Local sports podcaster and commentator, Ian Nockolds catches up with Radstock Town Manager, Ryan Child to find out the latest from The Miners.

Ian Nockolds: “I’m delighted to welcome back to the Toolstation Western League podcast Ryan Child, Manager of Radstock Town. Ryan, that was quite a finish to your game on Saturday, were you worried that you were going to throw the three points away?”

Ryan Child: “Yes, we were comfortable there for, I would say, whatever it was, 88 minutes, and then a rush of blood to the head by one of our defenders who decided that it was all a bit too comfortable and wanted to give me a heart attack. One of the more reckless challenges I’ve seen all season to be honest with you, I don’t know what he was thinking. Anyway, in those last five minutes the pressure was on, but luckily the lads pulled through.”

IN: “Perhaps a little bit closer than you would have liked. Cheddar are one of those sides that had been going really well this season, but their form seems to have tailed off in the last couple of months. So, what did you make of them?”

RC: “I thought that we managed the game a little bit better against them. We’ve made a couple of tweaks structurally to the team, and whether or not that had anything to do with the game, or they have just tailed off slightly, I’m not sure. But, they’ve got some pretty good players in there and the thing with the Western League is it’s about consistency, isn’t it? I thought that they were probably less of a threat, but I can’t really speak for other games. So, I’m not really sure what they’ve been doing in the other fixtures that they’ve had. But individually, they have got some really good players, a really good central midfielder and a really good front man as well.”

IN: “So, if we look at the league table, there’s quite a gap between you in fourth and the top three, do you think this is going to end up being a three horse race?”

RC: “Well, that’s really difficult because it was a one horse race for an awfully long time and we were right in the mix with the teams now that are high; Warminster, Sherborne and Wincanton up until Christmas. Had a bit of a blip at Christmas and lost to Wincanton and Sherborne, so we’ve kind of fallen back, but it only kind of takes two games before you’re kind of back in sight again. So, I’m not really sure.

“From our perspective, the players are really positive, they’re really enjoying the football. Again, we’ve made a couple of tweaks, structurally, that have shored us up a little bit, and the players have really bought into that and credit to them, you know, the credit is all down to them. They’ve played really well. So, we’ll see, I think we’ve got our targets, and we’re just going to keep plugging away. So, if one of those teams does slip up, then we’re going to get into the mix.

“The other thing I would say, and again, I’ve said it to the players, is because of the way the play-offs are this year, if you’re second or you are fifth, it makes absolutely no difference. So, you just have to focus on what you think will get you into those play-off positions, and then go from there, because it doesn’t really make any difference if we finish second, you’re still going to a play-off so you’d have to win it.”

IN: “That’s a very interesting point, actually, and I’d like to come back to that in a minute. But I’m going to take you back to that Wincanton game because you started 2022 in the worst possible way, with that heavy defeat at home to Wincanton. Do you think, looking back on it, that’s been a factor in the fact that you’ve gone four games unbeaten? Were you able to take something from that game?”

RC: “Massively. We made a decision that we were going to have to change the shape of the team if we were going to be able to compete with those teams. And we’d beaten Sherborne earlier in the season, but they had stepped up a level, they had become a bit stronger as the season had gone on. And we were playing at what is essentially a kind of four-two-four, so we were having results where we would beat Wells 7-1, but then we would beat Odd Down 4-2, and then we would get absolutely hammered by Wincanton, and also Sherborne, because we were so open. So, it was just about trying to get a bit more control out of the games that we were planning.

“In the Wincanton and the Sherborne game, it was like, ’right, let’s kind of go for broke here, if we’re going to have any point to our season, which is just to get to the play-offs, if we’re actually going to compete when we get there, let’s work on something a little bit different that gives us a bit more of a chance.”

IN: “In that run of four games, there was of course the rescheduled Coalfield Classico, and it’s certainly built up to your billing as the biggest game at this level. You were denied in the 93rd minute, there was more drama there than Downton Abbey.”

RC: “Yeah. What to say about that, really? It was one of those ridiculous games where you come away from it - we had ten men for 80 minutes, and when our man got sent off, you know, if someone had said, ’look, you’re going to get a 2-2 draw here’ I would have said ’yeah, okay, fine, we’ll take the point.’ But then in the 90th minute, obviously, you know, we had absolutely dominated the game with ten men, they didn’t really have a sniff until right at the end where they started putting some pressure on for the last ten minutes. So, we were absolutely gutted to get the draw, particularly because it was Welton, and particularly because there were a lot of people at the game. But again, it just showed the slight tweaks that we’ve made, and the players’ attitude has worked in terms of competing with teams at the top. So, there’s so many positives to take out of that game – we took the point and we moved on.”

IN: “Now, I’m going to take you back to a point you were making earlier about the play-offs, it doesn’t matter whether you finish second or fifth. The play-offs for us in the First Division, well, I mean, in the Western League, but in the First Division, obviously, which is what we’re talking about, are a new thing. They’re a new phenomenon, although we are familiar with the concept from watching professional football. And it does seem that a team that finishes second or a team that just misses out on automatic promotion, there can be a lag, it can be a sort of depressing effect. Whereas a team that goes on a run and manages just to squeeze into the last place can have a bit of momentum. Is there anything in that? Or do you think that, actually, over the next few seasons, we’re just going to have to learn to suck it and see, we’re just gonna have to see how this takes shape?”

