He got his first win and first goals under his belt as Fleet manager but Garry Hill was happier for the players and supporters as his side saw off FC Halifax Town.
“I’m pleased for the players,” he told BBC Radio Kent’s Charles Webster. “It’s them who have gone out on the park and the supporters who’ve paid their money and I think everyone’s gone home happy including myself. All credit to the players. It’s them who go out on the park and take things on board. They’ve certainly looked like they’ve all regrouped together.”
Michael Cheek scored twice and Danny Kedwell struck home a penalty in a rare start for the pair together but the success of the partnership didn’t take Hill by surprise.
“Michael Cheek’s come here from Dagenham & Redbridge, he was at Braintree, he’s always got goals,” Hill said. “Danny Kedwell led the line superbly and all of a sudden you can play Danny Kedwell and Michael Cheek in the same side. This factor about playing wide boys off Danny Kedwell, or behind him…. Danny Kedwell does very, very well. Michael Cheek can do very well and we’ve got a little bit of both up there. Kedwell can face up front, Cheek can get down the sides and behind them and they’re two big boys. When they’re on song, especially if you’re getting balls into the penalty area, they can ask questions. It’s one of those days where Michael Cheek could have walked off with three [goals] today quite easily. I never turn round and pick individual players out but collectively as a team today and the response from everybody in the first half and final whistle from the terraces, it was very encouraging.”
And the Fleet manager is clearly excited to be working with the squad he’s got, praising their efforts once again this afternoon.
“Corey Whitely… look at the work rate,” Hill said. “A wide player there tucking in one side, Myles Weston tucking in the other. I’m very pleased with the work rate all round the team. If [that performance] is there, why don’t we do it every week? That’s their job as football players. I was very excited when I got the opportunity to come to this football club, there’s no secret about that. I didn’t see it coming at Ebbsfleet but when you walk in the door and you see so many quality players, it’s quite an exciting challenge to go forward with. And what we have done, we have changed certain things, the way we want to play. We’ve changed certain things in respect of what goes on at the training ground.
“There was four or five players not involved and you’ve seen them out on the pitch today. I’ve no problems with players. We’re still learning, we’re still looking at the players at the football club as well as formations. Every bit of catch-up time we can give players in respect of minutes when we’re in a position where we’ve able to do that, that’s what we choose to do.”
Fleet may have had a helping hand in the first goal today but after three games where the luck hasn’t perhaps been with his side, Hill was happy for it to go his way today.
“I think the games we’ve played under mine and Ian Hendon’s leadership, we played very well and created chances at very important times and haven’t taken them,” he said. “There is going to be a situation where someone will get punished if you create and I’m pleased to say we got a little bit of the rub of the green in the penalty area on the first goal but suddenly it settled us down. I thought we played some very good football in the first half and a great free-kick from Chris Bush, 2-0 up at half-time. That’s the big danger at 2-0 up, you all of a sudden start getting lazy or you don’t work hard enough but I think you see again… we’re asking the team for work all the time and the quality came through.
“We’re a very strong competitive unit defensively and that gives you a good base to work with. We want results and we want to entertain but we have to entertain in other teams’ last third or half.”
