the fixture at Hereford, you played a key part in the winning goal that night as well.
TA: Yeah, very good night. We could have scored three or four that night.
We could have beaten them 4-0, and even their manager said after the game. I think that was just a very good win all round. Long journey on a Tuesday night, going there with the unknown again, and just absolutely taking it to them. We just didn't leave anything behind. And I think that's probably one of our best performances this season, to be honest. So yeah, hopefully, we can do the same here.
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on yesterday's draw.
DK: Deserved point?
KH: Yeah, I think there weren't a lot in it, especially first half. I think we nullified each other and obviously they get the break with the goal, which obviously from our point of view was disappointing. A little bit of lack of communication and obviously Tommy's caught in two minds, nodded it back and obviously Danny's not there to pick it up. It's rolled into an empty net, which then puts us on the back foot, but we're looking for more energy second half. We looked a little bit leggy, I thought, made a couple of changes early and obviously got the goal, which was probably deserved at that moment. I think as the game went
on, we looked tired, we looked a little bit jaded and obviously they were a threat. They've had a bit of pressure on us the last 10 minutes, but we rode it out. So, yeah, I'm probably a little bit biased, but I think we probably deserve a point, but from their point of view, they'll probably be disappointed they've not nicked it late on.
DK: Yeah, overall, last two games, four points on the board.
KH: Yeah, we're desperate to win home games, obviously to give the crowd something to cheer about, which has been far and few between this season. So, we're desperate to do it today. It didn't happen.
We've got another opportunity next week against obviously a very good Hereford team, but we've gone there and won already this season. So, hopefully we can do the double and get the three points next week.
DK: Could it have been three points?
KH: It could have been. I think we were a little bit wasteful, final third at times. We had a few chances before we equalised. We've had a ball squared across the box. That final pass, that final touch in the final third wasn't good enough today and obviously we didn't get the second goal that we were craving, but it could have been. But in saying that, it
could have been a loss as well. So, I think all in all, we'll take a point and move on. Like I said, it's four points out of the last two games, which is positive. And we just need to keep working hard and trying to achieve what we're trying to achieve. We're winning games of
football, but enough games to stay in this division.
It's such fine margins in this division where anybody can beat anybody. I think a lot of the teams at the bottom have lost or drawn again today. So, a couple of wins get you out of it and then you can start looking up instead of looking down.
DK: Like you alluded to, having gone behind the character the lads showed was good.
KH: Yeah, look, I can't fault them for that. I think we've worked hard in every game and every training session we've had since I've been here.
So, I can't fault that. I think at times today we could have worked a little bit smarter. Like I say, it's just that lack of real quality in the final third wasn't there today, unfortunately. So, to show the character to come back from 1-0 down when you can quite easily fold against a
strong outfit. I know they're mid-table, but they've got three games in hand. So, they're a real threat in terms of they've got the big lad up front that they hit and they've got wide men with pace that run in beyond.
So, we've contained them. Obviously, they've not scored. We've scored an own goal today. So, we've defended for our lives and put our bodies on the line. So, that alone gives you a platform to stay in games. We haven't gone on to win it, but we'll take a point and, like I say,
move on.
DK: Yeah, since Danny's come into the team, we know how good Marco is, but Danny's really deserved to keep his spot today.
KH: Yeah, it was a tough one really for me because, obviously, Marco, I think a world of Marco for me has been the best non-league keeper, certainly in Suffolk, but in the division below. Maybe he's not been as consistent this season as he would like, but he's still a top, top keeper.
It was a difficult one for me to stick with Danny because of that reason, but Danny deserved it.
He's done really well on Tuesday night. He's kept a clean sheet, made important saves at important times. So, today it was a bit of a big call and, yeah, I went with Danny today.
DK: And you spoke about Hereford on Saturday, a chance of getting a double.
KH: Yeah, look, they're a good team.
I think on the night when we went to Hereford, we were brilliant on the night. We defended for our lives and we looked a real threat. So, they're going to obviously want to put that right. They're a big club with some really good players. So, it's going to be just as tough as it was today. So, we're going to have to rest up because we've got a free week this week, which is quite rare.
We've been on the road a couple of times, which takes it out of you. So, we'll recuperate and come Saturday, hopefully Jamie will be back in the mix as well. We'll be full squad and raring to go.
DK: It was nice to see Josh back today as well.
KH: Yeah, and again, Josh has done well since he's been with us on loan, but the lads on Tuesday did really well, clean sheet. We looked solid, so
we went with the same team. I'd say we've got a few knocks. I think Jake's had a whack today, Hamo. So, there's a few bumps and bruises in that day, but we'll see. We'll see and hopefully I'll have a full squad and a headache come Thursday.
DK: And lastly, what was your view on the equaliser today?
KH: Good delivery. I think we've questioned the lads at times. I think we've been quite wasteful from set-pieces, dead balls in the final third, where we don't get it in the right area. But I think the delivery was
that good and that's why it resulted. I think it was an own goal in the end, but that all comes from making runs into good areas, but
the ball being delivered there, they're hard to defend. Even when the six-foot-seven landed at giants, they struggled with it. So, yeah, it was a good goal.
