Darren Sarll showed his Yeovil Town players a video nasty to ensure a fast start in the 1-0 win over Barnet at Huish Park on Saturday.
The Glovers’ boss said ahead of the game he showed his side the opening of the 1-1 draw at home to bottom-of-the-table Dover Athletic a fortnight ago.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
In that match, a goal from TJ Bramble saw the visitors take the lead after just two minutes.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the manager described the start against Barnet, capped by a ninth-minute goal from striker Adi Yussuf, as the best he has seen in his time at the club.
He said: “I played them (a video) of the Dover start yesterday to make the point that this is how bad it can look, let’s make sure we start on the right foot.
“I also spoke to them heavily about motivation after the FA Cup game because when the telly is here and you are playing an EFL side players organically motivate themselves, it’s when it’s a drab December evening with no cameras here that teams can struggle.
“So we spoke about that at length (on Friday) and Terry (Skiverton, assistant manager) came in after the warm-up and said ‘they are ready to go now’.
“He was right because that was the best start we have had to a game in my three years here definitely.
As you would expect from a team which has gone 11 matches unbeaten, the manager was full of praise for his side who have kept eight clean sheets in that run.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Sarll picked out his entire defence for praise and described a late block by midfielder Josh Staunton as “almost like scoring a goal” and the effort of Matt Worthington as “spectacular.”
He added: “We are very much enjoying the run and we know we have to work hard to keep going.”
Worthington added that fast starts were part of the game plan Yeovil had adopted this season.
He told BBC Somerset: “We go out and try and get our tempo in the first 15 minutes, get that first goal and our legs and our power takes over from there.
“It is a brilliant run we are on and the lads are really buying in to what we are trying to do and how we are trying to play.”