REACTION | Jamie McGrath Post Match Interview | Royston Town v Needham Market | 28.10.2023 |
In the first of 3 post match interviews, double goalscorer & MOTM Jamie McGrath reflects on yesterday's win.
DK: Three goals in 2 games now for you, you're on a roll!
JMcG: Yeah, that's nice, obviously coming back from injury it was frustrating to be out, but just wanted to come back in and hit the ground running, which I thankfully have done. So it's a great start, but it's only a start.
DK: Nice to see you hit a brace!
JMcG: Yeah, it's nice! I think it's the first time I've got a brace for Needham, so yeah it feels good, but obviously the most important thing is coming here and getting the win. It was a tough game, we battled it out, but a very important 3 points!
DK: Yeah, you were clinical when you needed to be!
JMcG: Yeah exactly, it wasn't a game of loads of chances, so that meant when we did get chances we had to finish them off, and thankfully I was able to do that today.
DK: Especially for the second goal, with the pressure from the defender.
JMcG: Yeah, it was just one of those, it was a good flick on from Ingers, and I think it could've been set to Dan or Ollie, but like you say, just managed to get on the turn and just sort of bundle it over the line to be honest. So just pleased to see it go in the back of the net!
DK: You were hungrier for it?!
JMcG: Yeah exactly, that's what you've got to be in the six yard box, it's what we've spoken about at training, is for me and whoever is playing up front, to get in that 6 yard box, and get the tap ins and thankfully was able to do that!
DK: What you call it a perfect week?
JMcG: Yeah, perfect week like you say, 2-0 & a 3-0 both away from home, yeah defensively brilliant again, even with Keiran out today Jake Dye stepped in & was excellent again, just really pleasing to be honest!
DK: Yeah, with the late change of Keiran not being fit, did it hamper preparations?
JMcG: Yeah, to an extent, but like I say we've got such a strong squad people can fill in different positions that course we're going to miss Keiran, but thankfully we were able to get the job done without him today.
DK: Onto the County Cup on Wednesday!
JMcG: Yeah, Wednesday, got to recover from today, go again and like you say just focus on the next game, obviously we want to do well in the county cup again, so it'll be a game we'll give our full focus to and we've got to go there and put in a similar sort of performance and hopefully get the win.
DK: After that, without looking too far ahead, we've got two league home games coming up!
JMcG: Yeah, it's always nice to play at home, thankfully our away form has been a lot better this year than it was last year, but even so we love playing at home so looking forward to that as well.
DK: Is the more pleasing thing that we're currently being consistent all across the board, home & away?
JMcG: Yeah of course, consistency is the most important thing in football and it was what we were lacking a lot last year, we knew we could beat the top teams but it was about going everywhere and performing on a consistent basis, which so far we've done this year, but obviously it's still fairly early days, so we've just got to keep that going.
REACTION | Kevin Horlock Post Match Interview | Royston Town v Needham Market | 28.10.2023 |
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on yesterday's 2-0 victory at Royston.
DK: Another win on the road, clean sheet, perfect!
KH: Yeah, we're in a good place at the minute, obviously winning games gives you confidence and we've been picking up points home & away. So we come here a little bit under strength, obviously Keiran wasn't fit to play, tried the warm up, Tev obviously not available but it's opportunities for others, and even Tommy Smith was probably touch and go, but he got through the game. Credit to the lads again, we weren't at our best today, we've been better, but we're not going to be at our best every game, but again we were still by far the better team and deserved to win. Scored 2 great goals, Jamie, I'm made up for, he's sort of finding his feet at this level now, he looks sharper and one thing never changes is in front of goal the goal doesn't change shape. The boy can finish, it was a great finish the first one, we've asked a lot of the lads lately with games on Tuesday & obviously the FA Cup exploits, but they keep delivering so I'm made up for them today.
DK: Is it still nigh on a perfect start, given the fact we're currently consistent home & away?
KH: I wouldn't say perfect, obviously Stratford game (DK: Since that!), but I would've liked to have beat York, I would've liked to still be in the Trophy today, but I suppose the silver lining being knocked out of the Trophy meant we had a league game today, and it's a league game we've won. So we'll take that, but the lads have been brilliant. I can't give them enough praise, everything's fell into place. Tom, my assistant, he's unbelievable, gives the lads information, the detail he gives them they're listening and learning, and taking it on board and taking it into games, and they're seeing the success from that, which again breeds confidence. So we'll rest and recuperate as much as we can, we've got a fair few knocks to deal with, and obviously big game Wednesday against Melford.
DK: Is there anything today that you'd have liked the lads to have done better, or is it the perfect performance?
