Cray Wanderers got off to a great start to the season on Saturday with a 5-1 win vs Kingstonian. Here manager Tony Russell reflects on the game and how it panned out and also looks ahead to this evening’s cup tie with Fisher.
Well done Tony to you and all the players for a great start to the season on Saturday vs. Kingstonian. When you woke up on Saturday morning did you envisage such a win and scoreline against a side as good as Kingstonian.
In the build up to the game I was having a bit of banter with Hayden Bird about the way they set up and the way we set up. They have a very good front three and us with the addition of Jason Banton with Rhys Murrell-Williamson & Joe Taylor we have a good front three ourselves. They are a side who want to get on the ball and so do we and dominate possession. So they committed a lot of men forward so to press us high and the problem you’ve got with that is one on ones at the back. So likewise with us as well so it was always going to be an open game. I remember last season when we got beaten at Bognor Regis, Hayden phoned me and said keep your head up and because of the way we play that is going to happen and susceptible to that once in a while. I think, the two sets of forwards on the pitch both were capable of doing that to each other so wasn’t ruling anything out. Last season both games finished 0-0 and I did say it wasn’t going to be this time
We got off to a great start didn’t we and a terrific goal, one of two for Joe Taylor to break the game open early on.
As I say, JT from the time he first came to us to where he is now he continues to get better and better and lifting his levels of performance going through the roof, so it looks like he is going to have a very good season. Both his goals on Saturday were left footed strikes and he is not even left footed and the first he’s bent it in with his left foot into the top corner.
The game itself was carnage. For two very good passing teams the ball was turned over so much and never at any point did a side have control of the game. We’ve gone one nil up and they had a good 10-15 minutes where they’ve stuck it on us and easy to get carried away with the win and how wonderful we were, Lewis Carey has kept us in it during that spell making a couple of very smart saves and we couldn’t get control of the game. It was one of those when teams do that it does drive you forward where normally you have to be patient, play it across the back and find our pockets. We didn’t need to do that as they were on us and committed a lot of bodies forward which meant there was a lot of bodies at the back so it was risky and hats off to Hayden and his team and for the neutral who paid their money to watch it they got a cracking game of football. It wasn’t just a 5-1 and us dominating it was for the first 40 minutes of that game it was like two heavyweight boxers not moving out of the centre of the ring and slugging each other. We were going at them and them at us, balls turning over from both sets of players. Up to when we organised them at half time we felt they would play a different shape and didn’t so our work coming into it wasn’t as in tune as it normally is due to their formation.
Jason Banton scored the second goal before half time and once we got them in at half time we just changed it slightly tactically to give the wide boys a bit more information as to what we wanted them to do and once we done that I thought second half we had more control and were the better side in the second half but up to that point it was a gunfight and whose front three is better, yours or mine. I wasn’t going to call that off and neither was Hayden so we just let it go and both sets of players not taking a backwards step so it was a bit of a ding-dong of a match until the second goal which calmed them down a bit.
I was saying at half time that the third goal in the game was going to be the most important. If they get it they will be confident whereas if we get it is likely to be game over.
You see, I saw it differently to that. I was really confident in the fact that we are winning the game 2-0 and just about edged it while being disorganised if we tighten it up regardless of a third goal I knew we could go up a level. I still don’t think we played brilliant but it was a good performance. What it did show was that I felt we dragged them a bit into deep waters fitness wise and felt we looked really fit and looked like we could continue that tempo of the game and the longer it went on we looked the stronger side and physically too.
You only have to look at the third goal, Rhys’ job at the set plays is to stand in front of Lewis Carey to protect the keeper so he has gone from one end of the pitch to the other zooming past players to get there and sprinted the whole length of the pitch to knock the ball in. It was a brilliant goal and what Jason Banton did on the half way line was outrageous, the ball has come in to his feet, took a touch and the kid has come in and flicked it down the side of him and had a clear mindset just to wait and then square it for Rhys and to go from one end of the pitch to the other in 6-7 seconds was just outrageous.
