Goalscorer Luke Ingram reacts to yesterday's win.
DK: A massive three points, you must be pleased?
LI: Yeah, a big three points because, like you can see, we've got a lot of injuries, suspensions, so we knew it was going to be a tough one today, so that's a big relief to get the three (points).
DK: Talk us through your goal.
LI: Keeper has scuffed it to me and I've had a good touch and just thought, I'm going to have a go here and lucky for me it flew top corner.
DK: It set the tone nicely, that goal, because we went on to grab a second and saw it through.
LI: Yeah, I mean, we're a good second half side, but it's nice to come in at 2-0 at half-time, it just relieves the pressure, especially when like Milzy goes off injured and everyone's panicking, so it's, yeah, massive. It was nice to get the first one and set us on our way.
DK: Not much really happened in that second half, so it makes it even more pleasing that we got those goals before then.
LI: Yeah, it's hard because the wind was against us second half and they're obviously having a right go and obviously, like, there is pressure on, so people do start to make funny decisions, but I thought we managed it well other than the scrappy late goal, I don't think Marco had many to save.
DK: And with games running out now, it's important to keep picking up points to keep the lead at the top.
LI: Yeah, exactly. I think that's another one ticked off. We've got another home game on Tuesday. If we can just keep picking up points, that should get us over the line. We can't be relying on Mickleover to drop points.
DK: It shows the camaraderie in the team and the team ethic that we're losing players near enough every game and yet we're still grinding out the wins.
LI: Yeah, that's the best sort of team spirit we've had here for years, so as you can see, it's carrying us through.
DK: Marco, obviously, recently got 200 appearances, which is nice to see and he had a comfortable day, like you said?
LI: Yeah, I mean, he's the best keeper in the county. He has been for years and he will be until he decides to stop playing. And I hope if we do go up, I hope he stays because he's massive for the team, massive for the club and I can't speak highly enough of him. So congratulations on this appearance.
DK: You're not too far away from 500 yourself.
LI: Yeah, looking forward to getting to 500. Hopefully, I can have my family here and we can celebrate the day because I think it's a massive achievement. Like everyone knows, this is my club and I'm very proud to have been here for that long.
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on yesterday's win.
DK: Another massive three points on the board.
KH: Yeah, it was big today. They're all big now, obviously, coming to the business end of the season, but I said to the lads that that was a big, big game for us today and a massive result. It wasn't the prettiest. Obviously, we've got lads missing, Milzy having to come off. We've got a makeshift back four in the end, but we've got over the line. Albeit we have conceded, which is disappointing. It was a bit of a scrappy goal we conceded, but the three points is all we needed today and we've got them, so we're all happy.
DK: Took the goals when we needed to in the first half.
KH: Yeah, Ingers' was a bit special, to be fair. He's tried it a number of times. Keepers at this level tend to be a little bit far off their line and he's obviously clocked it. I said it, as soon as it landed to him, he's got a chance here of shooting and his vision's good. He's got his head up and I think he's caught it as well as he could have. It was a great goal. It just took the edge out of the game because I knew it was going to be a tough game today. They've obviously signed a few players. Leroy Lita has come in who generally does quite well against us, so it was a lot tougher game than probably people realised, but that goal just sort of settled us down and obviously to score another one before half-time from the set-piece, Jamie, with another goal, give us a nice little cushion really, even though we got a little bit edgy towards the end. The two-goal cushion sort of settled us down and enabled us to get the three points that we needed.
DK: Other than conceding late on, like you say, it was positive that we kept them fairly quiet, especially, as you mentioned, Lita.
KH: Yes, he's a good player. He's got goals all his career, obviously at a much higher level. He always tends to score against us, so I'm pleased he's not done that today. And obviously, we've got a lot of people missing. We've got possibly four lads that have started a lot of football for us not available, so that is going to hurt any squad. So, we are a little bit light, but I thought Hugh came back from his loan at Thetford, obviously, and started and did really well. So, that was pleasing and Ollie's got minutes and Eddie is on the bench, if needed. So, we've got through it. Hopefully Milzy's injury isn't too bad, it was quite a deep cut. Whether that rules him out for Tuesday, I don't know. I'm hoping not, but we'll see. I think it's up the hospital as we speak, getting stitched up, I think.
