Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
I laughed when they made it 5-5, I didn’t know what else to do
Chris Woollcott could probably do with a break to get over the excitement of Canterbury’s final game before lockdown.
City shared a 10-goal cracker at Tower Hamlets, taking an early lead before battling back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3 and 5-4.
That wasn’t end of the story, though, as Hamlets equalised at the end of a breathless Southern Counties East match.
Boss Woollcott said: “I told the players before the game I wanted to be excited and see some entertaining football - but I think they took the mick with that. It was an absolutely bizarre game of football. “Tower Hamlets were very good going forward but our defending could have been better, and I’m sure they would say the same about theirs.
“I thought it was going to be a good day when we went 1-0 up after two minutes but we switched off and they punished us.
“We dragged ourselves back into it and it was good to score five away from home but they equalised in the 88th minute.
“I laughed when they scored their fifth - I didn’t know what else to do.” City went into lockdown 16th in the table, with three wins from 12 games. Woollcott has targets for the season but is keeping them to himself. “Results haven’t been what we want them to be,” said the manager. “We’ve played well in certain games and not got the result our performance has possibly deserved, and we’ve played poorly in other games and got exactly what we deserved.
“We’ve had three poor performances - Welling Town, in the first game of the season, Erith & Belvedere and Croydon.
“We deserved to lose those games but otherwise we’ve played OK. “Our big problem has been putting the ball in the net but my brother, Adam, has gone in up front and got goals and Dale Horton’s come in and has three in four, so we’re on the right road. We just have to see what post-lockdown brings.
“I did have targets at the beginning of the season but with the start we’ve had I’m now going game by game to get back on the road to where we feel we should be.
“I’m not setting numbers but in my head I know where I want us to be and it’s up to us to perform and catch up with those teams in the top half.” Woollcott is in no doubt about the best side Canterbury have faced this season.
They were beaten 7-2 by league leaders Chatham, who have scored 60 goals in just 11 games. “They’re an unbelievable side,” said Woollcott. “The quality they had was just phenomenal and to have scored 60 goals already is absolutely crazy. “They’re so strong - I don’t think I’ve seen a side as good as that in this division. Corinthian are always good and Sheppey are quality but Chatham…
“We had a game plan, where we thought we could get at them, but they were too good. They play three at the back and send so many players forward.
“They’re all so comfortable on the ball and trust each other so much, they end up with overloads all over the pitch.
“I watched Tunbridge Wells beat them on the counter-attack but when you do win the ball back they have the quality and the pace and power at the back to stop you. “Any time you give it away, players like Jack Evans and Dan Bradshaw are ruthless and they punish you. They’re a team who tick all the boxes.”