August 2022 (Page 4)

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Yeovil Town Under-18s get their South West Counties Youth League season underway with a home game against Cirencester Town Youth on Saturday 3rd September.

The fixture at the Alvington Playing Fields gets underway at 10.30am ahead of the first team’s home match with York City at Huish Park at 3pm.

Matt Percival. Picture courtesy of Yeovil College.

It is the first of four fixtures in September with trips to Salisbury City and Swindon Supermarine the following two weekends before ending September at home to Bridgwater United on September 24th.

On first inspection, the 11-team division looks similar to last season with the addition of BRS Coaching Youth Under-18s, based in Ringwood in the New Forest, who appear a new addition.

The pre-season campaign has seen the young Glovers lose 2-0 against Eastleigh before following that up with a 2-0 victory against Bristol Manor Farm and a 5-0 win over Tiverton Town on Thursday.

We will endeavour to keep you as up to speed with the fortunes of the Under-18s as we are able, but we’d encourage you to skip back to our chat with coach Matt Percival in June and follow his request to get down to Alvington and watch the youngsters.

You can hear Matt talking to us in Gloverscast #175 – Grilled by Dave – here.

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Ollie Haste at Truro ? Truro City YouTube

Yeovil Town’s on-loan duo Ollie Haste and Toby Stephens both played for Truro City in their 3-1 win at Winchester City on Saturday.

Haste completed another 90 minutes and almost got his first goal for the White Tigers late on in their victory too.

Midfielder Stephens started the game on the bench and was introduced as an 80th minute substitute to make his first appearance since joining the Cornish side at the start of their Southern League Premier Division South campaign.

Well done on the win, lads.

Goalkeeper Max Evans didn’t feature for Larkhall Athletic, who drew 1-1 at Cowes Sports.

He was back at Huish Park on Tuesday for the game against Barnet sporting a new pair of crutches. It is hoped the injury isn’t too serious, but scans will be needed before a return date can be planned in.

Get well soon, Max!

Stanley Anaebonam, ahead of the draw with Exeter City earlier in pre-season.

As an aside, Truro City gaffer, Paul Wotton also brought on former Glovers’ trialist Stanley Anaebonam as a late substitute. He has joined the Cornish side since departing Huish Park.

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Urgh.

Another near miss, three points snatched away from the Yeovil Town right at the death as Altrincham pegged the Glovers back twice to grab a 2-2 draw.

Our man Ben was in the Press box for BBC Somerset at Moss Lane and here are his conclusions from a frustrating afternoon in the North West.

Altrincham Away ? Ben Barrett

Oh, what might have been.

It wasn’t quite as free flowing as the game against Barnet but HargreavesBall was still the order of the day for the Yeovil Town.

The switch to a 4-4-2 from the off had me thinking we might change our style, but that wasn’t the case, we kept it simple, on the floor and tried to still use our threats from wide angles to creat chances.

Chiori Johnson added a bit more bite to the midfield, the former Torquay man isn’t afraid to put a tackle in, whilst Lawson D’Ath added a calmness to the centre of the park. With Altrincham dominating possession in a way Barnet did not on them previous Tuesday night, he helped utilise what we did see of the ball.

This is our style of play, win, lose or draw, home or away.

Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking of D’Ath. Jeez, we’ve got a classy footballer on our hands.

It’s nothing we haven’t said 100 times before, but a fit and firing Lawson D’Ath is too good for the National League. He can do it all, run with the ball, spray passes, tackle, block, get forward, defend the whole nine yards.

The point here is, how do you now manage a player who is just so influential? His first 89 minutes of the season, with two games in three days at the back end of the week on the horizon and a history of injuries that says you cannot push him too far.

It’s just as important to know when to (when we can afford to) leave him out as it is, to know when to play him.

Charlie Wakefield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Something was up with Charlie Wakefield.

I spent the majority of the second half trying to figure out what wasn’t quite clicking with Charlie Wakefield.

He looked… a bit sad… like he needed a hug, he got one from Lawson D’Ath at one point.

A couple of times the ball slipped under his foot and out of play, a couple of crosses and shots weren’t at his usual standard and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

With the team now Tom Knowles-less it does feel like a lot more eyes are looking at Wakefield to be the star man (pun fully intended) and as he adapts to a new style and new role when playing wing back, the general consensus is that he’s doing just fine.

