CHAPPO'S CORNERWE'VE had mixed fortunes over the past two games. Saturday at Wingate & Finchley was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right.

CHAPPO'S CORNER

WE'VE had mixed fortunes over the past two games.

Saturday at Wingate & Finchley was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. We're not going to make excuses but we know that as a unit we didn't play to the level we've been used to all season.

We didn't perform on the day to our capabilities, but that happens in football. No-one does it deliberately that's the way football is. It was still disappointing as we had a lot of fans there, more than 100. We walked out on to a lovely pitch and one side of the pitch was blue and white with Lowestoft fans.

We got off to a decent start and scored a good goal through Danny Bloomfield and then we conceded what was by our standards a sloppy goal.

The turning point in the game came when they got a penalty, and there were no arguments about that, but Andrew Fisk then got sent off for swearing at the referee.

They scored the penalty and we were 2-1 down at half-time and a man down, so we knew we were up against it. But we went 4-4-1 and to be honest we played better in the second half with ten men than we did with 11. We worked really hard and scored a cracking equaliser through Jamie Godbold but in the end the extra man told and they scored two late goals.

Nothing seemed to go our way, but we do what we always do and look at ourselves and we know we didn't do ourselves justice on the day and we were disappointed.

It's no good feeling sorry for yourself. You have to take it on the chin and respond to it and look for a reaction in the next game.

We had another away game at Brentwood on Tuesday and the boys did what we expected. They turned up with a good attitude yet again and put in a performance on an atrocious pitch.

It was difficult to play good football on it, but we scored a cracking goal through Scott Mitchell from 30 yards. A good move and he rifled one into the top corner - a real screamer.

Then we got a penalty and they had a man sent off. But Matty Nolan missed the kick, which is unlike him, but that's football and there's no blame attached to him.

He hit it well but the keeper chose the right way and made a good save.

In the second half they worked hard, but we always looked dangerous and hit the post and bar. We were in control and scored a really good goal through Craig Bussens and that finished them off.

We were looking for a response and we got it with a really solid, workman-like performance from the boys and couldn't have asked any more of them.

It was a good night's work.

It keeps us on course for our final target of the season which is that 100-point mark. Those three points took us to 98 and we've said we want to finish the season in style and we've got an opportunity to do so tomorrow.

But it's going to be tough. We're under no illusions and we won't be taking anything for granted. We haven't done that at all this season and we won't start now just because we're champions.

It'll be a big day because obviously we'll get presented with the trophy so hopefully there will be a massive crowd and we'll get similar to what we had when we became champions against Cheshunt.

It would be great to see more than 1,000 people there again. We've got an opportunity on our own turf.

We'll approach it in the same way we have every other game of the season. There's three points available and we set our stall out to win every single game.

It doesn't happen all the time, but we'll go for three points and we know it will give us what we're aiming to achieve.

But we've got to make sure we're right because it would be great to achieve that but the most important thing is to win the game and finish the season on high.

It's been a really good season and we want to go out on a high at the Crown Meadow in front of our own fans because they've been different class all season.

Hopefully it'll be a party atmosphere because everything's set up for a really good afternoon. But Tilbury are no mugs. They've got some good players and they'll want to come into town and be party poopers. If the boot was on the other foot, we would be feeling exactly the same.

They're not going to lay down for us and we don't expect that so we know we're in for a tough game, but the boys will be focused.

There's no better way to thank the fans than to finish the season in style and putting in a champions' performance.

It would be a fantastic way to end the season.

Micky Chapman was speaking to Jonathan Redhead