Midfielder Tev Allen reflects on last night's win.
DK: Through in the cup, two assists for you, not bad!
TA: Yeah, not bad! I think it was a potential banana skin, and these games are never easy, because - obviously with no disrespect when I say this but - coming to a pitch like this we're not really used to, it becomes a leveller, and that showed by the scoreline, because we haven't conceded in god knows how many games and we concede 2 in a game like this, which on paper should be comfortable for us, but all credit to them for getting the goals, and yeah we're through. That's all that matters really, cup football that you get through and how you get through it doesn't really matter. So, happy, happy to get 2 assists, done the job.
DK: We don't normally score many from corners!
TA: I've been saying, honestly I've been saying for weeks, since I signed in pre-season that I wanted to take corners. I didn't want to push anyone off them, and I think it's only recently from the last game that I played, Stamford away, that I said, 'let me take the corners', and proof is in the pudding! I think I've took 5 corners, 3 assists, so hopefully I can take more.
DK: Is that the perfect way for you to come back from injury?
TA: Yeah, a hundred percent, I've been chomping at the bit, like I hate missing games of football anyway, and to obviously not play Saturday (away to Royston) and not even be there to see what actually happened - I was obviously glad the boys got a win, got a clean sheet - but yeah, it's good to come back in the fold straight away and make a difference really. Or be able to do something, get the two assists, it's all want to do, and I just love playing football, so I don't care what kind of game it is I play.
DK: Having kept a lot of clean sheets most games this season, was it good in a way to have to come from behind?
TA: It is, because it shows our character again, but it's not good the fact that we are conceding, it's not panic button, it's not panic stations, but for our personal pride, and our standards we didn't want to concede those goals. So that's obviously still something that you learn every game, something we have to look at, go back to the drawing board and hopefully can change that Saturday and we don't concede.
DK: Saturday we're back home in the league against Nuneaton.
TA: Yeah, it'll be interesting. I think any game in our league is a hard game, it's just how we approach it and I think we've been good. We've been good home and away, so at the moment we're kind of flying in our performances. We just need to keep our standards, like I said before in the last interview - never get too high, never get too low - keep doing the same things every week, and come up against new challenges and see how we combat them and hopefully win the game.
DK: Main thing is, like we've said, we're still in the cup!
TA: Hundred percent, in the quarter finals now, Stowmarket at home. Yeah, old club, so that'll be interesting for me, and seeing some old faces, we played them in pre-season, they'll be tough. Every team that we play is going to be tough, no matter who we play, it could be step 6, could be step 7, I still believe it's going to be a tough game. So, yeah we'll give them all the respect, and hopefully we'll again play the way we did today, just have that passion, have that hunger, and to be able to win, to win the game and get to the semi final and hopefully go for a 4-peat of this cup.
DK: Basically take every game as it comes?
TA: Every game as it comes, that's in the league, that's in any cup, we done that in the FA Cup, even with the FA Trophy, we did lose first game, but we still had to take it as it comes and unfortunately we lost that one. But yeah, we just keep moving forward, we have to keep moving forward.
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on last night's win.
DK: Not pretty, but still in it!
KH: Yeah, it was about getting through. It was always going to be difficult coming here, obviously the pitch was heavy, and the way they set up I don't think I've ever seen it before really, I think it was a goalkeeper, nine behind the ball and one up top, and it's difficult to break down at times. There's a lot of bodies, but we were resolute, we kept going, we got the winner in the end, so I'm pleased, albeit bored during the game- and its not one I'll watch back. There wasn't much, I think a few of the lads have said they might have to go to gym tomorrow, because they've not done much in the game but we're through to the next round, and that's what we've come here for.
DK: Having made a few changes, does it make it a bit more pleasing?
KH: I expected to come here and win, obviously I would've liked it to have been by a bigger score margin, but when people sit behind the ball like that it's difficult at times and if you want to get through, and we have, obviously it was a little bit, not nervy but, touch and go at times. But t you have to deal with it when you come to places like this, and you're up against it, you've got to dig deep and I thought the lads did that, and we're through to the next round. That's the main thing.
