“IT’S BEEN a very special season.”
That was the reaction of Woodley United boss Michael Herbert as he rounded off his memorable first campaign in charge of the club with a trophy following Saturday’s Berks and Bucks Intermediate Cup final success against Marlow United.
The Kestrels sealed promotion to the Hellenic Premier Division for the first time last week and in another first, Woodley came from behind in their debut appearance in the final of the Intermediate Cup to win 2-1 at Bracknell Town’s Larges Lane thanks to goals from Danny Horscroft and Josh Drew.
And Herbert said he believed that way back in August the club could have a year to remember.
“It’s been a very special season,” the Woodley boss told The Wokingham Paper.
“I actually said to the players at the beginning of the season that I just felt that it could be a special season, if they really applied themselves and they have.
“It’s been a great group.
“There’s no egos, no individuals and it’s all as a team.”
He continued: “What I’ve learnt from my time being a manager at other clubs is that you can have very talented players but if you don’t play as a team then it doesn’t quite work out.
“That was the message to the players at the beginning of the season and that’s why we’ve enjoyed such a special season.
“We didn’t want to put any pressure on the players at the start, they put enough pressure on themselves.
“We were a bit of a surprise package in the first half of the season which was nice and then in the second half, teams set up differently against us which made it more difficult so we had to change our tactics again.
“I’ve known for maybe a couple of years how talented this group of players are but we just needed to get that out of them really and we did that so we’re very pleased with it.”
The cup final against Marlow did not go exactly to plan for Herbert’s men, needing two late goals to rescue the contest.
And the manager praised one defender in particular for keeping the game alive.
“We said at the end of the game that we didn’t play as well as we would like in front of a big crowd, but we showed great character and never thought we were going to lose and we kept going,” admitted Herbert.
“To show that determination and that drive is something you get in special teams and we showed that on Saturday.”
“When they scored we woke up a little bit and made a bit of a game of it, but up until then they were the better side.
“We definitely had a bit of luck. Luke Turner cleared one off the line with a really brave challenge.
“He got himself hurt and he had to come off after that. If it goes 2-0, I think they win the game but credit to Luke, he put his body on the line, kept it at 1-0 and then we scored not long after that.”
With only Horscroft and Matt Jones having competed at step five before, attentions have already turned to next season to try and bolster the squad.
But Herbert insists the players who have been so successful this campaign will remain a key part of the team in the Premier Division.
“We’ve already recognised and spoken to a few players we’d ideally like to bring in for next season,” he said.
“But it’s about the fit as well.
“You know at that level that you do get some really special players but they need to fit in with what we were doing. They need to be able to work hard and buy into what we’re about – the team ethic.
“That’s the important part of it for us, choosing the right players to get that.
“We feel we’ll be OK for next season. We want to add a few but the boys that have done so well this year will definitely get a chance to show what they’ve got in the league above as well.”
He added: “I think maybe scoring goals is something we can add to.
“Charlie (Oakley) has had to carry a large burden on his shoulders for most of the season.
“Josh (Drew) and Greg (Beckett) have weighed in with a few as well but we feel that’s an area we need help out with.
“Defensively we’ve been fantastic all season, even when we’ve played against a team from a higher league in the cups, we felt we’ve coped with them.”
As well as Woodley have done this campaign, Herbert is wary of the challenge facing his squad in a higher level.
“Obviously we know how tough it will be,” he said.
“Henley and Wokingham have been promoted in the last two years and have come straight back down so we know it’s going to be a very tough ask.
“But it’s something we’ve wanted for a long time and are really looking forward to.
“I felt that these players could have played at this level for a long time.
“Maybe they’re not as well known around Reading, not been given a chance or are a bit underestimated but we felt they are a talented bunch.
“So hopefully, fingers crossed if everything goes well then we can compete.”