The only thing about the game I was particularly nervous about was that Banton and Bradley Pritchard very nearly didn’t make the game and were literally playing with knocks. Jason, we were just wheeling him out there to get an hour from him and wasn’t really fit and Bradley as well. We brought two of the U18s on, Stefan Abatan and Emanuel Oduguwa as we were a bit short on the bench. When you go into a big game like this one, when you’ve got the likes of Denty, Ben Mundele, Kyron Richards, Tom Phipp, Jerome Federico all missing, Charlie Allen has been out for a month and had one training session. So we had basically a centre half and two 16 year olds and a 17 year old on the bench. So that was my only concern how to change if from the bench. So to get that result was incredible. That is why the last 20 minutes you may have noticed went into a real lull because we called it off once we scored the fourth, made the subs taking the wide players off, Jason first and then Rhys and decided to sit back and not pressing them and did what we had to do because we cannot afford any more injuries. Stefan cannot play Wednesday as he is cup tied so have one less on the bench. I knew the amount of work that we put in during the game we just wanted twenty minutes relaxing. Obviously they get a goal back and you wonder did I calll it off too soon but I had too as you are more likely to get injuries if fatigue sets in. It was good to see JT get his second goal and the fifth goal to wrap things up at the end.
I felt a bit for Hayden as I have a lot of time for him and they will do well this year and for the first 40 minutes of the game it could have gone either way and he knows that and maybe not as bad as some people are saying. They are a very good side and will be there or thereabouts, don’t worry about them.
For us, we weren’t over celebrating after of the game, we were a bit disappointed as I felt we could play a lot better than that and still a lot to work on so back on the training field Monday and do a lot of work with the wide players about the ball and felt we could have passed it a bit better. I think what the punters did get to see was we’ve got a very exciting team going forward and the front three with Freddie just off him them four are going to be a real handful this year and a lot of goals in them.
For me, yes it is a good result, it is three points that is all and not to get too excited about it there is still a lot that we didn’t do well but in that sense what we did do well was flex our muscles a little bit and the forward boys showed the firepower they have but just need to be tighter without the ball.
Let’s look ahead now to Wednesday night and the challenge of Fisher in the FA Cup. They beat Tooting & Mitcham in the previous round and will be well supported so we need to take them seriously don’t we.
We’ve got the video from the Tooting & Mitcham United game which we’ve watched and taken clips off that and will be part of the video sessions tomorrow. Nathan went to watch them on Tuesday, I will watch East Thurrock on and that is what we do as a backroom team. There will be no stone left unturned on both sides whatever level they are playing at and will get our utmost respect and no ounce of complacency will come in. What I said in the circle at the end of the game was I shut it down straight away, no over celebrating, we done ok that is all. We made it a bit harder than we wanted it to and a lot of work to be done. Of course enjoy it but I understand there is more work to be done on the training field and good sides show that up. For me the main concern is the amount of injuries and none of those with injuries will be back for Wednesday. Now we have less on the bench and three games a week, we’ve carried more players this year but have five currently injured. I know if we can get everyone on the pitch I honestly think it will take a very good side to beat us. There are some very good sides in our league. I’m happy with the business that we’ve done and that we go a little under the radar.
Fisher will get our full respect as everyone does. As you have seen pre-season it is easier to play against higher clubs and often harder to beat those sides you are expecting to beat as you are on a hiding to nothing. You beat them easily you are supposed to. If it gets close people get anxious on the line and can transfer into the games. We are delighted to have a home game, we will give them the respect they deserve. Fisher are a great club, I’ve played against them myself in the past many years ago when they were a powerhouse team. So it is great to see them coming back from the dark side, having their own ground and the video I watched they have some very good exciting young players and will play with enthusiasm and pace. It is up to us to put our best foot forward and we will take them very seriously.
They will get our full respect as everyone does. As you have seen pre-season it is easier to play against higher clubs and often harder to beat those sides you are expecting to beat as you are on a hiding to nothing. You beat them easily you are supposed to. If it gets close people get anxious on the line and can transfer into the games. We are delighted to have a home game, we will give them the respect they deserve. Fisher are a great club, I’ve played against them myself in the past many years ago when they were a powerhouse team. So it is great to see them coming back from the dark side, having their own ground and the video I watched they have some very good exciting young players and will play with enthusiasm and pace. It is up to us to put our best foot forward and we will take them very seriously.
