T'S a little more than 12 hours since Tommy Widdrington walked his back through front door after getting home from Aldershot Town's FA Cup triumph and he's back on the road.
"It's our annual Christmas Carol service in a local church," the Shots boss tells The NLP.
Will he be in fine voice? "I'll try but my voice is a bit croaky after last night as I was getting a little anxious towards the end of the game," he laughs.
The fans who made the long trip to Stockport County on Wednesday night were likely a little hoarse the next day too.
Olly Scott's 88th-minute winner fired the Hampshire outfit into the FA Cup third round proper for the first time since 2012-13 and only the third time in club history.
"The ball goes in the box, there were seven challenges - and we win every one," Widdrington says of the scrambled goal. "And that tells you that, in the 88th minute, my lads weren't happy just to see the game out and draw.
"I didn't even know who had scored at the time but I watched the game back this morning and he caught it really well- he needed to.
"We've scored a lot of late goals this season. A few times we've been behind when we've needed them, thankfully on this occasion one goal was enough.
"The goalscorer, rightly, gets a bit more of the adulation but everyone who played is a credit to themselves. I asked them to be the best version of themselves that they could be. I knew we'd need to be that to be in the game, never mind win the game." A trip to Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion awaits on January 7.
For now it's back to the National League, where the Shots find themselves in the play-off race, ahead of a busy schedule that includes back-to-back games over Christmas with fierce rivals Woking.
Denne historien er fra December 17, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra December 17, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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WEATHER'S ON THE UP
MARC WEATHERSTONE reckons Welwyn Garden City's togetherness is a big part of their hot start and exactly why he thinks they've got the cahunas if and when the going gets tough.
ROW ARE RAISING A GLASS!
DIRECTOR of football Anthony Millerick has revealed the secret behind Hartley Wintney's recent upturn in form players staying behind for a beer after the game.
TOP TEAMS FIGHT TO QUICKFIRE STALEMATE
GLOUCESTER CITY and Basingstoke Town managed to keep their respective unbeaten home and away records intact, with both sides refusing to be defeated in a well-fought top-ofthe-table battle.
McKIMM MAKES A GOOD POINT
Millers manager takes the draw
WANDERERS LET OFF THE FIREWORKS IN THRILLER
FIREWORKS were on display at Cherrywood Road in a game that crackled and fizzed with plenty of bang for your buck.
EZE DOES IT WITH DAZZLING DISPLAY
BOLTON loanee Dubem Eze stole the limelight with a scintillating first-half display, culminating in a stunning strike on the cusp of half-time which effectively wrapped up the points for the Magpies in the battle of the promotion chasers.
SEAGULLS FLY HIGH IN DEFEAT
WESTON-super-Mare boss Scott Bartlett I was proud of his team's performance, pushing Bristol Rovers to within 25 minutes of penalties.
BENBOW SENDING OFF HITS THE PICS
RUSHALL OLYMPIC manager Adam Stevens pointed Re to the dismissal of striker Luke Benbow as a key moment.
HEARTBREAK AS SHRIMPER DREAM DIES AT THE DEATH
Maher's mad at dramatic collapse
TIME TO POPP THE CORKS AS NILE BECOMES A DERBY HERO
KETTERING Town ignored the 78 places gap to down local rivals Northampton Town with a stunning performance at Sixfields.
