DK: Decent point on the board?
TR: Yeah, I think so. Everyone, it's always tough midweek travel, but I think we get quite bad because of where we're coming from. You're on the coach yourself. We've left at 3pm, got here at 7pm, done a really quick warm-up and then gone straight into the game. So, really difficult circumstances. I said to the lads before the game, it's always going to be a battle. They're always a tough side, Stourbridge, always quite physical, never easy to play here. It's always a tough place to come. So, it's another point on the board. I don't think it's a bad point. I don't think we were brilliant tonight. I thought we battled really well. And like we just said to them, if you can't win the game, make sure you don't lose. So, I think it's a good point.
DK: Real chances in the game were all first half?
TR: Yeah, the pitch was quite heavy. Obviously, their game was off Saturday, the same as ours was. So, the pitch was quite heavy. Made it quite difficult, I think, for both teams to play. And I think at times, both teams tried to. But I think at times as well, it became scrappy. So, yeah, there wasn't lots of clear chances. I can't think of Marco making a save, but then equally, I can't think of their keeper making a save. So, probably a battling point for both teams, really. And yeah, it wasn't a game full of chances. We're all quite happy about that.
DK: At this point, it's just picking up points?
TR: 100 per cent. Look, at the end of the day, we've got 10 games left and come the end of the season, you don't remember individual performances. It's about how many points you've got. At the moment, we're battling. And I think we've done that all season. We've won six on the bounce up until today. So, again, that's seven games now, isn't it? We've collected, what, 19 points? It's not a bad return. So, yeah, we're reasonably happy with that.
DK: Is it a bit disappointing that it's game in hand kind of gone?
TR: No, not really. No. We've got another game on Saturday where, again, Redditch and Mickleover don't play. So, it's an opportunity for us to get more points. And we'll still have a game in hand and games in hand after that game as well. So, no, not really. I just think that's another point. And like I said, sometimes you've got to keep perspective. I said that against St Ives when we came away last time we lost the game. We weren't great. We had a good performance on that day, but obviously not a great result. And I think it's perspective. Like I said, all the circumstances today. Like all the lads. I've come off the coach and I'm sure you have as well. I left mine at quarter past two. I'm tired when I got here. And then the lads have then got to run for 90 minutes on a heavy pitch. So, you know, obviously Dylan didn't get here either because of the traffic. Dylan was arriving at eight and then didn't get here at all because there was a couple of accidents on the way. So, you know, we've ended up with 13 players tonight. It's not ideal in any way. So all the circumstances and like I said, this is never an easy place to come. So for me, it's just another point on the board. We'll take it and move on to the next one.
DK: A new ground on Saturday too.
TR: Yeah, I've never been there personally. So we played them obviously three weeks ago, didn't we? Beating 2-1. So again, it'll be another tough game. I'm sure the pitch will be heavy because most pitches are at the moment with the amount of rain we've had. They've played tonight. I don't know how they've got on. If I'm brutally honest, I have no idea. I know they've played Leamington. I assume it went ahead, but I haven't looked at any results. So yeah, it'll be another tough game. And Dylan will definitely be there. I'm not sure about anyone else. Manny should be back as well. So we might have a couple more bodies. So hopefully that will help. And everyone's come through tonight unscathed. So that's a positive as well.
DK: Speaking of Manny, why wasn't he here?
TR: Kev allowed him to play for the (Ipswich Town) 21s. It was basically just, they asked. Obviously, we weren't aware that Dylan wasn't going to get to the game. They asked and Kev said yes. At the end of the day, like we've said about Nico and Manny, it's about their development. So if he's going to come here and be on the bench, whereas they're going to play him and he's going to get minutes, then obviously we've got to do the right thing for the lad, which is to allow him to play. It's as simple as that really.
DK: The main pleasing thing was the equaliser from Seth.
TR: As much as I've said, there wasn't a lot of great football and it was a bit scrappy at times I thought the goal was really good. Great ball from Hammo, wasn't it? I think. And then Ingers obviously latched onto it. I think he's played a one-two with someone and then delivered a really good ball. And Seth finished it really well. Like we've said before about Seth, again, he's a young lad, but I think his development this season has been brilliant. And in my opinion, he looks like a proper striker now. I think he'll play higher than this level, but he definitely looks like he can hold his own at this level. No doubt about it, and the one thing Seth always does is he looks like he's going to score goals. Obviously, he'll miss chances like all strikers, but I think he's a handful now. So, yeah, fair play to him. He took it well. It was quite a good goal, I thought.
DK: 19 goals from the season now.
TR: Seth? What has he got, about eight or nine in the league? Yeah, look, that's a good return. Obviously, I'd want more if I'm honest in the league. But, yeah, no, I think I'm one of Seth's biggest fans. I just think he's a top player and his attitude's brilliant. And he will 100% go on to bigger and better things, and that's not being disrespectful to us. I think the world's his oyster. I think he's a top player.
DK: The pleasing thing this season compared to last year is that we've got Ingers and Seth on nine in the league. We've got Jamie on 10.
TR: Yeah, they're all chipping in. Jamie's chipping in. Tev's got a few in him. Obviously, Jacob's got a few. I think Milzy, Dan, we've got more goal scorers. And like we just said in there as well, you know, as much as I don't mind us being a bit disappointed. And we'd want to get three points. But at the same time, I think that again shows where we're at this season. We're more resilient. You know, the game's a bit scrappy. It's a bit of a battle. And we just make sure that we don't lose. You know what I mean? If you can't win, make sure you don't lose. And I think that's the main difference for us this season as a team, as a collective. Everything was against us tonight. The travel, the players are unavailable.
Dylan not making it, you know, down to 13. The excuses were all there ready made for us if we wanted to take them. But these lads don't want to take excuses anymore. And that's how far we've come really.
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