DK: Everyone else injured, any update on those?
KH: I think Reece did the warm-up today. I've not seen if there was any outcome of that, whether there was any repercussions. But hopefully, Reece is getting back training, so that's a positive. Jake Dye is obviously going to be the season. Keiran, possibly Tuesday. But again, I don't want to risk him and set him back where he misses games. So, we'll see. We'll give him another couple of days. Obviously, tomorrow and then I'll speak to him Monday and see where he is. He won't play unless he's fully fit. Obviously, I don't want to risk him being injured for the rest of the season. So, we'll see.
DK: Would you say it was an overall great team performance?
KH: I'm not sure it was a great performance, as in the football on the show wasn't great today. It was quite difficult on a little bit of a bobby pitch and the conditions. Defensively, I thought we did really well. I know we've conceded late on, but up until then, I don't think they caused us too many problems. It was all about the win. I think you could sense it. The lads sense they're getting close now, I think. And then when we concede, we look a little bit nervy at times and slash at things. But I'll settle with bad performances and wins at this stage of the season. We've played really good football this season. We've won a lot of football matches by playing really well and creating chances. So, I'd settle for the scabby one-nil wins and average performances now.
DK: And today was Marco's 201st appearance and another good result to mark it.
KH: Yeah, he's been a great servant to his football club and to football in general in the Suffolk area. I always say I think he's the best goalie at this level. I know people look and say he's getting a little bit older and maybe not in the shape that he was when he was a lot younger but none of us are. He's an unbelievable goalkeeper and a really good lad to have in and around the dressing room. So, I'm hoping he's got a few more games in him yet.
DK: And with the reshuffling today, like you mentioned, we're still grinding them out!
KH: Yeah, it's about winning games. This group of players never know when they're beat. They work ever so hard. And like I said to them at the start, albeit the excuses are there for them if they want to. Obviously, Tommy's not a centre-half. Milzy would argue he's not a left-back, although I think he can do a job there. I've played him many times there when he was a younger lad. So, I still had players in positions that were more than capable of playing where they were put. So, these lads ain't about making excuses. They get on with it. And I thought it looked like we was going to go on and win comfortable. But obviously, Milzy coming off, we had to reshuffle and change it yet again, which added a different dynamic to it, but we've got over the line. So, credit to the lads.
DK: Like you mentioned, it wasn't the greatest game in terms of the football played, but we can't always be brilliant each week.
KH: No, look, I probably wouldn't naively enough when I first come into management, I wanted the game to be played all on the floor and nice football. And unfortunately, that don't get you up the top end of the table. Yes, it might win you games and people pat you on the back. But I was sick of people saying we're the best team they've ever played, but they just beat us. So, we've mixed it up a little bit. We play a little bit more direct at times when we have to. We do the ugly stuff now. And today was one of them games. It wasn't a game to play beautiful football. It was a game to grind it out, leave it in areas. We obviously had the two goals and then defend for your lives. That's what it was in a nutshell. So, as much as it weren't a great performance, it's a great win for us. As big as any win where we've played scintillating football.
DK: And Tuesday, we've got Redditch here, which will be massive.
KH: Yes, I think they might have dropped down below third now, I think they lost today. So, it's a tough game. I think probably winning the league is probably just out of their grasp now, I imagine. Probably people will say it'd be us or Mickleover, but obviously, they want to finish the season well and there's nothing worse than going into an end of the season if you are drop in the playoffs, if you're losing games. So, it'd be a tough one. And obviously, it's all on the line for us. Both teams want the three points desperately. So, we'll go head to head and then hopefully we'll come out on top
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