I KNEW WE HAD MOORE TO GIVE
CONCEDING an equaliser with seconds left on the clock, falling behind in extra-time and then going down to ten men a few minutes later would finish most teams off – but Hanwell Town jointboss Chris Moore still had hope.
Not that it stopped the former Dagenham & Redbridge striker going on a rollercoaster of emotions at Chertsey Town in the Isthmian South Central final last Sunday.
Dwayne Duncan had given the Geordies the lead before Ashley Lodge’s late leveller. Bryan Taylor then put the Curfews ahead minutes before Kyle Watson was shown a second yellow.
But Tom Collins’ equaliser set-up a grandfive stand finish where Ogo Obi grabbed the winner to send the Geordies into dreamland.
“For them to equalise with five seconds left, take the centre and the whistle goes, looking in the boys’ eyes in that circle, they looked like they were gone,” Moore, who is manager alongside Wayne Carter. “We just had to try and rally them and lift them. “They were angry they thought the goal was offside and feeling sorry for themselves. We had to tell them we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again.
Special bond
“Then we’re 2-1 down and down to ten men and you think, ‘Cor, that is a mountain to climb. Can we get back into it?’ “But I know what the boys have got. I’ve seen them 3-0 down at Bedfont recently and come back to 3-3. So we knew we had it in us. We had to dig deep. And they did.” Moore, inset, feels promotion would have come sooner had it not been for the Covid interruptions and he praised the club for not letting the setback get them down.
First priority for the management pair is a good dressing room and he’s proud they will be bonded together forever.
“I said to the boys, ‘You don’t get many chances to play in play-offs,” Moore said. “I said it to them last Wednesday before the semi-final at Bedfont. I said, ‘Some of you in here will never play in a playoff game again, so don’t let this moment pass you by’.
“On Sunday I said, ‘I told you some of you will never play in another play-off, even less of you will play in another playoff final’.
“In 25 years, playing and managing, four or times I’ve reached the play-offs, and that was me being lucky. For Carts it was 20 years since he won promotion when we played together with Northwood.
“A day like Sunday, speaking to the boys individually, it will be a moment ingrained in their memories for the rest of their lives.
“When I went onto WhatsApp all the Dagenham boys I won the Conference with 15 years ago were all messaging to say congratulations. Then we have Sam Saunders here who was part of that Dagenham team. It’s moments like this that give you a special bond.
“With these boys, wherever their careers take them, they will always remember Sunday.”