Manager Kevin Horlock and goalscorer Tevan Allen reflect on yesterday's win in the Emirates FA Cup.
REACTION | KEVIN HORLOCK POST MATCH INTERVIEW| FC ROMANIA 0-3 NEEDHAM MARKET | 02.09.2023 | 2023-24 | EMIRATES FA CUP 1ST QUALIFYING ROUND |
DK: A good 3-0 win on the road.
KH: Yeah, it was a really good team performance today, obviously a potential banana skin, they always are in the FA Cup when you come away. I got the impression that they fancied their chances, they were a little bit arrogant, but we coped with that well especially after the most blatant penalty I think you'll see all season first half waved away for whatever reason. And you think, 'cor, this might not be one of our days,' but the lads were brilliant. Defended well, created problems, scored 3 really good goals and another clean sheet - I think that's six in seven, so onto the next round we'll take that!
DK: Yeah, very professional performance.
KH: Yeah, across the board we did the right things at the right times, we looked hard to beat, and we lookred dangerous as well so there's still other things that we obviously pick the bones out of and want to improve on, because that's the group we are. We want to improve every game, we want to get better and better, but we've been good up to this point in the season, take out the Stratford game, and even in that we were quite good first half, it was just errors on the day that cost us. We've looked solid, we've looked hard to beat and we look like we're going to create and I've got a good bench as well so squad's looking way better than last year. More rounded and it looks bright, but it only stays looking bright if you continue to work hard and do the right things and do the fundamentals right.
DK: You must be pleased with two of the goals being from set-pieces?
KH: Yeah, yeah, we don't get many. We've looked more threatening, obviously Reece Harris' delivery into the box as well has took us up a notch, so the ball's coming into the right area and we spoke about making sure that we attack areas with a bit of intensity and desire and that's what happens. We've done that today and like you said we've got two goals from it, so yeah very pleasing!
DK: Yeah like you mentioned, after the Stratford game we've been unbeaten, we've been near enough from game to game perfect in different areas.
KH: Yeah, we've been good, we've been consistent, which is good, we should've really got 3 points at Leiston as well, we looked a little bit leggy I think on another day we would've (won), so even the draws have been quite good as well. We could've won the draw at home as well, so yeah it's positive, we'll take it up to this point, but we won't rest on our laurels and we'll keep working hard and pushing and see where it takes us.
DK: The last couple of the seasons we've had tomes when we've lost too many games, drawn too many games, it's just about right at the moment.
KH: Yeah, if you can nick points away from home and obviously win your home games and win odd games away from home you'll be there or there abouts. It's still really early doors, but it's pleasing. This competition's obviously massive for us, every non-league club, that the prize money, the glamour, that comes with it - like we got last year at Burton - so that's what we're striving for. That's the benchmark, we want to get as near to that or to the first round like we did last year. So we'll be doing our best, but I just want to keep the lads feet on the floor, which I won't have trouble doing because they do that themselves, and we'll keep working hard and see where it takes us, and see where the season progresses to.
DK: What's been the most pleasing thing for you today?
KH: I just think dealing with what they had to give, they had players in offensive areas that were quite dangerous, but we snuffed that out and we stayed solid. We didn't get involved in the stuff that was going on off the ball and didn't get too disappointed with the, like I said, the most blatant penalty. how that's not given I don't know, but the lads stayed focus, kept their mind on the game, so it was a real good professional performance away from home in the FA Cup, which was massive for us.
DK: For you in the FA Cup, would you be happy with just emulating last season run, or do you want to try and go further?
KH: I just want us to be consistent and play well in games, to give us a chance. Sometimes you'll come up against a team that's better than you on the day, or from a higher level, but we're going to give it everything and if it means we emulate and get to the first round, then we'd be made up obviously. IF we don't, but if we've given it everything, then you can't be too disappointed.
DK: What's the priority for you, obviously the league, but would you take an FA Cup run if the league's not so great again?
KH: No, no. I think from the club's point of view, obviously, we want a good run in the FA Cup for financial reasons, every club at our level does. I want a good cup run for the lads to experience what they experienced last year and the new ones experiencing that. Young players that's really good for their development, but the league's where it's at for me. The league is where we needed to be improve, the league is where we need to be consistent, and the league is where you find out whether you're a good team, because if you are you'll end up near the top.
DK: Saturday we're back at home to Stourbridge, who've also had a good start.
KH: Yeah, tough game, but we're in good form, we're in good spirits, I've got a group of players that don't rest on their laurel. I've got a group of players that will approach it in the right way so it should lend itself to be a good game Saturday.
REACTION | TEVAN ALLEN POST MATCH INTERVIEW| FC ROMANIA 0-3 NEEDHAM MARKET | 02.09.2023 | 2023-24 | EMIRATES FA CUP 1ST QUALIFYING ROUND |
DK: In the hat, nice win!
TA: Yeah, perfect win I think, something that summed it up that we said in the changing room, it wasa professional win. It's always a hard place to come, playing a lower opposition, you have to give them respect because I thought they did well, passed the ball when they could. It was a hot day, not on the greatest of pitches so again a professional performance, no goals conceded again, so yeah happy all round really.
DK: It kind of reflects how well we've started the season overall.
TA: Yeah, I think we've had a real good start to the season, obviously bar the first game, but I think that's a blip - it happens sometimes in a season, it's just about how you react. We could've went one way, and not necessarily thrown the towel in but, we could've just not performed really. We've come out swinging from that game onwards, and I think we've just excelled from there, and hopefully it continues.
