Ian Perkins (Page 49)

Goalscorer Morgan Williams spoke to BBC Somerset following the victory at Bath City. Here’s what he said to Ian Randall.

Ian Randall: Well, Morgan, that feels like a big result for you does it?

Morgan Williams: Yes, 100%. we knew this game was going to be massive as it’s a derby, but it just feels surreal right now that we’re sat here with the three points.

IR: How much of a touch did you get on on Charlie Cooper’s cross?

MW: I think it was very clean. To be fair, I have to watch it. But yeah, it was absolutely buzzing at the moment.

IR: You were so close in that there was very little reaction time for the keeper. So you kind of knew get it on target and good chance it would go in..

MW: Yeah, Charlie’s got a beautiful delivery on him. Like as Youngy, but obviously it was Charlie that took the free kick today and it was just a perfect free kick.

IR: In terms of the pattern of the game, not much in it for an hour, but Michael Smith cleared the ball off the line from Elliot Frear and it seemed to be that that was the point at which you came on stronger and Bath lost a bit of their energy.

MW: Yeah, I think it was. It’s a massive moment from Smudger clearing off the line. We have to defend beautifully in our box and obviously try [to] be ruthless in their box. And I think that’s the game like, you can’t be perfect every game. We know we didn’t play magnificent. We were far off it today. But sometimes you have to come to these away games and derby days and kind of just grind, grind the result out and we’ve done that today. We’ve kept a clean sheet, we spoke massively on that beforehand, that we’ve not kept many clean sheets this year, so, we’re really proud of that and we have to take that into Saturday.

IR: In terms of the defence started with three of you at the back with the two wing backs. Yeah, ultimately went to a four at certain points and and Thomas gave you some anxious moments at the back. He was he was lively for Bath?

MW: Yeah, he was. He was. He was good player. We know that they’ve got, they’ve got good players as across the whole league, we’ve got good players as well. But I think we dealt with that well. If you got a ball and we defended well, Dunc and Dawesy doubled upon him on the wing and I think we dealt with that quite well.

IR: And in in terms of the the top end of the picture, I think  Mark’s phrase ‘tee to green’ on Saturday you couldn’t finish anything. Today there wasn’t a great deal in that first hour, but as the game got a bit more stretched, you you you got a bit more joy.

MW: Yeah, definitely. I think that’s how it is. We know that we’re we’re very fit and that if we can be 0-0 until the 60th minute, if it’s not falling for us, then we know that we’ve got that extra energy to go get that extra goal.

IR: So on to Dartford now at the weekend, the last away game in this sequence. This probably stretches back then you can remember but if you could top that sequence off with another, it’s really putting pressure on the chasers, even people like Maidstone and Torquay who’ve won during the week, they’re not gaining ground on you.

MW: Yeah, I think it’s massive. We’ve just gotta go to Saturday and try to get the three points again and then back at home next week and try go again.

Mark Cooper spoke to the BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall following Yeovil’s 1-0 win at Bath City last night. Here’s what he had to say.

Ian Randall: Well, Mark, predictably, I suppose it was tight and decided by a set piece.

Mark Cooper: Yeah, it was a very typical local derby. Tight game, loads of mistakes. I think Sunday drained us emotionally, physically as well. The injury to Whittle causes a problem. We then had to change shape a couple of times. I thought Bath were really good – stretched us. But, the desire, the, the togetherness and the commitment of the whole group tonight was what got us through.

IR: You said that you were drained by Sunday, but actually you finished the stronger.

MC: Yeah, we needed a spark, and we got a spark. It was a couple of balls that flashed across the goal that we should have scored from. And then eventually we got one didn’t we? And then we started to come on top and play a little bit then and [play] a little bit more like us. But listen, it’s never going to be easy to win promotions or win things. There’s always times in the season when you have to really dig in, the weather’s changed, it’s cold, the pitches are starting to get heavy. You have to dig in and we did that.

IR: Michael Smith made an important clearance too at at 0-0 from Elliot Frear’s shot and at that point. That was where Bath started to look as if they were running in treacle, a bit. That was when the balance started to tip, I thought.

MC: Yeah, our players just get through it. They keep going, they keep grinding, got some real warriors out there. Alex Fisher coming in for his first game. He’s played 90 minutes – amazing. He played right wing for 30 then. I’ve watched Bath, they’re a really good team. The managers done a terrific job. They’ve got some really exciting players. I thought their right winger was outstanding. And credit to Jerry [Gill], they’re a really good team and they gonna have a really good season.

IR: How is Whittle?

MC: Whittle’s alright. We thought he felt something in his calf, but hopefully it’s not too bad and it’ll be OK for Saturday.

IR: Some of the sides that won last night might have looked at tonight as being a tricky sort of game for you, but you’ve you’ve stepped away from the pack again and got the gap back up to six [points].

MC: I’m sure they did. And like we all do “they might win there, they might lose there.” I’m sure we all do that. And you know, I’m sure that would have waited a few tonight that we’ve we’ve managed to nick a win. But yeah, we know we gotta be better, of course, but we can’t play brilliant every week about a couple of weeks we’ve been a little bit hit and miss, but we bounced back with a win in front of the brilliant away support. [It] is incredible for for the level.

IR: You used the word ‘nicked’. Do you feel you’ve nicked it then?

MC: I think if you’re always in the game, you’ve always got a chance to win it. Think it was pretty even, there wasn’t loads of chances. I think we had more chances in the second-half and should score a couple. Smudge clears one off the line so could have gone either way.

IR: And now the little matter of a 300 mile round trip back to southeast London to go to Dartford on Saturday. How how awkward will that Be?

MC: No, [we’re] looking forward to it. Looking forward to it, every game we we take a massive following with us. We’re looking forward to every game. Players will get a day off tomorrow to recover and then we’ll train on Friday and make sure we’re really ready for the game.

IR: Were there meaningful celebrations at the end because in a sense, both the squad you and the fans knew what this meant?

MC: I think you should celebrate when you win a game like that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong. We’re together, we celebrated together in front of a brilliant away following. So we make no bones about celebrating like that.