March 2022 (Page 5)

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A win! Two goals! What will we moan about? Ian and Ben are joined by Ed Turnbull on this episode to talk about the 2-0 win at Dover.

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After 810 National League minutes, Yeovil Town picked up three points again! Goals from on loan defender Ben Barclay and a free-kick from Dale Gorman secured a 2-0 win at Dover Athletic which in turn relegated our hosts. Supporter Ed Turnbull give us his conclusions from his spot in the away end in Kent…..

First things first: we won (first time in league since Woking away on January 29) and we scored more than one goal (first time in league since Wrexham away on November 30)! And,mid we scored from a set piece (first time in league since Dagenham on November 20, I think)! It was great to see Barclay tuck away a calm finish after coming close to scoring a couple times since he joined, and to see a Gorman free-kick that found the back of the net rather than the middle-man of the wall or the keeper’s midriff [or the car park – Ed!].

Charlie Wakefield

It’s a good job we did profit from set pieces because again our attackers failed to score. As usual Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield showed plenty of promise driving towards the box from the wings, but it didn’t lead to many clear-cut chances. I don’t think  Adi Yussuf had his worst game, but that really isn’t saying much, and, as always, he gave away countless silly fouls. Olufela Olomola had a good chance at the death – the sort of chance you could argue he needs to take if we’re to pick up a good number of points between now and the end of the season.

Ted Cann who has joined on loan from West Brom. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

It was fantastic to see Josh Neufville back after his horrible injury, but for me Ted Cann was the most impressive debutant. His distribution was generally excellent, with long and accurate kicks off the ground. One particular moment stood out when he came out of his area and instantly controlled a high ball before pinging an inch-perfect pass out to Knowles far-forward on the right. He did have one heart-in-mouth moment when he was beaten to the ball by Michael Gyasi, leaving the Dover attacker to pass the ball into an empty net, but Cann’s blushes were saved by the offside flag. Ted didn’t have much to do in the way of shot-stopping, so he couldn’t be judged too much on that.

The atmosphere at Crabble was very subdued. Maybe it was the sunny weather that resembled mid-May more than mid-March, but the match had a very end-of-season feel to it. This wasn’t at all echoed in the effort the two teams put in, but it was as though both sets of fans had given up on the season, with Dover relegated by virtue of the fact they didn’t win on the day, and Yeovil stranded firmly in mid-table. Nothing but respect to the hardy fans that travelled to southeast Kent, but I don’t know the last time Yeovil fans have celebrated a win with less enthusiasm.

However, I hope that this win can be a catalyst for a positive end to the season. You can only beat what’s in

Oh for a win which brings that celebration again.

front of you, and we did that quite comfortably. I think this is a group of young players who perform better when they have a buoyant crowd behind them, so hopefully this win will install confidence in both the players and fans that we can achieve similar results against teams higher up the table so that our season doesn’t completely peter out. Let’s get another win against Bromley.

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Goalscorer Dale Gorman said the 2-0 win over relegated Dover Athletic was “massive” for his Yeovil Town team-mates.

The victory was only the Glovers’ second National League victory of 2022 and it was the first time since the end of November that they have scored twice in league action.

The Northern Irishman said it is now up to the side to back up the victory against Bromley, who are still in the hunt for a play-off place, at Huish Park on Tuesday night.

Dale Gorman. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Gorman said: “We have been working really hard this week, it hasn’t been enjoyable, the atmosphere has been tense but when you put in that graft and you have that three points to show for it, we should be proud of ourselves.

“In football, you go through good periods and bad spells and that result is massive for us as a group and a club and hopefully now we can kick on Tuesday and put in another performance and get something.

“To back it up at home and give us two wins on the bounce and a good strong end to the season.

“It doesn’t matter what you have to play for, every game in this league is tough and we know what to expect from Bromley, so we have to be ready.”

