As Yeovil Town prepare for their FA Cup tie against Chesterfield, manager Billy Rowley insists his side are heading into it full of confidence and eager to embrace the challenge. Despite the division gap between the two clubs, the Glovers are treating the fixture as an opportunity to showcase their capabilities on a bigger stage.
The Glovers enter the weekend fixture following a disappointing outing against Halifax, a result that Rowley was quick to shoulder responsibility for alongside his players.
However, the squad has swiftly moved past that chapter. “Halifax wasn’t great, which we all know and and we’ve all owned as staff and players. So yeah, we’ve moved on from that chapter and we go to Chesterfield full of confidence and we’re coming up against a really good team, really well coached, top fan base, tough place to go, but, we go there as underdogs and we can go out there swinging and and see where it takes us:
Squad depth will be tested this weekend, with Ben Radcliffe and Archie Davies both sidelined through suspension. Yet, Rowley sees this enforced rotation as a silver lining for other members of the squad looking to make an impression.
Drawing comparisons to previous challenges, Rowley explained how temporary absences can open doors. “It’s always a chance for lads to come and grab a shirt,” Rowley noted; “It’s happened a few times. I remember Aldershot, Loick, Loick will step back in this weekend. He played really well up until the send off at Aldershot and then he misses a few games and it’s hard to get back in the team. So, sometimes these things come at a good time for certain lads and a bad time for others. So it’s a chance for us to shuffle the pack a little bit, give opportunity where it’s deserved. A chance for those lads to grab the shirt and keep it.
Meanwhile, injury updates regarding Brett McGavin provide mild optimism for the camp. Rowley shared that while scans were recently completed, the club is hopeful the time off will be brief. “He’s been out here doing some coaching for us actually the last couple of days, which is, which has been good,” Rowley said. “We’re all very hopeful that it will only be, you know, probably this weekend, maybe one other that he misses.”
Facing a Chesterfield side with a strong home support, Yeovil are under no illusions about the atmosphere awaiting them. Yet, Rowley stresses that his team’s overarching philosophy will not change regardless of the opponent.
“It’ll be a tough atmosphere to play, but it’s a great setup there, it’s a nice pitch. We can go there and try and imprint some of the ideas that we’re trying to embed, but look, I think we’re going to a top, a top League Two team. Like I said, they’re well-coached, so we’re not expecting there to go and, and dominate the game, we’re going to have to roll our sleeves up, we’re going to have to show a real tenacity and grit to our game, and I’m expecting the lads to do that.”
This is though, the FA Cup and we all know how often shocks can happen; “We’re hoping that Chesterfield think that they’re going to win and it’s going to be a slightly easier game that they would face on a usual Saturday,” Rowley remarked. “We’re obviously naturally going to be motivated to go there and play in, in a greater arena and some of the young lads showcase themselves against a team in the league higher.“