DK: Bit of an anti-climatic one, that?
KH: Yeah, I think it's always going to be. Obviously, the heights we reached on Saturday, winning promotion. Obviously, the lads had the right then to celebrate after being obviously crowned champions.
So, I think tonight was always going to be a difficult night. I tried to rotate it a little bit, give lads a chance, rested a few players. Obviously, looked after Luke and Keiran and So, I think I can't be too critical of the lads. I can't be too disappointed with the result. We're champions of the league and, obviously, we've got a cup final to look forward to. So, for me, the night was about, well, I wanted to win. I want to win football matches, but it's about getting boys' minutes and getting through it unscathed with no injuries, which we've done.
DK: What could have been better tonight, if we're being honest?
KH: I think preparation. Obviously, if you've not been out in the, sorry, if you've not been out celebrating, it would have been probably a different story. Look, without being disrespectful, if we'd have needed a win and we hadn't got over the line on Saturday, I think it would have been a different story. But that said and done, the lads have earned the right to let their hair down on the weekend and it probably showed tonight in the legs that we hadn't probably prepared like we have done for all the other games that we've won. So, look, I'm not too disappointed. I know it sounds terrible, but we're champions of the league. Yes, I would rather have won the game and lost it, but we've not got injuries.
We've obviously got the weekend off and the cup final to look forward to next week with a full squad. So, I'll still sleep tonight.
DK: The only disappointing thing about tonight is the fact that's our unbeaten home record gone?
KH: Yes, I suppose when you start looking at records and feats, yes. But we've obviously got bigger things to look at than keeping undefeated at home. So, that would have been nice to go the whole season undefeated. But on top of that, if you'd have said to me that you're only going to lose one game at home and you're going to win the league the week before you do that. So, I'd have took that. I'd have snapped your hand off.
DK: Like you said, next up we've got the Premier Cup, which is important.
KH: Yes, it's massive for us. Obviously, the focus as soon as we've crowned champions on Saturday turns to that game. Obviously, we haven't got a big squad. So, obviously, I wanted lads, important players, to come through tonight unscathed, which has happened, which was the main thing. So, we're looking forward to it and, again, to make history for the football club. In terms of that competition, as you're saying no-one's ever won it four times, we'll be looking to do that. The good news is we'll be at full strength and I'll have, obviously, a full squad to pick from.
DK: How much would it mean to end the season with double history?
KH: Yes, massive. It's been a big part of my time at Needham as manager. We've been really successful.
I think initially when I came in, the club had only won it twice in the history and we've won it three times on the spin. So, we're up to five. So, look, we're looking to make it six. I'm glad you give me that stat of the only team to win it four times. That adds that little bit more spice to it and more meaning for us. But it's a competition that we're quite proud of winning and we want to do it again.
DK: So, talking about the lads deservingly celebrate, how did you celebrate it?
KH: Nothing too major. Obviously, it's about the lads. It's not about me. It's about the lads. Obviously, we had a couple of beers here and we went down to the local pub and had a couple more and then obviously the younger lads and the older lads in the squad went off into town and had a long night of it, I think, which they deserve. Obviously, I left and then went home and had an early-ish night. I'm past all that celebrating, but I'm just so proud of them. I said to them, go out and enjoy yourself and hopefully you've got terrible hangovers on Sunday, which I think they had. Feeling like some of them might, by looking at the legs tonight, it looked like maybe some of them carried on into Sunday, but they deserve it.
They've had an incredible season and we just want to finish it off right now and hopefully put a good account of ourselves in the Premier Cup and it'd be great to lift that. Obviously, we've got two tough games, Mickleover at home, where I believe we're going to get the trophy, which is going to be a good occasion for everyone. Then, obviously, the last game away at Redditch.
DK: Did you have any celebratory Haribos? Did I have Haribos?
KH: I don't think I did, but I might have some against Mickleover. Obviously, the trophy and stuff, so I might treat myself to a few bags.
DK: Well, I must have done it in your place then, because I did.
KH: Good, that's all right.
DK: Looking to the Premier Cup, Felixstowe are a side who we've had some very good battles with.
KH: Yeah, look, it's obviously a big game for them, obviously, but it is for us as well. We want to win it the fourth time on the spin. Whenever I play teams in a division high, obviously, they're looking to come into the division that we've just got out of. So, no doubt, they'll see that as a marker for them, where they're at and will they be able to compete, which I'm sure they will be. They've got some good players. So, they'll be up for it and it'll be a game where we'll have to be on full tilt and front foot and do all the things that we've done well to obviously get us where we've got this season to win the game. So, it'll be tough and hopefully it'll be a spectacle and hopefully there'll be a big crowd there to win. It's a game and hopefully, at the same time, they'll witness Needham picking it up for the fourth time.
DK: Hopefully. Big positive, like you said, was being able to give Hugh, Byron, Reece and Ollie minutes.
KH: Yeah, obviously, Reece has come back, so he's gone on and in the same breath, I've looked after a few. Obviously, Jacob Ley has come out, Keiran's come off, Ingers has come off, Dylan's stepped out.
Tommy Smith has played about a million games this season. I don't think he's missed one. I think he came off at Mickleover for injury and then maybe missed one, but they played a lot of minutes. So, I had to rotate. It was the right thing to do, but I think we're still strong enough to maybe get something from the game. After 24 hours on the juice and celebrating, it's probably took its toll, but we'll move on from it.
We've got a weekend off and then we'll prepare and try and lift that Premier Cup for the fourth time.
DK: Is that the main thing that, obviously, now we're just playing for pride in the league?
KH: Yeah, I think I want it to win tonight. Obviously, I want us to perform well all the time. It's difficult to drop your standards and then get them back, but come on, I'm a realist. Tom's fuming down there and I get it. He wants levels set and tonight we were below that, but come on, I've got to give the lads a little bit of a break. We're champions of the division.
I've rotated it, so there's always going to be disruptions within the squad and within the team. They're probably a little bit leggy from the weekend and all the dancing, so it is what it is. Tom didn't want to talk tonight. He's fuming and it's great because that's what Tom's about. He doesn't change whether we're on top of the league or near the bottom like we were last year. He demands standards and he sticks to his guns. I understand that and I love that about him. I'm as competitive as anybody, but in the same breath, I understand what this group's achieved. So, you've got to give them a little bit of leeway tonight. It wasn't a great performance. We've been much better, but in Stamford, we come up against a team that's trying to get in the playoffs. It was a game they had to win and you could tell that they had to win and we didn't have to win.
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