The ex-Leyton Orient and Stevenage player put Yeovil 2-0 ahead with a well-struck free-kick 11 minutes in to the second half after on loan defender Ben Barclay had opened the scoring in the first half.

He said he was pleased to see the strike go in having had quite a number of failed free-kicks this season – honestly, we’d not noticed, Dale…..!

Gorman told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “I am happy it went in because I have probably had 20 free-kicks this year and they’ve been nowhere near, so thankfully one of them has gone in!

“Their manager was getting in to them at half-time and that often gets a reaction, so for the first five or ten minutes it is about riding that storm.

“We defended our box brilliantly today, we put our bodies on the line, but we needed that (second) goal to settle ourselves and thankfully it came at a good time for us.”

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Darren Sarll was pleased to see his “focused” Yeovil Town side pick up a comfortable win at bottom side Dover Athletic with little fuss.

The Glovers’ boss saw goals from defender Ben Barclay and midfielder Dale Gorman both come from set pieces as they ran out 2-0 winners in a match which saw their hosts relegated out of the National League.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the win, the manager said: “People will talk about Dover’s position but I never underestimate (manager) Andy Hessenthaler’s teams, he was some player and he has that attitude in his coaching.

Darren Sarll

“Our attitude to the game was very focused and because of that we kept our shape well on a pitch where it was very difficult to balance your touch out.

“There was no dramatic moments, except the one where (Dover midfielder Emmanuel Gyasi had the ball in the net) was offside, but apart from that I felt strong all day.”

He said his side were deserving of their goals from free-kicks for the opportunities they had failed to convert this season.

Barclay’s opener came after Jordan Barnett’s free-kick was touched on by Adi Yussuf to reach the on loan Stockport County player and then Gorman scored direct from a free-kick.

Sarll said: “The deliveries we have put in week in and week out has deserved goals from set plays and it’s something we have not been good at.

“Ben is a very good technician and we know Dale has got that type of quality. It was quite fun because a fan said to me before the game about the future and he said ‘I really like Gorman, but he’s too selfish with those free-kicks’.”

Sarll gave second debuts to returning goalkeeper Ted Cann, who started in place of first-choice Grant Smith who is suffering with a groin injury, and midfielder Josh Neufville, who rejoined on Friday from Luton Town.

It was the 20-year-old’s first appearance in green-and-white since he left the pitch on a stretcher having suffered a broken ankle at Altrincham in the penultimate game of the season. Yeovil travel to Altrincham on the final game of this season.

Speaking about his return, the Glovers’ boss said Neufville had pushed for the move: “He drove it. We’ve been in touch the whole season and you do feel partly responsible when players get bad injuries playing for you.

“Luton have been great and (manager) Nathan Jones and (first-team coach) Chris Cohen, obviously two ex-Yeovil men, were fabulous with us again and we are the last stage of Josh’s rehabilitation before next season.

“He came in Friday and he was so excited to be back. He said ‘Altrincham away on the last day, I will be ready for that’ – that is his determination and you don’t get too much of that.

“To have that courage and confidence to go back to a place which holds so many bad memories was quite something.”

Neufville came on after 73 minutes in place of Charlie Wakefield and showed enough in 17 minutes to believe he can rediscover the form which made him a fans’ favourite last season.

Sarll said: “Yesterday in training he absolutely tormented a player, I kept him away from Mark Little just in case, but they’re going to come up against each other very soon.

“He looks bigger physically and he’s going to be a weapon for us, but we have to build him slowly.

“There were a few cobwebs today and he was a bit rusty so we are going to have to go back to what the plan and remind him.”

Asked about the decision to bring in Cann on loan instead of giving an opportunity to number two Max Evans, the boss said the West Bromwich Albion youngster had impressed him during his previous loan spell at Huish Park.

He played three times during Sarll’s first season in charge in 2019/20.

The manager said: “Ted played for us two years ago and made a big impression on me back then because he played in front of a very experienced back four which could have been quite intimdating for a young man.

