Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has expressed his disappointment at the red card, and the handling of the game from the officials as the Glovers drew 1-1 with Plymouth Parkway.
Defender Morgan Williams was singled out as the only one to do anything wrong in a 21-man melee late in the first half, with the Glovers already 1-0 up after Jake Hyde’s goal after 29 minutes.
The home sign, who start next season a division below the Glovers in the Southern League Premier Division South, scored with their final attack of the game when substitute striker Dylan Jones headed home a leveller in injury time in a match which Yeovil controlled for large parts.
After the game, Cooper told YTFC on ‘X’ (Twitter in ‘old money’): “It was a good game to start with, we were solid and we looked threatening going forward once the game settled down.”
“Then the big incident spoils the game really, it ruins any tempo to the game, we go down to 10 men. The referee has told me and their manager (Lee Hobbs) a lie, he told us before the game that if there was any disciplinary issues, he’d give us a shout and we’d be able to get any players off.
“The linesman marched onto the pitch and said that Morgan Williams had punched their player in the face, even though their player said he hadn’t… it looked to me like he couldn’t wait to get his red card out.
“That spoiled the game from us, we had to sit in and try and make sure we got something out of the game, so it was disappointing.”
Speaking about the dismissal in his post-match interview, Parkway boss Hobbs said: “We were disappointed when they lost a man because they were testing us and we needed that test, and I’m not sure what the sending off was for, to be honest.”
On the game as a whole though, Cooper was pleased with the reaction even if his side couldn’t quite see the game off. They finish pre-season with a record of five wins, one draw and one defeat from their seven matches.
The manager added: “We had a few chances to see the game off, if you don’t, and they get a corner in the last minute, you’re always vulnerable.”
With the pre-season campaign now concluded, Cooper was adamant his side we’re all good to go ahead of next week’s National League South curtain raiser away at Hemel Hempstead Town.
He said: “We’re ready, we look fit, the pitch was difficult today, but I said to the players we wont make any excuses and we have to deal with it”
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Hear from Mark Cooper after our final Pre-Season Friendly against Plymouth Parkway. ?️#YTFC ? pic.twitter.com/1By7duaaKl
— Yeovil Town F.C. (@YTFC) July 29, 2023