Kevin Wilkin: Post-Match vs Stratford Town FC - Southern League Premier Central - 26th August 2024

Kevin uh mission accomplished it's a second win of the August bank holiday weekend um actually third win in succession now um for the books a 2-1 win over statford town this afternoon um yeah what are your thoughts on that performance um naturally delighted with the with the three points um I think the manner in which we've achieved the three points is probably not ideal um but you know credit to the boys and again you know looking the overall uh picture and and what we've been through over the you know this this little period um anol period has been a bit of a challenge for us there's no doubt about that I think it's you know lots of players shown a great deal of Courage um through Saturday and today um yeah you know look at the first half and we've we've been guilty of missing some some really really good chances there not half chances but you know fairly simple chances that we should be converting um you're not going to get all those sorts of chances against you know good sze generally and you know there were so numerous in the first period of the game with the greatest respect to to Stratford should have been put to bed at that stage and when it's not um you know you have to come in and be measured at half time we you know we deserve to be in front and further in front no doubt about that and when you don't and then you switch off in the manner that we have and you know Stratford fair play have kept going at 1 nil there's there's always going to be a belief there that they they can earn something out of the game and one or two of ours you know make again Elementary eras that have have allowed Stratford to get in moments and OB equalize um that needs to be better um and then you know we back to alarm Brandon to come up with a save there where we've gifted him a real a real poor moment um and you can't you can't do that against any you know side at this level never mind you know one of the probably one of the Front Runners to to do well in in this level good players in the in their ranks and yeah you know fortunately Brandon's in a better place now than he perhaps was a couple of games ago and credit to him as we said on Saturday you know he's come up with a big save Saturday he's come up with a big save today and yeah you know that's that's the measure of what Brandon's all about and and hopefully you know sustains that that level of performance now moving forward um but yeah you know delighted that we've kept going showing that bit of character um you know the goal is is a bit of a strange moment but credit to Byron he's you know played two games back to back at whatever he is 36 years old and manages the ball really really well and is a is a real example for some of the younger players of how to manage moment situations that you find yourself in both offensively and defensively and yeah delighted that he's come up with that moment fully deserving of the man of the match award and just probably a little bit disappointed that he hasn't scored more there really he's he's had a couple of good moments in the first half and a guilt Edge moment at the end there that he'll he'll expect to do better but the the most important thing is the the three points and uh we move on to to next Saturday sure yeah if you're thinking about players on the team who you would want that opportunity to fall to then Baron Moore probably is one of the ones because he he does keep his cool in those situations yeah he said at the end could I've taken a touch and you know absolutely he could you know Ellis has done what we wanted him to do in that moment he he squared the ball back across the goal what he six or eight yards out and just has to finish it you know I can't make any excuses and you know far was smile about it now because ultimately it's it's academic you know we've won the game um yeah learn from it and and don't do it again B him but keep up your level of performance for sure he's uh he's done really really really well for us today sure first off performance was good apart from as you said the the the shortage of of goals to go with it but it was um was not comfortable I think once again there was that element of control was there that it did feel like you had you know um some you were dictating proceedings to some extent although it wasn't you know you went completely on top no no I mean you know we've we've got into really good areas of press was good we've recognized you know we've got down the sides of Stratford on numerous occasions and the balls going across the box there again five or six yards out with that and we've really got to you know got to take the goalie out of the situation stick them in the back of the net and um you know when you are on top it's just really really important to understand that you you know got to kill the game and the situation but have to say credit to to Stratford at one nil they still believe and they've made a change at halim and um you know they come out with a bit of bit more spring in their step and they still believing which you would expect you know they want to play on that good surface like every team does and yeah they you know they've they've had a good period there but still the goal that we concede is is a is a poor moment you know we we've been in control of the ball and just to turn it over where we did is it's not great um and you know we weren't guilty of that in the first half and so you're able to manage the game a whole lot better and and and be on the front foot and then all of a sudden the whole mentality for just around the stadium on the pitch in the stadium just shifts you know and strap consense a little bit that there's something there but credit to to our boys you know they' they've stayed strong together and managed moments and situations I don't think think other than you know the other mistake that we've made that that brand has had too many more saves to make um but you never know in those situations at we're expected to win and um yeah look I think keeping and looking at everything in perspective you know we've we we're severely hit with injuries at the moment and you know Lads stepping up and getting on with it it doesn't feel great when you haven't got you know