February 2022 (Page 9)

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Venue: Huish Park
Tuesday, February 1st, 7.45pm kick-off

Conditions: Clear but blowy
Pitch: Held up nicely

Attendance: 3,936 (461 away supporters)

Scorers: Shields 4 (0-1), Cordner o.g. 52 (1-1)

Referee: Scott Jackson

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Robinson 38, Worthington 63, Wilkinson 88
W*ymouth: Murray 51, Mussa 53, Fitzsimons 63,

Sending off: Mussa 90 (second bookable offence)


Yeovil Town : (4-3-1-2)

Grant Smith
Morgan Williams Luke Wilkinson Ben Barclay Jack Robinson
Matt Worthington (for D’Ath, 67) Dale Gorman Jordan Barnett (for Alex Bradley, 84)
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Reid, 46)
Charlie Wakefield Adi Yussuf

Substitutes: Alex Bradley, Toby Stephens Lawson D’Ath, Max Evans

W*ymouth: Fitzsimons, Cordner, Mnoga, Mussa, Harfield, Drewe, Murray, McQuoid (for Rose, 75), Bearwish, Mampala, Shields (for Blair, 86). Substitutes: Morgan, Goodship, Blair,  Greenidge.

Match Report

The W*ymouth wait for a win at Huish Park stretched out to 33 years, but that mob down the road managed to hold Yeovil Town to a draw.

The Terras took the lead after just four minutes when midfielder Sean Shields gave the visitors a fourth minute lead in front of the Thatcher’s Gold Stand.

That set the tone for a woeful first half with the visitors controlling much of the play and leading to boos from the home fans at the interval.

The reception seemed to spark Yeovil who came out brighter after the restart and drew level when Adi Yussuf’s shot was turned in to his own net by Tyler Cordner on 52 minutes.

Midfielder Omar Mussa saw red for a second booking in the 90th minute just moments before Yussuf missed a golden opportunity to win it in injury time.

Here’s how Ian saw it…………

First half

The changes from the win at Woking the previous weekend were enforced with defender Mark Little and forward Tom Knowles out through suspension. Their replacements were on-loan full-back Jack Robinson and striker Adi Yussuf respectively.

The Glovers got off to the worst possible start conceding a 4th minute opener with stunned the crowd into silence. Josh McQuoid picked up Sonny Blu Lo-Everton‘s loose header on the edge of the Yeovil box and his cross to the back post found the unmarked Sean SHIELDS who blasted a left-footed shot into the roof of Grant Smith‘s net. 1-0.

Shortly after a goal scramble nearly fell kindly to Adi Yussuf, but the Tanzanian couldn’t connect cleanly and scooped his effort into the travelling support.

Rattled by that early opener, Yeovil couldn’t impose themselves on the game, while W*ymouth played with an unburdened freedom finding space on the wings and looked assured in possession.

Charlie Wakefield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

In the 20th minute, Charlie Wakefield stung the gloves of Ross Fitzsimons in the W*ymouth goal. The ‘star man’ found space in the right and Lo-Everton’s through ball teed him nicely for a good effort that wasn’t quite dynamite.

On the 27th minute, a minor injury to Lo-Everton allowed Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll to gather his players together and presumably tell them to sort it out, perhaps in stronger words than that.

The Glovers looked disjointed, and a polar opposite from their last performance at Huish Park against Wrexham. The front three lacked cohesion with Wakefield the bright spark with a couple of promising runs and an inviting cross which no one latched on to.

A lax pass from Dale Gorman allowed W*ymouth a good chance to counter inside his side’s own half but a combination of Jordan Barnett and Luke Wilkinson held things up conceding a free kick in a dangerous position. It was dispatched tamely wide by Tyler Cordner.

The first half faded away with neither side willing to take any risks and the half-time whistle was met with boos from Thatcher’s terrace.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 W*ymouth 1

Second half

Sarll withdrew Lo-Everton for Reuben Reid at half time, switching to a 4-4-2. Reid partnered Yussuf up front and Wakefield and Barnett moved to the flanks.

The switch worked and Yeovil took control of the game and grabbed an equaliser in the 52nd minute through Yussuf. The ball broke loose just inside the box and his low not-so-cleanly struck shot ricocheted off W*ymouth defender Tyler Cordner  and trickled into the corner of the net for an OWN GOAL. 1-1

Roared on by the Thatcher#s, the energy and urgency couldn’t have been further from that in the first half. But there was sharp intake of breath on the hour when Tom Bearwish met a cross in the six yard box only to direct it straight at Smith.

Smith was called into action minutes later as McQuoid fired in a low effort that was heading for the bottom corner.

With Reid growing in confidence and fitness and the returning Lawson D’Ath entering the fray, the Glovers added experience and nous when they needed it most. They did have to contend with time wasting from the bar stewards in terracotta and blue, and the odd counter.

Adi Yussuf missed a golden chance to seal the win at the death. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

As ever, it was the marauding Wakefield causing problems on the right trying to recreate the golden years with some Nick Crittenden-esque runs. His well flighted cross flew past the back post and could have had Glovers dancing in the street had a teammate connected.

That energy which came at the start of the second half dissipated as fatigue began to take hold and Sarll introduced some freshness with Alex Bradley replacing Barnett with seven minutes remaining.

As the game entered stoppage time, Mussa received a second booking for bringing down Wilkinson as he looked to haul Yeovil to victory.

Yussuf had a golden opportunity to clinch it at the death but somehow couldn’t connect to send the fans home happy.

However, it remains Boxing Day 1988 since our the slime from the seaside managed a win in Somerset.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 W*ymouth 1

 

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Former Yeovil Town midfielder Nick Crittenden is “assisting” manager Darren Sarll ahead of tonight’s derby with W*ymouth, the club has confirmed.

