Ebbsfleet United

v

Torquay United

 

 

The FA Carlsberg Trophy
The Final
2.30pm Saturday 10 May 2008
Wembley Stadium
Winning clubs receive £25,000
Click here for this season's results
Live on Sky Sports and TheFA.com

Torquay manager Paul Buckle says the team that keeps its head the best will prevail in Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Trophy Final at Wembley.

 

Buckle has seen his side challenge for both league and cup honours this season and says competing on all fronts has given him a real test as a manager.

 

“This has been a real experience for me in trying to manage all of that, in terms of getting it right on the pitch and everything else that goes along with that,” he explained.

 

“When I arrived nine months ago, there were only four players at what was a very tired football club back then. We had to gel in another 18 players in time for the start of the season.

 

"There was no real expectation from anyone at the club, because of the state it was in, so to be here today is a tremendous achievement for us.”

 

Torquay eventually finished third in the Conference Premier, missing out on promotion in the play-offs, but following the club’s problems in recent years, 2007-08 has proved to be a huge success for the club, as Buckle explains.

 

“We have made great steps towards getting this club healthy again and being run how a successful football club should be run, but we’re still nowhere near the finished article just yet," he added.

 

“There has been no time to dwell on anything since we arrived last summer so it’s been a real rollercoaster ever since. In the league, we have been pushing Aldershot for the Conference title for most of the season but once they managed to get away in the table, as I think any manager will tell you, it was a blow.”

 

Missing out on promotion may have been a disappointment, but Buckle’s team have the perfect opportunity to finish the season on a high with victory over Ebbsfleet in tomorrow’s Final.

 

“It’s a Cup Final though and it’s all about what happens on the day," Buckle said.

 

"The team which holds its nerve the best and the one which makes the least mistakes will probably win it.”

 

LIVE STREAM ON TheFA.com
From 2.30pm on Saturday you can watch the live match stream here