five Subs on the bench um and yeah you know that that can be a little bit of a challenge but it's again a feather in the players caps that they they get out there and they keep having a go and they keep working hard at the game and they keep showing that bit of resilience that ultimately has got us over the line today yeah um on the injury front I think there five absentees uh something like that yeah so Remy's back so yeah um but a number of absentees yeah um and the shortage of options or or the lack of numbers on the bench has been remarked upon um and you know as I promised I'm asking you the question so yeah you know I understand that um it may just be an unfortunate situation but um like I say to have Saturday to have so many good players the lights of Remy not really available sat on the bench said if I have to go on I'll go on Fair Play to him you know great character that will will'll get out there um hopefully like I say managing his minutes today that sees him a bit further forward for next Saturday but the likes of you know Stenson and pigot and Hilton you know that that um we need in a group you know the whole complex of complexion of the situation just has a whole better feel about it when you've got big players and good players on the bench for you you know the ability to be able to change it and we you know we tried to change it today with with what we had available to us and credit to them you know all those that have gone on have had a you know had a really real good effect um so yeah you know that's a squad will be stretched and tested um you know we' have liked Archie and and um Harvey to have been involved and been on the bench and giv us other options but unfortunately you know they're both away and you know they you know they couldn't make the make Saturday or today um it's it's a challenge um but you know sometimes you you know when players are challenged they can thrive on that situation and certainly there's a lot out there today that have you know really dug deep for for themselves and for us and you know manag to get us over the line sure and and I suppose reading between the lines there what you what you don't want to do is carry extra players in the squad who don't realistically have any chances of getting onto the field yeah that's it I mean you know people can say you know why don't we bring players in but exactly that you know you can have numbers on the sideline there but you know I don't really see the the point of it you know you look at Archie's work with us uh Harvey's work with us and both those will have Bright Futures in the game they might have been a little bit challenged there to to have been putting them out there today yes there would have been um options to us without any shadow of a doubt but again I'm not you know wanting to over faing them and certainly like you say you know we don't want players on there that can't really go on and have an effect I think the three that like I say went on today all of them had a had had a good effect on the game all of them showed the right attitude and and kept you know trying to drive us forward um you know George fantastic down the side there and carrying carrying the fight to them credit to him he's had limited minutes with us Ellis has been a little bit in and out got a knock on Saturday creates a great moment for Byron at the end there which is a bit unfortunate and Remy is you know he's he's a big player for us and and proved to be a big player for on numerous occasions last season and you know we need those players out there we're not so lucky that we've got 18 or 20 players that we can we can get through these moments and situations easy so everybody in that group you know Players management and the supporters as well you know staying behind us and hopefully taking us to a hopefully into you know to a better place it's um you have to earn that right to to be there and and and but you know there are a lot of real good characters in that change room that that stay strong together keep believing and like I say I think they've had a big part in getting us over the line today sure and and I know again something we've spoken about in the past that when you spoken about loans there again what you don't want to do is take players in and make promises to their parent clubs that they're going to play if you know and and that's often why the clubs want them to go out isn't it because they want them to play and you you won't make that commitment yeah you know it's I don't want to be forced into playing players um you know I want players in the team because they deserve to be in the team um you know clearly there's still one or two there that that are out there today that have got a bit of work to do and and got to show a bit more consistency about what they are because you know we're not at the quite at that level at the moment that we were last season and again you know it's a it's an ongoing thing um you know play have got to come in and understand the demands of of of what tord is uh demands of what I place on them as well and the expectation I place on them um if they can and continue to work hard at the game you know hope they see us get to those those really consistent levels and that's what you know what we're trying to achieve now I think there's in every game that we played this season you know even the starbridge game there's a period in that game where you know you can go back and say look you know we got on the front for soon after halim we came out showed more of the of the ability that we've got and and the character that we've got and yeah you know the final eight or 10 minutes we've allowed the situation to to you know spiral out of control no doubt about that but um you know we have to move on from it and again I think the CR character that everybody's shown in in the group and at the club to you know get us in a in a slightly better place clearly there a lot of work ahead but um yeah it's it's it's nice when you can work with players that really want to go on and Achieve and represent the club in the right way sure Kevin it's off to Gainesboro on Saturday for an FA Cup die so we'll think we'll talk about that close to the time because we've been talking long enough here but um congratulations on your Victory today thank you