Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley described their recent clash at Huish Park as a “poor game, poor performance but a great result,” following a dramatic late win that relegated Truro City and secured Yeovil vital points in their fight for survival.
The defining moment came from loan forward Will Merry, whose solo effort in the closing stages ensured a 1-0 victory for the Glovers. While the win was crucial, Yeovil struggled for consistency throughout the match, with Truro City dominating significant portions of play.
Rowley admitted, “It was another game of two halves for us, but credit to Truro; they were decent in the first half. We played poorly, we know that, but the boys are completely on empty.”
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The heavy fixture schedule has taken its toll on the squad. Rowley highlighted the challenges, saying, “They’ve had a week to prepare, and we obviously played Southend away on Tuesday and got back at 2am. But when you stand here as a manager and reel off excuses or reasons then you open the firing line to get hammered.”
Despite the lacklustre showing, Rowley found positives, particularly in the second half. “It was not a beautiful game today, but I thought in the second half we were decent enough.”
Will Merry’s goal was a standout moment, with Rowley praising his physicality and skill: “Really impressive, physically he’s a bit of a beast. He glides with the ball, he’s really exciting to watch.”
Merry’s impact was made despite minimal training with the team. “I think he’s trained once since coming in, so he’s another one we haven’t had a chance to practice what we do, he’s just been thrown out there and told good luck mate,” Rowley said. “I heard the announcer give him man of the match in the 80th minute and 10 minutes after he dribbled around two and slotted it home.”
The match also brought injury concerns; Jake Wannell and Aaron Jarvis were both forced off in the second half. “Like all the boys, fully patched up,” Rowley commented. “Jake pulled up injured after 10 minutes, so credit to him for doing the best he could. Jarv went to close down a defender, felt a pull in his calf, and gave it as good as he could for 10 minutes but had to come off.”
Acknowledging the players’ fatigue, Rowley remarked, “The boys are absolutely shattered.”
Victory not only condemned Truro to relegation but significantly improved Yeovil’s standing, moving them to 13th place and closer to league safety. “Naturally it’s a relief,” Rowley said. “If you think back to the Sutton game at home, you’re in a real scrap, two or three points above relegation. Now to be 13th, I know it’s really tight in this league, but we’re sitting 13th and I think it’s an enormous credit to the boys.”
Yet, Rowley was clear the Glovers must produce better football for their passionate supporters. “We play for a big club, the supporters are unbelievable. I was a little disappointed we couldn’t deliver a better performance for them today.”
Yeovil now prepare for a challenging Easter Monday fixture against Eastleigh, with Rowley mindful of the difficulty ahead: “As always, a really tough game, this league is gruelling, it’s hard.”