Scotty is a different class, says Benyon
Stones’ goal hero says McGleish praise is ‘fantastic’
ELLIOT Benyon would rather not be mentioned in the same breath as his new coach at Wealdstone Scott McGleish when it comes to scoring goals.
Benyon’s latest brace in Stones’ 3-1 win at Gosport on Saturday took the summer signing from Hayes & Yeading’s tally for the season to a far from unlucky 13.
No wonder then McGleish said recently the former Torquay and Wycombe striker was a more clinical finisher than he had ever been.
However, Benyon isn’t having a bit of such talk, claiming while they may be similar in style and stature as front-men McGleish’s longevity and record at professional level leaves him envious.
“There’s no chance I’m the more clinical finisher,” he said.
“Scott is only saying that because he is on the coaching side now isn’t he?
“He is still different class in training. He still puts them all in the top corner, he’s quality.
“Me and Scotty are similar. I grew up watching him as a player, but I don’t like to put myself in the same bracket as him as he had a very, very good career.
“But if he is saying things like that about me then that is fantastic for me knowing what a good player and finisher he was.”
Wealdstone’s latest win was the sixth of their most successful start to a Conference South campaign since they won promotion as Ryman League Champions back in 2013-14. There’s been a more exciting brand of football at times too.
Benyon warned though it is early days in any transition from the mid-table men of the last two campaigns, and winning the scrappy ones will ultimately determine whether further progress is made.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” he added.
“We know what [manager] Gordon [Bartlett] expects of us and what we expect of ourselves.
“We have just got to go out and deliver. We are not going to win every game – we are going to have times where we don’t play well and games where we lose.
“But if we stick together as a club, fans, players and staff I think we have got a really good chance. The secret is winning ugly.
“You look at the teams who got promoted last year and got up there, they won ugly and that’s massive.
“I’m sure the fans would rather three points than anything else.”