Ian, Ben and Dave chat about the final home game of the season against Boreham Wood, get excited about the SPC and Dave get’s mad at any questions related to Woking.
Yeovil Town will field a strong side for the Somerset Premier Cup final with Bath City on Tuesday night, interim boss Charlie Lee has promised.
It is 12 years since the Glovers last won the competition and, together with their opponents, have won the trophy 24 times, more than any other club.
Speaking after the 2-2 draw with Boreham Wood in the last National League home fixture, Lee said he may make some changes but expected to field a strong side.
He told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “I’m very excited for Tuesday, we are planning that to be a first-team game.
“The players will have to get ready for that because it is going to be a full strength team and then Sunday (the final league match at Altrincham) we want to finish strongly.
“It will be the team I would have picked in a league game, there may be rotations depending on how players recover.
“I would say Tuesday night will be a great night for the fans, the whole squad will be here and we’ll be ready to mingle with the players.”
Speaking following his side’s 3-3 draw on the final day of the National League South season on Saturday, Bath manager Jerry Gill said he expects there to be a good following from the Romans’ supporters.
He is one player with a foot in both camps having moved from Twerton Park to Huish Park in 1996 to become part of the Yeovil side which won the ICIS League Premier Division (now National League South) under Graham Roberts.
Gill recalled: “Back in the day, this was a huge rivalry when I was playing here and I know I got my move from here to Yeovil and a lot of people don’t thank me for that.
“It’s a wonderful club down there as well, so I am going to enjoy it first and foremost, but we are going down there to win.
“I have spoken to a lot of fans here and a lot of people are going down to watch the game, and we’ll be competitive, it’s no good going to a cup final if you don’t go and win it.
“So we’ll give it everything we have got to go and win that game and hopefully get some good backing.”
Bath finished this season fourth from bottom of the National League South and last won the Somerset Premier Cup in 2008, beating Paulton Rovers after a replay.
Yeovil wrapped up their home campaign with a 2-2 draw against Boreham Wood at Huish Park yesterday. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…
We stuck with the plan and deserved the point, if not more. At half time, I expected to see Charlie Lee make changes, given how early he made them against Wealdstone. At 2-0 down, it felt to me like we struggled to find our rhythm in the 5-3-2. But, no changes were forthcoming from Charlie Lee and his team battled back when it all looked pretty bleak at half time. Fair play to Charlie, he stuck with the system that they’d been working on through the week and his team performed for him.
It was a relief to finally get something from set pieces. Our poor return from set pieces is no secret this season, but we finally managed to convert not one, but two. It feels like we’ve been waiting for a long throw to pay off since Charlie Lee was hauling them into the box in 2019. Finally, Morgan Williams (or was it Mendy?) put one in the net. And not long after that, Luke Wilkinson got his first of the season with an excellent freekick, aided by Ashmore taking a huge step to his right and leaving the left side of his goal open.
Dale Gorman had a game to forget. I think Gorman has had a decent first season at Huish Park. When he plays well, we play well. He keeps the ball ticking over and he has an eye for pass – just look at his assist for Josh Neufville against Southend. Yesterday, though, was one of his bad days. Having missed a penalty, which would have brought us level, he then got caught in possession and tried to claim a freekick as Dennon Lewis raced away to double Wood’s lead. Gorman’s frustration boiled over 10 minutes later he was booked for dissent. He improved in the second half, but he has had his moments this season.
Ohhhh ffs ?♂️?⚽️? #ytfc pic.twitter.com/7iyhimBC38
— Steve Parsons (@TherealStevieP) May 7, 2022
I’d love Charlie Lee to still be with us next season. Considering he was brought in as Darren Sarll’s assistant until the end of the season at Skivo’s departure, Charlie Lee has had to make a hell of a step up in his short time back at the club. I think he’s been a breathe of fresh air as manager. We’ve played more adventurously since he’s taken the reins and I think the team look more relaxed – albeit with considerably less pressure. While I’m not sure he’s the right man to get us out of the National League, he’s a ready-made assistant whose relationship with the current crop (should a few remain) will be crucial to any incoming manager.
Huish Park hasn’t been a happy place this season, but yesterday had a different feel to it. The return of the Get Pedalling ride was a moment I won’t forget in a hurry. This group, who’ve shared their story of the week on our podcast feed, have been an inspiration with their efforts. To see them arrive at Huish Park led by Lee Collins’ partner Rachel, including club legend Terry Skiverton and cheered on by supporters, players and staff set a positive tone for the afternoon. Add to that, the more than 300 kids which the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust brought to Huish Park yesterday and there was a nice feel about the place. Let’s have more of those moments next season, with the community at the heart of their football club.
They’re here! A huge round of applause for every one of the @get_pedalling team who has completed the amazing #Miles4Mind over the past few days.
The captain would be proud of each and every one of you.
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— Gloverscast ?⚽️? (@gloverscast) May 7, 2022
It was a truly special moment to see the riders of the the Get Pedalling 22 challenge return to Huish Park this afternoon.
After following their journey this week, we’re delighted to bring you a conversation with Elliot and Lee Collins’ partner, Rachel.
Congratulations to everyone who took part this week, you’ve been truly inspirational.
Josh Neufville has described his time as a Yeovil Town player as “pivotal” in his footballing development.
The Luton Town loanee returned for his second spell at the club in March having played more than 30 games last season before suffering a horrific broken leg in the penultimate match of the campaign.
The 21-year-old made his 11th appearance since returning in the 2-2 draw with Boreham Wood in the final home league match of the season.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, he said: “It’s been a pivotal part of my professional career coming here, getting my first professional goals, assists, it’s been great.
“(Former manager) Darren Sarll helped me a lot and (interim boss) Charlie (Lee) and Jody (Brown, assistant manager) have come in and they have worked to help me on and off the pitch, even coming off the pitch helped me a lot.
“Any time I put a Yeovil shirt on it is a good experience, especially playing at home in front of the Thatcher’s End, I just can’t get enough of it.”
He echoed the sentiments of his manager Charlie Lee insisting that even at 2-0 down against a Boreham Wood side who were still in with a shout of a play-off place ahead of the game, the team believed they could get something.
Neufville said: “Even in the first 15 minutes we showed we had the ability to get in behind them and me, Knowlesy and a few of the other lads had some chances and gave the home fans something to get behind.
“The boys had the belief throughout the whole game and we said that in the changing rooms at half-time, once we got the basics right as we did in the first 15 minutes, we knew we would be fine.
“Since I came back we have shown what a good team we are, all around the pitch we are good.”
The final league game of the campaign next weekend will see him return to Altrincham where he suffered a broken leg after just 12 minutes of a 4-3 defeat last May.
But the youngster is unfazed about the idea of returning to the scene of the incident which kept him out for nine months.
He said: “It’s part and parcel of the game, going back there for the last game of the season and the lads will give it their all, as we did today.
“We are playing for pride and we showed that today, at 2-0 down we had to make sure we didn’t leave anything out there today.
“All the boys are knackered, legs hurt, feet hurt, Wilko was quick to take his boots off and that just shows how hard we have all worked.
“Even when the season is done, we still have to fight for something whether it is pride or contracts or whatever.”
Charlie Lee said he never doubted his Yeovil Town side’s ability to come back and get something out of today’s final home fixture of the season.
The Glovers’ caretaker boss made a number of changes from the goalless draw with Wealdstone on Bank Holiday Monday, playing a back three with defenders Morgan Williams and Jack Robinson at wing back against Boreham Wood.
Despite trailing 2-0 at half-time, Lee said he believed his side’s performance was “the best we’ve played since I have been manager” and never considered making changes at the break.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins he said: “I turned to Jody (Brown, assistant manager) at one point when we were 2-0 down and I said ‘I don’t know why, but I think that is the best we’ve played since I have been manager’.
“It made my job easy at half-time because I said to the players ‘you have got to keep doing the same things, you have got to be brave and go back and win the game.’
“From a bad position being 2-0 down, they were exceptional in the second half, but at no point did I ever feel uncomfortable with what we were doing.”
In between goals from the visitors’ Tyrone Marsh and Dennon Lewis, midfielder Dale Gorman saw a penalty saved, but it was two set pieces which led to the goals which earned Yeovil a point.
Just before the hour, a long throw from Tom Knowles came off Boreham Wood defender Jacob Mendy to pull one back before captain Luke Wilkinson fired home his first of the season from a free-kick five minutes later.
Lee said: “We looked a threat from set pieces, we have worked on it a lot in these past few weeks and I have been very vocal.
“I don’t like to criticise players but I have criticised them for set pieces and they had the bit between their teeth today.
“We had a left back playing left wing back and a centre back playing right wing back and they were incredible.
“Morgan Williams could play that position for the rest of his career, he was sloppy on the ball a couple of times, but that was the whole team and I thought there was a lot of positives.
“There will be a lot more positives coming out of today than there has been in other games recently.”
The result keeps Yeovil in 13th place in the National League table with their final day opponents Altrincham two points behind them with a game in hand. They travel to Bromley on Tuesday night before hosting Yeovil at Moss Lane next Sunday.
Venue: Huish Park
Saturday, 7th April, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: Lovely clear day.
Pitch: Looking good.
Attendance: 2,599
Scorers: Tyrone Marsh 11 (0-1), Dennon Lewis 27 (0-2), Jacob Mendy o.g. 59 (1-2), Luke Wilkinson 65 (2-2)
Bookings:
Yeovil: Gorman 36, D’Ath 53
Boreham Wood: Raymond 37, Evans 65
Referee: Ryan Atkin
Yeovil Town : (5-3-2)
Grant Smith
Morgan Williams, Mark Little (for Reuben Reid, 83), Luke Wilkinson, Max Hunt (for Ben Barclay, 90), Jack Robinson
Lawson D’Ath, Dale Gorman, Matt Worthington (for Jordan Barnett, 90)
Tom Knowles, Josh Neufville
Substitutes: Ben Barclay, Jordan Barnett, Alex Bradley, Reuben Reid, Adi Yussuf.
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Evans, Stephens, Comley, Mendy Mendy, Smith, Mafuta, Raymond, Boden (for Clifton, 82), Marsh, Lewis. Substitutes: Ashby-Hammond, Smith, Joyce, Orsi.
Match Report
A second half free-kick from captain Luke Wilkinson earned Yeovil Town a point in their final National League home match of the season.
Having gone 2-0 down after a powder puff first half performance, Charlie Lee‘s men turned things around with an improved second half appearance.
A long throw from Tom Knowles was flicked in to his own net by Boreham Wood defender Jacob Mendy to pull one back after the hour mark before Wilkinson stepped up to lash home the equaliser five minutes later.
Here’s how it went down at Huish Park……
First half
Caretaker manager Charlie Lee went for a back three of Luke Wilkinson, Max Hunt and Mark Little to match up to the opposition who arrived at Huish Park still in with a shout of a play-off place. Morgan Williams and Jack Robinson
The opening exchanges favored the home side albeit their possession was never turned in to any real threat on the visitors’ goal and after 11 minutes Boreham Wood opened the scoring with their first attack.
Mark Little lost the ball to Jacob Mendy who drilled a ball across the face of goal and visitors’ top scorer Tyrone MARSH was on hand inside the six yard box to open the scoring with his 11th of the season.
Yet another goal conceded far too easily but, on 17 minutes, Yeovil were gifted a golden opportunity to half the deficit. Tom Knowles controlled the ball superbly inside the box and went down under contact from the Boreham Wood defender and, despite the forward getting back on his feet, the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Dale Gorman stepped up and his effort was saved by Nathan Ashmore. Put that down as ‘good height for the goalkeeper’ and from the follow-up the ball was put back in to the box by Knowles and Morgan Williams headed wide.
On 24 minutes, Wood had a penalty shout when Kane Smith’s shot was blocked by Wilkinson, the visitors were convinced it was handball, the referee was not. But three minutes later they doubled their advantage.
Dennon LEWIS won the ball 40 yards from goal and found himself one-on-one with Wilkinson and made no mistake with a composed finish.
A golden opportunity to level the scoreline spurned followed by another gift of a goal. Sigh. It just sums us up this season, doesn’t it?
It took until moments after the board went up to confirm the amount of added time before half-time for Yeovil to fashion a meaningful chain and no surprise it was Knowles whose shot was smartly stopped by Ashmore.
Play almost immediately swung to the other half as goal-scorer Lewis hassled Jack Robinson in to a mistake, burst forward but his shot was stopped by Grant Smith.
If this change of formation was an experiment by Charlie Lee, it failed.
Second Half
From the resulting free-kick, Gorman and Wilkinson were over the ball. Not excited, right? Obviously Nathan Ashmore in the Boreham Wood goal had been listening to the podcast and underestimated WILKINSON whose effort sent the keeper the wrong way to net the equaliser.
Yeovil Town line up with a back three as they take on Boreham Wood in the final home game of the National League season.
Max Hunt and Mark Little return to the starting XI after missing the Bank Holiday draw with Wealdstone and join Luke Wilkisnon with Morgan Williams and Jack Robinson expected to be deployed as wing backs.
Dale Gorman also returns in midfield with Ben Barclay and Adi Yussuf dropping to the bench. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton is not in the squad.
Yeovil Town: Grant Smith, Mark Little, Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Luke Wilkinson, Jack Robinson, Lawson D’Ath, Matt Worthington, Dale Gorman, Josh Neufville, Tom Knowles. Substitutes: Ben Barclay, Jordan Barnett, Alex Bradley, Reuben Reid, Adi Yussuf.
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Evans, Stephens, Comley, Mendy Mendy, Smith, Mafuta, Raymond, Boden, Marsh, Lewis. Substitutes: Ashby-Hammond, Cliton, Smith, Joyce, Orsi.
Tom Knowles believes he has learned a lot from a “carnage” season as a key part of Yeovil Town‘s season.
The forward has played 44 times this season, surpassing his 38 appearances last season, and believes he has learnt a lot since joining in November 2020.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s final home game against Boreham Wood, the 23-year-old admitted the current campaign has been a tough one.
He said: “One of the main reasons I came down to Yeovil was to be in a first-team environment and to learn as much as I can about the game.
“I think I have done that in abundance because I think anything that could happen in football has happened to me during my time here.
“You have just got to learn as much as you can and take it all in your stride and learning off the senior players here really helps.
“They have been on this journey before so they can help you and guide you whilst you are learning about yourself. It has been tough but I have enjoyed it.”
The former Cambridge United man is one of a number of Glovers’ players who are out of contract come the end of this season, but said he hopes the side can sign off with victory over Boreham Wood in the final home game of the campaign this weekend.
He said: “It’s been a tough year for several different reasons and we know how football can bring everyone together.
“So if we can end with a high at home in front of our fans that will leave everyone with a positive feeling going in to the summer and looking forward to next year.“
Going in to that game, Knowles is on nine goals and admits he would like to take it to double figures with two more National League matches remaining.
He said: “I have never hit double figures before in my career so that would be nice, but as long as I am a cog in the wheel that helps the team win, I am happy. If I am the one that scores, sets one up or blocks one on the line, I am happy.”
What did we tell you, folks? Don’t fall in love with footballers?
Mathematically this weekend’s visitors to Huish Park, Boreham Wood, still have a chance of making the National League’s top seven.
The Wood have seen their season fall off a cliff since the start of March when they went out of the FA Cup after an amazing run which saw them knock out AFC Bournemouth, who put Yeovil out in the previous round and will be a Premier League side next season.
Since the 2-0 loss at Everton, they have won just twice and lost eight times in the National League – but their last two results have been a 2-0 win at table-topping Stockport County last weekend and a 1-1 draw at home to title-chasing Wrexham on Bank Holiday Monday.
Boss Luke Garrard has been rewarded with a new three-year contract this week which (if he sees it out) would take him to a decade in the dug-out with the club he served as a player for five seasons.
He said: “I was fortunate enough that seven seasons ago the (chairman Danny Hunter) gave me the opportunity to take the reins and I know at any other National League club I would not get that chance.
