SPIRITED PAUL WARES IT WELL
But he may ditch stopwatch
WARE boss Paul Halsey has a dilemma ahead of their play-off final with North Leigh – whether to leave his stopwatch in the changing room again!
Halsey decided not to wear his timer for their semi-final win on penalties at AFC Dunstable in midweek so he wasn’t constantly staring at it. And it’s got his superstitious mind wondering.
“It was funny the penalty shoot-out – I’ve never done this before but I kept sitting down,” Halsey told The NLP of their
4-3 shoot-out win.
“They took a penalty and then we took one, I’d sit down. Normally I’d be at the front but I did things differently, I don’t know why. “I also didn’t have my stopwatch on. That’s the first time at any game I haven’t had my stopwatch on. I just felt I would be watching the clock. I didn’t want to be doing that whether we were losing or winning. I just wanted to watch the game. I’ve never ever done that – I’m now thinking should I not do that on Monday?!”
There’s been nothing lucky about their run to this final in a fine season that also saw the Hertfordshire outfit take National League North side Kidderminster Harriers to an FA Cup replay in the third round qualifying.
They were top of the tree when the 2019-20 season was curtailed for Covid and that has been a big motivator.
“I’ve had this group of lads since the null and void season,” Halsey said. “They still think it was unfinished business.
Mentally
“People say about how we lost on the final day. We’d already made the play-offs. It
matters now. It mattered on Tuesday night. It matters Monday how we turn up and perform. They’ve got one chance.
“You’re 90 – or 120 – minutes away from playing Step 3 football. For this group of lads, my coaching staff, the chairmen who have backed us and done wonders at the football club, it will be a massive feat to get this club promoted.
“But it’s half-time of the play-offs. We won the firsthalf. Now we’ve got to win the second half.”
But Halsey says whatever happens his players must be proud of their season.
“If they give me 100 per cent and lose because of a deflection or a strange decision, we can’t coach things like that. What I can do is get them mentally and physically right.
“I know for a fact there will be a big crowd at Ware on Monday. We’ve got to make sure we rise to the occasion. There’s going to be nerves for both teams.
“That’s my job to make sure that’s right and once they’re on the pitch it’s down to them to do what they’ve got to do.”