KH: I think I'll always push for more, like I've said in previous interviews, but I can't really knock the lads. We've obviously had a really tough game on Tuesday, we've had the FA Cup exploits but the bounce back from that, and the reaction from the FA Cup, which can sometimes be negative has been massively positive. We looked a bit tired today, obviously Jake Dye has got in at centre half again and been unbelievable. When you find out your captain's unavailable half-hour before kickoff you start to have doubts a little bit maybe, but I shouldn't doubt these lads. They are unbelievable to work with, they don't question anything, they can be played out of position, they just get on with it and week in week out they're showing how good they are at the minute. So we could've scored more, kept another clean sheet - I don't know how many it is now, it's getting actually ridiculous, but that again gives us the base to go and win games. It's not just the back 4 and Marco, when I say another clean sheet, it's the midfield working bard in front, the wide players working tirelessly, the front man shuffling left and right. As a team we're hard to beat and that sets it up nicely for you to win games today, like we did.
DK: Last season we didn't really score goals like we have today & Tuesday.
KH: No, and I suppose people always say we're missing an out and out number 9, I know Jamie can play there and scores goals - possibly better as a 10, I don't know - Ingers has played up there, scored goals, and we've obviously got Seth coming through that's going to be an out and out number 9 and score goals, but people will question it. You're still missing a number 9. I'm not sure we are, we've got lads that work hard, prepared to run forward and can finish. So until that special number 9 that isn't available anywhere becomes available I'm pretty happy with what I've got.
DK: Who needs that number 9 when Jamie's twisting defenders, and scoring goals!
KH: Yeah, he's been big for us this season, obviously it was a big step up from where he was playing but his attributes are transferable to this level, he knows where to be, he's good in the air, and the lad can finish. You see today, the first 1 was so composed, didn't slash it, he just passed it into the net, so like I said, he's found his feet this season, he started off really well in how we want to play and link off him. Unfortunately then got the injury that sort of kept him out for a bit, but he's back now and we're much stronger for it!
DK: Today's been a bit of a carbon copy of Tuesday, albeit not totally the same.
KH: The first half we was a little bit rushed, and I would've liked a little bit more composure, but the pitch needs time to get used to, and in the second half I thought, well I asked them to be a little bit more aggressive out off possession, to push onto them more, win the ball back higher up the pitch - which I thought we did. And obviously the goals come, which gives us a nice little cushion to then see the game out, but it's going alright. It's going alright, but we won't let them rest on their laurels. Me, Tom, Munno now, we'll be on them, and we want more. I want more, this team's capable of big things in my opinion, and we've not even started yet.
DK: Onto Wednesday, back in the County Cup!
KH: Yeah, big one for us, obviously Melford it'll be obviously a big game for them, playing ourselves who are flying high 2 divisions above. We'll respect that and go there, but obviously I'll be forced to make changes in terms of injuries anyway, but I want to win this competition. I've said it all along, we're proud of the fact we've won it 3 times on the spin, and we want to make it a fourth. So we'll go there as strong as we can and try and do the job.
REACTION | Tommy Smith Post Match Interview | Royston Town v Needham Market | 28.10.2023 |
Left-back Tommy Smith concludes yesterday's post match reaction, providing an insight into the defensive side of yesterday's win.
DK: Another win, you must be pleased?
TS: It was a bit different today, a little more ground out the result, but overall good performance, another 3 points, and another clean sheet which is all that matters.
DK: Would you call it a perfect week?
TS: Yeah, perfect week, we keep winning, we keep not conceding goals so you can't do much more than that when you step onto the pitch, so it's good.
DK: As a defender, are the clean sheets more pleasing than the actual performances?
TS: Both really, I mean clean sheets don't come without good performances, so it's a little bit of both. If you don't play well it's unlikely you're going to keep a clean sheet, so it's definitely both.
DK: Coming away from home to a place where we have only won probably once or twice must make it even better?
TS: Course, obviously I didn't play in any of those games, so I can't really comment on how it was in the past, but I thought today we put in a real performance, as well as we could in hard circumstances, so you know it's just credit to everyone!
DK: After more of a physical battle first half, we kind of turned the second half into more of our preferred style?
TS: Yeah, we did. That happened again on Tuesday night as well, we sort of had a bit of a slow first half, but then we kick into gear in the second half, which is always good, but you have something in the locker that you can bring out, but overall really pleasing!
DK: Onto Wednesday, back in the county cup away to Long Melford!
TS: Back in the cup yep, another big game! We obviously love that competition, so we'll do everything we can to come away still in it after that game! I'd love to get a Suffolk cup under my belt, but we're not really thinking about that at the moment, we're just focused on every game that comes in front of us, but that is the next game.
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