Josh Staunton believes Yeovil Town’s defensive solidity will provide a platform they can build on as they move closer to the start of the National League season.
The captain was once again in the heart of three central defenders alongside Max Hunt and Morgan Williams for the 2-0 home defeat to League One Plymouth Argyle at Huish Park in today’s final home pre-season friendly.
He admitted the team were disappointed to concede goals to strikers Ryan Hardie and Finn Azaz which saw the game ended as a contest by the hour mark with the visitors dominating possession for much of the game.
Speaking after the game, Staunton said: “The boys defensively looked good, we just need to get more comfortable taking the ball and keep building.
“There are times when we are showing some good patterns and playing some nice stuff, the longer we go, that will hopefully become more and more.
“Any good team tries to build from the back, we have tried to change shape and we are trying to be as solid as we can without suffocating ourselves going forwards, so it’s all about finding a balance.
“Defensively we are trying to build a platform from where we can start progressing up the pitch and playing some nicer football.”
Staunton said he believed his team-mates can learn a lot from watching the Pilgrims, who get their League One season underway next weekend, dominate possession.
The Glovers travel to lower league Dorchester Town and Weston-super-Mare in their final two games of pre-season.
Asked about the challenge of three matches in seven days, Staunton said: “It’s a different kind of experience, today was about being resolute and you will have periods in games where, especially away from home, you have to defend like that and accept that the other team will have a lot more possession.
“The next two games will be different and you would like to think we will be sharper, fitter and ready to have more possession. It is a different test and gives us a chance to build on that platform and work hard with the ball.
“We will learn a lot from today, you only had to look at them, they made loads of simple passes, working hard off the ball to make options for each other and hopefully we can learn from that and take it in to the games we are going to play.”
© The skipper on this afternoon's friendly. #YTFC ? pic.twitter.com/MuPBx5NTqP
— Yeovil Town F.C. (@YTFC) July 23, 2022