Yeovil Town won again at Huish Park against Bath in a game where the Glovers weren’t at their ‘fluent best’ according to Mark Cooper. It was an important win, putting Yeovil 10 points clear at the top and here are Ian’s Conclusions from a bouncing Thatchers Stand…
It was a controlled performance. In the match at Twerton Park the Glovers never really felt in control of the game, but it was different at Huish Park. We controlled possession and after Jordan Young’s opener I thought we were comfortable. It wasn’t until the second half and Bath’s long ball where they started to get forward, and even then we won everything and looked resolute at the back.
The first goal was a moment of magic. It was the only part of the match where things really flowed and it was Cooperball at its sumptuous best. Frank Nouble’s pass split Bath’s defence, it was inch perfect to feet of Michael Smith and his one touch pass couldn’t have been any better for Jordan Young to finish. We did that against Taunton frequently but Bath were a trickier proposition and we had to take our chances when they fell. Mark Cooper described it as a ‘trademark goal’ and it was a pattern of play we’ve grown familiar with.
I thought we invited Bath onto us with the switch to a back three. With Cody Cooke’s introduction, Bath changed tact to get the ball forward quickly and in the air. Williams and Wannell dealt with it well. Jay Foulston came on in the left of a back three and it felt like Bath grew into it. Thomas got more of the ball and we got deeper and deeper. Once Dylan Morgan came on and we switched to a back four again, we regained control with a lot of help from…
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, who made a big impact off the bench. I thought Sonny was quality, almost like he a point to prove. He was direct, forward-thinking and really got Bath chasing back towards goal. At the time we needed someone to step in and alleviate the pressure and he did it it brilliantly. Being able to bring on someone with his ability (and the rest of the bench to be fair) is a big part of the reason why we’re 10 points clear at the top.
It’s going to take a catastrophic collapse to let this slip. The gulf between Yeovil and the rest of the league is clear. Mark Cooper’s side have been the only consistent team at the top end of the League. Yesterday, Hampton lost, Torquay drew and Worthing lost. At home we’re imperious and you’d bank on us against everyone at Huish Park. Maidstone away could be tricky, but with their cup run the subsequent fixture pile up could come back to bite them. This group has every reason to be confident, and Mark Cooper will keep them grounded to get the job done, but win against crisis-stricken Taunton on Tuesday night and a gap of 13 points is surely insurmountable for the chasing pack.