December 2022 (Page 6)

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Yeovil Town top-scorer Alex Fisher is targeting picking up some points as the Glovers head in to a busy fixture list over Christmas.

This weekend sees bottom club Scunthorpe United visit Somerset followed by a trip to Barnet on Tuesday night and then a double header against Torquay United offering 12 points in the space of just three weeks.

The Glovers sit five points off the National League relegation places and Fisher sees this period as a chance to put more distance between them and the bottom three.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, he said: “Up until the weekend (and the abandoned game at Bromley) we were four or five points off the bottom, but only eight off the play-offs. I know you don’t want to think too far ahead, but it just goes to show how a little change in form can change your outlook.

“The Gaffer’s sentiment is bang on, get points on the board any way you can, like our last result (at Huish Park) was a great 1-0 win (against FC Halifax Town) but not a pretty performance.  But those results are necessary to get a foothold and pull ourselves away from the bottom.”

Alex Fisher. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

He added of the Christmas period: “The more games that come thick and fast the better. I love the idea of playing games where you get bigger crowds, derby games which we will be doing.

“You could suddenly be nine or 12 points in the space of two weeks, so you focus on what could be, it’s a good chance to start making the way up the table.”

Fisher saw strike partner Louis Britton, who he began the match at Bromley alongside, get his first goal in green and white in the 2-1 Somerset Men’s Premier Cup second round win over Taunton Town in midweek.

The top scorer, who has four goals this season, stayed on the bench for that tie whilst a number of players who had not been starting matches including Lawson D’Ath, Charlie Wakefield and Britton were all handed starts.

Fisher said: “It’s pretty clear no-one here ever rests on any laurels and you’re always looking over your shoulder if someone and if you’re not playing, you are always raring to go to get that matchday shirt.

“It was a good result, positive to progress in that cup and looking forward to Saturday.”

Of Britton, he added: “He’s a really hard worker, he keeps his head down and does the right things and sometimes there’s a bit of a monkey on your back when you haven’t got a goal having signed for a club.

“So to get a goal that every on in your Yeovil career will do him the world of good.“

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper is looking for all three points ahead of this weekend’s visit of Scunthorpe United and said his side will have to get on the right side of ‘moments‘ against the National League’s bottom club.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins on Thursday, the manager said: “We just have to perform on the day. Physically, mentally, tactically, we have to be right on the day. We can talk about how poor a run Scunthorpe are on, but they have players that can hurt you. If you take the top two or three out of the league, there’s not a lot between any of the teams and its about moments in matches that decide which way the afternoon or evening’s gonna go and we’ve got to make sure were on the right side of those moments.

“We need to win, simple. We need to win the game. However we do it, we need to win because we a tough game on Tuesday away at Barnet and more tough games after that so we need to win the game to put ourselves in a strong position.”

With two sides who were relegated from the EFL last season taking up the bottom two places in the League, Cooper expressed his sympathy for the situation the Iron find themselves in and said how no team has a divine right to walk the league.

“It’s a graveyard for big former football league clubs. You look at the teams that are around the bottom, Scunthorpe, Oldham, Yeovil (ouch!) those kinds of teams. There’s no divine right to be at the top of this league, you have to earn it. Scunthorpe is a great football club and you just feel sorry for their fans as to where they are now and what they’re having to put up with. I’m sure they’ll sort it out in the long run but we’ve got to make sure that’s not on Saturday.”

When asked by Adi Hopper of Three Valleys Radio about his time at the club so far, the manager said: “I’m happy, you always want more. I’ve said before, I was left a good base by the previous manager. The players were in good nick a good defensive unit, and we’ve just added a little bit of something to the group. We’ve brought a couple of players in which has given us a spark. But as a coach, as a manager you always want a bit more.”

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There were just two of the four Glovers’ loanees in action on Tuesday night

Will Dawes, who is back on loan at Stratford Town after his five-figure transfer from the Bards in the summer, played the full 90 minutes as his re-adopted side lost 4-2 to Alvechurch.

