BERKHAMSTED FC MANAGER TOM GARRATT WRITES EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT THE 5-2 FA VASE WIN AGAINST HULLBRIDGE SPORTS...

TOM GARRATT...

"Thoughts on yesterday's game:

 ...we'd had them watched before the game and had played them last year, so we knew what to expect. Our feeling was that if we matched their work rate, our quality going forward would shine through, which in the end it did. 

I thought we started the game with the right attitude and temperament and got our just rewards with two good goals. Both were movements which Mark Swales had coached into them during the week, so it's always pleasing to see the work done on the training field coming to fruition on game days. 

We then got ourselves into a situation for ten minutes or so where with all due respect to Hullbridge, we stepped off the gas tempo wise and we let them into the game a little. 

We had words at half time which these days usually means a sit-down, let's think about things as a group chat-format and massive credit to the boys, the first 15 minutes of the second-half they upped the tempo again and played some lovely one and two touch football, creating a further two goals. 

Then in typical Berko entertainment style we let ourselves down and they got two goals back in quick succession; that's something we're going to have to sort out if we are going to go further in this competition. It's let us down massively in the league a few times and needs to be stamped out quickly but after that you can only take huge positives out of what was a fantastic performance. 

I thought the front four of Campana, Campbell, Jones and Lewis were superb and will only get better with Terry Dixon making his debut yesterday late on. Mead's freekick gets special mention for his first touch, as does the Rodrigoe-Baldry combination at the back who look more comfortable game by game. 

We've a strong squad but in our league you need to have. It would be nice for everyone in the SSML to avoid each other in the next couple of rounds as I believe the likes of Hertford, London Colney, Hoddesdon and Wembley to name but a few have got a real chance to represent the league into the latter stages and that would be a great advert for us as a group of teams. 

As for us, Mark and I know on our day that we shouldn't be afraid of anyone, we've just to get the mentality right in the group and maintain standards for 90 minutes. It's a challenge but a great one for a great club. 

I just hope we can do our young Berko Ultra fans justice; they turn up at 1.30 every game and sing their hearts out all game. The players thoroughly appreciate the support they got from everyone yesterday..."

TOM GARRATT, MANAGER, BERKHAMSTED FC...