Fleet manager Josh Wright felt his side needed to testt he goalkeeper more against a Hemel outfit who defended their box very well in Tuesday’s night’s stalemate.
“It had a lot, didn’t it?” the Fleet boss told BBC Radio Kent’s Charles Wesbter. “And to top it off, 10 minutes more then goes up at the end. On another night, one goes in and you probably go and get two or three, but credit to Hemel, first with 11 men and then with 10 men. Weirdly from a footballing view, it possibly suited them because it stopped them coming out even more and they really just kept their solid shape rather than trying to go and get a goal. Whereas with 11 men, they were trying to hit us on the counter and going into the two big men they had up top. But they defended their box very well.
“We got into so much territory, but it was just really really difficult to break it down. And we changed, different shapes, we put personnel on. We went attacking because we knew it was there for us. And in the end, we’ve probably had the chances. I thought Lennon Peake came on and had a real effect for us tonight but he knows he should score. And it’s not only him. There’s other moments within the game where we could [have scored] and we didn’t. But they defended like men and I know Lee Bircham really well – he set his team up fantastically well there tonight and he celebrated hard at the end. He knows how big of a result it was for him and good luck to him.
“At the end of the day that’s back-to-back games where we’ve not been playing for a long time. Four points, two clean sheets… so I can’t fault the boys’ effort and endeavour. I wanted to test the goalkeeper more. That’s the one thing that got me. If you’re going to have these moments and game territory, shots and and situations, you need to make the goalkeeper make a save. Because if you make the goalkeeper make a save, like I tell them when we do finishing and crossing all the time, you might get something from it. He might make a mistake, it might parry back, you get a corner or whatever it might be. And missing the target was the frustrating thing. But let’s not forget about the situation, all the emotion and the energy that’s comes with that and the lack of game time.
“It’s mad how goals swing games. I was watching the Premier League and one team scores and the other team all of a sudden gains territory and momentum. The other team then scores and it swings back the other way and it’s just a weird human instinct. So it’s important that you can go and break teams down and get that first goal.
“On Saturday, we scored at the right times. After three minutes but then didn’t quite go and get that second one. I said to the boys at half-time, can you go and get the next goal and it kills the game. And that’s exactly what they did. We didn’t quite manage it tonight, but it wasn’t through a lack of effort, personnel, change of shapes, attacking threat. It just didn’t quite drop for us tonight.
Of the penalty and sending-off incidents, Wright said, “I think you have to get those penalties all day, every day. I’ve looked at it back and there’s a couple of bits of contact, then another leg comes ready. I think you have to give them as penalties and I’d say that the opposite way round. So for me it’s a penalty. Passley just doesn’t go down there. He’s six yards out, one v one, got the whole goal to choose from, he shoots and on most days he scores. It was the same Saturday, we had a stonewall one turned down when his foot gets clipped. So that’s two now that he’s not been given.
“And then the [sending-off] incident which was pretty close to me. There’s tussles and leg swinging and arm swinging. The fourth official told me what the boy had been sent off for. I think it was a punch or certainly an arm. You’re playing a dangerous game. That’s why I was on Pass to be sensible and careful. Use your experience. But when you start swinging, you’re playing a very dangerous game in front of the fourth official and the linesman.
“That’s what you want because no individual referee, linesman, fourth official, or anyone in the stadium can see everything at once. So when a moment like that goes on, that’s where he needs his officials close by, and his fourth official. He’s trying to keep up with play so if he didn’t see it at that time, fair play but I think together they got it right: they spoke, and they came to a sensible decision.”
And it’s Salisbury next up at the Morrow Stadium, who are not to be underestimated says the Fleet boss.
“I won’t make no bones about it. They’re a decent side. They’re well coached under Brian Dutton and we’ve been watching them over the last couple of days. It will be a tough game, but they’ll know it’s going to be a very tough game coming here as well. It’s only our third game and it’s going to be their eighth or ninth. There’s fitness and sharpness that comes into it. But we’ll dust ourselves down and we’ll freshen up as the week goes on.
“I’m excited for a Saturday 3:00, with the fans here. The pitch was superb, it was made me want to get my boots out and get on there. I miss this place. I love this place. I love playing here. To see so many fans on a Tuesday night, really good numbers. And I’m really excited to see the numbers come out on Saturday.”
