February 2023 (Page 2)

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Yeovil boss Mark Cooper was not happy with his forward players after Yeovil’s 2-1 defeat at York City this afternoon.

Goals from Olly Dyson and Lenell John-Lewis saw York break their six match winless run in the National League against the Glovers, who had ‘complete domination of the ball’ in the second half but didn’t look like scoring.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, Cooper said: “I think the difference is, you look at their forwards compared to ours, that’s the difference. If we’d had their to strikers we’d be in the playoffs, that’s what I believe. Like I said, I thought we played really well with the ball, we started great, the first time the ball goes in our box they score.

“The amount of positions we get ourselves into in the second half, we didn’t really look like scoring. We’re too nice, our forwards are too nice. It’s like ‘oh I might go in there and risk getting my head cut or my nose broke’. Whereas theirs, I think one went off with a cut mouth in the first half and the other one scored the winner. So I think its clear to see where our problems are.

“If we’d have had their forwards today we’d have won comfortably.”

“In terms of the game, we totally dominated the second half of the game. We had York penned in here and we have to score. I mean our goal is an own goal, we don’t even score that. Listen, it’s clear where our problems are and everybody knows what we need. If we’d have had their forwards today we’d have won comfortably.

“Unless you’ve got some money to spend, where are you going to get somebody who’s going to score you goals now? Nobody is going to let you have them. It should have been done in August or July or June or January. It’s not going to happen now. We’ve got what we’ve got and we have to find a way.”

The result sees Yeovil fall to 21st, inside the relegation zone, but the manager said the situation is not desperate: “There’s 15 games to go, we have to stay calm, focused and if we start panicking then there becomes an issue. I’m confident that we can find a way.”

When asked if he believed the squad can get him out of situation the situation he said: “I have to.”

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Venue: LNER Community Stadium
Saturday 25th February, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Cold but dry and bright
Pitch: It wasn’t just the markings which highlighted this as a surface which regularly hosts rugby.

Attendance: 3,978 (167 away supporters)

Scorers: Dyson 15, Staunton 60, John-Lewis 83

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Cooper
York City: Dyson, Fallowfield, Whittle

Referee: Ed Duckworth

Yeovil Town (4-3-3)

York City: Ross (Whitley) Crookes, Duku (Kouhyar) Dyson, Ellis, Fallowfield, John Lewis, Kougon (Forde), McLaughlin, Pybus, Whittle

 Substitute not used: Hancock, Duckworth

Match Report

Yeovil Town slid into the bottom four following a 2-1 defeat against York City this afternoon. A late winner from Lenell John-Lewis consigned the Glovers to defeat on the road, leaving Mark Cooper’s side five without victory.

An goal from Olly Dyson set the hosts on their way after quarter of an hour but Josh Staunton was credited for Yeovil’s equaliser on the hour (although the consensus seems to have down as an own goal), before York’s second.

Here’s how Coatesie saw it…

First half

Mark Cooper handed debuts to new loan signings striker Seb Palmer-Houlden and midfielder Josh Owers, who were both announced as having joined from Bristol City on the morning of the match.

They replaced Lawson D’Ath and Alex Fisher as two of four changes from the midweek defeat at Maidenhead United. Jordan Maguire-Drew and Owen Bevan also return to the starting line-up in place of Edwin Agbaje and Jamie Reckord.

After a scrappy start to the first half, the first real action saw Grant Smith require treatment for what passes as a physiotherapist at Yeovil after a late tackle from Lennell John-Lewis.

But, it was York who were getting hold of the game before the goal and moments after the game restarted John-Lewis’ venomous strike was parried away by Smith for a throw.

From that resulting throw, it was another defensive horror show to gift the home side an opener. Mark Ellis’ throw was flicked towards the back post and Olly DYSON is on hand to smash home the opener with 14 minutes gone.

Six minutes later, Yeovil’s first opportunity came when Ryan Law was clipped and from Charlie Cooper’s resulting free-kick, Morgan Williams put a header over at the back post.

John-Lewis came close to doubling the advantage soon after before Jordan Maguire-Drew headed over on 30 minutes.

With six minutes of the half remaining, hosts’ keeper Ethan Ross who had clashed with Law a few minutes earlier had to be replaced by Ryan Whiteley.

If anything that seemed to spur York and it was Smith who was (again) the difference as he did superbly to turn a header from Duku over the bar. The striker took a knock in the process and had to be replaced. The tactic of trying to get the opposition’s team injured seemed like the most likely route to success at this rate.

The result of the stoppages was ten minutes of injury time. During that time, the dangerous John-Lewis warmed the palms of Smith and at the other end Palmer-Houlden could not get a shot away after a good run by Young.

