Hurt driving Windsor on

Patrick Corlett • Published 8 Jan 2010 13:00 0 Comments

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Keith Scott after the Didcot Town play-off defeat.

Football

THE hurt suffered by Windsor & Eton's play-off semi-final defeat last season has stood them in good stead for the current campaign according to boss Keith Scott.

Windsor have made an excellent first half to the season, unbeaten in 20 games and 11 points clear of title rivals AFC Totton who do have three games in hand, so the supremo wants his Royalists outfit to push on and finish the job which they failed to complete last season.

They stuttered during the run in and Truro City were deservedly crowned champions with Windsor runners up but they then lost 2-0 to Didcot Town.

Scott commented: "What happened last season with the league and play-off has helped the players. I think the additions we have made to the squad this year with the players who have left and the ones that have come in, we are stronger this year.

"In a perverse way I think last season's play-off defeat has helped the players. You have to learn how to win but first you have to accept how to learn how to take defeat.

"I remember when we lost 2-0 at Abingdon in the league and Truro had won 4-0, that effectively was game over for the title. We then finish runners-up, play Didcot at home in the semi-final having beaten them twice in the league, not conceding a goal against them.

"On the night they beat us and were the better side. I felt pretty low then as a manager and I know the players and the staff did.

"But you have two ways of dealing with it. One is you accept it and when the new season comes you don't achieve anything, the other is you use that as a catalyst. You say 'we don't want to experience that again' what we want to experience is what we experience at Milton Keynes Dons' stadium (winning the Berks & Bucks Cup).

"It was a good experience for the players in a perverse way and, to be fair to them, they have come out this season and answered a lot of questions that have been asked of them."

However, he is delighted with the way things are going so far, Scott said: "We are 20 games unbeaten, what we've got to do now is kick on. There is still a long way to go, a lot of football to be played and we've got to remember that."

See Friday's Observer for much more Royalists news.

This article appeared in Royal Borough Observer 08 Jan 10

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