May 2021 (Page 8)

By:
On:
In: Match Reports

A sending off for Luke Wilkinson and a battling performance will be how the statistics show only Yeovil Town’s second goalless draw of the season, but the real story here was the return of supporters to Huish Park.

In total, 1,497 home fans – unless anyone from Maidenhead United sneaked in unnoticed – were on hand for a battle of two distinctly mid-table sides .

But, if this performance is anything to go by, you can see how much the Glovers have missed the presence of fans in the ground.

The better chances fell to the home side with Josh Neufville and Charlie Lee hitting the woodwork in each half and even after Wilkinson’s dismissal for a second yellow when he clearly handled a corner in to the net.

But, even with a man disadvantage, it was Yeovil who looked to be pressing for the winner and might even go away feeling disappointed not to have got more than a point.

All in all, for those lucky enough to be inside the ground – football is back.

Here’s how I saw it…..

FIRST HALF

Joe Quigley for Reuben Reid in the frontline was the only change Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll made to his starting line-up, with under-18s’ midfielder Adam Heaton named among the substitutes with the bench at full strength.

The boss was also able to start with the same back four as he did in the 3-1 win over King’s Lynn three days earlier. There’s a novelty, eh?

On the fourth minute, every fan, player and member of staff of both clubs joined in a rapturous round applause in memory of late Glovers’ skipper, Lee Collins. I’m not crying, you’re crying!

https://twitter.com/s_dalbiac/status/1394723470827794441?s=20

Josh Neufville had the game’s first opportunity forcing Maidenhead James Holden, who joined from Championship Reading five days earlier, in to a stop.

Five minutes later, the Luton Town loanee was cutting in from the right and hit a drive which grazed the top of the bar on its way over.

From then on in, it was fairly end-to-end next with the visitors threatening to create something, but not quite forcing Adam Smith in to any meaningful action as two physical teams cancelled each other out.

The nearest opportunity came on 35 minutes when a deep free-kick from Carl Dickinson saw Holden caught in no man’s land and found Quigley whose header was turned wide for a corner, from which Charlie Lee headed just over at the back post.

Holden was in action again with five minutes to go as Chris Dagnall‘s fine pass found Tom Knowles on the right of the box whose shot was turned away.

The half finished goalless but Yeovil will have gone in at the break feeling they had the better opportunities.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0  Maidenhead United 0

SECOND HALF

It was a bright start for the home side having a shot cleared off the line in the opening exchanges and making the better opportunities without ever really threatening the Maidenhead goal.

On the hour mark the visitors made an opening when Smith had to make a good double save from first full-back George Wilson and then reacted quickly to deny Danilo Orsi-Dadamo on the rebound.

On 62 minutes, a corner in from the right was met by the raised arm of Luke Wilkinson who bundled the ball back in to the net and, having picked up a yellow card in the first half, was given his marching orders by referee Daniel Lamport.

It was a disappointing way for such an experienced player to go with a first yellow for kicking the ball away and a second for deliberate handball to bring his season to a premature end.

Lee rattled the crossbar with an impressive volley with 20 minutes to go, but despite their numerical disadvantage it was still Yeovil who still looked the more likely to find the breakthrough with plenty of attacking intent.

However, the final chance of the game did fall to Orsi-Dadamo who broke in to the box in the final minute of normal time, but could only chip an effort over the bar.

Full time:  Yeovil Town 0 Maidenhead United 0

 

Yeovil Town: Smith, Kelly, Wilkinson, Sass-Davies, Dickinson (c), Lee, Knowles, D’Ath, Neufville (for Sonupe, 85), Quigley, Dagnall.
Substitues (not used): Evans (GK), Stephens, Heaton, Quigley.
Bookings: Wilkinson, Dagnall.
Sending off: Wilkinson.

Maidenhead United: Holden, Massey (c), Wells, Parry, Twumasi, Coley (for Keetch, 77), Smith (for Sparkes, 67), Ince, Comley (Egan, 80), Upward, Orsi-Dadamo.
Substitutes (not used): Wiltshire.
Bookings: Wells.

Attendance: 1,497

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town central defender Max Hunt has revealed he will miss the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone.

The 22-year-old, who suffered the injury in the 3-0 defeat at Wrexham, confirmed the news on his Twitter ahead of Tuesday night’s home game with Maidenhead United, the first in front of supporters at Huish Park.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Joe Quigley replaces Reuben Reid in the only change to the Yeovil Town starting line-up for the match with Maidenhead United in front of supporters at Huish Park on Tuesday night.

Reid drops to the bench where he is joined by midfielder Adam Heaton, a member of the Glovers’ under-18s, as boss Darren Sarll names a full bench having started with just four subs against King’s Lynn at the weekend.

For the visitors, former Yeovil players Seth Nana Twumasi and Rohan Ince both start.

