Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley acknowledged his team’s defeat following a narrow 1-0 loss to Truro City on Boxing Day. The decisive moment came early in the match when Tyler Harvey capitalized on a long throw to score the only goal in the 13th minute.
Rowley praised Truro City’s effective set-piece play, admitting that the early goal disrupted Yeovil’s momentum. “They got an early set piece goal, which they are famous for,” he explained. “We didn’t handle it well and it put us on the back foot.”
Despite going behind, Yeovil dominated possession for large portions of the game but struggled to convert control into clear chances. “We had some decent moments but not enough,” Rowley noted. “My gut feeling is we were slightly the better team but didn’t test the opposition keeper enough.”
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Goalkeeper Jed Ward was a standout performer, making several key saves to keep Yeovil competitive, including a crucial stop against Harvey before the goal and a fingertip save against Yassine En-Neyah in the final minutes.
Yeovil’s best chance to equalize came late when captain Jake Wannell slammed a header off the crossbar, denying the team a late lifeline. “It’s a shame it didn’t drop for us; that would have made the night a bit sweeter for our fans,” Rowley said, praising Wannell’s strong defensive performance.
The manager also applauded the passionate support from Yeovil’s fans, who sold out their ticket allocation and created an electric atmosphere. “They were incredible today, our best players. That’s for sure,” he added.
Rowley reflected on the substitutes’ impact, highlighting Andrew Oluwabori’s energetic contributions despite overall fatigue. “Andrew did really well when he came on, but Harv found it difficult,” he observed.
A recurring problem for Yeovil was their lack of cutting edge in the final third. Rowley took responsibility for this, emphasizing the need for more creativity and sharper final passes. “Creativity is a funny word in football; many players with high creativity cost millions,” he said. “Our job is to help the forwards with more ideas, whether that’s better shots, final passes, or crosses.”
He concluded with a positive outlook: “We will own that performance. We lost fair and square and will move on.”
Looking ahead, Rowley is eager to bounce back. “I can’t wait to get back out there,” he shared, acknowledging the competitive spirit in the changing room despite recent setbacks.
Yeovil Town will return to Huish Park this Tuesday to host Eastleigh in their final game of 2025, aiming to close the year with a victory.