Wisbech Town boss hails fantastic display against Loughborough Students
Wisbech Town manager Leon Mettam hailed his side’s victory over Loughborough Students as their best performance of the season.
The Fenmen were far too good for the league leaders at Fountain Fresh Park as the club's Jekyll and Hyde campaign continued.
Before tonight's game Loughborough had only lost once this season while Wisbech – who have come on leaps and bounds since the turn of the new year – are one of only two sides to lose against basement boys Selston.
But nothing could take away from a fantastic display on their own patch and a delighted Mettam said: "It's the result of the season for us.
"Before tonight they'd only been beaten once all season and they are a fantastic footballing side.
"We had a game plan and we executed it to a tee, the difference between Saturday and tonight is night and day.
"I've said it all season, it's not a switch which you can just turn on and off, you have to be ready to go every time you get in your car to go to a football match.
"Tonight we were ready for a war from minute one. The players knew that I was fed up from Saturday, even though I wasn't there, and rightly so.
"Not to have one shot on goal away from home in 90 minutes is not good enough and not to work hard with or without the ball is not what I build my team around.
"I build my teams around lads who will run through brick walls and players who will give everything out on the pitch, whether things are going right or wrong.
"On Saturday that was missing, but tonight to a man Loughbourough didn't have any answer to us and they can say what they want as we were the better team.
"Footballers get paid and putting a shift in is a minimum requirement and that should be installed into players from a young age.
"They had their good spells, but we were tight, we were locked on, fierce in the tackle, didn't lose headers, were first to every ball and put the ball in some really good areas.
"If we play like that we wouldn't have too much to worry about, it's just about doing it on a consistent basis."
Wisbech scored goals in each half with Arun Jones opening the scoring on 13 minutes with a stunning strike from 25 yards out and Amir Ward finished neatly after 70 minutes.
It was not until the last five minutes that Wisbech goalkeeper Luke Pearson had a meaningful save to make.
The Fenmen's cause was helped by Kai Phelan – on loan with the club for the remainder of the season from Corby – and the extra experience of Stamford's Stacey Freeman, who will now return to his parent club after playing two matches for Mettam's side.
"Kai is back with us until the end of the season and he made a huge difference, as did Stacey as well.
"They are players who will talk. I don't have any legs, but what I can do is talk and that makes life 10 or 15 per cent easier on the pitch when players do that."
The Wisbech boss also praised the contribution of midfielder Patrik Kacirek, saying: "Pat has been unlucky this season. He hasn't missed a training session and he never moans when he doesn't get picked.
"I spoke to him before the game, he likes it here and wants to fight for his place. Tonight he won headers, he won tackles and he won 70/30 balls that weren't in his favour and got us up the pitch."
And the Fenmen chief will continue to use his vast range of contacts in the game as the club continue to build for a bright future.
"I'm really thankful to Stamford and Graham (Drury) for letting us have Stacey while Setch (Gary Setchell) at Corby has been brilliant for us too.
"You need to know people in this business as it can carry you quite a long way," said Mettam.
"Fortunately I've been round long enough in the game to have those sort of contacts."