Dawes did set up the 2nd goal for his side and saw an effort of his own cannon back off the bar.

Over in Plymouth, Ollie Hulbert had to wait until the 75th minute to get a taste of the action as Plymouth Parkway drew 0-0 with Bracknall.

There was no place in the squad for Toby Stephens.

On Wednesday evening, defender Ollie Haste, was an unused substitute in Truro City’s 1-1 draw with Beaconsfield. The defender had appeared as a 66th minute substitute for the first team in the Somerset Men’s Premier Cup win over Taunton Town the night before.

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Striker Louis Britton scored his first goal since joining Yeovil Town as they won 2-1 in their Somerset Men’s Premier Cup second round tie with Taunton Town on Tuesday night.

The former Bristol City man struck around the half-hour mark turning home from inside in the box after his initial effort from a corner was blocked by the Peacocks’ defence.

The visitors equalised five minutes in to the second half with a stunning strike from Dylan Morgan, but the home side continued to press with Charlie Wakefield and Andrew Oluwabori both going close.

Matt Worthington struck the winner on 64 minutes firing in to the corner of the net from the edge of the box.

Manager Mark Cooper gave some minutes to youngsters defender Ollie Haste and striker Benjani Junior, who appeared off the bench on 66 minutes and 71 minutes respectively.

Yeovil progress to the third round of the competition they won last season with of its stronger sides, including Weston-super-Mare and Bath City, yet to play their second round ties.

 

Yeovil Town: Will Buse, Jamie Reckord (for Ollie Haste, 66), Max Hunt, Owen Bevan (for Jamie Andrews, 66), Matt Worthington, Lawson D’Ath, Ewan Clark, Andrew Oluwabori, Charlie Wakefield, Louis Britton (for Benjani Junior, 71), Malachi Linton. Substitutes (not used): Chiori Johnson, Alex Fisher.

Taunton Town: Irish, Budd, Grimes (for Guest, 48), Wannell, Chamberlain, James, McCootie, Stearn, Staley, Sims-Burgess, Morgan (for Ball 77).

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has named a strong side for the Somerset Men’s Premier Cup tie against Taunton Town.

On loan Bristol City man Will Buse starts in goal, making his first competitive start for the Glovers against the side he started the season on loan with.

Charlie Wakefield returns to the side after a spell out with injury and there are starts for Ewan Clarke and Lawson D’Ath who have been short of minutes recently.

Louis Britton, who has been waiting for his chance due to the form of Alex Fisher, also starts up top with the Glovers’ top-scorer named on the bench.

Youth players Ollie Haste, whose loan with Truro City allows him to represent the Glovers also, striker and Benjani Junior both make the bench.

The side in full (with something of a guess of formation…)

 

Substitutes: Chiori Johnson, Ollie Haste, Jamie Andrews, Alex Fisher, Benjani Junior.

Taunton Town: Lloyd Irish, Joe Budd, Nick Grimes, Jake Wannell, Ollie Chamberlain, Lloyd James, Nick Mcootie, Ross Stearn, Ross Staley, Dave Sims-Burgess, Dylan Morgan. Substitutes: Dan Ball, Joe Guest, Zac Smith.

Referee: Stacey Pearson.

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140 supporters shared their views on the dismal month of October and gave now former-manager Chris Hargreaves a score of 1.93 out of 7 and scored the players performance at 2.32 out of 7 – both lows for the season.

Off the pitch, with the average score to the question ‘What would score the ownership/board this month?’ dropped to 1.65 out of 7. With regards to communication the score was 1.94 out of 7 and supporters scored the matchday experience 2.1.

Thank you to the 140 supporters who took part, take part in November’s survey here.

