Phillip Page being tackled
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Football: Last-gasp Page is Boro's saviour
By Jon CouchFebruary 02, 2012
FARNBOROUGH boss Spencer Day claimed Phillip Page came to the rescue of his best mate after settling the north Hampshire derby against Basingstoke with a clinical late strike.
Page rifled home a rasping 20-yard volley in the fourth minute of injury time to earn Boro a crucial three points in the race to avoid relegation from Blue Square South.
And Day insisted it got his best friend Dan Bennett off the hook after the winger’s glaring miss in the latter stages looked like denying Boro the points they deserved.
“He owes him one there,” the Boro boss joked afterwards. “He’s got his best mate out of jail after missing an absolute sitter.
"an’s been fantastic for us but he won't want to see that again.”
Day was also indebted to keeper Tom Lovelock, who pulled off a superb save from Nathan Smart's effort late on to keep Boro in the hunt.
“It was a worldy save,” Day continued. “Those two moments have sealed a fantastic result for us at a really crucial stage of the season.
"I’m delighted with the players but we won’t be getting carried away, we know there’s a long way to go and a lot of hard work left to do.”
Day's next task is to bolster his squad for this critical stage, especially with Aldershot pair Reece Connolly and Doug Bergqvist now having returned to the EBB Stadium following the expiry of their loan deals.
Connolly proved a huge hit at Cherrywood Road, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances for the club, and looks set to go straight into Dean Holdsworth’s first-team plans at Aldershot.
But centre back Bergqvist has pleased Day in equal measures during his six-month spell at Cherrywood Road and despite being suspended for the next two matches, the Boro boss is still looking to secure an extended loan deal for the Swedish-born 18-year-old, although it looks more likely that he will ply his trade abroad.
“Doug’s been absolutely outstanding for us,” Day said. “It’s surprised me just how much he’s learned in his time here and we’re going to miss him a lot.”
Day is still in talks to replace Connolly with a new striker and revealed he has put a seven-day approach in for a transfer target having watched him in action on Tuesday night.
But at the same time the Boro boss is looking sceptically into the chances of Saturday’s game at Thurrock going ahead with temperatures expected to dip, and he does not want to waste a loan signing amid a period of inactivity on the pitch.
“We can’t afford to get it wrong, Day said. “I have to put my business hat on and make sure we get the absolute most out of anyone we bring in.”
The good news for Day is that Saturday’s match-winner Page is expected to lead the Boro line once more against the bottom club, despite fears that his police training would sideline him, while full-back Miles Smith returns from a one-match suspension.
BORO: Lovelock, Webb (Sogbanmu 81), Treacher, Jeffrey (Moody 63), Bergqvist, Bygrave, Bennett, Winn, Page, Parkes, Connolly. Subs: Orlu, Cobb, Bradshaw.
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