Following last night's Needham Market's Suffolk Champions Charity Cup penalty shootout win over Ipswich Wanderers, REPORT HERE, I spoke to manager Kevin Horlock.
KH: Yeah I think it's always nice, obviously we're the holders, so we come into it wanting to retain it so it's
nice to do that. We went the hard way about it, we
wasn't great tonight, we're a little bit short obviously numbers. Everyone knows obviously the injuries we got and people missing, but if we got here in the end. I said in the previous interview, I've said in the changing rooms winning is a habit, so we've won the last two so we'll take that and we'll definitely be better than we were tonight. It was massive for them to come here, obviously being the lower league team, they wanted to put one over on us and rightly so, and I thought they played reasonably well. Albeit we didn't play great, but at the end of the day, after all we all go home tonight, and tomorrow to say that Needham won so we'll take that and move on.
DK: Do you think the scoreline reflected the game?
KH: I don't know really, we had a few chances even when we were down to 10 men, which stretched us a little bit even more. We had a few half chances, which on another day I think we score. I know they've had a few chances, I think (Matt) Blake hit the inside of the post, great save from Marco (Marcus Garnham). So I don't know maybe 0-0 or 1-1 was a fair result, and obviously it goes into penalties - which we meant to do really, because we did that to so Marco could get some practice! So it all went to
plan really! A penalty shootout, Marco gets a chance to save penalties, so it went exactly how we wanted it to!
DK: Taylor (Clark) scored a good penalty himself, in the first half, to make it 1-0!
KH: Yeah the lad's composed, he's got so much ability, still really young, and he's got the world at his feet he keeps listening and progressing and improving like he is, he could end up anywhere.
DK: Was it his decision, or your decision, whose decision was it to take the penalty?
KH: I think penalties, I know you probably nominate a penalty taker at the start of the season, but I think certainly in pre-season, in games like this, I'm a big believer and whoever's confident enough to take it, to take it! I think that's the best way, so he was brave enough to step up and it was a cool finish!
DK: Onto the penalties, some more good saves from Marco to obviously win the shoot out. Good penalties from Kyle (Hammond), Trialist11 and Fitzy (Tom Fitzgerald) as well!
KH: Yeah, as soon as it went to penalties I knew we was going to win! Marco's the penalty king, he's shown it so often! He's a master at it, so as soon as we went to penalties, I knew our name was going to be on the cup!
DK: Ultimately, as we've said it's nice to retain it!
KH: Yeah it's important, look, at the end of the day, we are short, we have got bodies missing - probably missing five or six today, who would probably get in around, or in the starting eleven! So we was light and they're a lower league team, so it's still important that we win tonight, albeit on penalties. But it's a win, I think that's really important for a club like us, that wants to progress, you need to beat teams that are in the lower division. Even teams like Ipswich Wanderers, who are a decent team with players that possibly could play higher, so it was a test for us tonight, but we come for it and won it so that's pleasing!
DK: I know it's only, what two, three days since the last game, but is there any more updates?
KH: Not as yet not as yet, there's conversations still to be had. I'm hoping, hopefully maybe be someone in the door by Saturday, if not it might be the week after. We'll have to
see, but look it's frustrating. I know Needham fans want to want to hear names, and see players coming in, but they need to trust me on it. By the time season starts, well before that middle of pre-season, we'll have bodies in and the squad will be looking how we want it to look, how we want it to look, so we'll be really competitive this season.
DK: Any team news ahead of Saturday's game?
KH: Probably Keiran (Morphew)'s still out, and again Keiran and being Keiran, he wanted to play tonight. But I'm not risking him, in it he's he's obviously a massive player for us, a massive figure, so I need him fit for the start of the season - so I'm not going to push him into tonight's game. And he'll probably miss saturday as well I imagine, and then we just have to see on the rest.
DK: So will it be roughly the same squad?
KH: I think there'll be a few back I'll see Jake Dye, you've got Patch (Patrick Brothers) away as well, so there's still a few a few missing, so yeah we'll see. We'll probably have another couple of bodies back by Saturday.
DK: In the other end, there will be Fowkesy (Ben Fowkes) coming back, will you see that in your mind?
KH: No, look it's another pre-season game, I think that the boot's on the other foot really, like today, we're the lower league team, we shouldn't really have a chance. You want to pit yourself against teams in the higher division, obviously look Fowkesy, I always like working with the lad, you know he's a great kid, he wants to progress, he's got a great move going to Braintree. So I'll shake his hand on the way in, and he's been great for us. He's got a lot of
good goals, just hopefully he's not quite shooting boots on Saturday!
DK: What was the most pleasing thing about tonight for you?
KH: I think the biggest positive is retaining it I think, we've got minutes in the tank, we wasn't great. I think the standout performers were probably Kyle Hammond and Trialist11, I thought Trislist12 come on and look lively, the rest were a little bit by below par, but look it's early days. We obviously played Saturday, gone with a similar team, so lads have played probably more football than I have liked. If I've had more lads available, then I'd have rotated a little bit more, so there was there was positives, the biggest positives that we've got the trophy again, so we're top team in Suffolk!
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