Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley described his team’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Radstock Town in the first round of the Francis Hillier Somerset Men’s Premier Cup as “a really good exercise” for his squad. The match took place at Huish Park, where the Glovers fielded a strong side blending experienced National League players with academy prospects.
Starting with eight seasoned players from the National League squad, along with goalkeeping coach Matt Gould and Under-19s players Archie Bryce and Liam Nardiello, Yeovil quickly established their dominance. Mason Obeng set the tone by opening the scoring just four minutes in, followed by goals from James Daly, Ste Walker, and Charlie Lennon, which saw the team lead 4-0 at half-time.
The Glovers made three substitutions after the break but continued to control the game comfortably. Ryan Jones added a fifth goal before Slavi Spasov headed in a sixth, and Obeng completed the rout with a late strike to secure a 7-0 win.
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Rowley highlighted the value of giving first-team players valuable minutes during a congested schedule. “If we had a few important games coming up in close succession, we might have looked at this game slightly differently,” he said. “It was a good chance to get good minutes for the boys. I spoke to a few of them individually and it was more of a discussion about if they wanted to play, and every lad said yes. It’s much more enjoyable than playing a 9v9 in training, that’s for sure.”
A notable positive from the evening was the return of Ste Walker, starting after missing the previous two matches due to illness. “He’s fine,” Rowley confirmed. “You can hear that he’s not fully fit, but that’s another reason we wanted to play this game tonight. He’s ready to go and back available for selection, so it was good to see him back out there.”
The boss also praised Under-19s midfielder Liam Nardiello, who earned man of the match honours. Originally a striker, Nardiello has transitioned into a deeper playmaking role. “When he first came to our attention last season he was a striker, but I recently spoke to Roy, his youth team manager, and he’s moved him back into a Number 10 position. Today we used him as a deep-lying midfielder,” Rowley explained. “I thought he was superb-the timing of his passes, his decision to switch play and manage the game’s tempo were excellent. I was impressed with his physicality and really pleased for him.”
Despite the one-sided scoreline, Rowley felt there were still aspects to refine, especially given Yeovil’s dominance in possession. “We got some good bits out of it,” he commented. “Obviously had lots of the ball, so we took halftime to look at ways to create further chances.”
Rowley also commended Radstock for their efforts throughout the match. “Firstly, I’d like to thank Radstock for coming and putting up a good show. I just spoke with their management team and praised their fitness levels for step six; I was really impressed with them.”
The convincing win ensures Yeovil Town move into the next stage of the Francis Hillier Somerset Men’s Premier Cup. The Glovers will return to league action on Saturday, travelling to face Kidderminster Harriers, eager to build on their recent victory against Solihull Moors.