I hope he’s okay and just had one of those days, we’ve all been there.

Max Hunt vs Bournemouth

It’s time for us to talk about attacking set pieces.

I feel that it’s not been a huge strength of ours over the last couple seasons and for me, it stood out against Altrincham.

Only Notts County have had more possession this season than Alty, which means when you get the ball and the chance to get it in the box, you cannot waste it.

Sadly, we did on a few occasions, and on the times we did get a ball into the right areas, I wasn’t ever totally convinced much would come of it.

Both Josh Staunton and Max Hunt did connect with a header each from a dead ball situation, but both lacked the direction and/or power and it might be an area we have to look at improving.

There will be plenty of times this season where we give up the lion’s share of possession and I’d like us to look more dominant.

I guess we have to end with the new cult hero don’t we?

Gime Toure made a wonderful little cameo from the bench, got his goal of course, but added so much more.

He was trying to impose a little bit of game management (something we lacked after the clock ticked past 90 mins), he was trying to be clever, to buy a free kick, to slow the game down whilst also not being afraid to get on the ball and play – he and Jamie Reckord worked really well together a couple times on the left.

We’re nowhere near seeing the fittest version of Toure and that might be a while off, and the one thing we’ve been told is that there’s inconsistencies to his performances, but he looks bang up for it at the moment and he will provide an alternative to the Fish ‘n’ Mal combo which has started brightly.

All in all, it was so close, but so far from that elusive first win of the season.

Urgh.

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Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town midfielder Lawson D’ath has admitted there is a sense of frustration in the Glovers’ camp, but is backing the side to come out of the other side with a win, sooner rather than later.

Speaking to the BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he said; “The good thing is we are playing well as a team. I have been in teams before where we’ve not been playing well and losing every week, but the positive for us is we are playing well and creating lots of chances.

“We just need to switch on as a group and make sure we are compact and hard to beat but still creating the chances as well.

“It is just taking that little bit of responsibility, as individuals and as a unit, and if we do that the results will come.

“We are really disappointed because we should win today, we should win Tuesday (against Barnet) and we should win Saturday (against Wrexham) and then it’s a different story.

“The luck is not on our side, but I know if we keep playing the way we are we are going to go on a good run.”

But, there was no excuses to be made, with a young squad with plenty of inexperience, D’Ath wasn’t prepared to offer up any excuses for a lack of a victory yet this season.

“We are not that young any more, we have some younger players, but it’s a good mix. Youth is not an excuse any more.

“We have a number of players who have played a couple of seasons now, it’s about stepping up. Since my injuries I have grown up a lot more, having gone through all that and coming in to the side last year and trying to be that older guy who could help some of the young lads keep going and help them with their games.

“Normally I am someone who does my own thing, but I have come to the age where I have to take that responsibility and it’s the same with Jamie Reckord, Josh Staunton,  the older ones, we are all talking.

“We have it there, it’s just little things happening and maybe it is a bit of inexperienced. But I have been in experienced dressing rooms and got worse results, so it’s about us keeping believing and we’ll start getting wins.”

D’Ath also spoke about how much he is enjoying playing in a new style, with the ball on the deck and flowing through midfield far more with he and Matt Worthington showing a new, exciting level to their performances.

“Everything the manager is doing I am enjoying and I think we are playing my best football since my first year here.

“It’s about us keeping going and believing and following the Gaffer’s orders and that luck will change, I think.”

Speaking to the Gloverscast’s Ben Barrett he then said: “Having watched Worthy, he’s done unbelievably and is showing what a good player he is. We all know he can run, work hard and get the ball back, but it’s definitely been a different Worthy this year.

“He’s taking more responsibility and looking like a really good player. He just needs to keep going every week and keep doing what he’s doing and he’ll have a good future whether with us or with someone else.

On his own fitness, the former Reading man said he was feeling good despite being taken off just before the end, completing 89 minutes in the pink and purple of the Glovers: “I felt good, I felt fit, maybe towards the end of the first half I was blowing a bit. I came out in the second half and felt really good, so it was nice. It has been frustrating because it’s not anything major, I’ve just had a minor quad problem. I played 45 on Tuesday and felt fine, but for whatever reason it just tightened up. I’m alright now.”

