Cray Wanderers vs Enfield Town – The Post match thoughts of Grant Basey

Cray Wanderers vs Enfield Town – The post game thoughts of Grant Basey

2022 has started on a positive footing for Cray Wanderers after picking up four points over the New Year games at East Thurrock United and at home to Enfield Town on Bank Holiday Monday.  Here new interim manager Grant Basey gives his post match verdict to the game vs Enfield Town.

Pics: Jon Hilliger/www.hilligerpix.com

 

On behalf of the club and supporters, thank you Grant for stepping in at short notice after Christmas and helping us during a busy period. Looking back, four points out of six over New Year isn’t a bad return in a short space of time.

 I think we would definitely have taken it at the start of the weekend but on Monday, when you are 4-2 up at home you really need to be seeing those games out. I can’t fault the players’ efforts, to go again 48 hours after they have played at East Thurrock and put in the energy and workrate which I am sure everyone could see is positive for me.  All I ask is they give me everything, I know it can feel like a loss when you are 4-2 up, playing well and on the front foot. I’ve been told we should have had a penalty and it looked like it from my side. If we are given that and score it would have been a hell of a comeback from them but it is what it is, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. We just have to dust ourselves down and go again at training on Thursday.

We got off to a cracking start with a goal in the 2nd minute from Chris Dickson which stemmed from a clever free kick routine. Was this something that was planned beforehand?

 Yes, I was up until the early hours getting everything prepared for the team, so it’s all been up on the wall stuff that I’ve done in my current role at Charlton and gave them ideas. Once the players get on the pitch it is all up to them as I can’t affect it from the bench so it was nice to get off to a great start and with a well worked goal.

We were pegged back to 1-1 and then Jamie Yila made it 2-1. Jamie is a player many of the supporters have enjoyed watching this season but I thought this was his best performance and a real handful all afternoon.

I thought Jamie was excellent and that is why I kept him on as long as I did. He posed a threat throughout and gave both right backs, first and second half tough games. He was positive and direct but what was pleasing for me was his out of possession play, his workrate and energy he was willing to give his team-mates was phenomenal.  For the time I’m in charge that is the bare minimum I expect and players have to do that, they have to run, to fight and earn the right to play and they will do as we have very good players in the side.

Once again we were pegged back to 2-2 and then early in the second half, Cameron Brodie scored his second in two games. Another popular player who impresses with his commitment and now is adding goals to his game?

To me Cameron does the stuff that perhaps people don’t notice like the hard yards you have to put in. He keeps things simple, he fights and competes and full of energy. He has done well the last two games and scored two goals. He is brilliant as a midfielder and deserved his goal as always willing to make forward runs. It wasn’t just him, they were all excellent.

We need to go again and there is some game management stuff we need to improve on. To have one training session and then two games meant there was only a bare minimum we could do but I like to think people have seen positives in the two games

I have to admit to feeling a bit flat at the end as we didn’t win but I’m sure many fans and myself included would perhaps have taken a point against a very good side with a scorer with 26 goals this season who I felt we kept relatively quiet.

 I felt we nullified their threat to be honest, they have got good players hence why they are where they are in the league. I thought on reflection we deserved at least a point and perhaps even all three. Credit to Enfield Town as they never gave in. They brought Lewis Taaffe on and he gave us problems. I’m proud of the lads, maybe it feels a bit like a loss but I told them in the changing room, I didn’t rant or rave and said to use it as a learning curve and that is what I want to see moving forward that you learn from mistakes. We’ve given away some poor goals, balls coming into the box, not marking your man and the last goal was a bit comical but Bailey for me was excellent and kept us in the game, claimed the ball very well and relieved pressure.

Overall though I was very proud of the team, still very early days and we go again at Potters Bar Town on Saturday.