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  • 2 days ago
The Mid-Devon Advertiser's post-match interview with Buckland Athletic manager Matt Cusack, following their victory over Torpoint Ath in the home opener.
Transcript
00:00Here with Buckland manager Matt Cusack after a home win against Torpoint. Matt, what are your thoughts on that one?
00:06Yeah, delighted to get the first three points of the season. Obviously, it's really important to do that.
00:10We've had a difficult week, two games away from home, didn't quite get the returns that we'd hoped for.
00:16So today we had the daunting task of taking on the team that very nearly won the league last year.
00:21So I'm glad that we've managed to get over the line and get the three points.
00:25You mentioned that obviously Torpoint, a very strong team. What sort of challenges do they bring to your team?
00:30Well, they play at a terrific intensity and they did last year. And obviously for us, it was a team
00:35that we didn't overcome last year.
00:37I think we took one point from the six available. So for us today, it's a huge milestone for us
00:43and shows that the progress that we've made.
00:45We made some big calls selection wise that we felt was right for the game, given the workload and physical
00:51load of the players across the past week.
00:54And yeah, so obviously it's one of them where if you win the game, you'd say you get it right.
00:58If it didn't go so well, then, you know, the pressure would have been on me and rightly so.
01:03So yeah, no, delighted to get the three points. They're a tough team to beat. And it's a big win
01:09for us.
01:10You mentioned obviously a few changes to the lineup. How big of an impact then does the likes of Bushy
01:14have coming off the bench?
01:16It's not just Bushy, but Bushy was great, by the way, when he came on. But Isaac, I thought Isaac
01:20McHugh was great.
01:21Jamie Simmons was great and Simo came off the bench midweek and was superb as well.
01:27You know, he's a specialist in that type of role at the minute. Obviously, there'll be starts from as well.
01:31But yeah, but all three subs were fantastic. And, you know, it's something that we're trying to build here.
01:37And really that squad mentality that it's not always going to be the same 11 that are starting.
01:41But the boys have got to be ready to play their part as and when called upon. And they did
01:44that.
01:45And, you know, at 2-1, we had opportunities to make it 3-1. I think that would have killed
01:49the game.
01:50And obviously, when that didn't happen, teams are always going to get opportunities.
01:53And they fashioned a couple themselves. And so it was a nerve wracking ending.
01:58Obviously, they had a red card to the right back, Dave Barker. So we're playing against 10 men there.
02:03And that made it a little bit easier. Gaps started to open up as they sort of still ventured forward.
02:07And again, we had opportunities to kill the game off, didn't. So that would be an area for us to
02:11improve moving forward, for sure.
02:13And you mentioned there, obviously, three games in eight days just to go on.
02:16And now you've got another league game and then a cup game next Saturday. Just your thoughts on those two?
02:20Yeah, obviously, we're not going to worry too much about next Saturday because we've got a league game here against
02:24Wellington.
02:25And we need to build upon today. That's, you know, that's first and foremost.
02:29But the boys are very much aware that it's competition for places.
02:32You know, we've given them all a pre-season in, sorry, a platform in pre-season.
02:36And now that we're into the stuff that really matters is about them making their minutes matter on the pitch.
02:41And, you know, I'm really delighted for Sammy State today to get that winner.
02:46You know, Sammy found himself on the bench last week. That was a tactical choice.
02:50And then obviously he started midweek. We got 16 to him and he got his 90 today and he got
02:55the winning goal.
02:55So I was absolutely delighted with him.
02:57And Rafa Biedemann as well. You know, Rafa wins a lot here, really.
03:01So surprisingly, that was his first goal for the club today competitively.
03:05So we're absolutely delighted for him as well.
03:07And, you know, we've set him that challenge now of trying to get, you know, at least five a season.
03:11He should be because he's a dominant threat in the box.
03:13But I'm really delighted for those two boys that they got on the score sheet today.
03:16And then just going back to Sammy, obviously a lot of injuries or one injury last year.
03:20Does he almost feel like a new signing into this season?
03:22Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I said that about Sammy.
03:25You know, he came back sort of March time, but for about a month left of the season.
03:29And we felt that it wasn't right to probably judge him in that month.
03:32He'd been out all year. So we knew that get a good preseason into him.
03:36And, you know, he's progressed in the preseason.
03:39He's had his moments. He's done really well in certain areas.
03:42Other things he could do better.
03:44But and we've had those conversations.
03:45But so for him today to have that impact in the final third, that's what I've been asking for from
03:49Sammy.
03:50Is impact in the final third.
03:51He's got all the attributes, you know, to deliver that.
03:53And now we just want to see it a little bit more consistently.
03:55But we appreciate he's been out a long time.
03:57So we're just hopeful now that he can kick on.
04:00And because it will only elevate us as a team.
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