Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley insisted that there are still things to improve on despite seeing his side close out the Bank Holiday weekend with their unbeaten start to the new season intact.
The Glovers came out on the right side of a five-goal thriller with a determined Tamworth side in front of a crowd of almost 4,000 at Huish Park. They went 3-1 up before visitors pulled one back and then looked to have got a late equaliser before it was ruled out for offside as both sides appeared ready for the restart.
Rowley praised the efforts of his side who were coming off the back of a 2-1 win at Barrow less than three days earlier which include the small matter of a 600-mile round journey to Cumbria.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman after the game, he said: “It’s very rare that on a Bank Holiday weekend a team wins two of these games. I think we’re apparently one of two that have done it this weekend. Credit to Tamworth, I thought it was a really tough fixture for us and they’re really good at what they do, but we did we did make a little bit of hard work of it ourselves. We got back at 5am from Barrow, we’ve had a couple of days, not really much prep on the game, so to come out three days after that and get another win, I think it’s really important for us.
“We all love coming here and playing, the pitch is great and I had goosebumps when the fans were singing in the Thatcher’s at the end. I am not over-the-moon with the performance today, but I am not going to dive in to that too much because that is for the staff and the players to review and keeping trying to improve. But I was pleased with the energy in the stadium, we scored another three goals, so I am really pleased for the fans as well.”
Rowley made seven changes to his starting XI from the dramatic late win at Barrow on Friday night with all seven substitutes in that game given a start against Tamworth. He insisted that the decision was driven by sports science with a number of players at risk of picking up injuries.
He said: “It was always the plan (to make changes) today, it might have been a little dependent on our result at Barrow, but all of the boys in this squad deserve to play. We have left two out of the squad today that also could play and those decisions are always results-driven. If we lose today, the first thing people will say is ‘why are we making so many changes?’, but if we win it is ‘great rotation and a sign of how good the squad is’ – and I’m glad it is the second. All the boys are training really well, forming a great bond and I was just really happy we were able to make changes and keep a strong side on the pitch.”
Captain Luke McCormick put Yeovil ahead after just 17 minutes when he stabbed home a beautiful move from the hosts before the visitors Jake Hutchinson levelled just after the half-hour mark following a swift counter attack. The boss admitted the first half performance did not get his blood pumping as much as he would have liked.
He said: “We want to be a team that has a lot of the ball. We want to be possession-based. We want to try and create opportunities to progress certain ways. But I think what that can end up looking like sometimes is just a lot of safety and just passing to the guy that’s closest to you, nearest to you. It becomes quite easy for the opposition and it also becomes pretty boring for the supporters to watch.
“I think there’s certain times, there’s certain players, where you just have to risk the ball. You have to try and break a line. You have to try and take someone on and carry the ball into the box, which is just something we’re going to have to look at and try and improve on. We have to understand that when you try those things, you turn the ball over. So we’ve got to be really good in those turnover moments as well. It’s just something else for us to keep working at and keep improving. But I think the boys have performed excellently in these last two games, so full credit to them.”
Rowley pleaded ignorance when it came to the heart-stopping moment at the end of the match when it appeared Tamworth had grabbed an equaliser. The moment saw goalkeeper Jos Barker beaten as he came to claim a cross in to his box and the ball dropped to the visitors’ Hayden Hollis who headed in to an unguarded net. That fell foul of the offside rule which says because Hollis was behind the keeper when he scored, he was in an offside position.
The Glovers’ boss said: “It’s another one I am going to have to watch again. Daz (Simpson, assistant manager) had the iPad next to me and he said it was offside. I have to credit the officials in these moments, it is a big decision which has gone our way and there were quite a few that didn’t today. I remember a handball on the edge of the box when we played some combination play, which should’ve been given. I don’t know, that might’ve been a penalty or just outside.
“But full credit to (the officials). They’re not able to go and check VAR like they are on the TV, so credit to them for actually reversing that moment in their head and replaying it and I think, from what I have heard, making the right decision.“