Woods optimistic ahead of AFC Liverpool clash
Chris Woods is hopeful Abbey Hey can put in a good performance tomorrow afternoon when they welcome AFC Liverpool to the Abbey Stadium in the Buildbase FA Vase 4th Round.
The club missed the chance last weekend to close the gap at the top of the North West Counties First Division South after falling to a 3-0 defeat at Brocton and Woods wants his side to bounce back with a win in the FA Vase.
This season’s run in the competition has seen the club go the furthest they ever have, with wins over Ashton Athletic, Hall Road Rangers, Parkgate, Carlisle City and Bury AFC putting Abbey in a comfortable position heading into tomorrow’s crucial game.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Woods highlighted the importance of bouncing back with a good performance after last weekend’s defeat.
“The mood in the camp has been very good as it always is , we’ve had two really good sessions this week in preparation for the game and as always the application in training from the lads has been quality”, said Woods.
“Everyone at the club can’t wait for tomorrow, it’s one of those games that you want to be playing in when we’re at this level and to have got so far in the competition has been really pleasing.
“The confidence is always high with this group of lads, whether it be a league or a cup game they always believe they can win and they play to do so.
“They show that we have the confidence and belief that we can win every game , but it’s part of the application you need if we are to be successful.
“It was a disappointing result last week away at Brocton, to be honest we put in a very disappointing performance. We know that we can’t dwell on it, we need to look to move on and we’ve got a brilliant chance to do so with the cup game tomorrow.
“We’ve already made history, so hopefully we can go out there and make some more.”
Tomorrow’s opponents AFC Liverpool ply their trade a league above Abbey Hey in the North West Counties Premier Division. They currently sit mid-table and come into this game off the back of a 5-0 win ten days ago and Woods knows they will be a very tough side to break down.
He added “Terry (Hincks) has been and watched AFC Liverpool a few times now and we’ve had a few scouting reports on them, so we know what to expect from them.
“To be honest though, it’s not about them and it’s about us and what we do on the day.
“They are very good side and we need to be wary of them, but if we perform on the day like we have in previous rounds then I believe that we have a really good chance of progressing into the next round.”
A healthy crowd of over six hundred people turned out to watch Abbey beat Bury AFC 4-1 in the last round and Woods is hopeful that another big crowd can turn out to potentially see Abbey Hey extend their record-breaking run in the Vase and qualify for the fifth round for the first time in the club’s history.
“Obviously getting a big crowd it’s good for the club in regards with money coming through the gate
“I think we’ve boosted the attendances in the time we’ve been here which is testament to all the players and staff and the style of football we play.
“When we first took over three seasons ago, we wanted to help the club attract more supporters, we’ve brought back a lot of supporters who drifted away over the years and with the run in the competition we are on, it has only gone and helped grow them ever more this season.
All of us at the club are over the moon with the amazing support we’ve received over the last three seasons, especially this season.
“The support they’ve given us home and away has been amazing and we all really appreciate that.”
