Ben Hinchliffe spoke to Chris Park earlier this week for an exclusive interview about his season so far, his Fylde career and future…
Ben, it was a very good start to this season for Fylde wasn’t it but what were your thoughts on the start?
Yeah, to be fair we’ve still got a good chance of going top of the league as we’ve got a couple of games in hand. Obviously you look at us at the start of the season and we weren’t expected to be where are so at the minute we’re overachieving but people don’t look at it like that now and we’re expected to win games and the pressure that wasn’t there at the start of the season is now on. It’s always going to be difficult but the lads have got big expectations of themselves now.
As the last line of an impressive Fylde defence how have you found the step up this season?
I wouldn’t really class it as a step up for me as I’ve played at a good level. But going into any league you have get lads ready for it and I’ve got to stop what comes through. So regardless of whether it’s two leagues above, two leagues below or whatever you’ve just got to get yourself to perform.
You’ve become a bit of a penalty specialist in your time at Fylde. Do you thrive in those moments?
Yeah, I’ll take a penalty as I don’t mind taking them and I don’t mind the pressure and I don’t really feel nervous about anything.
You’ve got a good record in shoot outs, be it saving or scoring them.
Yeah if the situation ever arose again I’d be the first to put my hand up to take one, it’s not an issue for me.
Has there ever been an option for you to take one during a normal game or will Chally not let you?
(Laughs) I’ve put myself forward many times during games to go up and take one but it’s something Chally definitely won’t let me do.
I suppose it’s the issue of getting back into your goal if you missed I guess?
Well I wouldn’t miss but yeah there is that.
In terms of the defence this season it’s been generally rock solid but there are patches that the team seems to go through where you leak a few goals, particularly at set pieces, but do you feel that’s more of a team issue?
It’s hard really as you’ll get runs where you might keep three or four clean sheets but then you get a game where you concede three in a game. I don’t think it can be looked at so much as individual mistakes. You mention the set pieces which were an issue earlier in the season and I think we’ve ironed that out now but now looking at it we’ve got a good defence so sometimes it can’t be helped.
You’ve been awarded man of the match in the last couple of games but how disappointing was the Hyde result?
We go into every game looking to win and we feel we can beat every team in this league and there’s no reason why we can’t but when we went 1-0 up, I don’t know if the lads relaxed a little bit but I made a few saves in the first half and when you go down to ten then nine men you’re always going have to make saves so the draw was a good result in the end.
You’ve been an almost ever present for the clubs since you joined three years ago. How much have you enjoyed it?
It’s been good you know. I’ve got another year left on my contract for next year as well and also depending on whether we get promoted or not we’ll see where we go from there.
And finally, is Doots a good coach?
(Laughs) Yeah he good, it’s been great working with him.