Darryl Flahavan has almost become part of the fixtures and fittings at Roots Hall after spending seven seasons with Southend United. But the past seven days have been almost a whirlwind for him following the Carling Cup triumph over Manchester United and a goalless draw against high-flying Preston North End in the Championship. Even though he could be forgiven for dining out on the experience of defeating Sir Alex Ferguson's side, there was no crowing from the goalkeeper who told givemefootball's Ian Clarkson that the game against Paul Simpson's team was every bit as big as the win last week.
Q:IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK FOR YOU HASN'T IT?
A:To beat Manchester United was a great achievement and a great result for the club as a whole. The team they put out would have probably won the Championship comfortably, so it was really satisfying.
Q:YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY DRAWN CONFIDENCE FROM IT JUDGING BY YOUR PERFORMANCE AGAINST PRESTON?
A:I think our problems have been more mental than anything. There has been pressure growing on us to pick up some points after we slipped down the table and hopefully we can start pulling away now. We have had one of the best defensive records in the entire Football League over the past two seasons. We need a bit more consistency. In the first few games we beat Stoke and Sunderland and we went through a little spell where I believed we would be okay in the league, but then we have slipped down again. We have got Plymouth, Colchester and Barnsley - all tough games - in the next ten days and that will show us whether we are able to move on - or whether we are back to square one.
Q:IS THE PACE OF THE GAME QUICKER AT THIS LEVEL COMPARED TO LEAGUE ONE?
A:Not as a goalkeeper! The main difference for me has been that the strikers tend to hit the target a lot more often than they do lower down. They don't tend to waste their chances. If they can't strike the ball cleanly enough to score, they will at least make you work. Last year, as a goalkeeper and obviously as part of a defence we got away with a lot more defensively. The Championship is a really strong league. If you go one-down, it is a real struggle to claw it back.
Q:THERE HAS BEEN A REAL IMPROVEMENT DEFENSIVELY OVER THE LAST TWO GAMES HASN'T THERE?
A:Yes. You know, it was a good start for us. The fans were obviously delighted with the victory over Manchester United, but the players always knew that Preston would be the bigger game for us. The crowd was right behind us on Saturday - they were almost willing the ball into the net at one stage - but it wasn't to be. We were a bit disappointed because we felt we might have nicked it at the end. And, even at this stage of the season, it's very tense.
Q:ARE YOU PLEASED WITH YOUR OWN FORM?
A:Any player will tell you that there is room for improvement and that's certainly the case with me. But the exposure we have all had from beating Manchester United has been a big help. It was the icing on the cake.
Q:SPURS AT WHITE HART LANE IN QUARTER FINALS OF THE CARLING CUP – YOU MUST BE PLEASED WITH THAT DRAW?
A:We are delighted with the draw. We wanted a big Premiership team away from home and playing Spurs will be tremendous for us. For me personally, being down the opposite end of the pitch from Paul Robinson will give me a chance to compare myself with him. We will take a lot of supporters there and it promises to be another occasion to remember.
