CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Fey looks on the bright side (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Fey looks on the bright side

9:00am Sunday 19th August 2012 in News By Dan Barnes

Chippenham Town assistant boss Richard Fey

Chippenham Town assistant manager Richard Fey is hoping that his team will draw heart from the positives in their opening day defeat to Hemel Hempstead Town yesterday.

The Bluebirds went down 2-1 and had player-manager Nathan Rudge red-carded in the second half but Fey was impressed with his side’s ten man display and the vigour with which they sought to dig themselves out of a hole.

“We just said to the boys that we need to take the positives out of the game,” said the Chippenham assistant.

“In the last ten minutes, we had three up top and created lots of chances but we just didn’t have that killer instinct to get a goal and ended up losing.

“But all credit to the boys because when we did go down to ten men, the work rate and fitness shone through.”

Fey was also full of sympathy for his compatriot Rudge and said: “I think he was a bit unlucky – the lad’s landed on him and he couldn’t really do anything because he’s six foot four, six foot five.

“The ref said that he stood on him but in my opinion, he just headed the ball and as he’s come down, he’s just landed on the kid.

“But referees see it different – I didn’t think they were very good (yesterday) and I thought they were influenced by the crowd but we’re going to have to expect that when we go away from home.”

He added: “Two years ago, Paul Lambert, the manager of Norwich, lost 7-1 at Colchester on his opening game and they went on to win the league.

“I’m not saying that we’re going to go and win the league but at the moment we want to try and stabilise things and finish in the play-offs if we can.

“Weymouth’s the next one for us, which is another hard one, then Cambridge and then and even harder one with Frome – they’re coming thick and fast now.”

Chippenham host Weymouth on Tuesday evening in their first home clash of the season.