Manager's reaction after Yeovil
Neal Ardley said after today’s defeat to Yeovil Town that his players slipped below the high standards they had set in previous weeks.
Speaking during a post-match interview for Dons Player, Neal said: “I thought we under-performed today and I cannot say anything other than that. I thought this would be a tough game and we prepped the players for that. I knew that out of all the games coming up this could be a sticky one. We had four or five players that have been playing really well, but they under-performed. When you have that it is hard, but we still scored two very good goals. At home that should be enough, but the three goals we conceded were really poor.
“It was a lazy penalty to give away and a poor second goal to concede from a free-kick 45 yards out that is whipped in. That should not happen. For their first goal we do a lot of work defensively on that type of situation. If they get behind the lines we become narrow and defend the cross, but we let someone run inside us from a wide area and slot it in.
“I have to give Yeovil credit though as well. We did not expect anything other than a tough game, but it is disappointing with the way we defended. Every time after a defeat we have bounced back. After Stevenage and Morecambe we did it and we have to do it again. Now we have to get 30-odd points out of 18 games, which makes the task harder. We will turn up next week for training and make sure the boys work really hard to try and get back on track.”
Neal added that David Fitzpatrick’s overall display, including a goal on his full debut, impressed him.
“It was a tough game for David to come into today because of the way the game went,” said Neal. “It was not free-flowing because of how good Yeovil played, but he scored a good goal and worked his socks off for the team.”
Dannie Bulman and Sean Rigg both missed out due to injury, but both could be back for next Saturday’s trip to Bristol Rovers.
Full post-match reaction from Neal Ardley is now on Dons Player.