Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley reflected on a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Eastleigh at Huish Park in the final match of 2025. Despite missing out on all three points, Rowley praised his squad’s effort and highlighted key areas for improvement as the season progresses.
The Glovers opened the scoring in the 28th minute when Josh Sims capitalized on an error and set up Luke McCormick, who confidently struck home his seventh goal of the campaign. However, Yeovil’s defensive lapses allowed Aaron Blair to equalize from 12 yards just before half-time.
Rowley acknowledged the importance of discipline in avoiding such moments. “We strayed from our game plan leading up to the equalizer,” he admitted. “There were positional mistakes, and we turned the ball over too cheaply. We took our foot off the gas.”
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In the second half, Yeovil regained control, creating multiple scoring opportunities but failing to find a winner. “The substitutes injected fresh energy, and we should have converted some of those chances,” Rowley said.
The manager emphasized the need for a more dynamic attacking approach moving forward. “We want to be unpredictable. It’s vital we stretch defenses and don’t always rely on short passes,” he noted.
McCormick drew special praise for his influence on Yeovil’s offense. “Luke is instrumental in how we attack and shows great commitment to the club. He’ll be disappointed not to have scored more tonight given the chances he had,” Rowley shared.
Defensively, the return of Morgan Williams after a three-game suspension was a boost. “His leadership at the back is vital, and it was great having him back. He even nearly scored a volley to win the game,” the manager added.
Despite concerns, Kyle Ferguson was withdrawn late in the game as a tactical change rather than due to injury. “Kyle was in the thick of it tonight. We brought on Finn Cousin-Dawson to add attacking options since we had plenty of possession,” explained Rowley.
Reflecting on his tenure, Rowley expressed gratitude for the club’s support and his journey so far. “It’s been a rewarding experience in my short managerial career. I’ve felt welcomed at every turn,” he said, while stressing the ultimate goal for the team: “The results haven’t been as strong as I’d like, so accumulating more points is our main aim in 2026.”
Yeovil will return to action this Saturday at 17:30, hosting Braintree at Huish Park in the season’s first match of the new year.
Yeovil Town lineup: Ward; Williams, Ferguson (Cousin-Dawson 81), Wannell; Daly (Oluwabori 76), Jolliffe (Efete 58), McCormick, McGavin, Plant; Sims (Tobin 76), Jarvis (Campbell 81). Subs not used: Gould, Greenslade
Eastleigh lineup: Townsend; Eweka, Pierre, Humphries; Pearson (Waruih 88), Harris, Evans, Lundstram, Brindley (Waite 10) (Fernandez 88); Blair (McCallum 88), Saunders (Whitehead 90+2). Subs not used: McNamara, Maher
Referee: Harrison Blair
Attendance: 3,102