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Chris Hargreaves said the 2-2 draw at Altrincham was “almost the perfect away performance” for his Yeovil Town side.

The Glovers looked to have picked up their first National League win of the season thanks to a second half goal from substitute Gime Toure, only to be pegged back by an injury time equaliser.

Chris Hargreaves talks to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Hargreaves said: “I will reflect tomorrow and say it was almost the perfect away performance – but almost is not good enough.

“Those players playing again next Saturday (at home to Dagenham & Redbridge) will be determined to eradicate these errors.”

He added: “There’s still some young lads who are learning some steep lessons here. But we haven’t got time for that, we need to see that out and then it’s a perfect away performance.

“Those boys are giving everything, we know it’s a challenge even against a team that’s not fancied.

“They are a good outfit with good players and all these games are a challenge. It hurts, but the players have to move on quickly.”

The boss revealed that experienced pair Lawson D’Ath and Chiori Johnson, who were both making their first starts of the season, were forced off with cramp towards the end of the game.

Young striker Matt Grivosti replaced Johnson after 73 minutes and Sam Perry came on for D’Ath just a couple of minutes before Altrincham substitute Egli Kaja flighted a deft header in to the net to earn a point.

Hargreaves said: “Having to take Lawson and Chiori off at the end because they were cramping up doesn’t help, but players that come on have to step up.

“The younger lads have to be leaders and maybe it was a bit of miscommunication at the end when you sit back and allow a two-versus one which doesn’t need to happen.

“It is a poor bit of play from us and it’s cost us dearly.”

Toure, who has appeared off the bench in the previous two matches with mixed results, provided a spark with the home side enjoying a sustained spell of pressure at the start of the second half.

Within nine minutes of his arrival, the former Carlisle United player latched on to a loose pass from the hosts to smash home his first goal for the club at the second attempt.

The manager said: “Gime, at full fitness is a real asset and we’re bedding him in, but he showed today what he can do, create something out of nothing.”

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Venue: Moss Lane
Saturday August 20th, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Bright and sunny with a strong cross wind
Pitch: As you would expect on the second home game or the season.

Attendance: 1,621 (142 away supporters)

Scorers: Malachi Linton 8 (1-0), Toby Mullarkey 39 (1-1), Gime Toure 70 (2-1), Egli Kaja 90 (2-2).

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: None
Altrincham: Cooper 60

Referee: Gareth Rhodes


Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)

Grant Smith

Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jamie Reckord

Charlie Wakefield, Matt Worthington, Lawson D’Ath (for Sam Perry 89), Chiori Johnson (for Matt Grivosti 73)

Alex Fisher (for Gime Toure, 61) Malachi Linton

Substitutes (not used): Will Buse, Alfie Pond.

Altrincham: Mee, Jones, Baines, Osborne, Cooper, Mullarkey, Lundstram, Bennett (for Kaja, 68), Conn-Clarke (for Pringle, 68), Colclough, Hulme (for Dinanga, 79). Substitutes (not used): Brockbank, Samizadeh.

Match Report

An injury time equaliser from Altrincham substitute Egli Kaja saw Yeovil Town’s search for their first win of the season go on.

Having taken the lead early on through Malachi Linton, the visitors were pegged back by a goal from Toby Mullarkey late in the first half and then forced to soak up a great deal of pressure early in the second half.

The ‘Hargreaves-ball’ style which had been evident in the previous two matches was in short supply, but the introduction of forward Gime Toure midway through the second half provided a spark.

The Frenchman drew Yeovil level on 72 minutes before Kaja struck at the death. In fairness, it was a game we have probably did not deserve to win, but it was a sickening way to be denied it.

Here’s how Dave saw it from the sun-soaked away end at Moss Lane…..

First half

The game opened with the visitors attacking the home end with a strong left-to-right wind causing issues with balls floated over the top.

Jordan Hulme and Ryan Colclough both forces Grant Smith in to early action, but it was Yeovil who took the lead after just nine minutes.

