Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said his players have to believe they can score a goal after watching them draw another blank at home to Woking this afternoon.
Striker Jordan Young had two glorious chances to get on the scoresheet; one moments before the visitors took the lead through Kyran Lofthouse’s goal in the 14th minute and one with the final chance of the match where his effort dribble wide.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the match, Cooper said: “When the ball is going in the box, the difference between the top teams and the rest is that they believe and expect to score, I think we hope.
“We hope it is going to fall perfectly for someone and fly in the back of the net, we have got to get across people and risk a broken nose to get on the end of those balls.
“We can only put the balls in the right areas and it is the job of the boys who are there to attack it, to attack it and we are not very good of that.”
Aside from having just four attempts on goal (two of which were on target), the goal which won the game came from a mistake from defender Owen Bevan in front of a Thatcher’s Stand which had been in full voice, buoyed by the appearance of owners Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey before the match.
Asked about the winner, Cooper added: “It was too easy, it just bounced in the box, I think Bevs got caught trying to clear it, not head it and it just ended up in the back of the net.
“When you are struggling, you are a bit fragile and the more I keep saying ‘stop conceding soft goals’, the more it plays on their minds.
“You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t, we just have to make sure if we concede a goal, we go and score one.” Or even more than one, Mark!
He added: “They turned it in to a scrap which is what they are good at and when you concede such a soft goal as we did it makes it very difficult, they are very good at defending what they have got. I was pleased with the players’ effort, but we just need to show a bit more quality.”
The manager said he saw glimpses of the quality he believes new signing Jordan Stevens, signed following his release by League Two Barrow in the week, on his debut, but he said it would be difficult for him to add a goalscorer to boost their fight against relegation.
Eastleigh, who sit in sixth place after a 1-0 win over Scunthorpe United today, visit Huish Park on Tuesday night before Cooper takes his side to Chesterfield next weekend. They picked up a late 2-1 win at Gateshead, a result which kept Yeovil one place and one position outside the relegation zone.
On new signings, Cooper said: “Unless you are going to pay ridiculous amounts of money and people know you are desperate and will pull your pants down (to sell you a goalscorer), so it is going to be nigh on impossible to get a striker.”
Matt and Paul I’m sure will add players to our squad and we have to hope they can do the business to keep us up. As I’ve said elsewhere they may have come in too late to save us this season. We may have to go down and rebuild completely. If you can’t score goals you won’t win games. There are several in our side not good enough sadly.
I think if we drop to National South there is every chance of a quick return with the backing we will have. We’ll also be full time.
I still hope for the best but fear the worst this season.