Lock: Holyport now carry a fear factor for teams
They might have been bottom of the table going into Saturday’s game, but assistant boss Sam Lock insists Holyport carry a fear factor for opponents now having picked up form over the past couple of months.
On Saturday there was respect for Port’s visitors St Panteleimon, but that’s as far as it went and, having focused on how they could hurt their visitors in the build up to the game, they went out and executed their game plan almost to perfection.
Ashley Hunt scored twice either side of the interval to put Port in front before Tobi
Shoyoye netted a third in a dominant display at Summerleaze Village.
The mentality has also shifted from a team that at one stage looked to have all but accepted its relegation from the Combined Counties Premier Division North to one that can not only smell survival but expects to achieve it.
Holyport won just one of their opening 19 matches in all competitions and were starting to get cast adrift at the bottom of the table heading into December, however, wins over Wokingham & Emmbrook, Spelthorne Sports, Virginia Water and now Holyport have lifted the side off the bottom of the table to within touching distance of a clutch of sides, including 12th placed Burnham. On Saturday they visit midtable Reading City hoping to spring another surprise.
Last week’s 3-2 defeat at Burnham was unfortunate, and unmerited, with the visitors creating 22 chances on the Blues goal, but they bounced back on Saturday with a 3-1 win over St Panteleimon, who lost their rag and saw players sent off as the realisation dawned on them that were being outplayed by Holyport.
“We were terrible for 20 minutes at Burnham,” said Lock. “But I think that was due to the surface. When you’re not used to playing on 3G, everything is so quick and sharp, but after half an hour we adapted and then we just flew at them.
“We created 22 opportunities to score, and I think that’s the most chances Holyport have ever created in a game, let alone to lose the match 3-2.
“We have started slowly in some games, and we did earlier in the season when we weren’t quite good enough to go toe-to-toe with some of the better teams in this league.
“But we have some very good footballers now and we are able to go toe-to-toe with these teams and try to press them a little higher.
“Our forwards are starting to impose themselves and say: ‘No, you
need to fear us rather than the other way around’. We have that fear factor now and I think it’s made a big difference.
“Against St Panteleimon, yes, we respected them, but ultimately our preparations were all about us. They had to worry about what we were going to throw at them.”
Lock added: “All the boys talk about these big relegation six-pointer games, but I don’t want that to be in our thoughts or mindset.
“We just want to play as well as we can and finish above some of these teams that are paying quite big money.
“That would be fantastic. We'll give it our best shot.”