Our roving reporter Mollie looked back on Wanderers’ recent win at home against Basildon……

 

Wanderers took 3 points  from their weekday match against Basildon United. The team were 1-0 down at half time and weren’t looking very hopeful after missing a lifeline penalty. The second half seemed to be looking up for Wanderers as Michael Bareck gave them a push making it 1-1, but deep in stoppage time the boys took all three points away from the visiting Bees with a last minute winner from an Oliver Sims free kick.

After the 2-1 win, manager Glen Driver was elated with his team:

“We started the game a little bit shady, the first 15 minutes we weren’t really at the races. Went a goal down and then got a lifeline penalty which we’ve missed two in two games now which is disappointing but I think with that done we’ve kicked started our performance and I felt as the half grew on we got stronger and stronger and looked the better side”.

During the second half Glen saw a massive improvement in his team. Glen said:

“Basildon’s goalkeeper then got sent off and before you know it the ball’s at our feet, pressure on their back line and two great goals to finish the game at the end.” 

 

As the club currently have a large chunk of their players out with injury bringing in youth players was a vital part of this match. Glen commented on the Youth’s performance saying:

“We’re not afraid to give the kids a chance, at Wanderers they’re your platform for success, you have to bring young kids into your group and put trust in them. It is being forced on us a little bit but you either sink or swim and at the moment the kids are swimming. Zach Pedro is a starter for us, Zach Gayfer has been brought back in because of an injury and he didn’t do himself any harm, and Wictor Zalewski has just turned 17 playing in our under 18s and he’s come on the pitch and is also doing well so the youth at this club is important to us. We have to put them in and take them out and I’ve been here many times with young players, they need to keep their feet on the floor. When we get some of our senior players back we’ll keep some of the kid’s in the group and I’m really pleased with the young lads”

 

Glen also commented on the last minute winner saying:

“I tried taking Ollie Sims off the free kick and putting Patrick Brothers on it, so I’m glad he stayed over it and it ended up going in the top corner. I think this game will benefit us, we need to put a back to back performance together and we need to get two or three wins, maybe a draw chucked in, but we’re not getting stuffed at games and we’re not coming off the back of bad losses at the moment. We need to push on from this and overall the boys deserved this so onwards and upwards.”