 

Yeovil Town: Adam Smith, Michael Kelly, Luke Wilkinson, Billy Sass-Davies, Carl Dickinson, Charlie Lee, Tom Knowles, Lawson D’Ath, Josh Neufville, Joe Quigley, Chris Dagnall.
Substitues: Max Evans (GK), Emmanual Sonupe, Toby Stephens,Adam Heaton, Joe Quigley.

Maidenhead United: Holden, Massey (c), Wells, Parry, Twumasi, Coley, Smith, Ince, Comley, Upward, Orsi.
Substitutes: Wiltshire, Egan, Keetch, Sparkes

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News
Picture: Courtesy of Mike Kunz

Former Yeovil Town Goalkeeper Stuart Nelson is on the hunt for a new club after Crawley Town opted not to enter negotations on a new contract.

Nelson, who will turn 40 in September, played at Huish Park for two seasons with his final game being the defeat to Barnet in the National League Play-Offs last season.

All the best to Stuart as he looks for his next club – with over 500 professional games on his CV, he shouldn’t short of options.

 

By:
On:
In: Uncategorized

“In Goes Stewart… THEY’VE ONLY GONE AND DONE IT”

Where do you even begin?
As a Yeovil Town supporter of 21 years, the emotions of that night on the side of the River Trent will live long in the memory.

2-0 down from the first leg in Somerset, how could Yeovil go to the City Ground and over turn that deficit?

The myths and stories are legendary, the Forest players had already had their suits fitted for Wembley, the cars parked around the city were already plastered with adverts asking fans to book their travel and their hotels, but Arron Davies, Chris Cohen and Co had other ideas.

It was magical, something I’ve been lucky enough to write about before, including in Martin McConachie’s excellent book ’10’ documenting the Glovers first 10 years as a football league club.

I’ve tried to write this On This Day a few times, and never felt I’ve done it justice.

So i’ll leave it to Ben Barrett from 2011 with the YouTube highlights (below) still a regular clip on the play list in my house.

1095 fans made their way to the City Ground knowing turning over a 2-0 deficit might be mission impossible.

Being in that away end for the two and a bit hours that I there was remains the most incredible few hours of football I have ever witnessed.

The pattern of play was the same, Yeovil were probably the better side for most of the game, but the way the match flipped and twisted a thousand times and the stories that unfolded on the side of the River Trent couldn’t have been written.

Arron Davies made the tie interesting in the first half, a brilliant solo goal got the atmosphere bubbling nicely, even at 2-1 things were going to be difficult.

“Paul Smith in the Forest goal pulled off a double save worthy of the Champions League final before Marcus Stewart flashed a shot over.

That’s probably everything you need to know about the first half, it was that kind of game.

The second half started with a bang. Scott Dobie wrote his part of the script by scoring to level things up.

An ordinary goal to break an extraordinary barren spell, it was his first goal in 21 months. They say timing is everything.

As far as my memory serves me, nothing happened between the 48th and the 80th minute.

Neither side wanted to make a mistake, everything bounced around in midfield and no-one wanted to cost their side at a crucial time.

The next chapter belongs to Chris Cohen, the man who had masterminded Yeovil’s success by pulling the strings in midfield was injured, he would play at Wembley but as he left the field we knew he was off for good. We didn’t expect him to move to Forest however. Still, the £1million helped.

Anyway, I digress, Cohen was off, but Jean Paul Kalala was on, JP was a tackler rather than a play maker and yet it was he who fired a shot in from 25 yards just as it seemed all hope had gone.

That shot didn’t go in, it struck the post before rebounding to Alan Wright, the Sheffield United defender had been released by the Blades before playing for his loan club that night.

His day went from bad to worse as the rebounded shot hit him square in the face and trickled over the line.

3-2 on aggregate, Yeovil had 8 minutes to find one last goal for extra time.

It has taken me a while to get there, but my play off memory is this.

Andy Lindegaard, a full blown Yeovil legend picks the ball up on the right hand side, he delivered a cross, Paul Smith didn’t come out and Marcus Stewart jumped.

Stewart’s forehead met the ball with perfect timing, the ball hits the net and we in the away end all go ballistic.

My memory is played out to the sound of the Sky Sports commentator saying six magical words…”

“They’ve … only gone and done it”

Of course, that line sticks long in the memory of Glovers fans, but it was by no means the end of the game.

Extra Time loomed, Lee Morris put us ahead after *that* Wes Morgan backpass, Grant Holt tried to throw a spanner in the works, David Prutton was a spanner and got send off and then Davies once more… a drop of the shoulder, a momentary pause… then, well back to past me….

“I was singing yet I was silent, I was happy yet there were tears, I was dancing yet I couldnt move a muscle”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen, we stayed in the away end until the stewards had to go home, we sang in the car park and in the services on the way home”

Yeovil were on their way to Wembley for the first time in their history thanks to a night, no Glover will ever forget.


 

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Hartlepool manager, Dave Challinor, is the bookmakers favourite to take over at his former club Tranmere, according to the Hartlepool Mail.

