Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley praised his team’s performance and the valuable insights gained despite their narrow 3-2 defeat to League One side Wycombe Wanderers in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly match.
Wycombe opened the scoring early, but Mason Obeng equalised for the Glovers in the 23rd minute with a precise finish to the far corner. The Chairboys then regained the lead soon after, followed by a third goal early in the second half to make it 3-1.
Luke McCormick brought Yeovil back into the game with a volley on the hour mark, but the Glovers were unable to find a late equaliser, ultimately falling to a side two divisions above them.
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Rowley reflected on the match, telling club media, “I really enjoyed it. There was talk before the game about needing to motivate the lads since there was no crowd, but the match had plenty of intensity. From the first minute, you could feel the good energy. They pressed us aggressively, and we explored different ways to break through that pressure. There’s a lot for us to learn and improve on, but it was a really valuable exercise for the team.”
He described the game as “end-to-end and free-flowing,” noting that both teams were keen to play open football, which led to chances at both ends. “When you play like this, space is left behind, and that resulted in both sides having opportunities. There were also some strong spells where we controlled the ball well. This is the kind of game we’ll analyse closely to learn and improve. Realistically, only a handful of matches in our league will resemble this style. It was a solid workout and the level of football many of my players aspire to compete at. It certainly opened their eyes.”
Despite the loss, Rowley remains optimistic about the squad’s direction, noting both their technical skills and positive dressing-room atmosphere. He stated that even if no new signings arrive before the National League season kicks off, he is comfortable with the current group.
“I’m really positive about our team, as I’ve been since day one of training. We have a strong group whose ability and attributes align with what we want, and their characters are excellent too. We’re monitoring the situation regarding potential additions-we might bring someone in if needed-but right now, we’re about 90% where we want to be. I don’t anticipate much change in the next couple of weeks,” he concluded.