DK: Must be nice to make your home debut for the club?
EO: Yeah, well, it's been a long time coming, so obviously good to get minutes. Just had to trust in the manager, the gaffer. He said, obviously, the boys are doing well now, so it's hard to get into the team. But that's why I've got to train hard, keep working hard. So when I get my minutes, I've got to take it.
DK: How have you found it so far?
EO: Yeah, it's been good. The boys have been welcoming. All the boys are lovely, obviously. It's a great environment. The boys are near promotion, so it's just about pushing on to the end of the season.
DK: How did you find the game tonight?
EO: Yeah, obviously, local derby rivals, good to play. I think the boys are well up for it. Yeah, game was good.
DK: Did it make it more interesting playing against teammates from Ipswich?
EO: Yeah, obviously. I know most of the boys in that team. Obviously, you want to win, so the main thing is you've got to win. And obviously, we'll have a banner at the club when we get back. So that's good.
DK: You also must be pleased to have got plenty of minutes tonight, having had your loan recently extended?
EO: Yeah, obviously, over the first month, I didn't get many minutes. So I thought I couldn't leave it on that note. So obviously, I wanted to extend it, prove a point. And yeah, hopefully, this is a stepping stone. Hopefully, I can get many more minutes and a start, hopefully. Another good game (on Saturday), another chance to improve, another chance to get more minutes, and obviously, you (want to) get the win and another three points.
DK: And you're getting minutes for Town 21s in the meantime as well?
EO: Yeah, it's a really good hybrid schedule. So obviously, to keep fit, I have to get minutes as well. So playing with the boys at Town and playing here is a really good mix. I think it's what I need right now. Next stage of my development, men's football and keeping fit. So I think that's the most important thing.
DK: So you're relishing the differences between academy football and men's football?
EO: Yeah, well, the boys here, you're obviously fighting for three points, and it's important. So the boys here, obviously, they've got things to do. They've got promotion to look forward to. Whereas academy football, if you lose, it's not the be-all and end-all. So I think it's a bit more important here, and it's just a different side of the game that I need to learn.
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on last night's 5-0 win.
DK: Well, top in style.
KH: Yeah, it was a great night for us. Obviously, I expected it to be a little bit tougher than that, if I'm totally honest, but yeah, we won at the canter in the end. And I know I said it now and again, it could have been 10, but that literally could have been 10. I think we were close. And if we were a little bit more ruthless, it's difficult for me to be too harsh on the lads, because we won 5-0, but it could have been a lot more.
DK: Yeah, first half, we were clinical.
KH: Well, we had opportunities, I think. We got in good areas. I think we hit the post, Nico. And I think if we had that ruthlessness tonight, we could have been 5-0 up at half-time. Or at least 3-0 up before we scored, so it could have been 6-0. But that's what happens really when it was, and it did become, a little bit too easy for us. But it gives me an opportunity to rest players, which is good. We've got clean sheets, no bookings, and five goals. Overall, it was a really pleasing night for us.
DK: Perfection?
KH: Nearly. If we'd have got 10, it would have been perfection, because we did create chances. And with that final touch, or that final pass, a little bit more quality, it would have been a lot more. But you can't really grumble at 5-0 against your local rivals in the Suffolk Derby. Coming away with a 5-0 win, that comfortable, is pretty rare.
DK: I know Tev got man of the match tonight, but near enough, every one could have been.
KH: Yeah, I think Nico was good again. I thought he was good Saturday, and he looked dangerous tonight. We controlled every area of the park. I don't think they laid a glove on us, to be fair. We were comfortable at the back, controlled it in midfield, and looked a threat going forward. So across the board, I think all the players did really well. And obviously, collectively as a team, we're hard to break down and score against. So once you start round 2, 3, 4-0 up, it's a long way back for anybody. Yeah, the only time we conceded more than three was obviously Stratford. Six, first game of the season, we're a different animal from that day now. So 3-0 (at half-time) was comfortable. My message to the lads was to move the ball, and not to take liberties and create and go and score goals, because obviously it helps your goal difference, getting as many as you can. I would have liked to get more, but I'll settle for five. I'm smiling.
DK: It must be nice for you because Manny got his home debut?
KH: Yeah, obviously he's had to be patient in games. I've not really had the opportunity to put him in, and we've put players on in different positions. So tonight was a perfect opportunity for him to go on and obviously get minutes. Byron, the same, on to get minutes. Ingers started tonight for the first time for a little while. So did Dylan again, come in. So it was an opportunity to rotate slightly, but then rest lads and give lads minutes when I could. So it was more or less on that front a perfect night.
