January 2022 (Page 11)

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Luke Wilkinson.

Yeovil Town captain Luke Wilkinson missed the 2-1 defeat against Torquay United to get a COVID-19 test, manager Darren Sarll has confirmed.

The defender was the surprise omission from the loss with Josh Staunton slotting in alongside Max Hunt in the back line and taking the armband for the local derby.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Sarll said: “We missed Wilkinson. Josh is a huge influence wherever he plays. Wilkinson had a sore throat, Lateral Flow Test later, he got to the ground, did his test in the car and then had to shoot off for a PCR test.

“So we change things very late but we did that (in the 2-0 win away) at Wrexham and we defended (there) a lot better than we did today.”

If Wilkinson’s PCR test does come back positive for COVID-19, he may have to self-isolate for 10 days from the days he first exhibited symptoms.

However (are you sitting comfortably?!), if his PCR test were to come back positive, he would need to do a Lateral Flow Test on Day 6 and Day 7 of his isolation period (next weekend) and, if both results came back negative, he would be clear to return to society next Sunday.

Assuming the symptoms began today (January 2), that means a positive PCR test will definitely rule him out of next weekend’s FA Cup third round tie with AFC Bournemouth and, if Day 6 and Day 7’s tests don’t go well, also the visit to Southend United in the National League the following Tuesday, January 11.

However, if the PCR comes back negative, then he’s available to face the Cherries – and these past four paragraphs have been a waste of everyone’s time! Simple, right?!

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Venue: Huish Park
Sunday January 2nd, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Not a day you want to be on an uncovered away end.
Pitch: Despite a lot of rain before kick-off, looking good.

Attendance: 3,866 (1,034 away fans)

Scorers: Jordan Barnett 66 (1-0), Connor Lemonheigh-Evans 76 (1-1), Holman 89 (1-2)

Referee: Jacob Miles

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Torquay United: None

Sending off:
Yeovil Town: None
Torquay United: None

 


Yeovil Town : (4-3-3)

Dillon Barnes
Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jack Robinson
Dale Gorman, Matt Worthington, Jordan Barnett
Tom Knowles, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield

Substitutes: Joe Quigley (for Adi Yussuf, 57), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Matt Worthington, 58), Reuben Reid (for Morgan Williams, 82), Alex Bradley, Max Evans.

Torquay United: MacDonald, Wynter, Martin, Lemonheigh-Evans, Hall, Wright, Johnson, Lolos (for Armstrong, 60), Moxey (for Holman, 70), Felix (for O’Connell, 67), Lewis.
Substitutes: Halstead, Omar.

 

Match Report

A late winner from substitute Dan Holman saw Torquay United complete the double over Yeovil Town in the first match of 2022 at a rain-soaked Huish Park.

The game had been lit up by a stunning strike from Jordan Barnett from fully 35 yards to put the Glovers in front on 66 minutes, but a goal direct from a corner by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and then an impressive strike from Holman sealed the win for Gary Johnson’s side.

The result sees us remain in 11th place in the National League table, six points off the play-off places and 16 points off the relegation zone.

Here’s how Ian saw the match…..

First half

The surprise absence of Luke Wilkinson coupled with Dan Moss‘s suspension forced Darren Sarll to change up his side. Morgan Williams moved over to right back, Jack Robinson returned at left back and Josh Staunton took the captain’s armband and Wilkinson’s spot at centre back. Jordan Barnett came into the midfield three and Adi Yussuf spearheaded the front line with Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield either side of him.

As you would expect with an away following of more than 1,000, there was quite the atmosphere at Huish Park with the green and white faithful supportive of Torquay battering.

The opening exchanges were even if not a little in the Glovers’ favour and a short corner routine might have produced something had Knowles tried a shot after taking on a Torquay defender rather than taking the ball further.

On the 20-minute mark, Knowles didn’t dwell on the ball and struck a snap shot with left foot that took a deflection on its way towards McDonald’s goal. The falling keeper managed to stretch out his leg far enough to keep the ball out of the net.

The first half was largely one of ‘nearly’ moments for Yeovil. Passes were nearly on the right path, crosses nearly found their man, but Torquay were kept at arm’s length.

The ball did get bundled into the net past the half hour mark, but the official fairly adjudged there to be some robust manhandling of the keeper.