Nick Crittenden in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Ciderspace,.

The former Glovers’ player and club accountant was spotted by BBC Radio Somerset commentator Sheridan Robins helping warm-up the players ahead of the match at Huish Park.

Shortly after, the club confirmed he was “assisting Darren Sarll tonight“, now whether assisting is the same as being an assistant may be a matter requiring clarification.

Critts did have a spell as assistant at Dorchester Town where he supported Mark Jermyn which ended in 2016.

In more recent times, he was accountant at Huish Park, a role he held until the end of last year when he left to joint Ilminster-based insurance brokers, HDW Insurance.

Sarll has been without a number two since the departure of Terry Skiverton to take up a coaching role at League One side Charlton Athletic last month.

Speaking last week about a possible replacement for Skivo, Sarll said he had been speaking with a number of people about the position.

He said: “We are talking a three months job in the South West of the country and they are not going to get rich from it.

“When I got here I brought in Andrew Crofts as a player-coach (who promptly left to take up a role at Brighton), I was not going to have an assistant because of the budget at the time.

“But even that (senior player) market is not great, there’s not a raft of Carl Dickinson’s and alike out there.”

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Adi Yussuf returns to the Yeovil Town starting line-up for tonight’s derby with W*ymouth at Huish Park (7.45pm kick-off).

Adi Yussuf celebrates scoring a penalty in the FA Cup shoot-out win. Credit: Weymouth Flickr

The striker replaces the suspended Tom Knowles with on-loan full-back Jack Robinson coming in for Mark Little, banned after his red card in last weekend’s win at Woking.

On the bench, stand-in goalkeeper Max Evans and young midfielder Toby Stephens return.

Yeovil Town (4-3-3): Grant Smith, Jack Robinson, Ben Barclay, Luke Wilkinson, Morgan Williams, Dale Gorman, Matt Worthington, Jordan Barnett, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield.
Substitutes: Max Evans, Alex Bradley, Toby Stephens, Lawson D’Ath, Reuben Reid.

W*ymouth: Fitzsimons, Cordner, Mnoga, Mussa, Harfield, Drewe, Murray, McQuoid, Bearwish, Mampala, Shields. Substitutes: Morgan, Goodship, Blair, Rose, Greenidge.

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As far as form goes, our ‘friends’ from down the road in W*ymouth arrive at Huish Park for the Somerset-Dorset derby without any.

Without a victory in their last six matches and without three points in the National League since the end of October, the Terras have changed managers since our FA Cup encounters from earlier in the season.

David Oldfield, who made nearly 700 League appearances as a player with Leicester City among others, replaced the luckless Brian Stock – who presumably now knows this match is a derby – in mid-January.

Oldfield had been at National League South side Oxford City who he left in fourth position to move seven players up the football pyramid.

However, it appears he does know it’s a derby, speaking to the Dorset Echo, the Terras’ manager said: “It’s a very important game for us on many levels.

“From our point of view it’s a very big game, we know that within the club. We need to make sure we’re as ready as possible.

“But also, it’s our next game. We need to grab any opportunity we can to play, try and improve and move forward.”

Transfer deadline day did see Oldfield add a player to his ranks in the form of striker Manasse Mampala.

The 21-year-old joined on loan from League Two Carlisle United late on Monday night having not made a league appearance for the Cumbrians since the end of November.

Speaking about the former Everton academy prospect’s departure on loan, Carlisle boss Keith Millen said: “He hasn’t played enough first-team games, and has to go and learn how to play week-in, week-out and show people what he can do.

“It’s not so much the level, it’s more about him playing consistently and showing people what he can do, getting some confidence and belief, and scoring some goals.”

Having suffered late heartbreak in their last two matches, not least on Saturday when an injury time own goal from former Glovers’ striker Brandon Goodship saw them go down 1-0 at home to Aldershot Town, managed by former boss Mark Molesley.

FROM THE MANAGER

Speaking about the derby, Terras’ boss David Oldfield told the Dorset Echo: 

“It would mean a lot of the club. We know how important it is to the supporters, we want to reflect that.

“But also make sure we’re working as hard as we can collectively.

“It’s a big challenge, Yeovil are a good team and had a great result at the weekend – but we’ll be ready.”

 

TEAM NEWS

Striker Ben Thomson could be available for selection having been missing since the middle of November.

The 33-year-old has been suffering problems with his Achilles and calf since pre-season which has limited him to just six appearances, albeit he has scored twice in those outings.

He has been involved in training and led the pre-match warm-ups in recent weeks, so it is a question of whether manager David Oldfield picks him.

Defender Josh Leslie-Smith (head), and striker Martell Taylor-Croasdale both seem unlikely to feature, whilst midfielder Andy Robinson (hip) and striker Brad Ash (ankle) have all been missing through injury in recent weeks and will be late calls for the boss.

Omar Mussa returned for the defeat to Aldershot having suffered a shoulder injury in the draw at Boreham Wood.

The Belgian, who Glovers fans will recall shushing the Thatcher’s End after the Terras’ late equaliser in the first FA Cup game, went off in that match complaining of breathing issues.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

With the geographical location of both teams, there are a lot of players who have seen service with both these clubs.

However, the only one who is likely to feature in the latest meeting of Somerset-verus-Dorset is Brandon Goodship

The striker played eight times for Darren Way’s Yeovil in 2017, scoring a crucial goal in a 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge which helped keep us in the League.

He was released at the end of that campaign and dropped down to the Wessex Stadium where he scored 38 goals in his first season and 39 in his second campaign in the Southern League Premier earning him a move in to the Football League at Southend United.

Despite making more than 50 appearances for the Shrimpers, he was released following their relegation to non-League and returned to Weymouth in the summer.