August 2021 (Page 2)

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll spoke to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins following the Glovers’ 2-1 defeat to King’s Lynn Town on Saturday.

Yeovil took the lead before succuming to two late goals following the dismissal of Matt Worthington late on in the first half, something with Sarll says might not have changed the game, but did change his side’s energy levels as the match wore on.

“I’m not a big believer that red cards do change games, but what they changed for us was the energy levels, I thought the second goal in particular was a very tired defence, without the zest to deal with it.

“It was an awful goal, horrendous

“We looked weak, and the only way them lads look weak is then they look tired, we will put that into fatigue”

Sarll also noted that he wasn’t overly pleased with how his side handled the ball whilst also admitting that after three weeks without a game the squad are learning in competitve fixtures rather than friendlies.

“I looked at a team who have got to learn in the league rather than in friendlies, a team that has got to learn on the run, but there were some good things, some very good performances”

“We were depleated, we had already used (new loan signing Dan) Moss with Barnett coming away and but I thought in the last ten minutes the subs brought a bit of impetuse”

When asked about the incident that led up to Matt Worthington’s red card, Sarll said that whilst he didn;t have a great view, he cannot complain with the decision.

“Everyone says it’s a red card… I thought it was high, the players have said it was high, he’s made a mistake Matty, but as I say, I don’t think it affected the outcome of the game”

The Glovers’ manager was asked about the positive impacts of  few of his players and highlighted Charlie Wakefield, Tom Knowles and Adi Yussuf as all having moments and glimpses of what they might offer.

Looking further ahead with a game against Aldershot on bank holiday Monday, Sarll noted the team would be in training on Sunday but that his team would be picked on energy levels with numbers at a premium.

“It’ll be case of seeing who is as close to 100% as they can be for Monday and trying to pick a shape and a side around energy levels”

Jordan Barnett was taken off during the game, something which has been confirmed as a severe bout of cramp, Sarll confirming he made the switch with the Aldershot game in mind.

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Following Yeovil Town’s opening day defeat to King’s Lynn, Glovers midfielder Josh Staunton admitted that the loss was ‘frustrating’ and that two lapses in concentration were all that separated the hosts from their visitors.

Josh Staunton in the thick of it against King’s Lynn Town.

The Glovers were reduced to 10-men in the first half when Matt Worthington was given his marching orders, something which Staunton admits didn’t help, but maybe wasn’t the definitive moment in the match.

“We are disappointed… It (the red card) was early on, we were slow finding our feet, but it killed our momentum after the goal, our structure looked good, they were struggling to break us down, which makes it all the more disappointing to concede two late on.”

“We probably switched off on two occasions – we’d headed away ball  after ball all afternoon – and then twice when it mattered, we were found wanting a bit”

Yeovil had actually got off to a positive start with Joe Quigley opening the scoring, but despite the early lead, the change in momentum gave the Linnets much more of the ball throughout the game.

“Yeah, it was a hell of a strike by Quigz (Joe Quigley)” Staunton told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins,

“But it’s not an ideal team to go down to 10-men against, they play it around nicely with the wing backs pushing high, it penned us in

“For the majority of the game, I felt personally quite comfortable, they were never really penetrating us too badly, it was two sloppy goals, it wasn’t like they carved us open, we will look back at them and know theyre avoidable”

Attention soon turned to the future, with the Glovers back in action in less than 48 hours time against Aldershot.

“I know there’s a lot more to come from the group and hopefully we can get games where we can get a foothold in the game and can build and build and build.”

“I think it (the Aldershot game) is a perfect chance, early on in the season.. there’s no dwelling on it from us, we’ve got to get ourselve’ right tomrrow and get to Aldershot and get a result we need”

 

 

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Venue: Huish Park
Saturday August 28 2021, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Sunny
Ground: Fine

Scorers: Quigley 15 (1-0), Coleman 71 (1-1), Sundire 85 (1-2)

Attendance: 2,024

Referee: Gary Parsons

Bookings:
Yeovil: Knowles 51, Staunton 64, Yussuf 80
King’s Lynn: Coleman 70

Sendings off:
Yeovil: Worthington 38
King’s Lynn: None

Yeovil Town (5-4-1):
Grant Smith
Morgan Williams Luke Wilkinson Max Hunt
Matt Worthington                                                            Jordan Barnett
Charlie Wakefield Dale Gorman Josh Staunton Tom Knowles
Joe Quigley

Subs: Dan Moss(for Knowles, 60), Adi Yussuf (for Barnett, 68), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Gorman,82) Max Evans (not used), Toby Stephens (not used).

