Ahead of tonight’s trip to title-fighters Weston-super-Mare, our main talking points with Mark Molesley were squad management and our growth in “confidence.”
Here’s what he had to say on the following subjects…
On the current mood amongst the squad:
We had a very important win at the weekend, hopefully a morale boost, and tonight’s game can’t come quick enough. We’re very much looking forward to it. We’ll be up against title-fighters Weston-super-Mare, so a new huge challenge is ahead of us, but we need to use every challenge to bring out the best in us. We’re a tough nut to crack now.
On squad availability:
We came through relatively unscathed on Saturday, which is great news. Christie Ward is back from suspension and Brandon Goodship is getting ever-closer; whether tonight will be too soon we’ll see.
On turning a corner:
We had lots of games at the start of the season, which was problematic as we were trying to manage injuries, but now we’re seeing players slowly return and up-and-running. We feel that we’re heading in the right direction, I think people can see that with our performances, but now our next challenge is to take our chances with more conviction. But, I know that isn’t too far away.
On Keelan O’Connell:
It’s great to have him back. He was sadly missing at the start of the season, so he’s another one of our players who has had to find fitness in the midst of a season. But, now we can see him smoothing out the edges. I feel he’s coming through the other side where we can now see him slowly getting back to his best. He’s had a run of games, so now the main thing is not only consistency, but also to make sure we look after him as best we can. He can be a really important player in this team.
On defensive strength:
Will Buse is a fantastic goalkeeper and we can see him and our defenders gelling. It can be difficult to build momentum if you keep having to change your backline, but now we’ve had a spell where we can build something consistent. We also now have competition in these places, so we can freshen it up and look after people if we need to.
On Josh McQuoid:
I’ve had the pleasure to share the dressing room with Josh when he was a young player. I’ve seen him go on to have a great career, and I’ve also seen him go through a hell of a lot throughout his life. I’m grateful to have a player that doesn’t just have experience on the pitch, but off it, too. He’s a great character to have around and he put in a real captain’s performance on Saturday. I hope the younger lads are seeking his advice.
On Weston-super-Mare:
We know tonight will be a huge challenge. They’re near the top of the table for a reason; they have a lot of experience and they have a growing group. They’re a well-oiled machine that seems to keep refining and getting better. We’re respectful of where they are in the league, but we’re certainly not fearful. We’re embracing this challenge; we can’t wait. I want our players to be up against these teams.
On the importance of fearless playing:
We always respect the opposition and prepare as best as we can, but we also know we have enough in our locker to cause serious problems. We’re growing in confidence and a positive result will only help with that, but we know that will only happen if we give Weston-super-Mare our absolute best.