RC: “Well, I just think that’s just the nature of it, isn’t it? It’s exactly the same with penalties, you know? No-one’s gonna say that that’s a fair way of ending the game, if somebody holds on for 90 minutes and scrapes a 0-0, and the other team has hit the bar four times, and then that team ends up losing on penalties. You know, you’re not going to say that’s exactly fair, but that’s just the way the sport is. You have to decide it somehow, don’t you? And I think this year with the First Division as well, those top three, if say they don’t drop points, you know, they’ll be to-ing and fro-ing first, second and third. So, it is going to be difficult for those two teams, probably, that don’t get in. But then that means also that the team that gets promoted, and I wouldn’t rule us out as well, because if they do slip up, I have a feeling we’re going to be right up there. But whoever does win that league, they are going to deserve it, because it is going to be one hell of a battle and one hell of a run, you’re going to have to win probably all of your games, and someone’s probably going to do that. And then the play-offs, you know, for me, it’s a brilliant occasion, where it’s another opportunity for players to play in big games, rather than the season just to kind of fizzle out. It was a great occasion against Welton the other day, and we want to play as many games like that as possible, and if that means a play-off game, hey, with Welton, I mean, that would just be brilliant. It’d be brilliant for the league, so I’m actually a fan of it. But then again, we’re in fourth, so I would say that!”

IN: “I know we can’t really do this, but I’m going to ask anyway; if you look beyond the play-offs or even automatic promotion, have you considered life outside of the First Division? Have you considered what that might mean for Radstock Town Football Club, if you were to be promoted into the Western League Premier Division, or even the possibility of being moved out into another league?”

RC: “Well, yeah, we’ve considered it. The club have talked about it and it’s definitely something that the club are aiming for, whether that’s this season or next season, or just in, you know, that’s the goal of the club is to not be in the First Division and is to be out of it. And is to push the club forward, not just to the next division, but to the division after that. There’s people behind the scenes that are working really hard to upgrade the grounds, and they’ve done that brilliantly in the last kind of twelve to eighteen months, and they’re not looking to stop. So, we have to match that on the pitch. You know, we’ve just got a really good Reserve Team Manager who’s come in and he’s just building a really interesting team and bringing some players in. We’ve got seven players that start in the first team that came up through the Under-18s at Radstock, which is brilliant. And we want them to now go to the next level and I think all of them can, all of them can play at a higher level, to be honest with you. And actually, we’ve got one lad who’s been with us all season who’s from the Under-18s. So, that’s eight in the squad that have all come up through Radstock Town’s system, which for a Western League team is pretty good. And particularly if you’re in that top bit of the league, so yeah, the club have thought about it, the players are up for it, as are the staff and the volunteers behind the club. So, you’ve got to do it on the pitch, haven’t you?”

IN: “You certainly have. Now, I know from our previous conversations that player availability has been one of your bugbears this season. So, if I could grant you one wish between now and the end of season, to gave you the best chance of being competitive right up until the final day, what would that be?”

RC: “Oh, you’d get me back, I think that would probably help! That would probably absolutely destroy us to be honest with you. I’d fall out with everybody. I think just having everybody fit and available. We had a good chat with the Chairman actually, and Dave Wilkinson who’s on the committee, after the game on Saturday. And I said, ’we’ve probably got the players that we need now for the rest of the season’, we’re looking at one other player, potentially to bring in, but we’ve been quite quiet about the business that we’ve been doing, and just kind of getting on with it. And so if we can keep everybody fit and available, and have a good crack, and just at the end of the season say, ’look, we’ve had a real good go here.’ I think we’ll be happy with that, and wherever we come, we come.”

IN: “Right, well, let’s get back to matters on the pitch. You’ve got Tytherington Rocks away on Wednesday. Now, that’s a midweek game, which always brings its own challenges, but it’s not a ground that you’ll have visited before, and you only narrowly beat them up at Southfield. So, how are you feeling about that game?”

RC: “Actually, we have been up there, because this is the game that we went to where the floodlights failed. So, it says we haven’t been there, but one of our players got sent off and it turned out that he was a sparky. So, he went and had a look at the floodlights after they’d gone off. Referee said, ’don’t go anywhere near the pitch, but you can have a look at the lights.’ Sadly, he wasn’t able to do that either so the game got called off. We were winning 2-1 at the time with ten men ... we seem to like going down to ten men and we seem to play quite well when we do it. But it’s a team we pay quite a lot, so they know everything about us, we know everything about them. I think that they’re a good team, they like to play football, they’ve got that three at the back formation. The Manager is pretty committed to passing football, so that suits us in a way because we try and do the same. So I think it will be a tough game, not least because it’s on a Wednesday night, and it’s a far trip to make. So, you know, it’s not going to be easy, but we’re feeling pretty confident.”

IN: “Well, there’s another midweek match coming up after that, although you won’t have to make the journey, Bishop’s Lydeard will. Now, they’re second to bottom at the moment but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be easy for you, does it?”

RC: “No, I actually thought they were a decent team when we played them early in the season. They played good football, they’ve got a couple of really good central midfielders, very skilful. And we were still finding our feet, really, at that point, and we did win the game, but I thought that they were a decent side. And again, it’s difficult because in this league, if you play football, in the summer you’re going to look quite good, and you’re going to have a good chance and you might win a couple of games. But in the winter, if you’re going to play football to the point where you’re playing out the back all the time, you’re going to make mistakes, particularly just simply because of the pitches and simply because of the weather conditions. And then you’re going to come unstuck and end up losing games because you do that, you concede an early goal - an early a couple of goals - it’s going to be difficult to come back and I think that’s probably an issue that they’ve had coming into this league, dealing with that.”

IN: “Ryan, thanks ever so much for your time. It’s always a pleasure talking to you and good luck for the rest of the season.”

RC: “Thank you Ian, take care mate.”