The Gulls had their nearly moment in the 38th minute with a flying left footed volley from the pony-haired Asa Hall fizzing wide of the right-hand post of Dillon Barnes, making his debut in goal having joined on loan from QPR.

Yeovil had another half chance prior to the break, with Knowles selling a slick dummy before shooting high and wide.

 Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Torquay United 0

Second half

Torquay came out of the break in the mood for it and took control of proceedings, focusing on Yeovil’s right side. The cumbersome Danny Wright came very close to opening the scoring with a header in the 50th minute but it glanced narrowly wide of the post.

Sarll made changes before the hour mark, introducing Joe Quigley and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton for Yussuf and Matt Worthington which reinvigorated things on the pitch.

Quigley’s physical presence immediately caused problems for Torquay. He laid off for Knowles who struck over the bar.

Jordan Barnett
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

In the 65th minute, the roof came off Huish Park. Jordan BARNETT with no right to shoot, let fly from distance with a picture perfect shot which flew into the top right corner. Scenes, limbs and a flare and a Barnett knee slide followed. 1-0.

Torquay struck back 10 minutes later. Although it all stemmed from a Dale Gorman free-kick. He placed the ball for a free-kick from some distance which didn’t beat the two man wall. Torquay broke and a great save from Barnes denied them an equaliser but did earn them a corner.

From the resulting corner, Connor LEMONHEIGH-EVANS delivery from the resulting corner was inch perfect and it swirled through the rain over everyone into the far corner. 1-1

As the rain poured, Torquay took hold of the game and almost grabbed a second through Holman who drove a low shot wide of the far post.

Gorman was almost at fault again moments later, losing the ball on the edge of the box allowing Torquay to break. This time a shirt pull on a Yeovil defender spared his blushes.

A minute from time, Lemonheigh-Evans played HOLMAN through and the substitute picked his spot perfectly to fire past Barnes.

Five minutes of added time wasn’t enough for Yeovil. Torquay used all the tricks in the book to see out the game as their soaked supporters sang about a battered Yeovil.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Torquay United 2

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Captain Luke Wilkinson is missing from the Yeovil Town side for the return fixture with Gary Johnson’s Torquay United at Huish Park today (3pm kick-off).

On-loan goalkeeper Dillon Barnes makes his debut in place of the suspended Grant Smith and defender Jack Robinson returns to the side after injury along with Tom Knowles and Jordan Barnett, who both started on the bench on Boxing Day.

We are assuming that Morgan Williams will fill in at right back with Robinson and Max Hunt in the centre of defender and then Barnett on the left – but we’ll see how it looks in 40 minutes or so!

There is also a place for top-scorer Joe Quigley on the bench having been missing for more than a month through injury.

For the visitors, top-scorer Armani Little is missing through suspension, full-back Joe Sparkes is missing with COVID-19, and their is no place for Tom Lapslie, who was involved in the incident which saw Sonny Blu Lo-Everton red carded at Plainmoor in a decision, which was overturned on appeal.

Captain Asa Hall returns to the starting line-up along with defender Joe Felix who joined from National League South side Billericay Town last month.

Yeovil Town (4-3-3): Dillon Barnes, Jack Robinson, Max Hunt, Morgan Williams, Jordan Barnett, Dale Gorman, Josh Staunton, Matt Worthington, Tom Knowles, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield. Substitutes:  Max Evans, Alex Bradley, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Joe Quigley, Reuben Reid. 

Torquay United: MacDonald, Wynter, Martin, Lemonheigh-Evans, Hall, Wright, Johnson, Lolos, Moxey, Felix, Lewis. Substitutes: Halstead, Omar, O’Connell, Armstrong, Holman.

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Friends of former Yeovil Town captain Lee Collins will run around the Huish Park pitch in his memory later this season to raise money for charity and Lee’s family.

At the start of the season, the group of set a target of raising £10,000 by running around the grounds of each of the centre-half’s clubs.

Lee Collins 
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

They began with AFC Telford United in September and will do their latest run on January 2 at Shrewsbury Town.

Ahead of Yeovil’s final home game of the season against Boreham Wood on May 7, they will conclude the challenge.

By that point they are hoping to have completed 100 kilometres and raised money for Lee’s family and Movember, the men’s mental health charity.

To donate to the fund-raising effort, visit the JustGiving page – here.

 

 

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Torquay United manager Gary Johnson is reading too much in to his side’s midweek defeat at Eastleigh as he goes in search of a quickfire double over his old employers.

