Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper is looking to bring in new faces before his side make the long journey to Eastbourne Borough this weekend.
The Glovers’ boss admitted after last weekend’s goalless draw at home to Hampton & Richmond that he was keen to strengthen his forward line with Sonny Cox recalled from his loan spell by Exeter City and Jake Hyde and Jordan Stevens both suffering with an injury.
He also lost loan defender Duncan Idehen this week after he was recalled by Bristol City and recently saw former captain Josh Staunton depart after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.
Speaking on Thursday, Cooper called for supporters to trust his judgement, he said: “I know that if you don’t win every game, some supporters are not going to be happy.
“But they need to trust us that we are trying to do the right things for the club and bring in the right character and the right quality not just for this year but for going forward as well.
“Obviously Coxy was recalled. He was playing on the Saturday (in the 2-2 draw at Dartford) which was a blow for us because he had been really productive statistically, we got Jay (Foulston) in and Bristol City then wanted to take Duncan (Idehen) back to have some game time for them in their Under-23s.
“So of course we are looking and I am sure we will have movement hopefully before the next game.”
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
The boss gave an update on the club’s injury list ahead of the weekend, as follows:
- Jordan Stevens: “He is still six or seven weeks away (from returning), he had a bad three-month injury, so he is still a long way away.“
- Alex Whittle: “Because Jay Foulston is here, we are not putting massive pressure on him to rush back for one game, but I think he will be close.“
- Jake Hyde: “It’s a 3G surface at Eastbourne, so he won’t play on 3G“
- Jamie Sendles-White: “Is still injured.“
The Glovers have won two, drawn three and lost one of their last six National League South fixtures, putting them tenth in the division’s form table over that period, but they still sit seven points clear of second-placed Torquay United going in to a busy Christmas period.
Cooper believes that only poor finishing has cost his side in their last two matches – a 2-2 draw at Dartford a fortnight ago and the stalemate against Hampton & Richmond last weekend.
He added: “I think we have played better recently than in some of the games we have won. If you take the W*ymouth game here, we didn’t play well, won 2-0, we took our chances. Braintree here, didn’t play very well, won 2-0, took our chances.
“If we had won four games, then drew won, won another four games, lost one, won another four, drew one, won another two and lost one, I don’t think there would be much moaning. Because we won 14 straight (games), we have to win.
“Yeovil is a difficult fan base to please, but the fans have been brilliant this year. They have been magnificent home and away with the way they have backed the team.
“I think they need to trust the process of what we are doing because we have had one defeat in 16 in the league.
As a group of players and staff we are calm, we know what works and what we need to do and the only thing that has been missing is we have not taken our chances.
“The statistics are higher than when we were on that run and with players like Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jake Hyde and Jordan Young (not taking our chances) is not going to last very long. When you have players of that calibre, they are going to score consistently.“
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
Over the same six-game period, Eastbourne have won two, drawn one and lost three of their most recent league fixtures and have not won at home since mid-November, having been ravaged by injuries to key players.
But, they did see captain defender Brad Barry and midfielder Jack Paxton, who scored twice at Huish Park when they impressed in a 3-2 defeat to the Glovers at the end of September, return to help them to a 2-0 win at Welling United last weekend.
Asked about his next opponents, Cooper said: “The club has been taken over by a wealthy gentleman, they have gone full-time this season and they have some big ideas and it is the first chapter of that episode.
“They have got a really good young coach (in Mark Beard) and they have some really good players. They have suffered with injuries but I think they have most of them back now.
“I said to the players this morning we can do all the homework on their players, but nearly every opposition changes what they are doing when they play against us and that is a compliment to our players.
“So whatever Eastbourne did last week, I think they will do something different this week and like every week, the opposition changes because they are playing Yeovil.”
How about Tony Lee (Poole)? He scores for fun,have we looked at him I wonder?