King’s Lynn: Jones, Denton, Fernandez (for Gyasi, 65), Callan-McFadden, Bird, Barrows, Clunan (for Sundire, 72), Coleman (for McGavin, 84), Omotayo, Linton, Rowley.
Substitutes (not used):Bowry, McGavin, Gascoigne.

 

SUMMARY

Yeovil Town started the National League season with a 2-1 defeat at home to King’s Lynn Town at Huish Park.

The day had started well for the Glovers who had to soak up pressure from the visitors before striker Joe Quigley broke the deadlock with a stunning strike on 15 minutes.

The game turned on 38 minutes when midfielder Matt Worthington was given a red card.

That put the home side under pressure and the visitors got a deserved equaliser through Ethan Coleman with 19 minutes left, before Munashe Sundire completed the turnaround with just five minutes remaining.

Here is how our reporter Ryan Jones saw the match…..


FIRST HALF

Yeovil lined up in a 5-4-1 with Jordan Barnett, Dale Gorman and Charlie Wakefield all making their competitive debuts for Town. King’s Lynn made the more composed start on the ball and were able to force a couple of early corners which the Glovers defence were able to see out comfortably.
Joe Quigley hammers home the opener.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil then created a half chance on the 12th minute after a good run from Tom Knowles who crossed into Quigley but he couldn’t quite get the ball under control. However, a few minutes later, Yeovil took the lead with a stunning strike which befitted the return of the Yeovil faithful.

After an interception in midfield, the ball was played into Yeovil’s new 10 who beat two players before unleashing a shot which swerved into the top corner. The Glovers then had a spell of possession off the back of the goal without creating too much.
The Linnets then had a couple of chances of their own with a shot skewed wide from the edge of the box and then former Town forward Gold Omotayo had a well directed header sharply saved by Grant Smith.
More chances came and went with Rowley shooting over after cutting I’m from the wing and Omotayo heading high and wide. Worthington sent off after a late challenge.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 (Quigley) King’s Lynn Town 0

SECOND HALF

The second half was relatively uneventful from a Yeovil attacking point of view with Kings Lynn able to get down both sides of the Yeovil defence and getting crosses in and winning corners without causing too much danger on the Yeovil goal.
Yeovil’s resolve was finally broken when The Linnets equalised on 70 minutes through a powerful header which looped over Grant Smith, who despite his best efforts, was unable to keep the ball out as it trickled into the net.
Soon after, the away side turned the game on its head when the Yeovil defence couldn’t deal with a ball into the box and after a scramble to clear the ball, King’s Lynn were able to get the decisive touch to bundle the ball in.
Loan signing Dan Moss in action against King’s Lynn Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Almost instantly from the restart, Joe Quigley flicked the ball onto Adi Yussuf whose shot whistled wide across goal.
Unfortunately Yeovil were unable to get back into the game and they started their 2021-2022 campaign with defeat albeit with some positives to take from the game with Quigley and Yussuf linking up well after the new man’s introduction.

Full  time: Yeovil Town 1 (Quigley) King’s Lynn Town 2

 

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has handed league debuts to four summer signings  against King’s Lynn Town at Huish Park (3pm kick-off).

Goalkeeper Grant Smith, full-back Jordan Barnett and midfielders Dale Gorman and Charlie Wakefield are all named in the starting eleven for the opening National League fixture.

Fellow new arrivals striker Adi Yussuf and loanees Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Dan Moss start on the bench.

Ex-Glovers’ striker Gold Omotayo starts for the visitors who are looking for their first points of the season after an opening day defeat to Southend United last weekend.

Yeovil Town: Smith, Wilkinson, Williams, Hunt, Barnett, Worthington, Staunton, Gorman, Wakefield, Knowles, Quigley. Subs: Evans (GK), Stephens, Lo-Everton, Moss, Yussuf.

King’s Lynn: Jones, Denton, Fernandez, Callan-McFadden, Bird, Barrows, Clunan, Coleman, Omotayo, Linton, Rowley. Subs: Bowry, Sundrie, Gyasi, McGavin, Gascoigne.

