Manager Darren Way wasn’t best pleased with how Yeovil slipped to defeat in the weekend’s game with Hartlepool United.
Going down two one on the day with the hosts taking a two goal lead before Francois Zoko grabbed a consolation late in stoppage time, Way was quoted by the Western Daily Press as saying it was unacceptable the way the side slipped to defeat and he’s not having Yeovil’s old performances come back to haunt us after making the steps forward he believes have been made.
‘I saw a little bit of the old Yeovil today and I am not accepting that. I don’t think we played with any tempo. We just looked a yard off. We didn’t anticipate seconds, our passing was sloppy and we kept giving the ball away too much. From the start it was one of my worries that this was going to happen at some stage. I was hoping it wasn’t going to happen today because of the consequences. Having said that, we were still there, at times, in the final third looking to go for it. For how poor the performance was I still think we could have got something out of the game. I was disappointed in the manner that we lost.’
Way went on to say that the turning point in the game for him was the controversial penalty award in the game for a foul by Jakub Sokolik and whilst he didn’t disagree it was a foul he questioned why it was given as a penalty when the offence took place three odd yards outside of the box.
‘The key decision was the penalty, I think that cost us. I’ll have to have a look at it. I thought the referee was poor today but you have got to deal with that. To arrive that late and look like you’re lunging is a mistake, whether it was outside or inside.’
With another less questionable decision being the sending off of Smith for his scuffle with Paynter, Way went on to say.
‘The sending off made it difficult to get anything out of the game. Whether he has made contact or not I don’t know. Paynter instigates that and I warned the players and said to them not to get sent off today. So I had already read ahead of that, but even though I warned them they went and made the mistake.’
Way also confirmed that the Jack Compton substitution was because the player had picked up a hamstring injury, but at the time of speaking he didn’t know how serious it was – his main thoughts obviously were on the performance at the point.
‘There is a lot at stake. One where we are as a football club, but also that a lot of them are playing for their futures. One or two froze with the pressure and that is going to be there all season, it’s not going to be easy. So far the players had risen to the challenge, but I didn’t see that today.’
