MENSAH’S MINDSET IS TO FLY WITH TOWN ACES
CARL MENSAH says Bedford Town are a National League club in all but status – and now he’s determined to help get them there. Mensah scored the winning goal as the Eagles made a swift return to Step 3 with a 2-1 play-off final win over Waltham Abbey on Monday.
And the 27-year-old believes the club has a platform now to push on and realise it’s true potential. “Everything about the club, the owners, the stadium, the fan base, it’s a National League club and that’s the aim, to help the club fulfil that,” the midfielder told The NLP.
“In the last seven games, the energy has been good in the changing room, all the boys are getting on well. It’s all about momentum and we had that. “Bedford, of course, were there two years ago and came back down so the aim now is to consolidate and to try and kick on, as a minimum. “For the last game of the season we had over a 1,000 turn up, then for the semi-final another 1,000 and to see over 2,000 turn up for the play-off final was brilliant. “The atmosphere was electric on Monday so I’m looking forward to more days and nights like that.” Mensah, too, is looking to prove himself at the level having previously turned out at Step 3 with Royston Town and missing out on the Isthmian League play-offs with Walthamstow last year. “I’m desperate to give it another go,” the former Welwyn Garden City man added.
“Every player wants to play at the highest level they can and we’re no different. If I get to 30 and haven’t given it a good go then I will regret it so the next couple of years I’ll be doing everything I can to try and move up through the divisions, hopefully with Bedford.”
Mensah admits the pressure of being pre-season favourites did weigh down on the Eagles at times, but he believes it was the positive mindset of the squad which helped them through a difficult mid-season period to finish the season with seven straight victories to take them to promotion. “There was a bit of pressure on us at the start of the season but that can be a good thing if you use it in the right way,” he continued. “We are all ambitious and want to play in the biggest games so we looked at the pressure as a positive thing.
“We started so well but then fell out of the playoffs places, so there was always going to be pressure then.
“But once the transfer window closed all the boys were singing from the same hymn sheet and when we came up against the leaders Biggleswade Town and won 1-0, that gave us momentum and confidence going into the last few games to kick on. “The aim was to finish second, minimum after that, to get a home draw in the play-offs and luckily we managed to get over the line.”