Challinor has led Hartlepool to a National League play off position this season and is a firm favourite of ‘Pools’ fans.

Tranmere, where Challinor made his name with his famous long throw, sacked their manager Keith Hill earlier this month. They also face a playoff campaign as they look to climb out of League Two.

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Maidenhead United are hoping the prolific  Sam Barratt could return from injury in time for their visit to Huish Park on Tuesday night.

He rejoined the club in September after a disappointing spell at Southend United and has weighed in with 15 goals so far this season.

However, the 25-year-old has not featured since picking up an injury whilst scoring a hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Hartlepool United earlier this month.

Barratt has been joined among the goals by the towering form of strike partner Danilo Orsi-Dadamo, all 6’2″ of him, who has 17 goals in 28 games this season

The former Hampton & Richmond man will be familiar to the Glovers after scoring twice, including a late penalty, as Yeovil went down 4-2 at York Road at the end of January.

FROM THE (ASSISTANT) MANAGER

Speaking after the 3-0 defeat to title-chasing Sutton United on Saturday, Maidenhead assistant manager Ryan Peters said:

“We’re down to the bare bones at the moment and without these players we do not look like scoring many, and you are only going to hold out for so long before someone ends up scoring against you.

“We have nine players out and probably five or six that have played a (significant) number of games this season.

“We hope that Sam Barratt may be back for Tuesday’s game (against Yeovil) but there isn’t anyone else we can see coming back for Tuesday’s game. Potentially for the next game, but Sam is our best hope for Tuesday.”

 

TEAM NEWS

Whilst Barratt is touch and go for the midweek game, fellow Maidenhead frontman Nathan Blissett is expected to be missing for the game.

The former Bristol Rovers man has not featured since suffering a hairline fracture colliding with advertising hoardings in the 0-0 draw with Barnet at the start of April.

Fellow forward Josh Kelly is pushing for a restart after returning from injury and former Yeovil defender Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi returned from injury for the defeat to Sutton at the weekend.

Defender Ryheem Sheckleford will sit out the trip to Huish Park as he serves the final game of a three-match ban.

 

A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

There seems certain to be two familiar faces in the Maidenhead starting XI with defender Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi and midfielder Rohan Ince both having turned out in green and white in the past.

Former Chelsea youngster Twumasi arrived at Huish Park in August 2013 but appeared just three times in the Glovers’ season in the Championship.

He was far more involved the following season as Yeovil nose-dived through League One, playing 30 times and getting sent off in his first appearance of the season, the 2-1 Capital One Cup defeat to Gillingham.

The 31-year-old departed for Newport County following his release followed by a couple of seasons at Maidstone United before arriving at Maidenhead.

Nana seems to still have a feisty side to his game having been red-carded in the club’s home game with W*ymouth last month – once a Glover always a Glover.

Ince’s flirtation with Yeovil was far more limited, appearing just four times and making a single start at the beginning of the 2012-13 season whilst on loan from Chelsea.

He went on to do okay for himself with six years at Brighton & Hove Albion and loan spells at Fulham, Swindon Town abnd Bury, before making a free transfer move to Cheltenham Town in July 2019.

Ince arrived at Maidenhead last November and has been a regular fixture in the side ever since.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Rotherham United have announced that former Yeovil Town loanee, Shaun MacDonald will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The Millers, managed by another former Glover, Paul Warne announced their released and retained list on Monday.

MacDonald spent no fewer than five(!) loan spells at Huish Park from 2009 – 2011.

In total, the Welsh international played 64 times in Green and White, scoring 9 goals including a hat-trick against Leyton Orient in 2011.

We wish Shaun all the best in finding a new club.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Altrincham have confirmed that fans will be inside the ground for the visit of Yeovil Town this weekend – but it will be home fans only.

In an update on the club’s website, co-chairman Billy Waterson said they were expecting up to 1,200 fans to be inside The J.Davidson Stadium.

He added that a meeting with Trafford Borough Council on Tuesday afternoon would confirm the arrangements.

The co-chairman added: “We are continuing our preparations and expect tickets to go on sale by Wednesday morning, exclusively to home fans and in priority order.
“There will be some important differences about attending the game to comply with COVID regulations and we will be communicating these at the same time the tickets go on sale.”

After the Glovers’ trip to Greater Manchester, Alty face Eastleigh and Gary Johnson’s title-chasing Torquay United in their final two fixtures.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Remeao Hutton is among 13 players released by Championship side Birmingham City, it has been confirmed today.

Remeao Hutton in action for Yeovil Town during his loan spell in the 2019-2020 season.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The 22-year-old, who made 27 appearances on loan at Huish Park during a loan spell last season, spent this season on loan at League Two side Stevenage.

He was a regular starter for much of the campaign with 31 appearances in all competitions.

For all the latest on the whereabouts of former Glovers, visit our (as regularly as we can) updated released list – here.