The apathetic sigh which ‘greeted’ the half time whistle from the away supporters (most of whom had long since departed for the bar) summed up another 45 minutes which lacked everything required to survive in this division.

Half time:  York City 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

With no changes made by Cooper at the interval, it was relying on a suitable rocket being placed in the necessary orifice to get a result.

There was no immediate sign of that with John-Lewis putting an effort over within two minutes of the restart, but soon after the visitors found a rhythm which had been sadly lacking in the first half. Young and Maguire-Drew both had shots well blocked before Law had another effort blocked.

On 57 minutes, Cooper made his first change with Alex Fisher introduced in place of Palmer-Holden, swiftly followed by Andrew Oluwabori who replaced Maguire-Drew.

The result was almost instant as Cooper’s free-kick after an hour was bundled home. The official Twitter account gave it to Josh Staunton but it looked like an OWN GOAL.

But, despite being level, the defensive frailties which had led to us going behind were still there for all to see. On loan Watford man Shaq Forde was denied by Smith, and on 73 minutes the striker gave the visitors a huge let off as he seized on a mistake, rounded the stranded Smith but lifted his shot over the bar.

The luck evaded us in the 83rd minute when a moment of quality saw Ryan Fallowfield’s cross headed home by JOHN-LEWIS at the back post. It was harsh on Yeovil, who had improved after the break, but summarised a season where we had made our own (bad) luck.

Full time: York City 2 Yeovil Town 1

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New loan signings Seb Palmer-Houlden and Josh Owers are handed debuts for Yeovil Town in a relegation crunch match at York City (3pm kick-off).

The pair, who were announced as having joined on loan from Bristol City on Saturday morning, start up front and in the centre of midfield respectively.

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Yeovil Town Under-18s have an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the South West Counties Youth League this weekend.

The second-placed young Glovers play host to fifth-placed Mangotsfield United at Alvington looking to reduce the five point gap at the top of the division to just two points with leaders Bridgwater United without a game.

Last time out, a double from Jake Graziano and a goal from striker Benjani Junior saw them triumph over BRS Coaching Under-18s. However, both players are expected to be in action for their loan club, Sherborne Town this weekend, and top scorer Charlie Bateson has been sent out on loan to Tiverton Town.

The club’s other age group teams are also in action in the Junior Preier League with the Under-11s facing FC Wiltshire and the Under-12s playing Taunton Town in the Junior Premier League.

The Under-13s, Under-14s, Under-15s and Under-16s, who play as part of the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust, all take on opposition from Exeter Regional Talent Centre.

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More than 200 names have signed up to take part in a sit-in protest against chairman and owner Scott Priestnall at Huish Park following next weekend’s home match with Woking.

The petition launched at gloversunion.co.uk has more than 200 names on it – albeit some of them appearing to be spoofs with Diego Maradona, Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Saville among many more familiar looking names from the club’s supporter base.

However, it certainly appears there is a growing number of supporters who have put their names to the petition which is threatening action unless a fans’ forum promised by the chairman in October is held before next Thursday.

The site addresses Priestnall and fellow director Stuart Robins, saying: “We the fans feel utterly betrayed by your lack of communications, your lack of investment and what appears to be the demise of our beloved football club due to the greed and ambitions of Scott Priestnall, and the mismanagement of the club since his tenure began.

“We hereby advise that unless a meeting has taken place by Thursday 2nd March, with elected representatives from support groups, to meet with you and have questions, pivotal to the future of our club answered, then know this:

“THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAVE PLEDGED TO TAKE PART IN A SIT-IN PROTEST IN YOUR STADIUM, FOLLOWING THE HOME MATCH ON SATURDAY MARCH 4TH. SUPPORTED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PRESS.

“We await your response to info@gloversunion.co.uk We will not repeat our request to you on this matter, and further escalating protests are planned thereafter.

“If you refuse to afford us this small request, we will then begin canvassing the local residents with a view to objecting ‘wholesale’ to Scott Priestaell’s development plans, followed by a planned march on the council offices, to further voice our deep concerns.”

The page has been heavily promoted by local businessman Martin Hellier, whose business Hellier Group sponsors the Main Stand at Huish Park and made a public bid to try and buy the club from Priestnall at the end of last year.

He has offered supporters the opportunity to visit his executive box at the match which sees former manager Darren Sarll return with his new club for the first time since quitting the Huish Park hot seat last March.

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Yeovil Town striker Malachi Linton says this weekend’s trip to fellow strugglers York City is “the perfect time” for the side to bounce back from consecutive defeats.

The Glovers lie just one position and two goals on goal difference off the National League relegation places following a 4-1 home defeat to leaders Notts County last Saturday followed by a disappointing 2-0 loss at Maidenhead United.

