Mark Cooper said he felt the better team lost as his Yeovil Town side came from behind to pick up a 3-2 home win over Eastbourne Borough at Huish Park today.
The manager described the sweltering conditions the match was played in as “dangerous” and said his players had to stop him having to make personnel and tactical switches to win games.
Having gone ahead early through striker Frank Nouble‘s second goal in as many games, the Glovers were rocked by a quickfire double from the visitors’ Jack Paxman before Nouble pulled them level with an audacious chip just before half-time.
The boss made changes bringing on midfielder Charlie Cooper and striker Jake Hyde at the break and it was a 69th minute strike from Josh Owers which saw them maintain their unbeaten home start.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Tom Seymour after the game, the boss said: “We started the game well and scored and we just made so many bad decisions. I did not think we played well today, I felt we got the job done but I thought Eastbourne were better than us today.
“They looked like they had more energy than us and they played on Wednesday night, but what I can say about this team is that they keep going and always look like they have a goal in them.
“We have scored so many late goals now and that is becoming a habit and a good one. We keep going, we know we have got work to do and we know we have got to be better.
“I should not have had to make so many changes to the team at half time and the shape of the team which made us miles better in the second half, but the positives are it was three points and we move on.”
On his changes which included the introduction of midfielder Jordan Stevens, who is making his way back from an injury sustained in pre-season, Cooper added: “We looked more solid, we didn’t look like we’d get played through and we had more calmness with the ball. When you put Hydey and Frank together or Hydey and Murph or Frank and Murph, they can ask questions of the defence. Then when you can bring Jordan Stevens on, his pace is electric and it contributed to us getting the winner.”
He was full of praise for goal-scorers Nouble, who took his tally to four for the season with his brace today, and Owers, who started ahead of Charlie Cooper having impressed in the midweek win at Weston-super-Mare.
On Nouble, the manager said: “He’s been brilliant the last two games playing as a number nine. He can play anywhere across the front, but the last two games he has been a leader, a warrior and scored his goals so really happy with him. He has big respect in the changing room and he led the team today.
On Owers, he added: “Josh has got a good engine. We have four midfield players who could be Olympic athletes with the amount of distance they cover and the pace they cover the ground in. That is a big thing for us and Josh has been great, scored a great goal and he will sleep well tonight.”
The result moved Yeovil up to sixth in the National League South table after nine games, three points behind early season leaders, Bath City, and means they go in to next weekend’s FA Cup second qualifying round tie with AFC Stoneham with back-to-back league wins under their belts.
After the Cup tie, the Glovers travel to Hampton & Richmond, who sit fourth from bottom of the table, and then welcome newly-promoted Aveley, who have had a bright start despite losing 2-0 at Slough Town today, to Huish Park.
Cooper said: “I don’t like looking at the table, someone just showed me it and we are three points off the top, so we are in good shape. But we have some work to do before the next league game.”
As is the case this season, the manager also gave an interview to the club’s press officer, Dan Howell, which was broadcast on the club’s official YouTube channel.