“I have tried to recruit him every season since then, so it was nice to bring him. Grant needs to clear his groin up and needed that change and that feeling of change in the dressing room.

“When you recruit players, you give everyone a wallop up the backside.”

He added that the deals for both Neufville and Cann were “no brainers“, suggesting the parent clubs are footing the wage bill for both players during their time in Somerset.

Of Evans, the manager said: “I wanted to have five outfield subs. I think if you asked all the National League managers something they would change, 20 managers out of the 23 would say ‘can we have an extra sub?’

“Every year we ask, every year we get turned away, but because of the run of form we were in I thought it would be really unfair to put a teenager in goal away at Dover.“

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Venue: Crabble
Saturday March 19, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Glorious sunshine with a strong breeze.
Pitch: A bit soft, but generally in good condition.

Attendance:

Scorers: Ben Barclay 19 (1-0), Gorman 56 (2-0)

Bookings: 

Yeovil: Worthington (72)
Dover: Krasniqi (22), Hessenthaler (58), Judd (66)

Referee: Matthew Russell


Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)

Ted Cann

Mark Little, Josh Staunton, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams

Tom Knowles (for Olufela Olomola, 84) Matt Worthington Dale Gorman  Jordan Barnett

Charlie Wakefield (for Josh Neufville, 75) Adi Yussuf (for Reuben Reid, 87)

Substitutes: Lawson D’Ath, Alex Bradley.

Dover Athletic: Parkes, Goodman, Collinge, Wilkinson, Judd, Ransom, Moses, Krasniqi (for Agbebi, 75), Gyasi, Pavey, Parfitt-Williams (Arthur, 46). Substitutes: Byford, Baptiste, Andre.

Match Report

Two moments of quality in front of goal were the difference as Yeovil Town scored twice to relegate bottom-of-the-table Dover Athletic at Crabble.

A tidy first-half strike from on-loan defender Ben Barclay to turn home Jordan Barnett’s free-kick was all the Glovers had to show from an opening 45 minutes when they were in complete charge.

The home side rallied at the start of the second half but a Dale Gorman free-kick curled in to the top corner on 56 minutes sealed the victory – and made it the first time we have scored twice in a league game since the end of November.

Goals, a clean sheet, three points and debuts from on loan goalkeeper Ted Cann and Josh Neufville, who looked lively having come off the bench for the final 17 minutes. What’s not to like about that?

Here’s how it played out on the Kent coast….

First half

Darren Sarll made four changes to the team which had been beaten at home against Grimsby Town the previous weekend with Ted Cann, Jordan Barnett, Adi Yussuf and Tom Knowles in for Grant Smith, Luke Wilkinson, Lawson D’Ath and Olufela Olomola.

Injuries kept out Smith (groin) and Wilkinson (calf) with D’Ath and Olomola dropping to the substitutes’ bench as part of tactical changes lining up in a 4-4-2 with Knowles and Barnett on the flanks and Yussuf up front with Charlie Wakefield.

Yeovil made a fast start with Knowles and Yussuf linking up for the former to put a shot wide on four minutes before Staunton was found by a Knowles but could not trouble Adam Parkes in the Dover goal.

But on 11 minutes, an error from Josh Staunton gifted the ball to Alfie Pavey, the home side’s top scorer, who took a long-range shot at Cann who scrambled it wide for a corner.

The speedy Michael Gyasi caused problems again soon after but his effort was blocked by Morgan Williams.

Ben Barclay. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

A great free-kick delivery by Barnett got the slightest touch from Yussuf and landed at the feet of Ben BARCLAY whose lifted a striker-esque finish over the head of Parkes on 19 minutes.

Up front, Yussuf appeared to be playing in a deeper position with Wakefield playing further forward, perhaps this was Darren Sarll being “a bit more experimental” as he put it after the Grimsby defeat. Early on, Yussuf was certainly more involved that Wakefield.

