Speers was delighted with the result in his first game in charge of the side – ‘It’s always nice to win, of course it is, this means loads to me in the position I am, and where I’ve come from. The Bridge has always been in my heart, so it’s nice to get the win.’ 

Having stepped up from his position as Lee Driver-Dickerson’s Assistant Manager, Speers is keen to build on the foundations already in place.. 

‘I appreciate that Drive gave me the opportunity. It’ll be nice to put my own stamp on it, but you’ve got to remember that’s it not just about me, it’s about ‘We’. Everything we have to do collectively, but it’s nice being able to do what you want to do as Gaffer. 

We haven’t changed structurally what we were doing before, the pattern has been set and Drive did a cracking job getting us to where we were. In terms of what we want to do, and we want to give the lads more detail, more understanding, and get more communication between the players. 

So there will be no major changes in terms of the way we play, just our mentality. We’ve been a bit ‘soft under the belly’ shall we say, and I want us to get out of that, back to hardworking basics and go from there.

The first rule that I said to the lads was ‘Play two touch’ – you can move the ball quicker than you can move, and you move quicker without the ball. So it’s two simple cliches that work well – can you move the ball quicker and create, and then once you’ve moved the ball, move into space. 

We want to move the ball more efficiently, and take less risks, so that’s something we’re going to work on in training. 

I’m really looking forward to training, because we’re going to show them what we want them to do, not just try things out. The boys are certainly good enough, they just need a bit more direction. You can’t just bring it out in a game, so training is going to be a vital part of what we’re doing. We want them to train as if they’re in a game with attitude and tempo, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge…’ 

The Swans have to wait until November 20^th for their next Southern League outing, when they entertain Larkhall Athletic at Thornhill Park. Kick off is at 3pm.