Widnes’ win over Bootle a ‘statement of intent’ says Dempsey

Widnes celebrate after scoring against Brighouse

Widnes manager Dave Dempsey was delighted as his side ended Bootle’s winning run after a resounding 3-0 win.

Jordan Southworth, Sam Adetiloye and John McGrath all scored as they made is back-to-back wins but the first league win under Dempsey after he was appointed manager last month.

It comes after they secured FA Vase progression after last weekend’s win 2-0 over Brighouse Town.

The win ended Bootle’s three-match unbeaten run and handed manager Brian Richardson his first defeat since he took charge of the Bucks.

Dempsey was pleased to see the goals go in as they maintained their solid defensive record, an area he hoped to bolster but insists they aren’t the “finished article.”

“We’re always happy to keep clean sheets and I said to the lads when I got the job, that wasn’t my worry in terms of our defensive side of things.

“The games we were playing in were always close 1-0 defeats, 2-1 defeats, picked up a 0-0 draw before the game I took over it was more the opposite end of the field where I felt that we need a bit of improvement so to score five in the last two games was really pleasing.


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“Especially against Bootle to score three against, who ran out 5-0 winners at Rammy, was pleasing and it could’ve been more. We created so many chances, we’ve had one squared across goal and tapped over the bar from two yards out and we’ve had another couple of chances and many many set-pieces just comfortable to be honest. 

“They were North West Counties side last season, they didn’t have a great start to the season themselves but had a good couple of results. To be any side in this league comfortably at 3-0 is a statement because any team can beat anyone every side has got a few good players, it’s not an easy league to win games in never mind 3-0.

“So you could say it’s a statement, not necessarily to beat Bootle, I think more of the way we’re applying ourselves is a statement of intent for what we want to do as a group going forward. 

“Two games is all we’ve won, we’re far off the final piece of the puzzle, we’re not the finished article as such, we’ve got a lot to work on, in possession we could probably utilise the ball a little bit better but for now it is just a case of carving out results.

“I think when you do win games back-to-back the next comes easier than the one after that and it becomes a habit of winning games. When you’re not a win seems like a country mile away and we we’re at that point when I took over so it’s nice to get two wins early doors.

“We’ve got Newcastle and Prescot up next in the league, Newcastle will be a tough game then obviously Prescot is another local derby so we need to be switched on in every single game we go at be positive that they’re going to get a result and be confident in ourselves but we need to pay the respects we need to pay and keep doing the right things all the time.” 

[Featured image: 617 Photography]