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Manager's post match interview: Long Eaton United 3 Westfields 3

Manager's post match interview: Long Eaton United 3 Westfields 3

Stewart Thorpe16 Apr 2017 - 14:53
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Shaun Rickford reflects on an important point after Jordan Dakin's last minute equaliser

Since Gary Hamson left me and Adam Barber came back in and wanted to get some stability back in the club. I know the lads weren’t training regularly and there were a few things going wrong. We’ve got back in, got some training back and have gone back to basics.

We've picked up points against Brocton and Alvechurch then we’ve gone away to Coventry and Walsall Wood and let ourselves down a bit.

So today I just said to the lads "It’s a big game against Westfields, who are up there and are a good side. You need to play with a bit of heart and desire, forgot about the ability for now."

I put myself back in today - I don’t like playing whilst I’m managing because I don’t think it’s right - but I thought today was right because in the last few games we’ve struggled up top with flick-ons and not holding it up. And it worked today in the first half.

At half time I said they’d come out and give us a good 15-20 minutes and they did. We conceded two sloppy goals; me and Lister lost our men in the box, which is rare, and they punished us. Then I've made a few subs and thankfully Jordan Dakin got us the winner.

We’ve had Jermaine Hollis go one and one, and that lad doesn’t normally miss, but he’s put it wide. I’ve had a few chances before I’ve come off and then the penalty came. I don’t know what’s been said with that. I don’t know why Toddy didn’t take it, I’ve told him to take the penalty but they’ve made a decision on the pitch and I can’t influence that. I’ve told Wholley its one of them. We win and lose together here, we’re all together.

I'm just taking each game as it comes now. It’s not a dead season. We’re fighting for survival so it’s a case of getting them motivated every week.

The main thing is to make sure we’re in the division next year. Then I'll sit down at the end with Jim Fairley and Nick Dargan and Paul Holland and see what the plans are for next year.

On Monday against Coventry Sphinx we’ll come out and give everything we’ve got and hopefully pick up some points and secure our position in the league.

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