After an eighth successive victory for the Gas against Cheltenham Town, Steve Evans is delighted to have celebrated with the Gasheads.
In a satisfying end to the season, Ellis Harrison struck gold three times, nodded in the opener after two minutes and securing his brace with another header closing in on half time.
Harrison thundered in his third strike from 35 yards out, 11 minutes into the second half. With several attempts coming close for both sides, but Shaq Forde secured the three points after a finish from close range.
After an animated celebration in the Thatchers end, Steve Evans is pleased to finished the last home game of the season with a bang.
Steve, that game had a little bit of everything, didn’t it? What were your reflections on it?
“My reflection, as I discussed with the Chairman, is that there are special days in football, and I’ve been very lucky in my career to have a lot of really special days. Of course, that makes up for the lot of down days, but it was a special day today, a local derby. It was a full house. Some people couldn’t get a ticket, some lucked out, call it what you like.
“Obviously, in terms of the game, we got away to a tremendous start, and then I think the game was a bit scrappy; it’s a typical derby. There was not much in the game; we probably slightly got on top just before half-time, and got the second goal. Really, the half-time talk was about, you know, we’ve turned up, and we’re at 60, 70 per cent.
“We’re nowhere near where we can be, and then we go out in the second half, and you know, it’s a typical derby again. It’s a bit scrappy, but then we’ve got two or three good passages of play, and then of course Ellis scores his hat-trick. It’s a fantastic hat-trick, and it’s a natural hat-trick as well.
“It’s a brilliant strike, 35, 40 yards over the goalkeeper, and then I do my party piece in the Thatchers End. Thank you for my amazing day. Of course, it just happens that I’m in there when one of my sons in the team, Shaq Forde, scores a goal.
“I watched it back, it was brilliant, I couldn’t see it when I was in there. An amazing day, I’ve just been with the Chairman and the board, and I know my Chairman has got lots of money and that stuff, but he just said to me, 'If I were Donald Trump, I’d extend the season'. Of course, we can’t, so we’ve got one to go.”
Special days often need special performances. You mentioned it a bit there, but Ellis Harrison did just that.
“Yeah, Ellis has been outstanding since the day I walked in. He was carrying niggles and bruises, and we gave him a separate training plan. He’s worked really hard on it.
“He’s a big player in the dressing room, in terms of he’s a character, he’s a man, he’s a leader, and he goes in there with the skipper and the Balmers and Richie Smallwood, and Joe Quigley and Forde and even Yusuf.
“They’re all becoming leaders. Tommy Leigh. They’re all leaders. De Havilland. Clinton Mola, Sparkes, Joel Senior. I could go through them all and give them all credit."
We normally see Ellis as a poacher. He showed how many different ways he can finish goals...
“Ellis has got some ability. I tried to sign him a couple of times in the past. I did say when he came off when he scored his hat-trick, that he’s obviously watched me in training the last couple of days because I’ve scored a couple of them. Even Brad Young was scrambling back, couldn’t get near them.
“Obviously, he’s taken that on board. In all seriousness, I’m delighted for him; he works incredibly hard at his game. We worked with him on the new plan we had for him for six months, and that’s what gets him on the pitch every week.”
Three goals up, five minutes left and then you’re marching towards the Thatchers End as well. That must have been special.
“Amazing. I think it was the first time in football that a manager has gone into the Kop and joined in the singing and was treated with the utmost respect. Of course, I got pulled from pillar to post, and everything else, but they’re magical people.
“The atmosphere here today. I know it’s a derby, but we’ve got an end-of-the-season game. Neither team can do anything but lift a place in the league, and we’ve got people locked out who can’t get a ticket.
“The atmosphere was all afternoon, so a real, real credit to the Gas family, and I think after today, maybe they’ll realise I’m one of them.”
It was a perfect moment, really. As soon as you’re in there, Shaq scores!
“Yeah, he’s magic, isn’t he? He saw me and came and got me, and he jumped in, and we’re embracing, and then he realised two or three players followed him.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that footage because, you know, again, I’ve had special moments and special people scoring special goals. Wembley, all over England.
“But to see Shaq score and the build-up play, which I watched back, I didn't see it at the time, and see Shaq identify him and come in shows you the chemistry we’ve got in the dressing room. It’s fantastic.”
It's been a long season for many players, but after eight straight wins, you don’t want this season to end now, do you?
“No. Chairman, why can’t you be Donald Trump? Donald Trump would have ruled today, it extends for three months. We know what would have happened if it were extended for three months. We know it would happen.
“Since the transfer window closed, these boys are four, five, six points clear at the top of the league, next to MK Dons in second. A long wait for the rest of them. So, it shows you what they’ve achieved.
“They’re a fantastic group to work with. My aim is to keep the lads balancing that together, then add selectively and make us better.”
And finally, we mentioned the Gasheads hundreds of times. But with the lap of appreciation, I didn’t see one person leave the stadium whilst I was making my walk around. It just shows how much this team means to these people.
“They were amazing. I must admit, when we went to the bottom corner and the away end, and we started walking ourselves around, I looked up at the Thatchers End; it’s just packed. There were more people in it than during the game and all the way round to the dressing room.
"They had total appreciation for them to stay for the awards. As players and staff, we’re humble enough to know that these are just magical supporters."
