GNP SPORTS' MANAGER SHAMIR ALAM REVIEWS WEDNESDAY'S WIN v REDDITCH BOROUGH...

General thoughts:

"I would like to start by thanking Julian and his team, for they certainly played their part in what was a terrific roller-coaster of a game on Wednesday. In front of a strong 70+ crowd they certainly deserved their early lead. I had a feeling before the game that it wasn’t going to go as straightforwardly as we would have liked. I thought we were average in the first-half, however a few adjustments were made in the second-half and the players were taking more ownership with their performances. We upped the tempo and when we did, I felt it was just a matter of time until we took the lead and then made the game safe."

 

A TOUGH ENCOUNTER...

Tom Rawlings: a case of if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again?

"Tommy's goals came at the right time; he’s been on holiday the past week or so and hasn’t played in three weeks, so he will get sharper as the games go by. However, 2 goals in 5 shots and yet there’s a part of me that’s disappointed he didn’t fill his boots yesterday, as he could have had a nice early hat-trick. His second goal was a thing of class. I keep telling Tommy if he can get himself in those positions where he is scoring those nice simple tap-ins, then he will be even more of a threat up-top. Finally, his work-rate up-top really set the tempo for us in the second-half. He was terrific."

      GNP’s performance?

 

BEACH SUFFERS WINNING A CRUCIAL CORNER...

"We are some way away from where I want us to be and from what the players are capable of achieving week in and week out. We haven’t trained for three weeks, so I'm looking forward to getting all the players back next week and really focusing on aspects of our game which aren’t quite there yet. The results are pleasing and there’s a fight and togetherness that’s starting to be created, which I'm so pleased about. The momentum is starting to build but we can’t shy away from the fact that these performances aren’t yet what we are capable of just yet. 

SPHINX DRIVE...

Sphinx Drive is our home now, the best facilities in Division 2, so we need to ensure we are ready to fight and run in every game because teams will raise their performances against us. I think the players are starting to understand that now and yesterday I think the first game at our new home maybe distracted us in the first-half but it’s gone now and onto Saturday and a big game!"

 

CELEBRATING v REDDITCH...

Fairfield on Saturday? 

"Good club, with good people and a tough game. They probably play the best version of a 3-5-2, which I saw on Tuesday when I went to see them play and with us playing that also it's made for a cracker on Saturday. Both teams have played 2 and won 2, so roll on the week-end. Despite our good start I believe the pressure is on them; yes, we have good players but they aren’t shy of a few: Scott Smith, ex-Bromsgrove, Connor Collins up-top and we know Max Crisp from last season, so they will have to come and really have a go at us to maintain their unbeaten start!"

Man of the Match on Wednesday?

"Will Beach showed great energy levels and I changed his position three times in the match and yet he adapted. He stretched the game so often for us and that was good to see on his full debut for the team. I know he was disappointed not to get on on Saturday but it shows the strength in our squad. I have one of the best jobs in the MFL with such a quality set of players available each week. Will needs to take his game to the next level now and show quality and calmness in his play in the final third; there are many players that can get past one or two but to be a top player he needs to do that but also show quality with his through balls and crosses 8 or 9 times out of ten, if he wants to be a top player."

BEACH: SHAM'S MAN OF THE MATCH...

'Yours in football...'

Shamir Alam, Manager, GNP Sports...