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Yeovil Town have secured two defensive reinforcements ahead of the start of the season.

Jack Robinson, 20, is a left-sided defender who has joined on loan from Middlesbrough until January. Robinson has a minor injury and is unavailable today. He signed a new two-year-deal with the Teesiders in May.

Millwall’s Dan Moss has also signed on loan until November, providing much-needed cover at right back. The Lion’s youngster is available for this afternoon’s match against King’s Lynn Town. Moss, also 20, can play in midfield and at centre back.

Welcome to Yeovil Town lads.

 

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Having admitted last season was a “free hit” for his King’s Lynn side, Ian Culverhouse knows they need to start fast in an ultra-competitive National League this season.

The Linnets’ boss saw his side go down 1-0 at home to Southend United last weekend, thanks in no small part to a fine performance from goalkeeper Paul Jones, who pulled off a string of saves in their opening fixture.

Conceding just once against a side expected to be in the promotion mix come the end of the season will have pleased Culverhouse whose side conceded 98 goals last season, more than any other team in the division.

They finished the campaign in 21st place which would have been enough to send them down if relegation had not been cancelled.

It has been a summer of change on and off the pitch at King’s Lynn, with the club going full-time despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and bringing in a number of new signings.

They had six players, including former Exeter City keeper Jones, making their senior debut against Southend and will be looking to build on a positive performance against Yeovil.

One familiar face in the visitors’ squad is striker Gold Omotayo, who made 16 appearances in for the Glovers in the 2019-20 season. He finished last season at Wrexham before being released and arriving in Norfolk.

FROM THE MEDIA 

Normally, we would try to find you the views of the opposition manager in this pre-match previews, but there’s nothing we can find from Ian Culverhouse about his side’s trip to South Somerset.

So, here is what Greg Plummer, reporter for the Lynn News had to say: “Whatever side manager Ian Culverhouse chooses to put out, the Lynn boss will not budge from his philosophy of getting the ball down and trying to play football out from the back.

“Despite going full-time in the summer, Lynn’s ambitions this season have to be to survive in the league and build from there. That in itself will be seen as a great achievement.

“In terms of squads and budgets, Lynn have perhaps the smallest in the National League.

“With a squad of just 19, any absentees will leave the Norfolk side down to the bare bones in terms of players available for selection.“

 

TEAM NEWS

Ian Culverhouse is known as a master tactician but even he will struggle to find a formation from a squad which is even more paper-thin than Yeovil Town’s.

And his job is made even harder by the loss of striker Junior Morias who was red carded in the 1-0 defeat to Southend United on the opening day.

Morias’ place alongside Gold Omotayo means Malachi Linton, a 20-year-old forward signed on loan from Wycombe Wanderers, is likely to get a start.

The Linnets’ attacking options have been dented by the loss of Adam Marriott, whose last minute (offside) goal earned them a 2-2 draw against Yeovil in the opening game of last season, and Michael Gash.

Marriott departed to Eastleigh last season as the club looked to cut its wage bill during the pandemic and Gash was a ‘victim’ of the decision to go full-time, preferring to stay semi-professional by joining Southern League side Peterborough Sports in the summer.

In midfield, the Linnets have been boosted by the signing of Ipswich Town midfielder Brett McGavin in the week.

The 21-year-old is described as a ball winning midfielder equipped with precise passing and seems likely to make his debut at Huish Park.

Joe Rowley, who has joined on loan from Chesterfield, was a bright spark in midfield against Southend with Irish centre half Kyle Callan-McFadden the mainstay in defence.

 

A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

Gold Omotayo – the obvious link man between the two sides having been part of Darren Sarll’s first squad as Yeovil Town manager in the 2019-20 season.

He made 16 appearances that season before departing to rivals Halifax Town and then Conference South big spenders Gloucester City before turning up at Wrexham, where he played in the Welsh side’s 3-0 win over Yeovil towards the end of last season.

Presumably the part-time kick-boxer was too proud to take the Hollywood cash offered by the Red Dragons and instead opted for a move to the familiar rural setting of Norfolk.

Ominously, the last time Gold played against Yeovil in the Glovers’ opening game of the season, he scored an 89th-minute winner for Bury in the 2018-19 season.