Linton played almost an hour in the reverse last weekend and came off the bench as a 72nd minute substitute for Lawson D’Ath in midweek.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins ahead of the weekend, the frontman said: “It’s the perfect time to bounce back. If we go there and win we pick up some momentum, we are off the back of two defeats so we don’t want to get too down.

The good thing is there’s days, not a full week until the next game, so we gave to go there and do a job. There’s lots goes on behind the scene but the games are where it matters and that is what we are paid to do and come a game day, you want as many games as you can.”

The former Wycombe Wanderers player, who has four goals to his name this season, admitted his team-mates were “disappointed” with their performance against Maidenhead following on from an improved performance against in-form Notts County, who scored twice in the dying minutes at Huish Park.

Linton said: “Notts County was a very different test, Maidenhead bring you in to the game they want to play and they are very good at doing that and maybe we got caught up on that.

“We have to stick to our game plan, play how we want to play and not be too concerned about the opposition. When you look at a game like (Maidenhead) it is a must win.”

Speaking on Thursday, manager Mark Cooper admitted that the off-the-field situation at Huish Park, with speculation about a takeover of the club continuing to rumble on, was having an impact on the players.

Asked about the situation, Linton said: “All we can control is what is going on on the pitch, we hear different things and whispers about x, y and z but until something is done and dusted we can’t do anything about that.

“We do not want to use that as an excuse at all, there are other things that don’t maybe go in our favour, but we can only concentrate on the things we can control.”

 

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Mark Cooper has played down the significance of Yeovil Town’s trip to York City as his side go looking for only their second away win of the season this weekend.

The Glovers made the long trip knowing that only two goals on goal difference separates them from the National League drop zone, but travel to a York City which have lost five and drawn one of their last six league matches.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins before the game, Cooper said: “I think it’s important we make it just another game. I just want us to go and put a performance in really.

“You see teams around the bottom win a couple of games and then go and lose four or five and it’s that lack of consistency as to why you are down at the bottom.

“We have been quite consistent but we have not won enough games so that will carry on for the remainder of the season. We just have to stay true, consistent and keep fighting and I think we will be alright.”

Don’t miss our chat with York City fan Tim Mercer on the latest edition of the podcast – “The last time I was on I cried” – click here.

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Yeovil Town director Stuart Robins has said he believes the club is “getting close” to a deal which would see an unnamed party take over as majority shareholder at Huish Park.

Talking on BBC Somerset’s Claire Carter on Friday morning ahead of tomorrow’s relegation clash with York City, he said talks between an unnamed party which signed an “exclusivity agreement” and  chairman Scott Priestnall to take a majority shareholding in the club were taking “a lot longer” than either party would want.

Asked if a deal was imminent, he said: “It will be done when it’s done, these things have to be done properly and they are. My sense is we are getting close and we are hopeful.

“There is a lot of goodwill on both sides to get this completed as quickly as possible, it has accelerated just recently and all parties are nose down to get this completed and there is an awful lot of goodwill on both sides.”

Asked why Priestnall was not speaking to supporters about the discussions, he added: “There is an awful lot of energy expended when you are going through some form of acquisition and that includes the Chairman. It’s his transaction and he’s got a lot of work to do and it’s not easy.

“I am heavily involved in a lot of that as well, there is a lot of due diligence to go through, and it’s taking a lot longer than any of us would like, but it is complex it’s not one of those things that can be done in the work of the moment. (Scott) is heavily involved in that.”

The last statement – see our article here – was made on New Year’s Eve when Priestnall confirmed the agreement with an unnamed party which would see them take the Chairman’s majority shareholding in the club. Robins holds a 20% stake in the club with the Chairman understood to hold a further 72%, the remaining shares being made of a number of smaller shareholders.

Speaking on Friday morning, Robins praised Priestnall’s decision to recommend manager Mark Cooper for the job at Huish Park following the sacking of former boss Chris Hargreaves in October.

He said: “It was Scott that recommend to me that we employ Mark and that has been an unbelievably good decision. It has helped us develop the players tremendously.

“I work with Mark on a day to day basis and I never knew him before he came to the club and it has been an unbelievably good decision and recommendation by Scott. I have the highest regard for (Mark) because he is doing an unbelievable job in difficult circumstances.

“All I want to do is make sure we do what we can to help him.”

On other matters, the director said the club had been close to appointing a new physio this week – only for the candidate it had been interviewing to pull out.

It is understood that winger Will Dawes, who has physiotherapy training, has been combining his playing role giving treatment to the first-team squad. The club has been without a physio since Kai Hepworth departed at the end of last year.

Robins added: “We were hopeful we would make an appointment this week but after a number of interviews the candidate decided he wanted to go elsewhere which was disappointing.

