REACTION | KYLE HAMMOND POST MATCH INTERVIEW | HASHTAG UNITED 0-1 NEEDHAM MARKET | 16.09.2023 | EMIRATES FA CUP 2ND QUALIFYING ROUND |
Midfielder, match-winner and Man Of The Match Kyle Hammond reflects on yesterday's win away to Hashtag United.
DK: Nice win, you must be pleased?
KH: Yeah, it was a good win, we'll take quite a good away performance, so at the end of the day it's about getting through to the next round.
DK: Talk us through your goal.
KH: To be honest with you, I think Pagey passed me the ball outside the box, I just took a touch and it sat up for me perfectly to smash (home). All I was doing was hitting and hoping and it went top corner.
DK: How pleased are you to be chosen as our Man Of The Match today?
KH: I think everyone was probably at a 7, 8 out of 10, so probably the only standout moment was the goal. So I don't know, maybe if you said I was Man Of The Match then fair enough.
DK: Like you say it was a good all-round team performance and at the end of the day that's been a key feature for us of late.
KH: Yeah, this season I think something's just clicked, something's changed, we've got good personalities come into the building with Tev, Reece, Tommy Smith they've all just brought something different to the team from last year. I think they've improved us massively, and we already had a good core group I think, and now we've just added that extra bit of grittyness, bit of that hard work, obviously quality as well and I just think it's just working for us at the moment. So yeah, we're all really pleased about how the season's started, but at the end of the day we haven't actually won anything, you know how this league can change so quickly, in terms of results. Because this time last year, September, we were probably in a similar position, so look where we ended up last year, so we've just got to keep our standards really high in the changing room, everywhere, keep performing out on the pitch, and I think we're probably the hardest team to beat at the moment, in terms of goals conceded, bar the first game. I think we've only conceded in 3 games now, but that's only by the odd goal I believe, we've got six, seven clean sheets and another one today. So if we just keep doing that I think we'll be alright this season.
DK: Was it a case of if we keep a clean sheet that the rest should look after itself?
KH: I think we work hard to keep clean sheets, if I'm honest, I think we can do better to kill teams off and we get in such good areas but I think sometimes, whether it's just we're just rushing things or, we're just lack a little bit of quality at the time - I don't know, but that's something that we are improving on at training every week. So I think 1 if we took up front, I think we're comfortable in games, because I think generally our defending as a team, our defending individually, from Marco, back four, and us 3 in midfield and everyone up top, pressing from the front I think we always give ourselves a good chance ti win a game.
DK: Now we're back through to the 3rd Qualifying Round, is this the priority for you, the league or a bit of both?
KH: Just whatever game comes really. I'd say it's nice for the FA Cup because of the club, and us players, because we want to get in the first round again and try and beat that maybe, but league is your bog standard week in week out. Personally, if I had a choice and money wasn't involved, because money at the moment for any club is vital, so if money in the FA Cup wasn't involved I'd say the league means more to me.
REACTION | TOM ROTHERY POST MATCH INTERVIEW | HASHTAG UNITED 0-1 NEEDHAM MARKET | 16.09.2023 | EMIRATES FA CUP 2ND QUALIFYING ROUND |
Assistant Manager Tom Rothery reflects on the Cup win over Hashtag.
DK: Another good win on the road, in the cup!
TR: Yeah, of course, I think apart from Stratford the first game we've done well away from home especially in comparison to last season so the main thing is you're in the hat, and that's what we've done today so yeah, brilliant, another clean sheet which is really pleasing. Could've done some things better on the day, but overall it's just getting yourself in the hat, that's the main thing.
DK: Would you agree that we just about edged it and the scoreline just about reflects it?
TR: Yeah, I think they, I don't know possession wise, but they had more of the ball than maybe we normally let teams have but they hit the bar in the first half, can't think of other threats apart from they put a lot of balls in the box, which I think we defended it really well, and I think there's times where we could be a little bit more clinical in the final third and maybe get a second. But yeah I thought we edged it personally, just because I felt we carried more threat when we did have the ball personally, and like I said, although potentially they had a little bit more of the ball today, which is a little bit unusual for us really, but yeah we just edged it. It was tight, it was a tight game no doubt about that.
