DAY DIPS HIS TOE INTO NEW WATERS
SPENCER DAY says his Farnborough side will be a “very small fish in a very large pond” when they wade into National League South next season – but he plans to have a splashing time nevertheless!
Day got his tactics spot on in subduing a free-scoring Hayes & Yeading side on their own patch on Monday to earn the Hampshire club a return to Step 2 football after an eightyear absence.
Goals from tricky winger Reggie Young and experienced midfielder Sam Deering cancelled out Moses Emmanuel’s 13th-minute opener for Hayes, while the home side had Francis Amartey sent off at the start of the second half for an elbow on Jack Ball.
For Day, it capped a dream return to the ground where his side were humbled 4-2 earlier in the season, and the Boro boss – celebrating 10 years in the Cherrywood Road hotseat – could reflect on a job well done. “If you go head-to-toe with a team like Hayes they blow you
away – we learned that lesson in November,” Day said. “We set up really well. There were lots of things we were planning on doing and it’s one of those days where things have really gone to plan. We wanted to frustrate them. “Both teams conceded terrible goals in the first half and the red card is a huge turning point. These things happen, that’s what finals are about, you’ve got to be in them to win them.” Now Day is relishing the prospect of locking horns with big guns from Step 2 – but for now is just happy to enjoy the moment!
“We’ve got out of an outrageously strong division. Taunton, Met Police, Hayes, Weston-Super-Mare, it’s incredible how good those teams are. “Moments like this are what you do it for. Twenty-three years I’ve been doing this. If this doesn’t make you happy and you’re not buzzing and smiling at this then you shouldn’t be managing football. “We’re going to enjoy this first before we think about next year. We will be a very small fish in a very large pond, coming up against full-time teams with monster budgets and crowds so it’s going to be very tough.
“It’s exciting too though, of course, and about 30% less travelling, so that’s good too!”