First Team Coach Frankie McAvoy hailed his players’ spirit after last weekend’s fantastic win — a result that added another valuable three points in what he described as one of the toughest fixtures of the season.
With Head Coach Mark Hughes serving a touchline ban, McAvoy will lead the side from the dugout on Saturday as the team travel to face Yeovil Town in what promises to be another stern Enterprise National League test.
Here's everything we learnt:
1. Any Win Is Worth Celebrating
“Any win — it’s worth celebrating. We’re just delighted to get another three points on the board in what was a very tough fixture.”
Asked if it could be a pivotal moment in the season, he remained cautious: “I think it’s probably too early to say. We’ve played 15 games, still 31 to go, so there’s a lot of football still to be played. The weather will change, the pitches will turn. At the moment playing at Brunton Park is magnificent, but there’ll be pitches we turn up to that are nowhere near as good. We’re in a good position, but there’s a long way to go.”
2. Keeping Energy High and Building Momentum
McAvoy was full of praise for the team’s attitude in training: “Training’s been fantastic. From the minute I got here, the manager has embedded that we work hard, we train hard, and we play hard. The camaraderie within the group is excellent, and it’s growing all the time.”
He highlighted the team’s resilience in recent weeks: “There’ll be ups and downs, bumps in the road, but it’s how you recover. The bounce-back ability the group has shown since the York and Rochdale defeats has been what we’ve been looking for.”
Asked how pleasing that resilience has been, he said: “I’ve always thought it was there. The manager would probably say the same. You can see it in training — we’ve got a lot of hungry players. From where we’ve been to where we’re trying to go, the journey is clear. We’ve had relegations, and the task is to do our utmost to get back into the Football League. It’s not going to be easy — there are a lot of good teams in this league, but I’ve enjoyed it. There’s good football, good teams, and anybody’s capable of beating anybody on their day.”
3. Fitness Update and Looking Ahead to Yeovil
On the injury front, McAvoy confirmed positive news: “Thankfully, everybody’s been training. We’ve started to get a few players back from injuries, so the squad’s healthy. Bevis (Mugabi) and Terrell (Thomas) have both been on the grass lately, which is good — they’re near full fitness.”
With Hughes suspended, McAvoy will lead the team at Yeovil: “I’d rather have the manager there if I’m being brutally honest, but he’ll not be too far away. If we can get the same outcome that we had at Wealdstone, that would be brilliant. Yeovil away will be tough — they’ve got a good balance, and although they’ve lost a few recently, anything can happen. We’ll need to be patient and wait for our openings, but we’ve got good momentum at the moment.”
4. Adapting and Preparing for the Challenge
“The training this week’s been very good. The lads buy into what we’re trying to do. We’ve got a clear philosophy — when we’ve got the ball, we try to be slick and quick with our passing. When we don’t have it, we try to get it back as fast as we can. Every game is different, but that’s our plan — make it tough for the opponent and be clinical when we’ve got it.”
He added: “There are so many different formations in this league. Some teams play a back three, some a back five, some with two up top. Our focus is on ourselves — how we break teams down and make sure we’re tough to play through.”
On the long trip to Somerset, McAvoy explained the team’s travel plans:“We’ll travel tomorrow (Friday) early morning, leaving about 8:30. We’ll stop at Mottram Hall to train before continuing the journey. It’s a long day, but rest and recovery are important — there’s a lot of travel in this league, but it’s the same for everyone.”
5. Squad Strength and Supporter Spirit
McAvoy praised the impact of players stepping up in recent weeks: “It’s great for the manager to have selection headaches. There’s a real healthiness about the squad right now. We’ve lost Terrell and Bevis, and a lot of teams might have struggled, but Aaron (Hayden) and Morgan (Feeney) have come in and done brilliantly. Both are good lads, train hard, work hard, and play hard. They’ve been excellent and bring great leadership.”
He also praised the fans for their passionate support: “The fans were magnificent on Saturday. They really pulled us over the line. Travelling all that way, giving up their time and money — they’ve been brilliant. Hopefully they’re enjoying the wins — I think that’s 11 wins in 16 under the manager, which is fantastic, and hopefully that continues.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the supporters. You think about the travel they’ve got to make — it’s a real hike for a lot of these people. They give up their time and spend their hard-earned cash to follow us up and down the country. It’s a big commitment, especially with Christmas only a few months away. So full credit to them — they’ve been absolutely fantastic."
He also addressed recent incidents involving supporter behaviour: “From my experience, most of our fans have been excellent, but no one deserves to be abused or severely criticised. Being a manager is one of the hardest jobs in football. These lads are doing their best, and they deserve respect.”
6. “We’ll Keep Fighting”
McAvoy finished by praising the collective spirit between players, staff, and fans: “The group’s shown real character. We’ve bounced back after tough results and built good momentum. We’ve got to keep it going now.”
He added: “The journey’s only just begun. We’ll keep working hard, stay united, and do everything we can to get this club back where it belongs — in the Football League.”
