John Ward On The Bournemouth Draw

Last updated : 04 May 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Saturday evening as he talked about the 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth, Ward chatting about the upcoming play-off matches against Leeds United :


" I think that this was a good game, the occasion was there, they had to win, we wanted to win. It was that type of football, I don't think that either of us played our best but you can't fault the effort. Particularly we lifted the second-half up ourselves, and said that if we can't win with good football we've got to win with a big effort. I can't ask any more, it is the last game, but when you look at your 46 games, although I've not been here for all of them, it's a fantastic effort from this football club to be looking to go and play Leeds United in the play-offs.

" I've got a very disappointed dressing-room after the match when we've gone in. Then we have come back out and the ground has stayed pretty full to applaud the efforts of the team over the season, I have to say that is a massive lift for this group of players. So we were really, really pleased that the supporters felt that way, and saw the bigger picture and let me know that they feel that they have got a team to be proud of. We can't win every game, and we've tried very hard to do that, but they wear the shirt with a bit of pride and so do those supporters, and that's really important.

" I don't think the players will need any firing up against Leeds United, we go in there as the underdogs, they will be the favourites. We'll probably let them do the bit of chit-chat that they want to do, we know that we have got it all to do to beat them. It's a big football club, and if you need a lift then that sort of game gives you that. We'll look forward to it, we'll try to give them a game and we'll see if over two games we can beat them. There are going to be two full houses, and everybody is going to excited about it, so there is a lot more to look forward to. It will be tough for us but we'll try our very best as we always do.

" What an occasion to put them in (Darren Campion and Gary Madine). They didn't really need that but they have come with little or no fear. Young Gary has just run out of legs at the end as we thought he might. It's a big occasion for them, we thought that Darren might, but he stayed strong right to the end. Two tough young fellas there that augur well for the future of this football club. "



" It's what we've been trying to do, bring people through and bring them on, and to see them in the first-team environment and do as well as they did is really pleasing. It is a bonus for me to see Darren do so well, and it's a bonus for me to get Danny Livesey back in. He's a leader, he's been out on that pitch all season and we'll be pleased to have him involved again.

" He (referee Michael Jones) has just told me that he blew up (on Scott Dobie's advantage late on) when the ball was by his side. He must have moved about 40 yards to get by the ball though, he didn't follow the path of the ball. Whatever incident he saw, for me it's a difficult decision because we are one-on-one with the keeper and you fancy a goal coming and a winner from us.

" These things happen though and I can't moan at him too much, but if he is going to punish a player from Bournemouth then he is better off letting a one-one-one situation arrive and take a booking. You can book them any time, take it back if you want, but to stop the game, particularly at that stage of the afternoon is a bit disappointing for us obviously.

" I think that we regained some pride after Millwall, particularly in the second-half. It's difficult all game, this team has just come with six straight wins. Although they are in that bottom four they have come with a lot of confidence and an organisation and a lot of effort going into their football. They have got some ability in their team too so we have had to work very hard to get that. "



" At half-time we are pleased that it is 0-0 because we knew that we could play better, we weren't sure that Bournemouth could but we did lift our game and push the game back into Bournemouth's half of the pitch. We found ourselves in front, just a soft goal that we have let in, I'm disappointed with the way that we have conceded the free-kick. It looks so simple, but we'll have a look at it and see if we can improve on that.

" I wasn't particularly aware of the other scores, we just knew at half-time. I did ask actually, I think Danny Livesey came in and he was stood in the back so I asked him what was happening. So were aware of that but not all the way through, I think that Andy Horn was chasing up and down getting the situations, but they didn't tell me because I didn't really want to know. I just wanted to try to get this one done and see where it left us.

" I think that realism set in with the crowd with the whole season, the picture was a bigger one for them than just today or last week. They have seen a team and a football club that is improving all the time, and credit to Paul Simpson and Neil (McDonald) for that last year, and Greg (Abbott) for his bit this year.

" I think that is very important, I've come in at the tail-end of that, but it's important that as the manager we keep trying to move forward. The final position today of fourth gives us that move from last year, we now go into the play-offs which is pleasing in that sense. We can get used to that, I'm pleased that the 46 games has gone and decisions have been made. Now we can focus very hard on what the next job is, whatever happens in those play-offs we'll keep trying to improve the club.

" We've just talked about two young players in the team, we've talked about regular players who are getting better and have lifted it. We've had two in the PFA team awards, so yes this football club is heading quite well actually but we want to try the play-offs because that is the next bit now. We'll be underdogs I think against Leeds so we'll need those supporters that gave us a big lift at the end of the game today, I thank them for that. "