Wisbech boss creating a positive culture at Fountain Fresh Park
Luke Hipwell has backed his Wisbech Town players to keep progressing after an impressive 3-2 victory over Ashby Ivanhoe at the weekend.
Striker Rob Conyard scored twice for Wisbech, who found the back of the net twice in the last ten minutes, as the Fenmen bounced back from their disappointing home loss to Shirebook Town last weekend.
The win moved Wisbech up to 16th in the UCL Premier Division North standings.
"I've always said that there will be bumps in the road," said Hipwell.
"Last week wasn't a game we lost 1-0 and we wasn't in it. We should have won that game based on chances.
"You get those games, it doesn't matter if you are fourth from bottom or fourth from top.
"We had a meeting in the week and I said to the players in the last seven games before today we'd conceded seven goals and kept three clean sheets but in the first 13 games of the season, we conceded 41 in the league.
"We're trying to evolve the side and we've got a good blend now. We've got people to come back as well and this is the 17, 18, 19 players that I want.
"There might still be one or two more come in potentially but they've got to be right for us and right for this football club and what we want to do.
"We're trying to do things right off the pitch as well in terms of making sure what they eating right after games, making sure they cool down, making sure they are doing things right away from the football club to give us the best opportunity of getting three points on a Saturday.
"We want to create a culture that means players are knocking on our door saying they want to be a Wisbech Town player.
"I know in this changing room, the lads who aren't here want to be Wisbech Town players I believe.
"I knew it would click on the pitch. We've got good ability up top and have five or six matchwinners in their own right. I just said to the boys they've got to keep believing in what they are doing."
Conyard opened the scoring after four minutes before Sam Grouse redressed the balance by equalising four minutes later.
The home side took the lead through a thunderous free-kick from Chris Acott midway through the second half but Conyard netted his second to level matters seven minutes from time.
Just as it looked as though Wisbech would head home with a good point, Will Langford popped up with a dramatic winner for the Fenmen in the fourth minute of injury time.
"I don't know if I look it but I feel drained," quipped the Wisbech boss after the final whistle.
"I said to the boys afterwards that they do put me through the ringer but I'm really proud of them today.
"We're doing the right things on and off the pitch and I said to them if we keep doing that then our luck will change. If they keep working hard then things will turn in our favour and that's what happened today.
"This team keeps evolving and developing. We kept going after going behind and made a few changes and they all impacted the game.
"We worked hard and the players who came off were shattered and that's how it should be every week.
"We took the momentum from our second goal and capitalised on it. It was a great strike from Tom (Papworth-Boston) that was cleared off the line and that's where our luck changed in terms of the ball falling to one of our players.
"Will (Langford) showed great composure and he's a player who will get better and better.
"He's a clever position and he's not the biggest but you don't need to be the biggest as he is clever and gets in pockets and is tenacious when he needs to be."
The club wishes defender Max Matless well after spending Saturday night in hospital with a lower abdominal injury.
On Saturday, Wisbech are back on home soil when they host AFC Mansfield at Fountain Fresh Park.
Wisbech Town: Lakin, Harris, Nicholson (Williams), Barker, Mattless, Braham, Foster (Cavozzi), Falcao (Langford), Conyard, Lennon (Papworth Boston), Ward. Subs: Hoyle.
