Following Saturday's 4-0 pre-season friendly win over St Neots (report can be viewed HERE, I caught up with Needham manager Kevin Horlock to get his thoughts on the game, pre-season so far and a look ahead to tonight's (Tuesday 12th July) Suffolk Champions Charity Cup (as Suffolk Premier Cup holders)/friendly with Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties Premier Division side Ipswich Wanderers (holders of the Suffolk Senior Cup).
Kevin Horlock watches on during his side's 4-0 win over St Neots on Saturday.
DK: A good start to pre-season, what'd you make of it?
KH: Yeah, I enjoyed it, I thought we performed really well! Obviously, last game against Ipswich was probably, like I said in an interview, it is a bit soon. We still haven't got our full squad together, we've got lads missing today, so it's an opportunity for others. I mean it was an opportunity for the young lads. And it was just a good performance all round really, after last week with bodies missing again today, it was important that we performed well, we worked hard which we did, we looked organized, and we looked a threat. So as far as pre-season goes I was pretty pleased with that, although in the big scheme of things it doesn't mean a thing does it once a season starts, but there was positive signs. Lads have done themselves justice today and hopefully like I've said in there (changing room), winning's a habit, keeping clean sheets is a habit, so hopefully we can continue to do that throughout pre-season, it goes into our league campaign.
DK: Fitting we're standing just beside the goal that Trialist scored that stunning free- kick as well!
KH: Yeah to be fair when we got it I said 'oh, that's perfect for left foot, it's a sort of area that I'd have liked to have taken a free-kick, but he still showed that the technique and poison, the ability to get it over the wall and in the corner. So yeah it was nice, because we don't score many goals from set pieces, or we didn't last year anyway so that's a real positive sign.
DK: All the goals really were very good.
KH: Oh they were pleasing today, because it's stuff that we spoke about, we spoke about forward runs, which Taylor Clark made a forward run from midfield and got in. They're all real pleasing today, yeah.
KH: I'm still talking to another three or four, so hopefully over the next 10 days, seven days, we'll have a few more bodies in. More competition for places and the squad will be looking roughly like I want it to look. So yeah there's a big seven days ahead of us and hopefully we can add to the undoubted ability we got. The young lads that I've got at my disposal, which Manty, and Aaron Hall and Colin Grogan have done an excellent job with and Luke Betts, so yeah I'm very fortunate to be manager of Needham's first team. So, if I get the players that I'm speaking to to add to the ones we've got, and the ones we've got coming through the Academy, and the ones that have stayed here from last season, we'll be in good shape, so hopefully that that lends itself to hopefully a really strong season.
DK: And as you say with the youngsters, Flynn (Crosthwaite) who obviously played against Ipswich, I think Mo (Igwebuike) made his debut for the first team today, Dimi(tri Gayle) I think has played once or twice before Archie (Exworth) obviously played last season, etcetera etcetera, they did really well coming off the bench.
KH: Yeah look, I've said it all along, I want to create a real clear pathway for young players, that need a market that come into the Academy, that the potential to get to Needham's first team is there, it's there if you're good enough it's there. I don't care about age, if you're good enough you'll get an opportunity, but it's not easy you have to earn it we've got good players at this football club already, so they've got to work hard and try and show me that they're good enough and if they do that then they get a chance.
DK: Tuesday we look to obviously defend the suffolk Champions Charity Cup I think it's called against a tough team in (Ipswich) Wanderers, despite the levels below is that how you'll see it?
KH: Yeah, they look they've got good players though, I know a few of them, they're going to be a tough outfit. They're also going to be mad for it as well, which why wouldn't they be - we will be as well. And hopefully we're at full strength, we've got some more bodies back that weren't here today and hopefully it can be a good game, and a good spectacle, for everyone to see.
DK: Will you see it in the sense of a more competitive game or will you see it still as just a friendly?
KH: It's still a pre-season game as such, but it's for charity which is the main thing, which is really good, but also on the
back of it you do get silverware. We won it last year, so we want to win it, and like I said at the start of the interview winning is a habit I want to create that habit, so we'll be going out to win the game, we won't be going out there just to be participating.
More pre-season interviews to follow in due course...
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