Just 48 hours after a blood-and-thunder win over Yeovil on Boxing Day, the Gulls went down to a 2-1 defeat in Hampshire with former Glovers’ midfielder Tom Whelan among the scorers for Eastleigh.

Their opponents that day did not play on Boxing Day due to the same COVID-19 issues in the W*ymouth camp which meant the derby planned for Yeovil on Wednesday also didn’t go ahead.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Huish Park, Johnson said: “We had quite a few chances against Eastleigh in the first half. The boys looked strong and sharp still, leading on from the Yeovil game that was only two days earlier.

“But, it has to be said that we faded towards the end, and Eastleigh still had their legs towards the end, and unfortunately we couldn’t hold out, due to a couple of mistakes.”

One of the ‘mistakes’ he was referring to came from goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald (no, not that one) who was at fault for the winner scored by Eastleigh’s Tyrone Barnett, with the other levelled at the referee for awarding a penalty which Whelan slotted away.

The other big blow inflicted five days ago was a yellow card for top-scorer Armani Little which takes him up to five for the season, meaning he will sit out the match at Huish Park.

As we are aware, the same totting up exercise denies Yeovil of full-back Dan Moss while goalkeeper Grant Smith misses out for the next two for a more immediate issues.

Boxing Day followed a similar pattern to 2020 when Torquay handed out a drubbing in Devon – that time it was a 6-1 victory for the home side – and Darren Sarll will be hoping history can repeat itself on Sunday.

Obviously, the first fixture of 2021 saw late goals from Josh Neufville and Luke Wilkinson earn the Glovers a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture in Somerset.

FROM THE MANAGER

Speaking to the Torquay official website before the match, Gulls’ boss Gary Johnson warned his side against complacency after last season, he said:

“It’s not anything we don’t know, and even last year we were ready for it, but didn’t cope with it. We’ll see whether we’ve learned from it, and see whether we can go from a win to a loss.

“At least we’ve more time to recover than we had at Eastleigh, with Eastleigh having a week off, and not playing before we played them.

“Now we go to Yeovil, and Yeovil haven’t had a game when we play them, but we definitely are more ready for this one to last for 90 minutes, because we’ve had longer to recover.”

 

TEAM NEWS

As mentioned earlier, the biggest loss for the visitors is top-scorer Armani Little who misses the trip to Somerset having picked up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Defender Joe Lewis, whose late headed goal sealed a miserable Boxing Day for the Glovers at Plainmoor, is the other visiting player who is walking a disciplinary tight-rope with four bookings.

On-loan Sinclair Armstrong missed the last two games having tested positive for COVID-19 and seems likely to return, as does defender Joe Felix, who joined on loan from National League South bottom club Billericay Town before the festive period, only to be forced in to self-isolation by his own diagnosis.

Shaun MacDonald (again, not that one!) seems likely to remain in goal for Johnson’s mean despite an error costing his side a goal against Eastleigh, and 37-year-old centre forward Danny Wright seems likely to continue in the attack having started the last three matches.

 

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

The obvious connection between the two sides is Torquay boss Gary Johnson, but he needs no introduction to Yeovil fans.

Glovers’ top-scorer Joe Quigley, who will not feature on Boxing Day having only just returned to training, spent a two-month loan spell at Torquay whilst an AFC Bournemouth player.

But more likely to feature is another visiting forward Reuben Reid who spent seven games on loan at Plainmoor in 2007 on loan from Plymouth, scoring twice.

There are also two members of the Torquay squad with a foot in both camps. One is goalkeeper Marcin Brzozowsi, out at National League South side Gloucester City presently, who played twice in a half-a-season loan at Huish Park in 2019, whilst naming the other would be a violation of Gloverscast Rule 5 – but he’s out on loan at Truro City. See Team News for a clue on that one.

Striker Martin Gritton is a legend in yellow having scored 22 times in 88 appearances between 2002 and 2004 but is less so at Huish Park where he failed to find the mark in two loan spells in 2001 and another a decade later.

He’s actually a commentator on BBC Radio Devon these days, so you can listen to him if you want to tune in to them – we’d recommend BBC Somerset though.

