Jamal Stewart accepted that management’s harsh words during Yorkshire Amateur’s half-time team-talk before earning a come-back 3-2 victory at Frickley Athletic provided a “realisation” to the players.
(Photo – Brogan Atack)
Stewart assisted Louis Fialdini’s second to level the score at 2-2 before Alfie Wilkinson’s 35-yard half-volley won the match in added-time.
The Ammers travel to Silsden’s Office Interiors Stadium on Wednesday evening, kick-off 7:45pm.
“I think the majority of the team needed to hear some home truths because it’s not the first time we’ve been up by a goal and lost the lead,” admitted Stewart.
“Especially the way we conceded those two goals at the end of the first-half.
“It was needed in terms of providing the realisation that this isn’t development football, this is men’s football.
“You might of seen it yourself, we looked a completely different team in that second-half”.
Adjacent to the telling-off, manager Mark Maspero had some gentler encouraging words for his players, says Stewart.
“Mark was calming to say to us that we’ve done what we needed to do for the first 20/30 minutes,” said Stewart.
“You could see that we were getting at them [Frickley] and we needed to continue to do that”.
Stewart was making his first start since returning from injury, against Frickley, providing an assist for Fialdini’s and the Ammers’ second goal.
The returning forward believes the newly-formulated Ammers playing squad are beginning to build chemistry.
“I knew Louis and Ousainey are players that as soon as the ball comes to me, they’re always around me whether it was me setting it back or flicking it,” described Stewart.
“At the start [of the season] it was just a bunch of individuals but now we can see that we are playing to each other’s strengths and are getting to know what type of players everyone else is.
“So we know when to come to feet or when to give space”.
Alfie Wilkinson’s 35-yard half-volley won the match in added-time, a period, Stewart admits, in which he himself began to feel the repercussions of his injury.
“There was a bit of doubt in my head whether I could last as long as I did [v Frickley], because of the injury I had before,” Stewart added.
“Getting into the game it felt ok, and then the back end of the game, fitness kicked in. I think because of the length of time I have been out”.
Tickets prices for tonight’s match at The Office Interiors Stadium: Adults – £6, Concessions – £3