www.CHAIRBOYS.co.uk - Wycombe Wanderers - News item from Chairboys on the Net

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
(Friday 15th May 2009)

Following Wanderers nail biting final game of the 2008/9 season, here are some of the quotes the players made to the Bucks Free Press, starting with the Captain of the side.

David McCracken - "This is why I came down here, to try and win things. We were unlucky last year but it's made us more determined this year. I knew Wycombe were a club that could achieve this. This is absolutely magnificent for the boys and the Club and I think we totally deserved it. Throughout the season there has been a real togetherness. There have been some games where we probably didn't deserve anything because we played so badly, but we still ended up getting a result and that's what has got us through. It doesn't matter whether it's by one goal or 15 or 20 points. We've achieved promotion and it's a massive thing." The Wanderers skipper admitted being totally devastated when County grabbed their late winner, adding "You saw the reaction of the boys and the fans when they scored again. There was a total silence. I don't think anyone expected it. But that's in the past now. We didn't want to be relying on other results, but if we'd been asked at the start of the season if we'd take it this way then of course you'd take it. At the end of the day we're promoted and that was the main aim. We're playing in League One next year against a few really big clubs. It's going to be a massive year for us."

Matt Bloomfield - "It's unbelievable, a great feeling. It's five years of hard work in this division and I never thought it would take this long. It's been a long road with two failed play-offs, and a long-term injury for myself as well, but it all makes it sweeter today and it's a fantastic feeling. The lows make the highs that little bit sweeter." Wanderers current longest serving player added, "We can go back and think, what if that one had gone in or that one, or if we'd kept that one out and Bury will be thinking it even more. To think that 46 games comes down to one goal is unbelievable." He concluded "When the lads lost in the play-offs last year and we lost the manager and several first team players it was a little bit disappointing, but the manager has come in this year and been absolutely brilliant. He's picked the lads up, signed some great players and put us in the position that we're in today. I was an Ipswich fan when I was younger, but five and half years makes you a Wycombe fan and it's definitely very close to my heart now."

Frank Sinclair - "I've got a shirt from everywhere I've played and I will cherish this one. I'll sit down and chat with Peter Taylor and we may be able to do something for next season, you never know. I wouldn't mind playing in the League One play-offs next season."

Jon-Paul Pittman - "It was panic-stations all over, but the gaffer calmed us down at half-time. He's probably been in this situation many times before and he has a good head on his shoulders. He just told us not to panic and that the goal would come eventually. We know we're good enough to score against any team in this league so we knew the goal would come, as long as they didn't score in the second half. Umm, yeah!"

Wanderers players celebrate promotion

Lewis Hunt - "To get promoted is one of the,best feelings you'll have in football. I've been lucky enough to do it a couple of times before and this one's just as special. This day seemed like a long way away when I got injured, but this is why you put in all the hard yards during the season." Hunt added, "We should really have played a lot better than we did. At half time Peter Taylor made us realise that we weren't doing what we are good at and what we've been doing all season. We came out in the second half and started really well and got the goal but, for whatever reason, we stopped doing it. I think the occasion got to us a little bit. It was very tense in the ground. The fans felt it and the players felt but when it's tight like that it's inevitable. We went back to playing how we played in the first half, just sitting back, and I think if we'd carried on doing what we were doing we could have gone on and won the game comfortably. In the end we paid the price with the late goal, but other results went for us."

Jamie Young - The Wanderers goalkeeper admitted that he should have saved the shot that put County 1-0 up in the first half. ""It moved two ways. One of our players ducked out the way of it but it's definitely one I should have saved and I'm disappointed not to, especially in the circumstances of the game. But I always remind myself that that's goalkeeping, it can just turn for you. Young conceeded again in the 89th minute and suffered more anguish, adding, "I knew we were in trouble when he hit it and I couldn't explain how I felt when it went in. It was a really bad feeling and it was extremely difficult to play out the last few minutes. I really thought the way things were going it wasn't meant to be. But this sums our season up. We stick in there and we fight and eventually just about get there. That's what happened today. And what would you take, a win like Bury got and not going up, or promotion?"

John Akinde - "I didn't really have a target, but seven goals in 11 games is not too bad. I would have taken that when I first came so I'm happy. I think my second goal at Brentford was my best because of the way I took it. I won the ball then ran at the defender and scored. That was really good for me."

Matt Harrold - "It would have been great to score that goal. I could have been a hero. I was wheeling off with my hand·up. It was ruled out for a high foot but I thought the defender put his head down so I was a bit disappointed with that, to be honest. But the last game doesn't matter now. It's been a great day and we'll look forward to next season."

Gary Holt - "I think we got a bit nervous, a bit twitchy. There are a lot of boys who have come in this year and had to grow up quickly. It's a big ask, but they've done it and it will stand them in good stead for next year." Holt added, "We maybe got a bit nervous towards the end and tried to keep the point, whereas I think if we'd built on the goal we scored when we were on top we might have got a few more. But everyone gets caught up in the occasion. I was trying to get us pushed up, but emotion takes over, people get a little bit twitchy and you start to defend just a little bit deep. Those five minutes after the match were not great and not great for the heart. I was a wee bit angry then and not many people spoke to me. It's a hard one to weigh up because we're all gutted that we didn't play well enough. But it's done and dusted now. It wasn't pretty to watch, we all want to win games, we all want to put on a show and win three or four-nil, but it doesn't happen and as long as you're up, you're up. So it's job done. I've been a bitgrumpy but people keep reminding me it's 46 games not one and this hasn't been the make or break of the season - it's been the 45 games before this."

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