MOTM and double goalscorer captain Keiran Morphew reflects on yesterday's home win.
DK: What a win that was!
KM: Yeah, good win, everyone played well. Makes a difference. Oh, big change from Oxford. Everyone was down in the dumps, but obviously today the atmosphere was good. Everyone's attitude was right and got the win.
DK: And two goals from the skipper himself.
KM: Yeah, come like buses, mate. Yeah, I don't know what's happening there. Probably everyone should get a lottery ticket tonight. Yeah, but decent. Good day.
DK: Talk us through your goals today.
KM: There's not much to them really. Hammy whipped the ball in, lovely cross. And I just slide tackled it in at the back stick, and then the second one, Tev beat the man, whipped in a lovely cross and I got a header on it, but I don't know, I won't score again. So, enjoy it.
DK: Perfect way to mark our first home win in this league. With a clean sheet on top.
KM: Yeah, we've let in a lot of goals this year, something which we're not used to going on last year. Yeah, everyone worked hard. That was a good performance for everyone. Couldn't fault anyone today really and obviously they've got a long journey home. The hard work that's done in the first half and then the second half. I think in the second half you've just got to be careful not to overplay and get yourself in trouble. We get too far at the back.
I was shakey at the end and I'd give away a couple of half chances. Got away with it today.
DK: We spoke about at Oxford of how the other end of the scale that was to have now all of a sudden after a fortnight to be the other end. That's a quick response.
KM: Yeah, that's just football. Never too low, never too high because as I say, two weeks and we lost 3-0. Then we won 3-0, first home win. I don't know if we moved up in the table. You never know. All we've got to do is just keep winning, keep playing the games and chalk them off and then we've got another one Tuesday. Boring response but that is what it is.
DK: Talking of Tuesday, Premier Cup, one that is important to us.
KM: Yeah. Yeah, we've just got to win every game. I won't say too much but whether it's a league game, cup game, friendlies, you just want to win. That's it. Bottom line.
REACTION | Kevin Horlock Post Match Interview| Needham Market v South Shields | 05.10.2024 |
Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on the win over South Shields.
DK: A superb all round performance today.
KH: Yeah, it was a good performance today. Obviously the disappointment of last time at Oxford, we've obviously sat and had a chat and we just needed to get back to basics today and work hard and make forward runs and I thought we did that and obviously the quality from set pieces counted today and obviously Reggie added that little bit of quality today and you can see what he can do.
So all round it was a really good performance, clean sheet. Obviously we'd like to go on and score more but it never works out like that and obviously they went down to 10 men just before half-time and obviously then they work a little bit harder and a little bit harder to break down but overall, yeah, I'm chuffed with that.
DK: A clean sheet as well to top it off.
KH: Yeah, we need it and it's difficult, let's not kid ourselves. It's been a tough start. We're in obviously a much tougher league and we're still finding our feet a little bit but I think today when the pressure was on, we're all aware we hadn't won at home so that was obviously definitely playing on my mind and no doubt the players. So to turn up and play with that intensity and quality at times to win a game at home at this level for the first time is really pleasing. The big thing now is to build on it, to obviously enjoy it tonight, obviously enjoy winning games at this level but then going on and getting on a winning month to start in the league.
DK: Yeah and it's not normal that Keiran's man of the match for his attacking display as much as his defence.
KM: No, he's an unbelievable player. He's been an unbelievable servant for this football club. He's got many years left in him. There's none better than him in my opinion at this level or potentially the level above so it's great to have him. He does need to add more goals to his game. I think that's one area you could maybe critique a little bit. He doesn't score enough goals for someone that's so dominant aerially, but today he's in the right place and two great goals and I thought he might end up getting a hat-trick but another opportunity didn't come his way but I'm made up for him because he's a leader. He's massive for us and today he's stepped up to the plate and scored two goals for us. Yeah I think that another came off his toe I think and again you know what I mean he's in the right area. It's a great set and I thought our set pieces were good today in terms of quality. Tev's picked him out and it was unfortunate that the keeper just tipped it over.
DK: And Reggie, new signing, straight in with a goal?
KH: Yeah he just adds that quality. Obviously he's been around seems like years and years. He's still very mobile. He adds calmness and the quality like the finish was unbelievable. I think anybody else, me included, I'd have panicked but he was calm as anything around the keeper and it was a lovely finish so it was an unbelievable day for him. So it just gives a glimpse of what we've got.
That little bit of quality that you can trust and that which then enables you to be able to make forward runs off that which changes the dynamics of our team and gets us back to when we were having success last season.
DK: What's pleased you most today?
KH: The three points are obviously what we come for but I think it was that reaction. Obviously last week after Oxford we were all bitterly disappointed for whatever reason. We looked a little bit lacklustre. We looked like we were lacking ideas. We looked like we were lacking energy. So we've addressed it. We obviously had a heart-to-heart chat. We're honest with each other. We've trained hard. We've trained well and people have just got to work at that level to stay in the team. I think the lads that have come off the bench today, obviously we've got Nico back, Josh is back in the building and Ollie Fraser has been patient and I think he's come on and done really well today. So we've got a stronger squad now and everybody's got to play to that level to stay in the team and if they do that, that's healthy. It means we'll win more than we lose.
DK: Are there any new signings possibly coming in?
KH: We'll always look to improve the squad. I'm quite happy with what we've got. We've got the search for a striker that scores 25 goals a season.
It will always be continuing for every club across the country, I imagine. But I'm happy with what I've got. The group are good enough to play at this level and I don't want to panic into signing someone that's not a right fit for the group or the football club.
So that search will continue forever, no doubt. But I'm happy with what I've got.
DK: On to Tuesday, the run starts to hopefully defend our Cup?
KH: Yes, Long Melford and obviously, I suppose on paper, it's a really tough draw for them in terms of us being at Step 2 now, but they'll come here and give it their all and we can't drop off. I don't care whether it's the Premier Cup against lower opposition or a league game or whatever. We've got to set our standards and keep doing what we believe in and play at that tempo. So hopefully, it'll be a really good game and there will be a few missing for that. Obviously, the Premier Cup and we'll give lads minutes that have been chomping on the bit waiting for them and then we'll see where it takes us.
REACTION | Reggie Lambe Post Match Interview | Needham Market v South Shields | 05.10.2024 |
Goalscorer Reggie Lambe reflects on his Needham debut.
DK: Good win today, and congratulations on your first Needham goal.
RL: Yeah, great win, good to get on the score sheet and three points at home, clean sheet, there's no better way to start.
DK: Having come in from Braintree, your experience showed.
RL: Yeah, I think it's a good level, it's a good squad and I think as long as we start making the right decisions on and off the ball, we can definitely push on and get more points than what we currently have. So I think it's crucial for us to stick together as a team and, you know, start to learn our patterns and how we want to play.
DK: Having played against us before, it must feel nicer to be on the home side today.
RL: Yeah, definitely. When I was at Braintree, we played here in pre-season and we, in my opinion, got popped. So I think coming into a side that wants to play football is beneficial to myself, who wants to get on the ball..So, yeah, today was good and to get on the score sheet as well, like I said, there's no better feeling.
DK: You scored a very well taken goal as well.
RL: Yeah, just took it round the keeper and slotted it home. I'm pretty sure most of the boys in there knew what was coming. So, yeah, it's one of my classy finishes. So, yeah, it's good to get it in the back of the net.
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