Mildenhall Town boss Phil Weavers reveals a more relaxed approach ahead of derby thrashing of Soham Town Rangers

Manager Phil Weavers believes a more relaxed approach helped his Mildenhall Town side to put their recent run of winless form behind them during Tuesday evening’s 5-1 derby demolition of Soham Town Rangers.

Weavers, who was appointed to what his first managerial role in the summer, saw his team fly out of the traps at the start of the season, winning five of their opening six games.

However, a bright August made way for a tough September – a month in which Mildenhall failed to win, and it also spilled into the start of this month with score draws versus Whitton United (3-3) and Fakenham Town (1-1).

And Weavers may well have been fearing the worst when neighbouring Soham struck first at The Riverside Stadium, but the hosts showed plenty of character as goals from Tanner Call (2), Josh Lee (2) and George Bugg moved them above their opponents and up to seventh in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division.

Speaking after the final whistle, Weavers revealed that he had moved to relieve some of the pressure on his players, who he felt had been trying too hard to get back to winning ways.

He said: “From a personal perspective I needed it (the win). When things aren’t going your way you question yourself before you question anyone else and obviously my inexperience in management is well documented.

“I put more pressure on myself than anyone, but it’s not about me, it’s about the boys out there on the pitch.

“The first 20 minutes or so tonight it was nervy and that’s how we’ve been recently. I take the responsibility myself because maybe my intensity and will to do well has maybe fed down to the players a little bit.

“We’re a very united group and I think a lot of them have been trying so hard for me, as well as themselves.

“We had a good chat before the game and we asked them to relax, take the pressure off themselves.

“In August we couldn’t put a foot wrong, but in September we couldn’t put a foot right. We’ve come into October and there’s been a lot made of the results we’ve had.

“You can make a case for what happened in September – one thing is we didn’t have much luck, nothing fell for us but that happens and you have to get on with it.

“The boys are working so hard and tonight they got what they deserved. Not many teams will outwork us this season, we just maybe need to relax a bit more and keep the pressure off.”