Billy Rowley, manager of Yeovil Town, has expressed his excitement about returning to Huish Park for the club’s first home fixture of the National League season. He stated, “I love going to Huish (Park) for game day,” emphasising his connection to the ground ahead of their clash with Carlisle United.
The Glovers are set to welcome Carlisle United to Huish Park on Saturday, following an opening day draw away at Scunthorpe United. Carlisle, on the other hand, suffered a defeat to newly promoted Worthing in their season opener. Yeovil will be aiming to secure their first victory over Carlisle since 2018 and their first home win against them at Huish Park since 2011.
Last season, the two sides met twice. Yeovil managed a 1-1 draw at home, but Carlisle secured a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture. Rowley anticipates a challenging game ahead, acknowledging the quality of the opposition. “I’m expecting a very good team, Rob (Rob Elliot, Carlisle United manager) is a top manager,” he said. “Their players are technically gifted; all it takes is for us to switch off at one moment or get a press wrong, and they’ll get the other side of us.”
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Rowley has taken time to review Carlisle’s opening day performance. Despite their loss to Worthing, he believes Carlisle’s display was strong and expects them to be contenders. “I rewatched their game against Worthing and on another day, they could have been two or three up,” Rowley explained. “I’d bet them to be in the top five or top three this season.”
Despite the forthcoming challenge, Rowley is optimistic about showcasing his evolving team on their home turf. “The pitch is incredible, the fans feel like they are really buzzing to be back and watch this team play,” he noted. “It’s our job to turn up and put on a good performance.”
He also emphasised the importance of patience as his squad continues to gel. Reflecting on his previous club, he recalled, “I think back to my last club, we were in and around sixth, seventh around Christmas time, then we went on a four-month crazy win streak. So, October, November is when you’ll start to see a really good version of us.”
Currently, Yeovil are not at full strength. Loick Ayina remains unavailable due to a knee injury sustained recently, while Joe Haigh, who missed pre-season, is sidelined for an additional four weeks. “Joe (Haigh) is going to be a massive part of the way we play this year, so we’re not at full strength yet,” Rowley revealed.
Yeovil Town will be eager to build on their opening day draw and hope to notch their first win of the season at Huish Park this weekend.