Matt Worthington dispossessed his man and fed the ball to Malachi LINTON (aka ‘Mal’ to our listeners) who turned and slammed home an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box.

But Altrincham kept up the pressure seeing more or the ball with Colclough a threat down the left flank without causing too much to trouble Grant Smith. However, if there was to be any joy for the home side, it was going to come from a wide position

Having earned a corner shortly before the half-hour mark, Glovers’ defender Max Hunt directed a corner in to the hands of Dermot Mee in the hosts’ goal.

Moments later a great through ball from D’Ath set Wakefield away, he was clattered just outside the box but the referee Gareth Rhodes was unmoved.

With the game closing towards half-time, Altrincham found their way through the visitors’ defence and on 40 minutes they pulled level.

Chris Conn-Clarke brought the ball forward without much resistance and his effort deflected to Colclough whose smashed a shot across the face of goal. The chance looked to have gone wide, only for Toby MULLARKEY to burst in from right back at the far post to tuck it home from an acute angle.

It was nothing more than Altrincham deserved having carved out a couple of opportunities as the half wore on, however, the half-hearted nature of the efforts to stop the move will have frustrated boss Chris Hargreaves.

I firmly suspect the possession stats would show Alty bossing the ball in the first half and there was not a great deal of the free-flowing ‘Hargreaves-ball’ which had been seen in the previous two outings.

Half time: Altrincham 1 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

The second half started as the first one finished with the visitors affording their hosts too much time on the ball. Altrincham responded by testing Grant Smith before Max Hunt was forced to clear a goalbound effort off the line.

For the opening 15 minutes of the second half, it was the home side in the ascendancy, but again they were not able to turn their dominance in to many clear-cut opportunities.

Seeking a spark, Hargreaves threw on forward Gime Toure in place of Alex Fisher around the four mark. For all his running around, Fisher never looked like threatening the goal.

Toure’s arrival had the desired impact with the Glovers having a flurry of opportunities around the 66 minutes mark. Johnson’s tame header could not threaten, but a sumptuous ball in from D’Ath moments later almost found the head of Toure. From the resulting corner, Josh Staunton nodded over Worthington’s corner.

The arrival of Toure seemed to give the home side something to think about and on 72 minutes he grabbed the lead. A mistake from the home side saw him gifted possession, he broke forward in to the box and, having had his first efforts blocked by on-rushing defenders, the ball broke to him again and  TOURE slammed home his first goal for the club.

The lead was probably harsh on Altrincham who had dominated up to the Frenchman’s arrival, but there was always the fear of a mistake in Yeovil. With ten minutes to go, Jordan Hulme twisted and turned in the box and fired in a shot that Smith had to save with his feet.

If the Hargreaves-ball was missing, there is always the class of D’Ath to enjoy. The playmaker was taken off in the 89th minute, replaced by Sam Perry to well-earned  applause from the away end.

But remember how I said there was a mistake in the visitors? Just moments after the fourth official’s board went up to display five minutes of added time, a ball from a wide position (where have we heard that before?) got a glancing header from substitute Egli KAJA to draw the game level.


Full time: Altrincham 2 Yeovil Town 2

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Lawson D’Ath and Chiori Johnson have been handed their first starts of the season at Altrincham (3pm kick-off).

They replace on loan winger Sam Pearson, who was suffering a back injury following the midweek defeat to Barnet, and Sam Perry, who drops to the bench.

Charlie Wakefield is set to start in a more advanced position with Johnson taking over at right wing-back.

On loan Bolton Wanderers striker Matt Grivosti is on the bench.

 

Yeovil Town: Grant Smith, Chiori Johnson, Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jamie Reckord, Charlie Wakefield, Matt Worthington, Lawson D’Ath, Alex Fisher, Malachi Linton. Substitutes: Buse, Pond, Perry, Toure, Grivosti.

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⚠️Please Note, the audio quality and editing isn’t up to its usual standards in this episode and for that, Ben is sorry. The transitions between jingles and chat is a little longer than planned and Ben’s mic has its moments… sorry, usual service will be resumed ASAP ⚠️

Ben and Dave are the deadly duo attacking the ‘oh what might have been’ against Barnet and the ‘what might well be’ of Altrincham.