There was an understandable nervousness from a Dover defence which has leaked 75 goals this season and on 33 minutes a great bit of play by Knowles saw him put in a great cross but could not quite find Wakefield at the back post.

Wakefield had another couple of good moments soon after, but he could not get punish the hosts who did certainly were not yet willing to roll over for their visitors.

A ball in from Gyasi took a deflection which wrong-footed Cann and dribbled wide with Dover striker Djair Parfitt-Williams lurking. A definite let off.

The final ten minutes was almost played entirely in the Dover half but again the issue was turning their dominance in to clear-cut chances.

Knowles had the final chance of the half after a fantastic pass by Cann found him in a wide position on the right side but his shot from a tight angle was blocked.

Half time: Dover Athletic 0 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

If Dover’s players knew they were relegated at the start of the second half they didn’t show it.

Substitute Koby Arthur and the tricky Gyasi combining to cause problems against the Yeovil defence which had leaked eight goals in their previous six games, and an over-hit cross from Pavey had Cann scrambling and the on loan stopper had to do well to turn it over.

But, ten minutes after the break, Danny Collinge, the Dover defender who wrestling slammed Knowles to the ground at the end of the reverse fixture back in November, was robbed by, you guessed it, Tom Knowles who was then fouled for a free kick 25 yards from goal.
Dale Gorman. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Barnett, Knowles and Dale Gorman were all over the ball, but it was only going to be one man’s shot and GORMAN hammered an unstoppable strike in to the top scorer to make it 2-0. That was the first time since December 18 and the 3-1 FA Trophy win over Woking, and the first since since the win at Wrexham at the end of November.

More importantly in the context of this game, the goal removed the wind that was in the sails of the home side who had taken the game to Yeovil.

On 68 minutes, a long ball forward by Dover to Cann who came out of his box to collect it, but he was closed down by Gyasi who caught him out and rolled the ball in to an unguarded net. Luckily for the hosts, the offside flag was raised. Blushes spared.

The 73rd minute saw the return of Josh Neufville in a Yeovil shirt replacing Wakefield and 11 minutes later Olomola replaced Tom Knowles, who had put an energetic performance.

Neufville took up the position on the right side of midfield with Olomola joining Yussuf up front. Reuben Reid replaced Yussuf on 86 minutes.

Barnett picked up a loose ball and had a shot from distance which Parkes turned wide.

 

Full time: Dover Athletic 0 Yeovil Town 2

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Ted Cann is given his second Yeovil Town debut as the on-loan West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper replaces the injured Grant Smith at Dover Athletic today (3pm kick-off).

Ted Cann who has come in on loan from West Brom. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Adi Yussuf, Tom Knowles and Jordan Barnett all return to the starting line-up from last weekend’s home defeat at Grimsby with Josh Neufville, who returned on loan from Luton Town on Friday, named on the substitutes bench.

Captain Luke Wilkinson misses out through injury with Josh Staunton lining up in the heart of defence alongside Ben Barclay.

Olufela Olomola and Lawson D’Ath drop to the substitutes’ bench in places of Yussuf and Knowles. Reuben Reid returns on the bench after missing out last weekend, but there is no place for Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.

Defender Danny Collinge is named in the Dover Athletic line-up. The centre half was the man who slammed Tom Knowles to the ground towards the end of the 1-1 draw at Huish Park in November.

Yeovil Town: Ted Cann, Mark Little, Josh Staunton, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams, Josh Staunton, Matt Worthington, Dale Gorman, Tom Knowles, Charlie Wakefield, Adi Yussuf. Substitutes: Lawson D’Ath, Alex Bradley, Josh Neufville, Reuben Reid, Olufela Olomola.

Dover Athletic: Parkes, Goodman, Collinge, Wilkinson, Judd, Ransom, Moses, Krasniqi, Gyasi, Pavey, Parfitt-Williams. Substitutes: Arthur, Byford, Baptiste, Agbebi, Andre.

