Craig Gillam: Basildon United deserve to be cup winners

That is the view of manager Craig Gillam, after the Bees booked a final date with FC Romania tomorrow following a 5-1 defeat of Takeley on Tuesday.

Basildon were beaten to the Essex Senior League crown on the final day of the season by fierce rivals Bowers & Pitsea but Gillam has urged his players to focus on ending the season as cup winners.

The Bees took four points from Romania in the league this term and the Basildon manager is confident of winning the game at Ilford’s Cricklefields grounds, although admits defence will be key.

“The boys deserve to win it,” he said. “To lose the league on the last day of the season hurt us and winning this will be a nice way to end what has still be a successful year.

“We have come a long way and the boys are desperate to win it.

“Our games against FC Romania have been very difficult this season and tomorrow will be no different. They are the best footballing side in the league by a long way and the key will be stopping them from scoring.

“If we stop them scoring we will win the game.”

Gillam told the Echo he fancied his team to reach the final, which kick-off at 3pm tomorrow, but revealed some stern words were said at half time after a lacklustre performance against an understrength Takeley side.

And he said the same cannot happen against Romania.

“It was a good result against Takeley although we made it hard for ourselves,” he said. “At half time I went a bit crazy and told the boys they should be doing better against a side who were missing several key players. And they responded brilliantly and we were comfortable in the end.

“But we can’t afford for that to happen against Romania as they will punish teams.

“I don’t want to keep using Bowers as a way of motivating the players but you can draw comparisons between the teams. They won this cup last year and look at the year they have just had.

“We want to be successful and will be doing everything to get the result.”