Kwesi Appiah – spent a month on loan with Yeovil from Crystal Palace during the 2012-2013 – which turned out alright for us, as I recall.

He made five appearances for Gary Johnson’s men, coming off the bench for four of them which the Glovers won, and starting one – a 2-0 defeat at Colchester United on a cold February night.

Earlier in his career, whilst with Peterborough United, Appiah had a prolific spell with King’s Lynn FC scoring nine in 10 games for the Northern League Premier side before his loan spell was cut short when the club went bust. I’m not saying he’s unlucky, but….

King’s Lynn FC were eventually wound up in November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and  reformed as today’s King’s Lynn Town in January 2010.

 

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Adi Yussuf in action against Yeovil for Mansfield

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll spoke highly of his new front man Adi Yussuf ahead of the game with King’s Lynn.

Speaking to the Gloverscast’s own Ben Barrett the Manager said he was excited to work with Yussuf after he had been triying to secure his services for a while.

“We have been speaking to Adi and his agent all summer… he’s at a good age at 29, established in the division and has the capability to score 20-plus goals a season”

Those final words will be music to Yeovil fans’ ears after the summer departure of Rhys Murphy to Southend, it’s a sentiment that was backed up recently by the Blackpool Gazette journalist Matt Scrafton who agreed with Sarll that Yussuf probably just needs a solid base from which to really fire.

 

Sarll added of the former Tangerines’ front man; “He’s an uncomplicated finisher (with) brutal force and instinct”

“Wilkinson said when we played against Yussuf he gave him a hard time and those things are important when new players walk into the dressing room… Adi needs a spike in his fitness levels before we see him week in week out, but he will be a really good signing.”

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has confirmed he spoke with outgoing midfield Charlie Lee about finding a suitable replacement which led to the signing of Dale Gorman.

Speaking prior to the King’s Lynn game Sarll said “I was really worried about replacing Charlie (Lee)’s charachter and I sat with Charlie and said ‘Chaz, you are a dying breed, how do I replace you?’ he said ‘ you know there’s one lad out there who can do that… Dale Gorman’. so off  we went and tried to do the deal with Glentoran, which was not simple but we got there.”

Gorman and Sarll have known each other for a while, something which the gaffer thinks will stand them both in good stead.

“Dale Gorman might be new to Yeovil, but he’s not to Darren Sarll, I’ve known him for a third of his life, it’s an easy one, I know how to manage him straight away, I know what he does – he’s a horrible little Irish man – he’s not very nice when it comes to winning and losing”

“It’s lovely to have him back, I’ve known him since he was a teenager, he’s a smashing chap”

Gorman, like a number of others is likely to make his Glovers’ debut in front of a home crowd when Yeovil host King’s Lynn on Saturday

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Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in action for Wealdstone against Yeovil Town last season.

Darren Sarll has been speaking about loan signing Sonny Blu Lo-Everton ahead of the Watford attacker’s potential competitive debut against King’s Lynn.

Lo-Everton, who has known Sarll since the age of 15 has joined the Glovers on an initial six month loan spell, something which the Gaffer said was as much down the player and his family as anything else.

Responding to the Gloverscast’s Ben Barrett’s questions, Sarll said; “Sonny and his family made this happen, 100%, they wanted to come and play for me, they wanted to come to where I was, which was Yeovil.

“He played for Wealdstone against us last season and made a massive impression on the likes of Jimmy Smith and Chris Dagnall who spoke really well of him”

Despite his relative young age, Lo-Everton has been on Sarll’s wishlist for a while admitting he’d tried to get him to the club before

“I have been trying for two years to get him to Yeovil, he’s a brilliant footballer, I think he still needs a month of familiarising himself with my ways and first-team football, but he has ridiculous talent”

Sarll would go on and compare the diminutive attacker to James Tilley, who was such a key player in Sarll’s first season in charge at Huish Park, but said he could arguably be better and couldn’t sing his praises highly enough.

“I would play him in the under 23s (at Watford) at 15 years old, because he was a special little footballer,

“As the months tick over, I think we will see more and more of him, his qualities will end up dictating the way we play, he is a gifted young man…he will be a really influention member (of the squad) because there’s no-one in our group that can do what he does”