Clean sheets have been like buses, you wait for one and two come along
Clean sheets for Windsor this season have been a bit like London buses. They've waited all season for one in the league and then two come along at once.
Having deservedly claimed the points in a 3-0 win at Holyport the previous week, Mark Cooper's side then did their local rivals a huge favour by smashing CB Hounslow United 4-0 at Stag Meadow on Saturday with Danny Horscroft helping himself to an excellent hat-trick. Their other goal was scored by Excellence Muhemba and, in the last two weeks, the Royalists have demonstrated utter ruthlessness and dominance against the league's bottom two sides.
Reflecting on their new-found resilience, a slightly disbelieving Mark Cooper said: “Can you believe it? Can you believe it? It was very well deserved. I think we've played ever so well in the last two games Saturday was a very commanding and pleasing performance. It’s difficult to say how good we were on the day compared to how bad they were on the day.
“They didn’t cause us a problem. I remember them having one shot and we had countless. It was just a very dominant performance. We played a lot more football this Saturday compared to last. We dominated the game. I think, in the first half, we were superb, and I think 20 minutes after that, we made it a little bit more difficult for ourselves. The conditions in the second half were slightly different and we didn’t get to grips with them immediately. Once we got through that 15–20-minute period, we picked it up again and finished it ever so strong.”
Cooper will be hoping Windsor's late season revival continues in the coming weeks, and the form of Horscroft could be crucial to that. Saturday's win lifts them to eighth in the Combined Counties Premier Division North and, with five matches left to play starting at Reading City this Saturday.
“Danny is our captain, and he is great to have around the place,” said Cooper. “He’s an intelligent footballer and has come up with a fair few goals for us this season. I’m delighted that he got his hat-trick. He’s been terrific for us all season. You know exactly what you’re going to get from him.
He’s a goalscoring midfielder and they’re rare to find.”