DK: How've you found your first competitive month or so with the club?
TA: Yeah, I've found it really good! I think with the players, again before I even signed we had the interview and I said the players that I've always wanted to play with and it feels comfortable. It feels kind of like a home, so the players have obviously made me feel welcome, so I think it's been easier to adapt, and easier to put my style of play into what was already here, and I think it's worked really well, and yeah we've started to pick up good wins, and good performances. That's the main thing, all of them have been good performances.
DK: A lot of clean sheets and been clinical when we've needed to be.
TA: Yeah, I think that's another thing about last year, I think I heard that we struggled with about being clinical, being ruthless, keeping over teams in a game and that can be a banana skin, like today when it was 1-0 we were saying that, or they were saying, last year potentially it could have been squeaky bum time and they could've scored a goal and it could've been a hard affair, but obviously luckily I got the second goal and then Jamie goes and gets the third and makes it much easier for ourselves, and just act professional about it. Do what we need to do and go away being in the hat!
DK: Definitely, you speak about the goal, do you think you took it well?
TA: Yeah, I think it's not one of the best goals I've ever scored, but like everyone was saying, you've got to buy a ticket to win the raffle so I've took the shot, I've took it nice and early, luckily the keeper's not caught onto it, it's gone into the bottom corner, a goal's a goal really, I'll take any of them at the moment.
DK: It's your second in three games!
TA: Yeah, nice little run, I think last season when I was at Stow and not Brightlingsea I think I had one of the best goalscoring runs seasons that I've had, and I think in the role that Kev and Tom have allowed me to play in this year it's really allowed me to be able to get there and to be able to be in chances to score goals. Like even after the goal, still had a chance and hopefully more goals will come and that's something that's been lacking in my game since I've been a kid, so hopefully it starts now and keep scoring goals, and keep doing what I need to do.
DK: You talk about the team performance being brilliant, but do you think your personal performance deserved that goal?
TA: Yeah, I think, look I think I've done well. I'm not one to blow smoke up my own arse as they say, but I think I've done well, adapted to the league, I think that's a big change for me being in a league that's much more physical and demanding physically, and I think I've adapted well. I think I've done what I've needed to do and I always ask questions so with Tom and stuff, as it is a bit of a different role to me, getting closer to the striker, but I've asked everything that I need to do and at the moment they seem happy with it, so yeah long may that continue, and obviously can always adapt in games when needed, but I think I've started really well and hopefully again that continues.
DK: You talk about adapting to the league, have you found it much different to the Isthmian divisions?
TA: In a way, I think it's much more physical. There's a lot of good technical players, but I think they're tactically more aware, and it just seems like you're more in a football match. I just think that in the Isthmian North and Isthmian Prem there's a lot of good techincal players that kind of stand out, it's not like a good technical team, but in these leagues I think they're tactically just aware. They know where they need to be, hard to break down, and at times you're always in a tough game, so it's good. I like the challenge as you can see, like tenacious player myself I love having that physical challenge, having that battle and not being underestimated really.
DK: You were Man Of The Match today, would you say that's fair?
TA: Firstly, appreciate it, if anyone says that I'm Man Of The Match I'm not going to grumble. I don't know, I think it's a good team performance, I can never say that I'm going to be a stand out player because I know what I can bring to the team and more often than not I'll try my best to be consistent, at least 7 out of 10. So hopefully I've done that so far, and if it was better today, it's better today. If it's better next week, if it's not then it's not going to bother me, I'll just keep trying to do what I've got to do.
DK: Next up we've got Stourbridge, who've started well as well.
TA: Yeah, I don't think we need to look at anyone else to be honest, I think we need to continue what we're doing, because everyone's said the same about Coalville, and we went there with the mindset of we had to give them respect, of course because they are a good team in that league, obviously for me personally it's a clean slate. I know absolutely nobody in the league, so I just turn up to a game and play, every game is a game of football, no matter who, which eleven you play against. You play against Chelsea, yeah it'd be different tactically with better players, but you've still got to look at a game of football against eleven other people. So I think yeah it's good to know they're on a good run, because I think they'll be surprised if we do exactly do what we've been doing, and change up the style of play when we can, I think they'll be in for a shock hopefully. And if they're not, if it turns out that they're better than us on the day so be it, we just go onto the next one.
DK: It's nice to have a free week!
TA: Yeah, I feel like it's been absolutely nonstop, but I'll never grumble at playing football. I don't care how consistently it is, I'm getting to that age that I am getting there, I'm not threre yet, but I'm getting there and one day it's all going to be gone so I'm playing as much football as I possibly can really, until I physically not do anymore. So it's still good to have a week off, but it's nice to play a lot of games in a small time period anyway.
DK: You speak about not knowing so much of the league, does it help having things like Tom's tactical knowledge?
TA: Yeah, it sets you up for a game just to know, because obviously if I'm someone completely unaware of any kind of player, don't know who the players are, if he tactically sets you up and he tells you what a player's going to do it'll put in your mindset you kind of know how to react off of them. But I've always done it to be fair mate, I've always not looked at the opposition, because I think psychologically it can put you 1-0 down. I just think if you focus on what you bring to a game and win your second balls, first balls, try battle as hard as you can think sometimes that outshines tactical. It's just building from that foundation, then being aware tactically so yeah it does help, but at the same time I don't really play into that stuff.
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