Yeovil Town booked an FA Cup tie away at Chesterfield after overcoming Leatherhead 5-2 in the fourth qualifying round, but manager Billy Rowley said the emphatic victory also exposed defensive problems his side must resolve.
The Glovers recovered from conceding inside the opening two minutes to score five times and seal their place in the next round. The result means Yeovil will now face Chesterfield, an EFL League Two opponent, away from home in what Rowley described as a major test of his squad’s progress.
Fast start from Leatherhead leaves Yeovil with work to do
Yeovil’s afternoon began badly when Leatherhead took the lead with their first attack. Rowley said a lost header allowed the ball to fall to an opposing player, who struck from the edge of the box.
The manager admitted the early goal was frustrating and said the incident would be reviewed. While he regarded it as an isolated moment rather than evidence of a permanent weakness, he also acknowledged that Yeovil looked open and fragile during some of Leatherhead’s attacks.
“That’s obviously something that really annoyed me and I’m sure the players at the time. I mean, the very first attack, I think I’ll have to watch it back. I think we lost a header and then it just dropped for them and they had a shot on the edge of the box, it went in.”
Rowley said the team’s defensive response would be important as Yeovil prepares to face stronger opposition. Despite the five-goal return, he felt there were areas where the side needed to be “a lot better” and “a lot cleaner”.
“We scored five goals. The displeasing thing for me was just the the one or two attacks that Leatherhead had… we looked quite open and quite fragile, which is something we’re obviously going to have to to address.”
Spasov and Lennon lead Yeovil’s attacking response
Slavi Spasov was among Yeovil’s key performers, scoring twice. Rowley praised the forward’s energy, movement and contribution when the team does not have possession, as well as his ability to bring teammates into play.
The manager said Spasov’s overall work is valued even when he is not scoring, adding that the striker’s two goals provided a fitting reward for his wider contribution to the team.
“He’s a great, great lad,” Rowley said. “He’s a great great lad. I enjoy his energy towards training every day. He’s an infectious character. He really loves his football.”
Charlie Lennon also made a decisive impact after coming off the bench. The substitute scored twice and helped shift momentum in Yeovil’s favour by driving forward, pushing Leatherhead back and creating opportunities.
Rowley explained that Lennon has had fewer minutes than he would have liked because of the early-season form of James Daly and Mason Obeng. He said Lennon responded positively when called upon.
“Charlie’s come on the pitch today and done everything that was asked of him. Every time he got the ball, hedrove us forward, he pushed them back into the box, he created chances for us.”
Rowley also highlighted Liam Nardiello, who was brought into the side after injuries affected the squad. The manager said Nardiello performed well in possession and delivered what had been required of him.
Chesterfield challenge awaits in the next round
Yeovil’s reward for progressing is a trip to Chesterfield in a couple of weeks. Rowley said the League Two side’s underlying data suggested they were performing at the highest level in their division, making the tie a significant measure of where Yeovil stand.
He also appealed for travelling supporters to get behind the team. The manager said the backing at the Leatherhead match had again been excellent and hoped a strong away following would help the Glovers in Chesterfield.
“We’ve got a really interesting tie in the next round at Chesterfield away, which I’m hoping obviously a lot of our fans will will try and help us out with, and I’m sure they will.”
Rowley described the match as a chance to test Yeovil against EFL opposition and said the club would be looking to produce an upset.
“It’s going to be a great test for us, you know, litmus test to see where we’re at and, very much looking forward to it and you know, hopefully we can we can go there and pull off an upset.”