It’s been quite the week for Rakish Bingham. His penalty on Saturday was the kick that sent Fleet through to the next round of the Emirates FA Cup and his two-goal contribution at Braintree last night put the first three points of 2020/21 on the board.
Bingham picked up plenty of man of the match votes and he says the pre-season work is paying off… with more to come.
“Today was just a prime example of how well we’ve done over the course of pre-season and we’ve worked on what the gaffer’s implemented,” he told BBC Radio Kent’s Charles Webster. “I think the confidence we showed on the pitch from the back all the way to the front, from the keeper all the way to up top, [it was] a good performance.
“That’s credit to the gaffer and the lads buying into what he wants us to do. It’s been a work in progress over pre-season and it’s one of those things when you see it work in a competitive game like this, it’s a better feeling to know that what we’re doing is actually paying off, it’s working.
“When you work hard at something and graft every day and you put everything into it, you want to see it pay off and today we saw that.
“We’re not the finished article, we’re a work in progress and a good work in progress at that.”
Bingham’s two goals were complete contrasts – a tap-in from six yards and a superb run on to a long pass and cool finish. Both were provided by Sefa Kahraman.
“When the ball came over the top from Sefa, it was a brilliant pass,” Bingham recalled. “I took my first touch but I had a glimpse and I saw [the keeper] coming out of his goal. So I knew there was a bit of space under and around him and I knew as long as I get a good contact on it and in the right direction then it’ll go in.
“It was an important goal and it was credit to the way we play. I think our performance deserved more than one goal. So to get the second and third, I think it was well deserved and we’ll take great confidence from this going into the next game on Saturday.
“I’m happy on a personal note obviously to get off the mark and
contribute as much as I could to the win but the most important thing was the three points and it sends a good message and a good feeling to win the three points away from home.
“That’s my job obviously to unsettle the defence, it’s to score goals first and foremost but also help the team in any way I can. Whether that’s pressing, closing down, assisting, scoring, whatever it is I can contribute all day.”
Bingham might have enjoyed his three or four minutes as Fleet’s top scorer until strike partner Lee Martin joined him on two goals for the season close to the final whistle.
“I’m really happy for him,” said Bingham. “He had some chances tonight and with his quality, nine times out of 10 he scores. But he got there in the end and it’s good to see. He needed that to help his confidence and our team performance and I think he deserved it.”
