Darren Way felt Yeovil were due a big win
Posted Sunday, January 13, 2019 by PA
Yeovil boss Darren Way believes his side’s shock 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Mansfield has eased some pressure.
Jordan Green’s 19th-minute goal ensured the Glovers ended a 10-match winless streak, moving them three points above the relegation zone.
Way beamed: “The players showed unbelievable character and resilience.
“Mansfield is not an easy place to come to – their record speaks for itself.
“The win was important for the players more than anything as the environment at Yeovil had become a little bit toxic. That’s not a healthy environment.
“But our dressing room is good and the relationship I’ve got with the players is good, so nothing was going to upset that.
“We knew we were close to a win. But coming here today I don’t think anyone expected us to get anything, but we did. That’s football.”
With a fierce wind in their faces, Mansfield struggled to get going in the first half though visiting goalkeeper Nathan Baxter made three good saves to deny CJ Hamilton, Tyler Walker and Jacob Mellis.
Yeovil’s high press caused problems for the home side and Green was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when he seemed to be caught by debutant goalkeeper Jordan Smith as he tried to go past him early on.
But he would have felt justice was done as he raced onto a long, high Carl Dickinson ball and slotted coolly under Smith.
The Stags dominated after the break and Baxter pulled off a fantastic save to deny substitute Danny Rose while Walker saw a header ruled out for offside.
Green also forced a good stop from Smith at the other end where a Jake Gray cross came back off the crossbar.
Mansfield boss David Flitcroft, who saw Matt Preston sent off late on, said: “We lost too many individual battles in the first half.
“We couldn’t get into second gear and there was no fluidity to what we did.
“When we did get the other side of their press we were not careful enough or clinical enough in our play to release Tyler Walker or CJ Hamilton.
“We needed a match-winning pass. It’s a position of responsibility. There was a lack of responsibility and ownership in key moments.
“In the second half we got on the front foot and completely dominated proceedings, but there was no real punch to anything we did in that last third.
“Their keeper has done well but we should have made him work even harder. It’s about precision and placement.
“I feel sorry for the supporters today as they stuck with it and tried to get us back in the game. We didn’t do them justice today.”
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