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Former Yeovil Town striker Kevin Gall has called on supporters from across the South West to fill Huish Park when a Glovers’ Legends side takes on a South West Legends XI in a match in memory of Adam Stansfield.

Gall and co-organiser and Yeovil fan Abby Carter have confirmed the long-awaited match will take place on Saturday, May 14 (kick-off 2pm), the day before the final National League fixture away at Altrincham.

It will raise money in memory of Stansfield, a member of the FA Trophy-winning team of 2002 who died of bowel cancer in 2010 aged just 31.

The game will also be a moment to remember many people who we have lost in recent years including Ciderspace co-founder, Martin ‘Badger’ Baker, captain Lee Collins and former staff members Stuart Housley, Bruce James, Maurice O’Donnell and Tony Trott.

Speaking to the Gloverscast, Gall said: “This game has been two years in the making, it seems like forever but finally we are delighted we have finally got a date.

“Now it we really need everyone’s help to share it far and wide to supporters of Yeovil but all Stanno’s former clubs – Exeter City, Hereford, Elmore, and clubs from across the South West.

“It’s so important we fill Huish Park for Stanno and the unbelievable people we have lost over the last couple of years who dedicated their lives to Yeovil Town.”

He added that in the next few weeks there would be announcements around which players are turning out for both teams with a number from Yeovil’s most successful sides from years gone by expected to turn out.

Gally has also confirmed he will be bringing his boots – and has said he’ll bring back the tramlines if we can raise a good amount for the Adam Stansfield Foundation. That’s the gauntlet being thrown down, folks!

There will also be a match between a Yeovil Town Supporters’ XI and their Exeter City counterparts taking place at 10.30am on the day.

Details of tickets “will be available shortly and all previous agreements and purchases still stand“, the organisers have confirmed.

The game had been scheduled to take place in May 2020 but had to be cancelled due to restrictions around fans being allowed in Huish Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Adam Stansfield Foundation was set up to give young people the opportunity to develop life skills and raise awareness of illnesses caused by bowel cancer.

The game had been scheduled to take place in May 2020 but had to be cancelled due to restrictions around fans being allowed in Huish Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Luton Town winger Josh Neufville has returned on loan at Yeovil Town until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season at Huish Park and was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing campaign, but suffered a broken ankle in the penultimate match of the season at Altrincham last May.

Josh Neufville’s Instagram post after suffering a broken ankle playing for Yeovil last May.

He goes in the squad for the visit to bottom of the table Dover Athletic with the Glovers looking to up their goal-scoring tally, having scored just eight goals since the turn of the year.

Neufville has been working his way back to fitness since suffering his horrific injury with a number of appearances in the Luton development squad and turning out in a county cup match last month.

He was named on the substitutes’ bench for the Hatters’ FA Cup tie with Cambridge United, but did not appear.

The winger’s arrival is Yeovil manager Darren Sarll’s second loan signing of the day having signed goalkeeper Ted Cann on a short-term loan from West Bromwich Albion to cover for an injury to first-choice Grant Smith – read more here.

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Mark Little has given “a few home truths” to some of his Yeovil Town team-mates after two disappointing defeats which have seen them concede five goals without reply.

The experienced full-back played the full 90 minutes of last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to Grimsby Town, having missed the 3-0 reverse against Dagenham & Redbridge four days earlier.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s visit to bottom club Dover Athletic, he said his frustration with the performance last weekend led to him voicing his frustrations.

Mark Little battles for the ball against Grimsby. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

He said: “I said a few of my frustrations in an aggressive manner over the weekend to a couple of the younger lads and they took it on the chin.

“We had a day off after and we were back to work on the Monday. They are taking it well, they are not stropping because they are not the types of players that would last in this dressing room.

“But they’ve got to translate that in to performing on the pitch and that’s the bit we are trying to crack, there’s a balance of good cop, bad cop.