“So I want to repay the (chairman) and I hope we can create even more memories and history in the next three years.
“I am disappointed with the way this season panned out, but we are in the history books again and every year we make history. That is something I am very proud of.”
After the trip to Somerset, Boreham Wood face two other play-off chasing sides in their final two fixtures with a long trip to Grimsby Town on Tuesday night followed by a final day fixture at home to Solihull Moors.
Garrard’s target?: “Our job now is to ensure we have the best defence in the division, we go and get eighth or ninth and certainly don’t drop out of the top ten.”
Wood manager Luke Garrard recognises the similarities between his own rise to management with that of of his opposite number Yeovil caretaker boss, Charlie Lee.
In 2015, Garrard stepped up after five years as a player at Meadow Park and was the division’s youngest manager at the time.
Speaking of the Glovers, he said: “When I was given the job here seven years ago, I knew it could have been my first and my last job.
“I think (Charlie) has done really well, you can see his structure and the way he wants to play and there is real good personnel in the (Yeovil) team.
“(Josh) Neufville has come back from a really bad injury and done well and is finding his form, (Tom) Knowles who I have always liked, Dale Gorman who I think is one of the best midfield players in this decision and Luke Wilkinson who I played with myself.
“It’s going to be tough, they have fallen away a bit but they will still have ambitions to finish as high as possible but I know Charlie is going to go out and fight for everything.”
The imposing figure of central defender Jamal Fyfield will definitely be missing at Huish Park following his red card in the 1-1 draw with Wrexham on Bank Holiday Monday.
He seems likely to be replaced by James Comley on the left side of a three-man defence with Boreham Wood likely to stick with their familiar 3-5-2 formation.
In goal, Nathan Ashmore, who impressed in the reverse fixture at the end of September, seems likely to remain between the posts.
He returned in at the end of last month having been replaced between the posts by Fulham loanee Taye Ashby-Hammond in October and was even loaned out to National League rivals Maidenhead United. His return in goal has coincided with a return to form.
Grant Smith has happy memories of his time as a Boreham Wood player. The Yeovil Town goalkeeper was part of the side which reached the National League play-off final in 2018, eventually losing to Tranmere Rovers at Wembley.
Smith spent two seasons at Meadow Park before signing for Lincoln City. He returned to Hertfordshire in the 2019-20 campaign and played in Wood’s play-off eliminator against FC Halifax Town due to a suspension to first-choice keeper Nathan Ashmore.
Adi Yussuf is another player who has stepped out at Wembley as a Boreham Wood player. He was a 79th-minute substitute in the club’s play-off final defeat to Harrogate Town whilst on loan from Blackpool.
Glovers’ defender Luke Wilkinson also had two loan spells at Boreham Wood in the Conference South side. He turned out 26 times in the 2010-11 season and 23 times after returning the following campaign whilst on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge.
In the home side’s squad, Connor Smith spent the 2017-18 season at Huish Park, having his contract cancelled at the end of the first campaign. He signed for Wood from Wealdstone in the summer.
Other players with a foot in both camps include Kabongo Tshimanga, who played zero minutes whilst on loan at Huish Park before going on to be prolific with Wood, whilst Joe Quigley also had a nine-game spell with Wood on loan from AFC Bournemouth in 2018.
Graham Roberts, who managed Yeovil to the Isthmian League Premier Division title and promotion back to the Conference in 1997, managed Boreham Wood to the Isthmian League Division one title in 1999-2000 before his departure saw two of his players, Mickey Engwell and Lee Harvey, take charge.
Engwell was Roberts’ captain at Huish Park and Harvey was a towering centre half in that title-winning side of 1997.
Engwell was replaced as Wood manager by Steve Browne, who was part of that title-winning side under Graham Roberts, and probably better known to younger Yeovil fans as the father of Rhys.
Billy Clifford, who played once in green-and-white in a League Cup win at Southend United in 2013 whilst on loan from Chelsea, spent the 2015-16 season at Meadow Park, whilst Angelo Balanta was part of the side which reached the Championship under Gary Johnson before spending two years at Boreham Wood.