We chat to Erin from Golf Road Goals as well, an Alty fan for her view on Saturday’s game.

As ever, we really do appreciate your continued support. Like, share, subscribe if you can please. ?

 

 

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Chris Hargreaves has said his Yeovil Town side need to regain the defensive resilience they showed in pre-season if they are to progress up the National League table.

Chris Hargreaves speaking following the Barnet defeat.

The Glovers’ boss was frustrated after two defensive lapses saw Barnet striker Nicke Kabamba gifted two goals in the 2-1 home defeat on Tuesday night after errors cost goals in their previous games against Scunthorpe United and Wrexham.

The boss’ frustration was compounded by his side’s struggle to finish a number of chances they created in midweek with the only goal coming from left wing-back Jamie Reckord with his side already 2-0 down.

Talking ahead of the weekend’s trip to Altrincham, Hargreaves said: “It’s the chances we aren’t taking and the small lapses in concentration (defensively), but small lapses at any level kill you.

“If you don’t score, you have to come out with boring 0-0s and the teams I have done well with, that is what we have done.

“In pre-season, we had that resilience and weren’t creating as many, now we can’t stop creating chances, but I want that resilience back.”

The Glovers’ boss will give on loan winger Sam Pearson until the weekend to prove his fitness after he was forced off following a physical encounter against Barnet.

The Bristol City player went off after 72 minutes, replaced by Lawson D’Ath, with the manager saying afterwards that he was suffering with a back injury.

Sam Pearson. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking on Thursday, Hargreaves said: “We are taking it day by day. He took a few bumps on Tuesday, but he’s resilient lad and robust, so we are hopeful he comes through.

“He to learn on the job very quickly and Sam, because of the type of player he is, he will get that type of aggression against him.

“But he looked like he was able to cope with the physicality but when there are games in quick succession with high tempos and his output, his running stats are high, we don’t want to lose him for weeks on end.

“It is the same with some of the other lads coming back from injury, like Lawson (D’Ath), that is one where we have to make a decision and bed them back in gently.”

Hargreaves reiterated the knee injury sustained by central defender Ben Richards-Everton was “not as bad as first feared“, but did reveal that striker Ollie Hulbert was suffering with an injury.

The 19-year-old has not featured in a squad since pre-season although he was on the pitch ahead of the Barnet game working with Scott Wickens, the club’s strength and conditioning coach.

Hargreaves said: “We have to work out why it is happening and it may be a decision we have to make on that.

“He trains well but has a slight problem in games. He is chomping at the bit, but in certain circumstances his body is letting him down.”

He confirmed that forward Gime Toure, who a week ago following his release by League Two side Carlisle United at the end of last season, was “not far off” from starting a game.

Gime Toure fires a ball in. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The 28-year-old impressed after coming off the bench against in the 1-1 draw with Wrexham, but had less of an impact having arrived around the hour mark in midweek.

Hargreaves said: “Gime has been looking for EFL clubs and probably lost a bit of fitness and he’s signed for us in a deal which suits both parties.

“If we can get him up to speed, he will be a dangerous player for us. He’s not far off, but for lots of players that have been through the summer as Gime has, they lose fitness.

“He’s shown glimpses of what he can do and we have to make sure we get him to full fitness as quickly as possible.”

He also said teenage defender Alfie Pond, who arrived on loan from Exeter City last Friday had impressed in training, adding that he had given him “a lot to think about” in his team selection.

The 18-year-old was an unused substitute against both Wrexham and Barnet.

Asked whether he was looking to add further to his squad, the manager said he was continuing to speak to “several people” about coming to Huish Park.

Malachi Linton surges forward. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The question from BBC Somerset reporter Sheridan Robins related to forward players and Hargreaves added that he felt he had enough players already in his squad to score goals.

He said: “Regardless of who we get in we have enough people to finish chances and the lads are working hard to change that.

“We had eight very good chances (against Barnet on Tuesday) whereas they have three shots on goal and scored two. We had double figures plus and eight on target.

“It is not a case of it just being the strikers, it can be defenders from corners, midfielders going through, wingers, everyone has got to chip in with goals.

“It’s just maybe one more second of calmness in front of goal to make sure and that is what we have been working on this week.”