2nd March 2016


Yeovil manager Darren Way says that his tired squad can recover after they battled to successive 1-0 wins to boost survival chances.

After a 1-0 win at Dagenham and Redbridge, a repeat scoreline against playoff-chasing Accrington Stanley at Huish Park puts Yeovil six points clear of the relegation zone.

And Way was proud of his squad as they battled through illness to three more important points in the fight to stay up.

“I’m afraid to go in the dressing room at the moment!” joked Way.

“I think it’s only me at the moment that seems to be coming in every day feeling well! It must be my missus, she keeps the house clean!”

“Dicko told me before the game ‘I told the doctor I don’t want him stood round this dressing room! You might as well send yourself home, because if not you’re gonna have ten or twelve players!’

“I didn’t want them talking or going anywhere near a doctor until after the game; they can recover now!”

 

Way said that he motivated the players by showing them what the table would look like if they had won or lost, and it done the trick as Ryan Dickson scored the only goal of the game to give Town a valuable win.

“It’s unbelievable, and the players realise the importance of that win,” said Way.

“We had a picture up of what the table would look like with a win, and we also had the consequences if it didn’t go right tonight.

“Fair play to the players, I had to make one or two changes; Jakub had to go home after feeling dizzy, so the squad has been really hit in extreme circumstances, so the players need to take a bit of credit because they’re giving everything for the club.”

Despite being level at half-time, the Yeovil boss wasn’t happy with his forwards in the first half as the front three struggled to click into gear.

Way said, “I had to change things. I don’t think the front three done enough against Dagenham, for the way I want them to play.

“We need to work hard, and out of possession they have to put a shift in that they haven’t done before. This isn’t under 21s football, this has a lot riding on it, and we need performances straight away; if not, I’ve got to make changes.

“I don’t like making changes because I’m quite loyal, but if they’re not doing the business they need to know.”

He added, “Having said that, these boys have been doing well so any time their standards drop, it’s quite foreseeable and the crowd are going to notice that.

“I do as a manager, they do that as players, and they want to have higher standards, but sometimes it’s never going to be the perfect 90 minutes.”

Despite the first half not being up to scratch Way did explain that they were up against a very good team, with Stanley still in fourth place despite defeat last night.

“It was a good game,” said the Town boss, who keeps his unbeaten home record in the league since becoming manager at Huish Park.

“The first half was poor, but having said that it was two open teams going at each other. They’re a good team, Accrington, with a good away record.

“I know their manager will be disappointed, but I keep talking about risk and reward; there was a lot of risk tonight, but I thought it was important I told the players that the first 45 wasn’t the greatest.”