DK: Yeah, we took the goal well with a perfect strike from Hammo and looked good defensively - like you say.
TR: Yeah, it was a great strike, yeah, defensively - that's what I've just said in the changing room - for me personally the manager the other day from Kettering said that we turned up not wanting to be beat - that's obviously meant to be a little of a diss. I don't see that as a diss, I think that's the crux of football, if you make yourself hard to be beat then that gives you a platform to then go and win games. I just think defensively we looked really solid and again we did that today, obviously the back four and the goalkeeper will get the plaudits, but I just think as a team we just looked really solid. Everyone's really working hard and, you know, you can see everyone's buying into it.
DK: Yeah, we worked hard as unit, started off with a brilliant high press then as the game went on we kept working together.
TR: Yeah, especially with the heat today you're not going to be able to press for 90 minutes, you've got to pick and choose where you're press and where you're going to from, so there was times where we just had to go into that mid-block or deeper block, and like I said, fair play to them they worked the ball well at times and were looking to try and create overloads and then get it into the box so you've got to deal with what the opposition bring haven't you?! So we knew they were going to do that and they're not a bad side, they got promoted last year. I don't know how many home games they've lost in the last sort of 12 months but it isn't many so yes, it's a good performance. Solid performance and just edged the win.
DK: With them having hit a rocky patch of form we kind of expected some kind of performance like today but we dealt with their threat fairly well.
TR: Yeah, I've been watching them for the last 12, 15 months or whatever, so I know exactly what they do and what they don't do so I don't think they're a bad side, but like everyone finds that adaption going a league higher, especially going step 4 to step 3 is a big jump, so it'll take them time. I'm sure they'll do it, they've got good players, they've got good ability within that side and obviously Devs and Joe Keith have been around football a long time, so I have no doubt in my mind that they'll be more than good enough this season to stay at the level they're at, and kick on from there. I'm sure they will.
DK: We just have that momentum that, like we've said before, we're grinding out games, we're having another good September.
TR: Like I said, after the Stratford game I just think we've been really solid and, like I said, it just gives you a foundation to go and win games from. Like I've just said to the lads in the changing room, I think the only - if there was a criticism- was that I think we could've killed them off. There's a spell after we scored the goal, sort of 10-15 minutes little spell where we had a lot of the ball, few short openings and we just didn't really kill them off, and that's probably the criticism, if there is one at the moment. Same as Kettering the other night, when we scored the goal, we had a couple of chances after that to put it to bed and when you don't and it's 1-0 there's always that chance that they get a stunner like Hammo, or a header or whatever. It is a slight criticism, but like I said we've always got to try and improve, so that's something we do need to improve on.
DK: All around though, pleasing.
TR: Yeah, definitely, after the first game if you would've said we're going to lose 6-1, be third in the league and then be in the Third Round Qualifying of the FA Cup you'd bite someone's hand off, wouldn't you?! It's nine or ten games now, seven or eight clean sheets, eight games in the league so ten in total, seven clean sheets. We've, so far, only conceded in 3 games, so yeah not bad, you've got to be happy with that. That gives you a really solid foundation to then kick on from so we've just got to not get ahead of ourselves and make sure that we keep doing what we're doing at the moment, and keep working hard- and like I said if we want to add anything to it, it's just being a little bit more clinical and putting games to bed. You know, getting that second goal, which then gives you a little bit of sort of space, little bit of comfort to not be on the edge of your seat towards the end of the game.
DK: Moving onto Telford next Saturday, long trip and another tough game.
TR: Obviously they've came down from the league above, it's a big club, so I've watched them but I don't really focus on teams until we play them so I'll watch more of them next week. I know they've got Montel Gibson up front, he's a handful, so they'll be a good side. They beat Nuneaton 7-0 at home, they've had a few good results at home, it's a good set up. It's a big club, so we'll expect a tough game and the journey obviously does add complications, and it is a really long journey, but we're used to it now there's not that excuse, and we won't use that as an excuse and we'll be prepared and ready for a tough game and looking to get more points on the board.
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