Didcot Town manager Jamie Heapy on play-off final win and promotion

JAMIE Heapy was full of praise for his Didcot Town players after securing promotion to step three of the non-league system.

Jamar Smith slotted home a first half penalty, which proved to be the only goal of the game, with chances at the end spurned by the Railwaymen.

Didcot manager Heapy though was delighted by the efforts put in by his players.

He said: “We could’ve finished the game off to make it 2-0 but we do things hard here.

“There wasn’t much in the game – in the first half we edged it and in the second half, they probably edged it, but we had the better chances.

“It’s been a great day and the players deserve so much credit, to a man they’ve been unbelievable.”

Heapy, who won the FA Vase with Didcot in 2005, added: “The Vase is unbelievable and to be manager now of my local club, and do what we’ve done.

“We’ve had financial restraints and a tough year off the pitch but the players have taken it in their stride.

“I try to keep as much away from them as I can, in terms of stuff that’s going on off the pitch but they just want to play and enjoy winning games.

“I feel for Paul [Halsey, Ware manager] and his players because that’s tough to take, they got done last year against North Leigh and again today.

“Football’s hard and can kick you in the balls sometimes, and unfortunately one team had to lose, and that was his team.

“There wasn’t a lot in it, even in the league games between us.”

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