VASE VICTORY PROVIDES FITTING CLIMAX TO PERFECT WEEKEND FOR MANAGER SMITH

Canterbury City manager Ben Smith said Sunday’s brilliant FA Vase win over Biggleswade completed a perfect weekend. City’s 2-1 victory at Salters Lane came just a day after Smith’s newborn daughter Ciel had been allowed to come home for the first time. Smith’s wife Carmen had given birth at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital Margate on the Monday, since when the infant had been in intensive care. The City boss, who also has a five-year-old son Brandon, said: “I’m ecstatic that we’ve done it. Since the last round all anybody has spoken to me about has been the Vase “My daughter’s been in intensive care for five days. She came out on Saturday, I’ve got a five-year-old boy as well, so it’s literally been to-ing and fro-ing from the hospital, obviously making sure the baby’s all right. “There’s been the stress of that but she’s really well. She was at home last night, her first night at home and now this – what a weekend.” Smith admitted his side were lucky to be level against Biggleswade at half-time, but felt the tide started to turn in City’s favour just before Chris Saunders’ spectacular equaliser. He explained: “We knew they were going to be a good side, and if we tried to match them for purest football we would have got beat by a few so it was a case of can we make it horrible. “But for the first 25 minutes we made it so nice and easy for them, it was frustrating the hell out of me. There was no screaming or shouting at half-time, it was more a case of you’re letting yourselves down at the minute, you’re not doing what we’ve asked you to. “I told them if we put another 45 in like we did in the first half then we’ll be hearing them celebrating in the next dressing room. “We got our midfield shape sorted, we had a slight tweak in there and our second goal came from them trying to play out, and us robbing the ball.” Smith admitted his emotions may have got the better of him at the final whistle. He added: “I was throwing up on the touchline. Literally as the final whistle blew, everyone’s jumped on me and I was being sick, it was pure emotion. “People don’t realise, but us the management team, do an awful lot at this football club. I’m the kit man, I do a lot more than just rocking up and doing the management and I’ve done it for a long time. “Its not the most glamorous job in the world, it should be because we’re a city, and hopefully we’re doing our best to make it a glamorous job and days like today have added to that.”