Dean Bowditch and Ben Tilney react to Tuesday night’s come-from-behind victory over Newport County in the EFL Cup...
DEAN BOWDITCH
On return to action...
"I’m buzzing. It’s my first game and I know it’s in the cup but it’s been a long time coming. First day of pre-season I pull my calf. These things happen in the football and there’s not much you can do, really, apart from work hard and make sure you’re fit for when you come back in. It was good to get some minutes tonight. It was probably a few days early in my programme but I was feeling so good going into the weekend that they felt they could give me a run out on Tuesday."
On scoring on return...
"It’s always nice to score goals. For me personally, it was about getting out there and making sure I got through it without problems which is what’s happened. That’s the main thing."
On return to action...
"I’m buzzing. It’s my first game and I know it’s in the cup but it’s been a long time coming. First day of pre-season I pull my calf. These things happen in the football and there’s not much you can do, really, apart from work hard and make sure you’re fit for when you come back in. It was good to get some minutes tonight. It was probably a few days early in my programme but I was feeling so good going into the weekend that they felt they could give me a run out on Tuesday."
On scoring on return...
"It’s always nice to score goals. For me personally, it was about getting out there and making sure I got through it without problems which is what’s happened. That’s the main thing."
"I like to get forward when I’m playing full-back. I was running through and I could hear a few of the boys shouting ‘shoot’, so I just swung for it and fortunately it went in. It was a bit surreal. I turned around and I was like ‘Ah, it went in!’ It was a brilliant feeling."
On debut goal...
"It was amazing (to be a part of). I’m over the moon to get my goal, as well. I was happy it didn’t go to extra-time. We were a young team but we stuck together throughout. I’m really proud of the boys."
On comeback and win...
BEN TILNEY
"We lost a lot of games last year and our last win was in March, sometime, so to win our first game at the weekend and get that winning feeling back is the main thing. Not just for our senior pros but the kids have come in and they wanted to win as well. We need to get it through the whole club and get the winning ways back into us."
On building momentum...
"To have such young kids playing important roles is a testament to our Academy. Sometimes you can get away with it when they’re playing out on the wing. They came in, weren’t fazed by it and produced a very good performance. They need to watch the clips back and learn from it but they’ve done very, very well."
On impressive youngsters...
"We had a 16 and 17-year-old playing centre midfield but that gaffer had the upmost confidence in the boys to do go and do a job. I know we were losing 2-0 at one point but the kids still get going and trying hard. That’s the main thing. If the quality isn’t there at times, you’ve got to work hard and the boys done that very, very well. It was nice to come on and play alongside them."
On victory...
"He’s brilliant. He’ll always take me to one side after training and give me pointers here and there. He’s great to learn off."
On Dean Lewington as a role model...
"I’m learning every day. Fortunately, it’s a bit of a smaller team you do get opportunities like this and it’s important I take them. I’ve got to keep learning in training and games like this."
On personal development...
"It was good. It was a great moment for the Club as well. You looked around and we’d all grown up together. You forget it’s a cup competition and a first-team game when you look around. All the lads are buzzing."
On playing alongside fellow Academy graduates and players...
