Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on Tuesday night's win over Peterborough Sports.
"If you keep working hard, it could end up being a good season for us."
DK: York City here we come!
KH: Yeah, the lads were magnificent again tonight, without repeating myself in interview after interview, it's a special group - players in terms of football, in terms of people, they're prepared to go that extra yard for each other as a group - so you'll always in with a chance. I couldn't be prouder tonight, and without sounding arrogant, because I'm not an arrogant person, I had a feeling if we played as well as we can and they played as well as they can, we win - because I think we're better than them, and people may say I may be biased, but I know what I've got. I see them obviously every training session, I see them every game, and they (the lads) just keep producing, so they deserved everything they got tonight. The trip to York is well deserved, and again it's good for the football club to go a football club that's been a league club, that gets big crowds. It's a tough ask, but FA Cup you never know! If we go there and perform as well as we can we'll have a chance again.
DK: Yeah, 3 well taken goals in a dominant second half.
KH: Yeah, we sort of spoke about at half-time, not that we was really poor but, we didn't play with that front foot mentality - we was a little bit off them - maybe the fear of losing, but I just said go out and do what you do, I'm not saying go expansive but go enjoy it, go and get further up the pitch, and we do that that's when we look the most dangerous, and we did that brilliantly second half, obviously with again keeping a clean sheet gives you that platform to go on and win games, and the goals we scored were brilliant.
DK: We rode a bit of an early storm in the first 10-15 minutes, but after that we looked like the better side.
KH: Yeah, we just sat off them, obviously we expected them to come out more and be more aggressive, I don't think they pressed us that much at their place, and they definitely upped that and we just sort of sat off them a little bit, and didn't really back ourselves as much as we should of. I tell them all the time what good players they are, what a group they are, and go out and just show it - and that's what they did, so I couldn't of asked more from them, all of them, every person that was in the squad tonight - even the ones who didn't get on - they're part of this group and when you're winning games it becomes a habit. If you keep working hard, it could end up being a good season for us!
DK: Tonight we've showed how free flowing our football has been in the league.
KH: Yeah, we're dangerous, we're dangerous, we've got players that are willing to run forwards unselfishly, not always to receive the ball - which creates pockets for other players to land on it - we look a real threat, and we look a force going forward. That coupled with having an unbelievable defensive record, with Marco again making a couple of saves - top, top saves, by the way - and a defence in front of him, and more importantly players ahead of the defenders that are willing to track back and work hard in front of them, it's a good recipe. So long may it continue, but it'll only continue if we continue to work hard, and push for more, which is obviously my job ultimately, and Tom's to keep pushing the lads to really achieve what could be possible.
DK: One of the even better statistics is that we've still got a clean sheet so far in this competition!
KH: Yeah, Tom - statto - Tom my assistant's unbelievable, he knows all the stats and he mentioned it down there (in the changing room), if you take away the six we conceded at Stratford in the league, coupled with the FA Cup no goals against we're pretty solid. So credit to the lads, that's across the board, and obviously Marco's included in that, it's going well, but football has a habit of knocking you when you least expect it, so we won't take it for granted. We'll keep working hard, we'll be training Thursday, we'll be looking at the clips of them (Cray) for Saturday, so we'll keep striving and continue to keep winning games and getting better.
DK: What is the most pleasing thing about tonight?
KH: That the lads just keep turning out, giving everything, I couldn't ask for more, and showing everybody - I know already - me and Tom know how good they are - but showing everyone else what good footballers they are individually , but more importantly football's a team game and what a good group they are, and what a good team they are.
DK: As we've talked about, York away in the next round, without getting ahead of ourselves, it's another winnable tie.
KH: Yeah, it's winnable! Obviously the lads will enjoy tonight, we'll have a light session on Thursday and get ready for the Trophy on Saturday, which is massive for us. I want to try and compete on all fronts, obviously two years ago we had a good Trophy run but not so good FA Cup run or league, then we had a good FA Cup run, but went out first round of the Trophy when we went into that and not good league. This year we're going strong in the FA Cup, started really well in the league, I want to have a good run in the Trophy as well, and yes it might stretch us, but it means opportunity for others and squad rotation, but I want the lads to want everything.
DK: You talk about the Trophy, it's important that after a night like tonight that we don't rest on our lourels and we go out there and repeat tonight.
KH: I won't let them (the players), I won't let them, but more importantly, and it's what makes my job more easier, they won't let it happen themselves. It's a self motivating, self managing team, yes obviously I have to lead it and Tom, but they manage it themselves, so there's no way they'll take their foot off the gas, and like you said in the last question the trip to York is nice, and we'll be focused on that once it's upon us, but it's winnable. It is winnable, it's the FA Cup, you've seen it so often, yes we're massive, massive, underdogs - call me biased - I think a lot of my players could play at the level they're playing at so we'll go and have a right good day out and we'll give it a right good go - and if we win then we'll be estatic, if we don't and we give everything then hold our hands up and say the better team beat us.
DK: In the second half as the goals flew in, the ground erupted, which was nice to see.
KH: Yeah, look, I'm glad! When I first come to Needham obviously I wanted to first and foremost create an environment for lads to develop and get better, for me the person is just as important as the player. So what I mean by that is that I want good people that are willing to roll their sleeves up and work for each other, which I've got, and I wanted to bring good football. I want football to be good to watch, obviously successful football is a mixture of good football, attractive football and the dirty side, which I think we've done really well at this season. So I'm pleased that the fans are enjoying it, I'm pleasing that we're scoring goals, and like I said I'm pleased that the lads are showing what a good team and what a great team they could potentialluy become.
DK: Is there anyway that we could actually improve?
KH: Yeah, loads of ways. Loads of ways, tonight - and look I don't want to be critical because we've won 3-0 against a team higher up, we've kept a clean sheet - we could've had more. We could've had more, we was opening them up at will at times, and that final little bit of quality, look I'll give the lads the benefit of the doubt, obviously getting tired the shift the put in, but there's always room to improve. You'll never the finished article, and I won't let them think that. When we're getting patted on the back, we've got silverware, or we've achieved something, broke more records in terms of the furthest the club's been in certain competitions, then I'll still let them give themselves a pat on the back but I'll still push for more! I'd say if we win the FA Cup, I'd allow the lads to say that we're a good team!
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