Fantastic spirit keeps Windsor FC's title bid alive

Rob Stevens • Published 12 Jan 2012 15:10 0 Comments

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WINDSOR FC boss Keith Scott highlighted the 'fantastic spirit' within the squad after Saturday's thrilling late come-from-behind victory at Mole Valley SCR.

The fledgling club looked set for a second shock defeat of the season at the hands of the Combined Premier basement boys when Arnold Okrior put them 2-1 ahead with just minutes remaining.

But the division's leading goal scorer Ryan O'Toole equalised seconds later before Michael Chennells stole the points with an injury-time winner.

The victory, described as a 'body blow' for the bottom side by Scott, keeps Windsor within touching distance of leaders Guildford City who themselves picked up an impressive 2-1 win at Hanworth Villa to maintain their six-point lead at the top.

"If I'm being honest for the majority of the first-half I was thinking déjà vu," Scott told the Observer.

"We created a number of opportunities but their goalkeeper was again in fine form.

"Before Mole Valley scored they could've been five or six down but their keeper kept them in the game.

"But the spirit of our players is fantastic. We went with three up front, kept going forward and equalised. Then, in the last minute, Michael gets the ball in the box, turns and puts it in the top corner.

"Winning with seven minutes to go but losing the game is a body blow to Mole Valley but you've got to keep going until the referee blows."

Scott admitted it was important to get the win at Anvil Lane and insists his side is capable of scoring at any time because of the quality of strikers at their disposal.

"Mole Valley perform exceptionally well against the top sides and it was all about winning the game in the end as we had not played since December 27," he continued.

"With quality strikers like Ryan O'Toole and Michael Chennells in the side you can score at any time."

Windsor were denied what looked a blatant penalty early in the second half, a decision that provoked Scott into another rant over the poor quality of officiating.

He said: "Gauging the player's reaction, the ball was over the line and the guy dragged it back with his hand.

"I've waxed lyrical about referees this season and on Saturday he was useless.

"I fully understand referees are under FA directories and have got to do things by the book but they've got to take into account football is a contact sport.

"Most, but not all of them, will not allow people to talk back to them. They've got to referee with common sense and communicate better to improve the standard because at this level it's just about them."

Windsor welcome another one of the league's struggling sides Farnham Town to Stag Meadow on Saturday (3pm) before an anticipated weakened side host Newport Pagnell Town in the quarter-finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy on Monday night (7.45pm).

"It was difficult down there at Farnham [1-1, November 22] but the theory is to go out and will all of our remaining games," the Windsor supremo went on.

"But if you don't give the opposition respect they can hurt you. It will be tough and the onus is on us to break them down.

"We will take the trophy seriously but obviously we'll have played on Saturday and have another game next weekend.

"Some players have not had a lot of football, not because I don't think they're good enough but because the team has been playing really well and winning. So there was not great need for change.

"Newport are doing very well in the league, are still in the FA Vase and will definitely want to win this competition again.

"I looked at certain competitions at the start of the season that I thought we could win and this is one of them."

** Visit www.windsorobserver.co.uk/sport for a live text stream of the visits of Farnham Town and Newport Pagnell Town on Saturday and Monday from 2:30pm and 7:15pm. **

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