Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll struck a visibly frustrated figure when speaking to Sheridan Robins following the Glovers’ shock FA Trophy exit at the hands of Needham Market.
He said that his side had done enough to progress, but that ultimately too many errors and too many wasted moments led to his side’s exit.
“I thought we did enough to win it. I know Grant (Smith) makes a brilliant save at the end and his was our best player including the penalties – but we should never have allowed it to get to penalties.”
“I want to give great respect and credit to Needham and Kevin (Horlock, the manager), I thought they conducted themselves unbelievably well, I thought technically at times they looked better than us.”
“Physically was the only thing we edged, which we should being a full-time team, and it was a very poor performance…It was personality-less and that is a worrying trait whether you are young or old.”
“The first half was pretty controlled. We are not a great team when we have to have the ball, quality is at a premium and technically we were awful – we allowed that game to get to penalties, even in that penalty shoot-out we had four chances to win it in our ground with our fans, so we well and truly got what we deserved today.”
Sarll made a number of enforced changes, but still played what he called his ‘strongest eleven”, and admitted his hands were tied with just four subs named.
“We know when Luke (Wilkinson) is back he is a massive player, I think when we don’t have Staunton in midfield we lose control, Dale (Gorman) does a brilliant job but around him we have a lot of athleticism but we don’t have a lot of control and composure, Jordan (Barnett) and Matthew (Worthington) run so hard but there are times when we need to breathe.”
The Glovers host Hollywood’s Wrexham next Saturday a match which Sarll said would be “nice and easy” with his tongue firmly pressed into his cheek.