“It’s been very difficult, not just now but historically, to get qualified physios in to the club. Clearly we are covered on a match day, we have to be, and we are very fortunate we have some resource in the club which helps – it’s not perfect.

“We are still searching for a physio, we might have to look at an alternative which might be a little more expensive than we would like, but I understand Mark’s frustration there but we are doing everything we can.”

Asked about plans to build 250 houses around Huish Park, revealed published by documents from South Somerset District Council, Robins said that he could not comment until he sees the full plans.

However, he agreed that the loss of parking and pitches behind the away terrace at Huish Park through any developed were “quite rightly being looked at.”

He added: “It’s nothing to do with me, I am not involved in any of those developments, all I am concerned is how the football club is protected and the big issue is parking.“

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It’s been a week hasn’t it? It’s been dismal. Ian, Dave and Ben are here to make (non)sense of it all. We talk about Maidenhead, the fallout from it and what the future looks like. We’ve got York on Saturday so we speak to York City fan Tim and take your questions.

Thank you for your continued support of the Gloverscast. Remember to add Gloverscast.co.uk to your favourites and check the website daily for the latest news and views from Huish Park.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Leave us a review and share the pod with a pal.

We’d love to welcome some local businesses into the Gloverscast family through advertising. If you’re a business that would like to speak to a dedicated audience of more than 1000 monthly listeners, please get in touch. Find out more about advertising with us here.

If you have an idea for the website, want to contribute or just want to send us a message, feel free to email ian@gloverscast.co.uk.

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Mark Cooper has admitted Yeovil Town is “not in a good state” as he seeks to pull them away from the National League relegation places with a six pointer at fellow strugglers York City this weekend.

The Glovers’ boss said the latest takeover saga engulfing the club could give his players “excuses” for a run of form which sees them without a win in four matches, having lost 2-0 at Maidenhead United in the week.

It is now almost two months since club chairman Scott Priestnall announced he had signed an exclusivity agreement with an unnamed party to become a majority shareholder of the club and, since then, plans to build 250 houses around Huish Park have been revealed.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins ahead of the trip to York, the boss was asked how concerned fans should be about his post-match comments in the week that the club would have folded if it had not been for director Stuart Robins and chief executive Martyn Starnes.

He said: “It was probably not my place to say, but somebody had to say it. It’s not in a good state, is it? Everybody knows that but somehow we have to galvanise a siege mentality as players and staff to get enough points to do what we need to do.

“When you put it in to context, we have had one poor game. We all understand that and we know we can be better as a group, but obviously there are things happening. We have to make sure we do not give the players excuses and they can have excuses at the minute.”

He added: “It is a difficult time because there is a protracted takeover going through and everyone wants what they can get out of it.

“Until that is done it is going to be a difficult situation, so what can we do? We have to be inventive, make the best of what we have got and with Stuart – who I wasn’t aware gets a lot of stick – but if Stuart wasn’t here then we would be snookered.

“I can say that since I have been here he and Martyn Starnes (the club’s chief executive) have been top draw and without them the club would have been long gone.”

Asked if the situation he inherited when he arrived at the end of October, he said: “Yes. I do not want to use that as an excuse because, in the circumstances, the players and the staff have done remarkably well and we have to keep that going and, knowing the players like I do, I think they will do. They need some help, we need some bodies in to freshen things up…..it’s a tough gig but I am enjoying it.

“I am like everyone else, you don’t know what is around the corner, do you? I enjoy working with the players and trying to make them better and the way they are with what is going on they just get on with it. They could have a million excuses if they wanted, but they get on with it.
I want to try and stay to help them and get them where they need to be.”

Answering speculation on whether he would leave if he was considering walking away due to the situation on and off the pitch at Huish Park, he insisted he had no plans to “jump ship“.

He said: “If you look at my record, I tend to stay where I am wanted quite a while. I stayed at Forest Green for five years which is quite unheard of on the managerial merry-go-round.

“I am not one to jump ship. If Manchester United asked me to go and be their manager I’m going tonight (!) but that’s not going to happen, is it?

“I want to stay, I want to fight and I want to make sure the club stays in the league because it would be an absolute crime if this club was not at least in the National League.”

Speaking after the defeat at Maidenhead, Cooper said he was hoping to bring additional players in before the trip to York and would be speaking to Robins and Starnes.

Asked about progress on this, he added: “We are still trying, there’s lots of things going on in the background that will decide that, but we are trying to beg steal and borrow. So let’s wait and see.”

He added that defender Chiori Johnson could return for the match, but that on loan Chesterfield play-maker Jack Clarke and central defender Max Hunt were “nowhere near returning from injury.”