Gime Toure let the team and supporters down today in a moment of madness according to Yeovil Town boss Chris Hargreaves.
Speaking to BBC Somerset Sheridan Robins after the Glovers 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southend, the manager was scathing in his criticism of Toure and said that the player would be facing a fine after his 17th minute red card for kicking out at a Southend player.
Hargreaves said: “I can’t excuse it, its unacceptable from a player that’s looked bright and looked like he could give us something. So it’s gonna cost him three games and its gonna to cost him a fair bit of money. He’s let all his teammates down today. I’ve go no choice [than to fine him], we need him on the field of play and it’s one moment of madness, a bit of ill-discipline. He’s done something that’s unforgivable for the rest of the players and that’ll be dealt with.”
The manager was also critical of the decision to disallow Josh Staunton’s header, which would have given his side a one goal lead: “The disallowed goal is guesswork and this also totally unacceptable. [It’s a] perfectly valid goal and they’ve disallowed it because its a home game and the keepers gone down.”
He added: “That physicality has gone out the game hasn’t it? As soon as the keeper goes to ground, probably in any level, it’s a whistle, but its a guess whistle in my opinion. So I’m displeased with that, to say the least. But I cant change it, and I’ve moaned about this standard [of officiating] in a few games. There’s no point making excuses about officials, its our job to do better on the field of play – but the odd decision would help.”
Shortly after the disallowed goal, Jake Hyde opened the scoring for Southend and Hargreaves was disappointed with the familiar fashion in which that goal was conceded. He said: “Its basics isn’t it? I can only put players out there and say this is your job man for man – stop the cross and then pick up in the box – and both weren’t done.”
Looking ahead to Dorking on Tuesday (who put five past Dagenham and Redbridge today), Hargreaves is under pressure to turn Yeovil’s fortunes around and said he’d told the players that the game is a must-win.
“I need people to step up and be counted because I don’t wanna be where we are and that’s an understatement. The last two performances have been excellent and we were going into this super-confident today and one moment of madness form a player that’s been doing well as cost us. It hurts, it hurts like hell and I want everybody to want it as badly as I do.”