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Football is more than just a game at Tadley Calleva




Tadley Calleva returned to action on Saturday when Wincanton visited Barlows Park with both sides in search of the elusive ‘magic’ of the FA Cup.

That ‘magic’ is intangible, near indescribable – perhaps it’s the promise of a trip to Manchester United, perhaps it’s more about a visit to Margate or Marlow.

However, it was Wincanton who were surprise winners thanks to a thumping 6-2 win.

Management duo Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler
Management duo Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler

That means the Tadders have been dumped out at this stage of the competition on seven of nine occasions – it seems the FA Cup is more a curse than it is magical.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 first half lead before a Brad Neal header and a smart finish from Ben Wright reduced the arrears to 3-2 before half time.

Wincanton rallied in the second half and soon put the game beyond Tadley’s reach as three second half goals condemned Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler’s side to a disappointing defeat.

Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler in conversation
Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler in conversation

“6-2 sounds a lot worse than what it was, we were disappointed to concede from three set pieces,” Dillon said.

“We didn’t react quick enough to second balls and we’ve conceded from a couple of individual errors.

“We scored two good goals, we played ok, but we’ve gifted them five goals, you can’t do that.

“We got ourselves back into the game but we gave ourselves too much to do, it’s a lesson for our lads and the club, if we don’t do the basics well we’ll get punished.

“Fair play to Wincanton, they deserved to win, all the best to them.

“I’m glad it’s not three points to be honest, the FA Cup's great but we're never going to win it.

"We need to get back to the training ground and get going because we’ve got two very, very tough fixtures in the league.

"We need to react now, hopefully we can look back at this as a learning curve."

There are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic for when Tadley return to league action this weekend.

Talking tactics
Talking tactics

Management duo Ben Dillon and Joe Lawler are looking forward to a difficult trip to Colliers Wood as the Combined Counties League season gets underway on Saturday.

"We've got great balance, we've got some lads that have played at pro level, we've got an exciting mix of experience and fearlessness," Dillon said.

"We've got really good character, on and off the pitch," Lawler added.

"The boys have really gelled off the pitch, we're hoping that will influence the results on the pitch.

"Our season isn't defined by one game, it's what we do over the season as a whole, we've got to meet our standards as often as possible."

Last season’s top goalscorer, Ben Wright, bagged nine goals in three pre-season games as the Tadders enjoyed a promising warm up campaign.

Prolific goalscorer Ben Wright
Prolific goalscorer Ben Wright

“The boys have been doing really well, we’ve definitely improved from last season, we’ve got great togetherness,” Wright said.

“Everyone’s here enjoying their football with a smile on their face, that’s very important, I think we look fit and we’ve got a good blend of experience and youth, it’s an exciting season for us.

"I'm getting older and so pre-season is getting much harder, I can't wait to get started."

New recruit Alfie Saunders has signed from Aldershot, having made the courageous decision to step away from full-time football to prioritise his mental health.

Full back Alfie Saunders
Full back Alfie Saunders

“All I want to do is enjoy football, it’s a slow process, I’ve been having a difficult time for about two years now,” Saunders said.

“I want to make people aware that it’s good to talk, that’s massive for me, friends on the football pitch are so important.

“That excitement and that buzz is coming back to me, I’d love for us to get promoted, I really do believe we’ve got the team to do it.”

Alfie Saunders has stepped back from full time football with Aldershot
Alfie Saunders has stepped back from full time football with Aldershot

Tadley’s values centre around togetherness, courage and openness, both on and off the football pitch – now that really is magic.



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