Credit: Ben Pooley
1. First of all, now the season is complete, how do you feel the season went overall, do you think it was a successful one?
MG: I think the cup runs were brilliant and showed what we can achieve when we are all on our game. The league we just weren’t consistent enough in all honesty, but we all know that and are hungry to out that right.
2. How did the season fare in terms of personal targets?
MG: My personal target was to get back out the pitch and enjoy it. It was touch and go whether I would play last year but I’m glad I got back into it with the help of Munno. Definitely achieved that on many occasions this year. I was pleased with my consistency this year and helping the boys out when needed.
3. Looking back at the FA Trophy run now, how do you reflect on it? Can you pick a standout moment?
MG: Personally we just had a belief that we were never out of a game regardless of what we were coming up against. My standout moment has got to be the Yeovil shootout. Was such a dramatic experience in front of their fans especially with them having chances to win it. The boys can look back and think that they made history for the club and should be really proud of themselves.
4. Having won goal of the month for January, what was it like to take a penalty having saved countless ones?
MG: Never taken a penalty in such a pressured situation. But I was just laughing the whole way through it, I shrugged my shoulders at their keeper telling him he has more of a chance of knowing where I was going than I did. Saving pens is great being the hero and everything but I was just I could do it for the boys. Goal of the month I laughed when I saw the results, we had scored a few worldies that month and all I did was toe punt it from 12 yards.
5. Any point in either cup run or season in general that you knew something special could be round the corner?
MG: I always knew we had something in the locker it was just when something would click into place. Nobody gave us a chance when we beat Wealdstone, we controlled the game throughout, got through a tough ending to the game and I just knew we could go on to great things.
6. Can you give us an insight into how it felt to take a clean sweep of the club player of the season awards?
MG: I just didn’t know what to say. I care a lot about what I do so obviously means a lot when people show their appreciation the boys are a great bunch and I’m really thankful to be here, enjoying my football and thankfully playing well. I feel like I always am very appreciative when I hear the fans chanting and clapping me off the pitch even when we haven’t got the results we want. So in case they didn’t know. Thank you.
7. How does it feel looking back on your seventh Suffolk Premier Cup win, and also making a few more incredible penalty saves in the process?
MG: The premier cup is always special to win it always is a good feeling to take into the next season. I have a target I want to try and achieve before I finish and hopefully that will be with Needham.
8. Describe what you were thinking during the Premier Cup shootout.
MG: I was confident, I went the wrong way a few times but I backed myself to put them under pressure. Their keeper was rather animated so I decided just to get on with the job, was fortunate with the pen they had a chance to win with and the rest is history.
9. Having saved countless penalties, do you ever feel nervous when it comes to saving penalties?
MG: I think nerves happen naturally when there is pressure, plus I feel it makes me feel sharper and more on my game. I’m not meant to save penalties it’s easier to score than save them so the pressure is on the taker generally.
10. Looking at league season how do you summarise it?
MG: The league doesn’t lie, we weren’t consistent enough and that shows where we finished. We know what we need to do to be better and need to take that into pre season.
11. Are there any league games that stand out to you?
MG: Alvechurch away. Drove nearly 4 hours to the game and managed to get the 3 points after being 2 down. I think away games on a Tuesday night really show the character of the players you are playing with.
12. Best game from a personal perspective?
MG: Redditch away maybe, or Alvechurch away? Don’t know really I’ve enjoyed most of the games this year.
13. Best game from a team perspective?
MG: Dartford was a fantastic team performance I was so proud of the boys.
Credit: Ben Pooley.
14. Your player of the season and why?
MG: Luke Ingram - stepped into a new role this year and was absolute class. Will never forget some of his finishes and the other finishes that ended up in stowmarket.
15. Are there any other moments from the season standout to you?
MG: I think the cup runs were extremely special. You can’t beat a good cup run.
16. If you could change any part of this season, what would you change? Why? What would you do different looking back?
MG: Turning the 76 draws we had into wins and the season would have been very different.
17. If you could relive any full game from this season, which one would you pick and why?
MG: I would want to relive the Yeovil game again. It was a blur looking back at it, so much happened but what a result.
18. When you mentioned about Yeovil having chances to win it do you remember what was going through your mind in those moments?
MG: I kept saying to the lino really loud so their player could hear; if they score they win it? So the pressure is on them then yeah? I just focused on the lads run up and got a feeling and went with it.
Credit Amy Gilson.
(C) NEEDHAM MARKET F.C. / DREW KENDALL 2022.
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