Max Crocombe on his Brunton Park debut
Goalkeeper Max Crocombe gave us his reaction to his clean sheet on his home debut on Tuesday night.“It’s good to get 90 minutes under my belt because my game time has been limited,” he said. “It’s good to play in this competition and as long as you come off the pitch with a clean sheet against your name it’s all good.
“I thought it was a good game. I know there are one or two things I can tidy up on but overall I’m happy. It doesn’t matter who you are, you need to be playing games, so it’s good to get that match confidence. I’ve not had much of it this season so it’s just a pleasure to get on the pitch and become more familiar with the players.
“The game at Oldham was crazy and probably a one-off, but I definitely enjoyed this one tonight. We all said before the game that it didn’t matter which competition it was, we needed to win. We’re delighted we’ve done that and kept the momentum going, and long may it continue."
"They had some good players playing," he continued. "Wes Brown is a Champions League winner and Anthony Stokes up front was excellent. It was a good test against some youth and experience and that’s what the competition is all about.
“It was my first game here and the crowd was still a good crowd, even though it wasn’t the same as a league game. It was great to get out on the pitch, it’s a fantastic playing surface. It’s nice to cross off the little landmarks.
“As a professional you always want to play in front of as many fans as possible. I know some fans haven’t taken to the competition but for us it’s just another game of football. It’s still a competitive fixture so there’s no problem in terms of getting motivated, because it’s another game for you to be able to showcase your ability.
“It’s new for me to be playing out from the back so much but it’s good to get experience in terms of making decisions about when to play out and when to go long. I think I was close to a really good performance."
“The four lads in front of me were excellent," he added. "Anything that came into the box and was out of my reach they either blocked or headed away. The main thing is that no goals go in. From there you can start being more critical about certain passes or coming for a cross. I felt I dealt well with everything I had to deal with."
Speaking about the need to be patient as he waits for his chances, he commented: “I said when I signed that you have to do your bit when you aren’t playing and give your 1% from the bench. I’ve certainly been doing that and trying to keep the lads going by encouraging them. I knpow that if Mark [Gillespie] is unavailable I’ll be ready to go.
“Simon [Tracey] has been very consistent with what he asks from me and I’m taking on board a lot of things every day. That’s great because I like listening to other people’s ideas and learning from different coaches and players.
"Simon is different to a lot of coaches I’ve had in the past and I’m enjoying working with him. I really like how particular he is with certain things like footwork because at the end of the day it all helps me to get better. All I can do is keep listening and I don’t need any explanation about selection because the team is playing so well at the moment."
"That's no surprise for me because the lads are always at it in training," he concluded. "It's a great atmosphere. It’s very enjoyable to be part of it but also very serious when it needs to be.
We’ve got a very professional bunch of players who push each other on. It’s a pleasure to be involved but nothing has been achieved yet, so we’ll keep pushing on."
United PlayerHD subscribers can see an interview with Max Crocombe now. Click HERE to go to the PlayerHD platform. Follow the same link for more information on United PlayerHD, and to subscribe.