DK: But coming from behind is something we haven't had to do much this year.
KH: No, and then that's pleasing. We don't want to concede goals, if this is a league game I don't think we do. I think we're probably little bit off it defensively we knew we probably could be, which is a little bit disappointing but we got back in the game. That's pleasing from that point of view that we pegged them back and got what we deserved in the end.
DK: Is there anything that pleases you tonight?
KH: I got to rest players, I think the biggest, or the most pleasing thing or me, was seeing Byron in a first team shirt again, I thought he did OK. It was probably quite a nice game for him to be involved in, because they didn't press and just let us have the ball all over the pitch. Not a great surface for him to play on, but he's played 45 minutes for the first team which pleases me on my birthday, it's the best birthday present I got today.
DK: To be dominant with possession, is the only disappointing thing that, there wasn't not many in the game overall, but that weve not had many chances at goal?
KH: Well it's difficult, they had nine people strung along the edge of the box so it makes it very difficult. There's no space really to run in behind, and there's not many gaps, so it lent itself. I feel for the people that have come and watched it really, the way the game set up, but it is what it is. We're through, so that's the pleasing thing, we wanted to be in the next round, Stowmarket in the next round at home, so we look forward to that!
DK: It's nice to see Seth back on the scoresheet.
KH: It was a great finish to be fair to him, he's made a good run across the fella and got good contact with it and scored, so I'm pleased for Seth, and obviously Pagey's come on and got the winner which is good when forwards are scoring, offensive players are scoring goals, it gives you confidence so that's pleasing.
DK: Pagey came on and added that extra dynamic to us.
KH: They weren't really moving out of the holes they were sat in, they weren't really marking, they were marking spaces, just strung along the edge of their box so Pagey's someone that can shift the ball and go past people and find little pockets, so that's the reason we've put him on there and he's popped up, scored the winner.
DK: He almost got it (the winner) a bit earlier, when he struck the post.
KH: Yeah, he was unfortunate to be fair, I think he's hit the outside side of the post and went out for a throw-in didn't it, but yeah he added that little bit of a spark that we needed, because like I said it is very difficult to break teams down when they sit 9 on the edge of the box.
DK: Tev's corners worked a treat.
KH: Yeah, to be fair Dan rose well and it came at a big moment actually, because obviously they get the goal and they get up leading, and sometimes it can make it even more frustrating. You start panicking, it was a good ball in, and Dan rose well and it was a firm header to get us back in it, so yeah that was pleasing.
DK: I think we've got 4/5 players all level for top scorer now, so that's interesting to see unfold.
KH: Yeah look, we're scoring goals from all different areas, midfield are chipping in, we've got wide players, obviously Jamie's back and scored a couple the other day, so yeah it's nice that they're shared about, because that means you're scoring goals freely and from different areas so I don't know what they're all on, but like you say they're all in and around the same mark so hopefully they can add, everyone can add a few more by the end of the season.
DK: Hopefully on Saturday at home to Nuneaton, who aren't enjoying the best times of late.
KH: Nah, that's a big game for us, obviously we've been unbelievable home and away recently, the lads have been tremendous so it's a home game, we need to look forward to that and hopefully turn up. I'm not sure they'll set up like Melford have today, so hopefully there'll be a bit more space on the pitch where we can hurt them and it will be much more of an exciting game.
DK: Was it something you expected, them to sit behind the ball tonight?
KH: Not quite like that, I don't think I've ever seen that, but I knew they'd probably let us have the possession, but I thought pressed higher to give themselves a chance of maybe hurting us more, but I'm not here to question that. Obviously we're through, so that's all that matters.
DK; Just pleased that we've won?
KH: Yeah, that's all we were here for, I don't care whether they sat 9 behind the ball or nine up on our back four, or back three that at times we played tonight. I think we could've played one at the back at times, but that's their choice, I don't care we're through.
DK: You said it was your birthday as well!
KH: Yeah, 21 today, sorry 51, where's the time gone, yeah my birthday today. Just had a quiet one really, and obviously then had a nice night out watching this spectacle. Yeah it was great, I can't wait to get home to bed though.
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