Others with a foot in both camps (and there’s undoubtedly more) include:

  • Rhys Murphy – Torquay 2017, Yeovil 2019-2021
  • Ben Whitfield – Yeovil 2016-17, Torquay 2019-2021.
  • Jakub Sokolik – Yeovil 2014-2016, Torquay 2018.
  • Ryan Dickson – Torquay – 2007, 2018-2020, Yeovil 2012, 2015-2018.
  • Alex Lawless – Torquay 2005-2006, Yeovil 2016-2017.
  • Jamie Gosling – Yeovil 2003-04, Torquay 2004-05.
  • Jimmy Aggrey – Torquay 1998-2001, Yeovil 2002-2003.
  • Ryan Northmore – Torquay – 1998-2002, Yeovil 2004.
  • Steve Winter – Torquay 1995-1997, Yeovil 1997.

 

There are no tickets on sale on the day, BBC Somerset and Three Valley Radio both have coverage… and we’ll do everything we can to give you a post match breakdown here as well later on January 2 too.

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Yeovil Town have announced the signing of Jamaican goalkeeper Dillon Barnes from Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

The 25-year-old signs as the club have depleted numbers in the goalkeeper position, due to Grant Smith’s two-match suspension. 

The announcement from Yeovil refers to it as “a short-term deal” whilst the keeper’s parent club confirms the loan runs until January 26.

Arriving with League experience, Barnes has made 25 appearances in the EFL in both League One and League Two for Burton Albion and Colchester United.

Last season, he spent a short spell in the Scottish Premiership with Hibernian, where made eight appearances in all competitions. 

Earlier this year, Barnes made his full international debut for Jamaica, starting in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

A quick check of the records shows that Barnes has come up against Yeovil twice in his career, both during the 2018/19 season whilst at Colchester.

A 3-1 Glovers win and a 1-1 draw at Huish Park, a game in which he was sent off, just before the hour mark.

After clashing with a Glovers player shortly after conceding… none of that kind of shenanigans please Dillon!

Everyone at the Gloverscast wishes Dillon well on his stay in Somerset.

 

 

 

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

Happy New Year!

We roll into 2022 with an exciting game tomorrow against Torquay United and the chance to redeem ourselves after Boxing Day disappointment. 

Yesterday at Darren Sarll‘s pre-match press conference he spoke about a number of topics, including contracts, loanees, Sonny Blu’s overturned suspension and more. He also talked about covid and the impact it’s having on football.

I don’t know about you, but I have found it deeply frustrating to hear managers at the top of the game complaining about lack of players, squad depth and the like. For me, it’s a perfect example of how out of touch the top division in this country is with the the rest of football. It’s difficult to have sympathy with the likes of Tuchel, Klopp and Rangnick when they’re organisations who have had hundreds of millions of pounds (and in Chelsea’s case, more than £1bn) pumped into them over years and access to the best young talent across the globe. My heart bleeds for these teams who need more players and need to make five substitutions. We’ve been happy to name five subs this season.

Darren Sarll talked about his frustration with the top of the game and the attitude it’s showing to youth development and their academy systems in this time of need.

He said: “I find it quite frustrating when I listen to Premier League managers because I have been a Premier League academy manager and I have sat in a meeting with the other 19 Premier League clubs.

The millions that goes in to youth development at Premier League level and they are moaning about not having any players – what is the point of having an under-23 team?

If players are in the under-23s and they are not ready, why are they in the under-23s? We have some top coaches in this country, why are they not using the youth teams?”

Sarll is, of course, no stranger to youth development at the top of the pyramid, having been Watford’s Academy Manager in 2018/19. He talked about his experience of the finances, and the disparity of finances with the the bigger sides and their peers.

“The biggest budget I have ever had was when I was academy manager at Watford, it wasn’t massive and in comparison to top Premier League sides [about] 5% of what the top clubs spend on youth development. I’m talking about PL academies having bigger budgets than clubs in the top end of the Championship. But if they are spending multiple millions of pounds a year, why aren’t they ready? If I’m the Chief Executive (of a Premier League team) and my manager is not using young players, I would be asking a question – why aren’t those young players ready?”

Sometimes, the top of football feels so detached from the rest of the pyramid. When they have an embarrassment of riches and complain about a lack of personnel when you’re struggling to scrape together a squad regardless of COVID, it makes it even more detached.

I thought the manager summed it up quite nicely with this: “COVID does not exempt any team from having COVID, so the integrity of the game is consistent because everyone can get COVID.”