Letter From The Manager - Richard Kay

HEAD COACH

RICHARD KAY

A warm welcome to the staff, players and committee of Cirencester Town Dev for todays league game.

It’s been a tough start for Cirencester in the league, but being a development team I’m sure its great experience for their young players to be playing First Teams at non league level. Young players will learn more in a month in a first team environment than a few seasons at youth football. Being a development team I’m sure the remit is to produce players for the future and the first team. I wish them well.

I have to be honest that playing Cirencester brings back such great memories. Back in 2002 I was playing for Atherstone United in the then Dr Martens Prem which would be the equivalent of step 3 on todays NLS.

We were in a relegation dogfight. It was a baptism of fire and introduction to first team football. We played Cirencester away with one game left of the season after. Lovely set up at Cirencester from memory. We took a big away following to Cirencester. We needed to win to stay up, or did we?

I missed a pen and scored the rebound. 1 nil up. Possible huge 3 points. Cirencester scored twice in final 10 minutes. Gutted. We all thought we were relegated. We needed a miracle. We needed to win our final game by 2 goals and 2 teams to get beat.

The football gods smiled and the stars aligned. It was probably one of my best ever games on a football pitch. I scored, 2 assists and we won 3-1. Both teams we needed to lose lost. One of the teams lost in added time. We stayed up by 1 goal. The rebound I scored at Cirencester.

Probably the best day pound for pound I’ve had as a player. The next week was a blur topped off by a weekend away in Blackpool.

Whatever the result today. Cirencester Town you are forever in my heart

On to todays game. Last week was one of those games. If we played that game 99 times out of 100 we win 8-3 or more. We lost 3-2. We created more chances than most teams will create in a month. We gave the term, “sitters”, new meaning.

The positive again was the performance. We have played well now for the last 6 months. We have played some great front foot football with intensity. It’s another team we have let off the hook through not being clinical. I don’t expect us to take every chance but when you create 15 plus chances you have to win the game

I’ve challenged the players this week in training. We will be a solid team this season, no question. Do we want to be a midtable team and accept consolidation which in itself would be a good achievement or do we want to show more consistency and get ourselves in the top half and possible conversation for something more. Ultimately, it will come down to consistency for us.

We’re a match for any team in this division but were throwing points away which is the biggest frustration.

Enjoy the game

UTS

Rich Kay