DK: Yeah, from 4-4-2 Saturday, we went back to what we're more used to with just one up top.
KH: Yeah, we went back to 4-3-3 and obviously Jacob Lay come in, who obviously didn't start on Saturday, come on and affected the game, as did Ingers. So yeah, I started them tonight, which meant Jamie McGrath and Seth missed out. I've said it many times, if we are going to be successful and have success as a group, it will be the whole group. You'll have to understand at times, but I thought it was a good performance all round. I thought the subs come on and played their part as well. To score five goals at home in the Suffolk Derby and concede none yet again, it's a good night's work.
DK: As you say, Byron's first league appearance since that horrific day.
KH: Yeah, it was a big moment. I know it seems such a long time ago and the lad's had it really tough. He's worked ever so hard. He's obviously gone out on loan. He's played games in the U23s, gone out on loan, at Ipswich Wanderers. He's come back and he doesn't look a million miles off. Obviously, he's going to need games at this level to get up to proper speed, but he's moving well and so far so good. There's no reaction and he feels good in himself. So, he'll probably get opportunities before the end of the season, because there's still quite a lot of games left.
DK: Back here again on Saturday, against Long Eaton.
KH: Yeah, it's about keeping them standards and being persistent with it and doing all the hard things in football, running and tackling and taking knocks and putting your body on the line. So, it's a fairly quick turnaround, but we've got a squad all capable of starting. So, we'll see where we are Thursday. We'll train and see where we are. Obviously, we want another three points.
DK: What do you want other than three points from Saturday?
KH: That's it. That's all we're after now. We're at the nitty-gritty end and games are running out. We're in a really good position, but it's not home and hosed yet. There's going to be hiccups along the way and we might lose the odd game, but we'll be ready. We'll know what we're facing. In terms of the opposition, Tom puts loads of work into that and tells the lads what to expect. We'll be full tilt. We train properly Thursday and then we'll see where we are.
DK: Any update on Milzy?
KH: Milzy's probably going to be a couple of weeks. I think his ankle's quite swollen. So, albeit in the past, Milsy is quite a quick healer. So, it may be slightly less, but I doubt it.
So, probably a couple of weeks, I'd say.
DK: Is Reece any closer?
KH: Rhys is a little way. He's not training as yet. He's just strengthening on his own and doing rehab. So, they're two players that when the nitty-gritty comes, they're two players that we could welcome back into the squad. No rush at the moment. It can change quite quickly with knocks and that, but at the minute, touch wood, we're in a good place.
Goalscorer Dylan Williams also gave his thoughts on yesterday's win.
DK: A goal on your first start in a little while, you must be pleased?
DW: Yeah, I'm happy with it. It was a nice finish, it was a good bit of play down the wing and a good cutback as well. Yeah, happy to get on the score sheet but happy to have got the three points.
DK: A scintillating performance from you all tonight.
DW: Yeah, smashed it. The lads were brilliant all over the park. It's been a long time coming to be fair, a result like that. We've had some hard fixtures but the lads have done well today. I saw today that it was two years since we beat them in the league or something like that, so it was good to smash five past them. I think it was five in the end.
DK: So yeah, what was the most pleasing thing today?
DW: Oh, the most pleasing thing I'd say, because it was tough conditions out there, chucking down all night. The pitch was heavy, the pitch was cutting up, but we still managed to play some nice football and we were relentless, didn't stop.
DK: Kev said the only disappointing thing was it could have been 10.
DW: Yeah, no, it could have been. It's always hard when you go in 3-0 at half-time. It's quite easy to say, go on, go out in the second half and score loads more, but to be fair, they didn't throw the towel in straight away in the early second half. They dug deep and made it tough for us, but we soaked up the pressure and our quality showed.
DK: Back top of the league in style.
DW: Top of the league now, are we? Nice. We've still got a couple of games in hand.
Lovely, lovely. No, it's looking good. I try not to look at it and just go game by game and it's important that we've got a good squad. There's a great 16 of us, so it's looking good.
DK: Is that something all you lads do, ignore the table and just play each game?
DW: Yeah, I try to, I think, otherwise you can get caught up in it, especially when you've got games in hand, because you've actually got to go and win those games in hand. You can think, oh, sorry, I've got another game in hand, but yeah, you've got to go and win them.
DK: Saturday we've got Long Eaton at home, another important game for us.
DW: Yeah, I just hope the rain settles down, or the pitch is going to tear up again, isn't it? We'll try and do exactly the same. Three points, five goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment