Five Conclusions: Gateshead 2 Yeovil Town 1

Gloverscast Ben was in the commentary box at the Gateshead International stadium. Here are his five key takeaways from the game.

Knackered. This has been a long ol’ season, even by Yeovil Town standards. I thought that yesterday started to show just how much energy our recent schedule had taken out of us. We definitely missed the energy and running of Daly and Sims from the off and, without question, have a few players feeling the effects of their recent exertions. There wasn’t a lack of effort, I think the legs just didn’t work like they had done prior.

Discipline and officials. Now, if you can’t control the fatigue in the body, you can control the mind. I actually thought Finn Cousin-Dawson played rather well in the middle of the park, we had a lot of defending to do at times and he certainly offers us that protection. But in a game that got feisty, and got away from the ref, he really didn’t need to make that challenge in the 93rd minute, 2-0 down away from home, with a busy schedule ahead of us.

Now, let’s caveat that by saying the ref helped absolutely no-one all game. He could (should) have sent one, maybe two, Gateshead players off for different altercations and bizarrely didn’t send off Jake Wannell for giving away the penalty. (My theory is, he probably regretted booking him for the offence of being elbowed in the head by a Gateshead player). He had no control over the game and everyone got unnecessarily frustrated. Gateshead played that situation better than us.

The curious case of Millar Matthews-Lewis. I can’t figure this one out, he gets his start after a couple of cameos and unused sub appearances and it was a strange 20 minutes from him. He tried to hold the ball up, but a couple of times he looked to be on a different wavelength/planet to those around him and nothing really stuck. We assumed he was nursing an injury when taken off, but we were told it was tactical after the game.

Jarvis came on to get his shirt ripped off on every occasion and did offer far more. But we’re going to need our entire squad for the next six games, is he destined to be filed alongside Jahmari Clarke and Reo Griffiths as strikers that happened, but we dont quite know why..? Maybe.

More the Merry-er. Yes. I tell you who isn’t looking knackered, Will Merry. I know it’s the smallest of sample sizes, but this lad has something. Simple, direct, he almost floats with the ball at his feet. He has an eye for a run too and is happy to drift off a defender and find a position. Let’s get this lad on the pitch a lot over the next six games and see what he’s about. In the name of planning for next season, these might be the sort of raw youngsters that come in to the group.

How to motivate a side on the beach? As we edge closer to the end of the season, the maths will start getting worked out and we’ll soon discover our spot somewhere in the lower-middle pack. But, over 100 people went to Gateshead yesterday, plenty will be at Southend and so on and so forth. They deserve that effort to be matched, if not bettered.

It’ll be interesting to see how we show up for this run in with the ever-decreasing jeopardy this season holds. Those fans still need something to cheer and something to get behind and remember, there’s season tickets and new kits and sponsor board to sell for next season.