“When I was coming back from injury I was being encouraging but after the last couple of performances, my frustrations have come out and I did give a few home truths.

“Hopefully that reaction will show tomorrow at Dover.”

The former Bristol City man described the squad as “the smallest I have ever operated with” in his career, meaning there is less competition for places.

He said: “I am used to having four or five people competing for the right back slot and I know I have to perform to get my name on the team sheet.

“But here you can have two or three bad games and you are still having to battle yourself out of that form, there’s no breathers and hiding.
“I have played with injuries all seasons, there’s lads need operations getting injections to hide them.”

“We have had Ted in today which gives Grant a breather which we has not been able to all season. Ted has looked very good in training and hopefully he comes in and has a big effect.

“But we have needed that (cover in all positions) all season.”

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Goalkeeper Grant Smith seems likely to be out of tomorrow’s visit to bottom club Dover Athletic with loan signing Ted Cann expected to fill his gloves.

Manager Darren Sarll said the first-choice keeper had been playing with a groin injury which has kept him out of training ahead of recent matches and the arrival of West Brom youngster Cann provided the opportunity to rest him.

Grant Smith, who is expected to miss out against Dover this weekend. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The boss also revealed that captain Luke Wilkinson, who came off in the second half of last weekend’s defeat against Grimsby Town, midfielder Dale Gorman and on loan defender Jack Robinson are all “touch and go” for the weekend.

Speaking about Smith’s injury ahead of the long trip to Kent, Sarll said: “Grant has been carrying a groin injury over the past two or three weeks and it was getting to the point where I thought it was starting to effect his distribution.

“We know Ted from my first season at the club (2019-2020) was available and I thought it was good timing and a chance to make sure Grant could properly recover and rehabilitate his groin.”

He added: “I thought we needed to address the injury Grant has. He’s been spending quite a few games not training and coming in to the games without a full week behind him.

“At this point of the season, Ted was available and he performed really well for us when he was here with us last time when he was only 19 and he played behind an experienced back four – Lee Collins, Luke Wilkinson, Carl Dickinson.

“I thought he handled himself well. He’s a good cross taker, he has good distribution and he’s a good goalkeeper.

“West Brom see this as a real benefit for Ted’s development.”

Cann’s return on a short-term loan was announced on Friday morning and follows a previous spell the 21-year-old has had at National League North strugglers AFC Telford United.

Wilkinson’s calf injury is one of a string of niggles that the defender has been suffering with this season, albeit he has already played six more matches than he managed last season.

When he departed against Grimsby last weekend, Morgan Williams moved in to a back three formation alongside Ben Barclay and Mark Little. Sarll spoke about “experimenting” with formations in what remains of the season, and if Wilkinson misses out at Crabble that could be something we see him try.

Gorman’s injury seems to have been picked up in training during the week whilst Robinson’s is a reoccurrence of the injury which has plagued him this season.

A win at the weekend would confirm the long-awaited relegation of Dover to National League South, but Sarll says his side will not be thinking about anything except their own form.

The Glovers have managed just one National League win since December 18 – the 1-0 success at Woking at the end of January – and have managed just ten goals in that time.

Sarll said: “We have enough to worry about in our own camp, we need to make sure we need to improve our individual and collective performances to get back to what we know we can be.

“It’s been a longer process than when you have the experienced players because (the younger players) have not had the life experience of seeing their way out of these dips in form.

“All these trial and error times are testing for them, but they have to go through this. They will come out of stronger for the experience.”

The manager said the training ground had been “nice and calm” this week with he and his assistant Charlie Lee working with individuals who are out of form.

He added: “We have spent quite a lot of time this week working with individuals and pick aspects of their game and lift them to bring out things we have not seen lately and Charlie’s been excellent with that.

“We want to finish the season strongly, everyone knows how excited I am about this group and how exciting they can be in the long term, but to take care of that long term we have to do something sooner rather than later.

“Tomorrow is another opportunity to do that.“