Aug 22Sep 22Oct 22Nov 22Dec 22Jan 23Feb 23Mar 23Apr 23Aug 23Sep 23Oct 23Nov 23
What would you score the ownership/board this month?2.131.881.652.352.11.892.133.252.583.915.56.365.08
How has the manager performed this month?3.372.91.935.545.165.094.292.82.494.325.646.345.16
What would you score the communication from the club this month?2.322.191.942.472.21.842.543.51.365.275.385.885.21
What would you score the match day experience this month?2.762.62.13.243.122.93.163.61.225.225.285.435.2
How have the players performed this month?3.603.472.325.344.784.753.293.252.345.55.315.65.35
Responses2191301401481419437401292071507680

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It’s time for your views on November and Mark Cooper’s first full month in charge of the Yeovil!

Here’s how it went on the pitch…

1st November – Woking 1 – 0 Yeovil Town
8th November – Maidened United 1 – 1 Yeovil Town
12th November – Yeovil Town 3 – 1 Gateshead
19th November – Notts County 0 – 0 Yeovil Town 
26th November – Yeovil Town 1 – 0 Halifax Town

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Will Dawes has returned to former club Stratford Town on loan just three months after being signed for an undisclosed five-figure fee.

Bards’ chairman Jed McCrory, a business partner of Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall, confirmed that the 21-year-old played was back at the Southern League Premier Division Central whilst still training with the Glovers.

He was named in the starting line-up for the club’s 2-0 defeat at Hednesford Town yesterday

In an interview with the Stratford website ahead of that game, McCrory doesn’t quite say the deal is a loan but says it will allow the former Cheltenham Town youngster to “get some game time” whilst training with Yeovil.

He said: “I noticed that Dawsey hadn’t been in the squad for a couple of games and then I looked at how Mark Cooper was setting up (at Yeovil).

“I know Mark from the Swindon days so  I put a cheeky call in and said while he’s training with the first team we’ll give him game time while he trains with you.

“So knowing Mark and Scott I was aware that there were five or six teams in for Will from the Conference South, so they put it to Will and he said he would you like to go back to Stratford to get some game time and of course Dawsey loves the club, loves the people, knows the lads and he jumped at it.

He added: “So we ran around me and Chris (the Stratford club secretary) and kept it quiet. We didn’t want to announce it that we wanted to bring Will Dawes back and me and Chris were working tirelessly last night to get the paper work in and got it signed off last night by the FA and National League and then got clearance about 8.30 this morning from the Southern Premier League.

“So he’s gone straight into the team today which was a pleasant surprise for the lads and apparently there was a great big welcome back cheer when he walked into the changing room.”

Dawes has appeared just three times since arriving at Huish Park in September and his last outing – and only one under manager Mark Cooper – saw him come on as 62nd minute substitute in the 1-0 defeat at Woking on November 1.

He made two appearances under former boss Chris Hargreaves, starting the 1-1 draw at Dorking Wanderers on October 4.

When he arrived, Hargreaves said he believed the player had “huge potential” comparing him with former Glovers’ start Tom Knowles.

Speaking then, he said: “There will be a bedding in process of two or three weeks to bed him in to that intensity of training every day with this group.

“But he has huge potential, very similar to Tom Knowles when he came to the club, with that untapped potential that we need to focus on when we bring players to the club.”

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A fine individual goal from Benjani Junior was not enough to prevent Yeovil Town Under-18s going down to a 2-1 defeat in the South West Counties Youth League Gary Else Memorial Cup at Bridgwater United.

The young striker, who signed a professional contract in October, netted for a young Glovers’ side missing a number of regular players including captain Jake Graziano and Sam Hodges through illness.

The result means Yeovil have drawn and lost their first two games in the competition’s group stages. They take on Wimborne Town in league action at Alvington next weekend.

The age group teams representing the club were also in action in the Junior Premier League at the weekend.

The Under-13s and Under-16s were winners against Juventus Devon and Chivenor Soccer School respectively, but the Under-12s, Under-14s and Under-15s went down to defeats. There was no fixture for the Under-11s this weekend.

All the youth group sides from Under-11s to Under-16s play as part of the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust.

To find out about the youth sides run by the Trust and how to put your child forward for a trial, visit the Trust’s website – here.