Speers Says Swans Are `Getting Better`

Slimbridge manager Tom Speers reflected on his side’s start to the Pitching In Southern League Division One South season that saw them pick up their first points of the season at previously unbeaten Hamworthy United and declared “It’s getting better”.

After falling behind to a first-half goal at the County Ground, a much improved second-half display saw Ethan Dunbar level things up with 15 minutes remaining, and a draw was a fair result on the balance of play, although Hamworthy will be rueing some first-half chances not taken that gave them the opportunity to put the game to bed.

Speers was delighted with the application of his side after the game: “It was very tough battle, but I think we deserved the draw – especially on the second half performance. We knew before we came that they were going to be direct, but out of possession, they are very, very clever, the winger on the other side to the ball stays high, and as they attack that comes into force – it’s really difficult to deal with.

“The keeper boots it for miles, the whole back four can boot it for miles! In the first half we didn’t deal with it, and I will take the onus on that – I think we could have changed our shape earlier. Half-time was a Godsend, and so we changed our shape to match them, went one for one at the back, and I think we had the better of it in the second half.

“Of course, they always looked threatening because, that direct ball from deep is always difficult to deal with, but we’ve got a young side, and I think we deserved the point.

“Like all of the teams that have come up this year, Hamworthy are very strong, they have a budget and they’ve made some really, really good signings, so there are going to be no easy games in the league this year.”

Speers also paid tribute to the work ethic of his team: “We matched them - it’s hard to match a team that goes long all the time, because they just miss out a whole phase of the game – but I thought, at times, some of our football was brilliant – we had spells where for five, six phases, we’d gone through them, we’d played it wide, we just didn’t have that killer instinct of having someone in the box to tap it in – Ethan Dunbar did that for the goal, and the phase up to that was very, very good.

“It's pleasing that we’re digging in, it’s a difficult place, AFC Totton came here and lost, and a lot of teams will drop points here, so we did really well to get one.”

Speers also paid tribute to James Sunley, who made his first team debut for the side at Hamworthy: “James Sunley had a great debut. When we took over in December, we drew up a list of the players that we wanted. We want the best young players in Gloucestershire playing for us, and he was one of those that we targeted. Unfortunately, because of his commitments with Jersey under-21s, he came back late, but I thought he was really effective in and out of possession and it was a really good performance from him”.

Tim Blake

Slimbridge Web Site