Quedgeley Wanderers defender Kory Taylor has revealed the atmosphere in the changing room after their first victory of the season was “fantastic” following their 2-1 win over Cheltenham Civil Service on Saturday.
Taylor, 23, told ParkLife Sport how relieved he was to finally secure three points in what has been a tricky 2022/23 season so far.
It has been a tough start to life for Michael Mayes as Quedgeley’s Head Coach, who took over the reins ahead of the new campaign, but clinical finishing and a gritty determination was key in ending their winless drought, according to Taylor.
“It was good to finally get a win this season after losing five on the bounce,” he said. “We had two chances and scored two goals and then were forced to defend for all our lives.
“It was a very team-oriented effort as everyone had to dig in and defend, and hopefully it has encouraged some of the lads that it is possible. After five losses in a row, you lose motivation to keep pushing, turning up to training and listening to the manager; this result will help everyone see the vision and what can be done.”
Quedgeley were hit with player departures over the summer, and Taylor revealed: “We had a lot of players leave to go to better clubs so we’ve had an influx of new players, players featuring in different positions, and we’re only just starting to get used to each other and the system we’re using. We can see what we’re trying to do and it paid off on Saturday with two goals.”
As well as being a stalwart for Quedgeley, Taylor has also been promoted from the University of Gloucestershire’s (UOG) second team to their first-team following the arrival of new head coach Tom Speers.
With training and games now taking up five days each week, Taylor admitted: “It’s a lot [of effort] but I’ve got a mindset where I get hooked on one thing, and I love playing football so I try to play as much as possible.”
After helping UOG’s second team to a third-place finish last campaign, Taylor is looking ahead to his first BUCS appearance for the university’s first-team against Southampton on Wednesday.
“I’m a bit nervous, but I’m also looking forward to it and I’m excited more than anything,” he said. Traditionally a right-back, Taylor has played at left-back for the first-team during pre-season, but he hasn’t questioned Speers’ judgement.
“He’s great. He’s put me in a different position which I’m not used to but I trust his process. You tend to listen to him, and if you really focus on what he says, it’ll make you a better player.”
