Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has urged his players to display bravery, courage, and personality ahead of their upcoming National League clash against Tamworth at Huish Park.
The Glovers currently sit 18th in the National League with 38 points and come off a tough period that culminated in a heartbreaking FA Trophy elimination. They were edged out 4-2 on penalties by Southport after a demanding sequence of fixtures.
Reflecting on the FA Trophy loss, Rowley acknowledged the impact of fatigue on his squad. “We lacked the energy to get to the ball,” he said. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—we’ve had a gruelling schedule with limited training time, mostly game, recover, game, recover.”
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The manager also felt the occasion and the fans’ emotions affected his players during the second half. “We didn’t play with enough courage, and the atmosphere clearly got to the lads.”
Tamworth, Yeovil’s opponents, arrive in better form, unbeaten in their last five matches and currently sitting 10th in the table. Their last result was a confident 3-2 win over Boreham Wood.
Rowley is keen to shift focus swiftly back to league matters. “We’re going to move on from the Southport game. The league is very important to us,” he said. “Tomorrow night is another chance at Huish Park with good local support. We need to be on the front foot from the first whistle.”
Boosting Yeovil’s prospects, players who were cup-tied over the weekend are back in contention. “Our energy levels should be better, especially up front,” Rowley said. “Terrell Works and Ryan Jones will be back in the mix.”
However, the team will still be without their top scorer Luke McCormick for the foreseeable future. “Hopefully, we’ll have some good news in the next 24 hours after Luke’s scan,” said Rowley.
The manager also sympathized with players Josh Sims and James Daly, who have been tasked with challenging roles at wingback. “They’re doing a tough job, and we need to improve on the ball to support them.”
The reverse fixture earlier in the season ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for Yeovil, which was the sole match under former caretaker manager Danny Webb.
Rowley’s message is clear: “We need to be brave and chase all three points from the first whistle. We must keep our foot on the pedal for the full 90 minutes.”