Chris Hargreaves admitted his Yeovil Town were “not quite enough” as they went down 2-0 to League One side Plymouth Argyle in the final home friendly of their pre-season campaign.
The home side were forced on the defensive for the majority of the game as the Pilgrims enjoyed the bulk of possession limiting the Glovers to a handful of opportunities the best of which fell to substitue Ollie Hulbert in the second half.
Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel after the game, the manager said: “We looked good defensively with a good structure, I was disappointed in the goals but it was a big lesson in keeping the ball today.
“It’s something we have been working on because when you are playing against better sides, you need that.
“But the final third wasn’t quite enough and we are also working on our creativity, trying to get our wing backs higher, trying to be more of a threat.”
Starting with what appears to be his favoured 5-2-3 formation, Hargreaves stuck with the same XI which earned a 1-1 draw with Exeter City last weekend with striker Malachi Linton and Alex Fisher supported by Tom Knowles.
In the second half, he threw on Hulbert and trialist Stanley Anaebonam, who made his second appearance having featured seven days earlier, but none of his forwards really troubled the Pilgrims’ goal.
The boss added: “It can be frustrating when the opposition have that much possession but today was a lesson in discipline and when you get the ball in the final third, taking an extra breathe to make sure you have your composure to hurt the opposition.
“We had chances at the end, a few crosses flashed across and we had a chance with Ollie Hulbert which maybe on another day goes in the net and it becomes closed.
“But, in the main, I am delighted with the application of the boys.”
The Greens signed off their pre-season schedule with a 2-0 win over Yeovil Town.
Here are the goals ⬇️#pafc pic.twitter.com/i6aUVHoGS0
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) July 23, 2022
The game was marred by a double dismissal for Glovers’ midfielder Matt Worthington and Plymouth wing-back Bali Mumba after 69th minute.
Hargreaves admitted his player needed to learn from the red card: “Both players have to learn from that, it is a local rivalry and tensions are high but you just have to keep your composure.
“From our side we have to keep our composure because we won’t want to lose players early in the season.
“Matty has been excellent, he is up for the fight, but it’s just a case of reining it in when you need to.”
He added that playmaker Lawson D’Ath, who is yet to featured in any of the four pre-season fixtures so far, was “maybe a week” from being ready to play again.
That would put him in the frame for next weekend’s trip to Weston-super-Mare AFC next Saturday.
Hargreaves said: “He will think he is closer, but I just don’t want him to break down again because it is so important to get fitness in before the (league) games start.”
The next friendly fixture see Yeovil make the short journey south to Dorchester Town on Tuesday night.
The Magpies ran out 3-1 winners in a home fixture against Wessex League Premier side Hamworthy United today.
The Glovers’ boss said: “It is going to be a test (against Dorchester) because they have used a lot of energy up today, but that is what happens in the normal season.
“They would often have to come back from a long game and then having to prepare for another game on the Tuesday.
“It is a different focus for us on Tuesday, a different surface and we have to make sure the players recover properly because they have put an absolute shift in today.”