March 2023 (Page 3)

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Sheffield United defender Miguel Freckleton has arrived at Yeovil Town on loan until the end of the season.

The Bristol-born player, who signed for the Blades from Mangotsfield United at the end of 2021, had a three-month loan in the National League with Wealdstone which ended at the end of February.

He impressed during his time with the Stones helping them to a clean sheet against free-scoring Wrexham on his debut, scoring his first professional goal in a 2-1 win over York City and playing in the goalless draw at Huish Park at the end of January.

Speaking the ytfc.net, the 20-year-old said: “It feels good, I’m glad to get it done and I’m ready to get going.

“Having played against Yeovil when I was younger and being from not too far down the road, it’s nice to be around a familiar area.”

Freckleton follows winger Callum Harriott and Ipswich Town youngster Zanda Siziba who both arrived at Huish Park earlier in the week ahead of today’s 5pm deadline for registering players for the rest of the National League season.

Speaking earlier today, Yeovil Town owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla said he was hoping to get two more faces in, saying: “Certainly there is one more coming in and hopefully there will be another, but we will have to wait and see how that plays out.”

One assumes Freckleton was the more definite one, but the wait for an out-and-out striker goes on……

 

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Defender Edwin Agbaje has returned to Ipswich Town after suffering an ankle injury in last weekend’s 1-1 draw on the beach at FC Halifax Town.

The 19-year-old was stretchered off at The Shay after 73 minutes having picked up an injury which now requires surgery.

The club confirmed his departure in a statement saying: “All at Yeovil Town would like to extend our best wishes to Edwin Agbaje after his injury suffered against FC Halifax Town.

“The defender will now require surgery on the injury suffered and will be unable to play for the Glovers again this season.”

https://twitter.com/edwinagbaje1/status/1638500260317216771?s=20

Agabje arrived at Huish Park in late January and made his debut in the 209 away win at Dagenham & Redbridge, going on to make ten more appearances in green and white.

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Winger Callum Harriott and midfielder Zanda Siziba have arrived at Yeovil Town as they seek to bolster their injury-hit squad in the run-in to the end of the National League season.

The pair were announced by owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla on social media after he said at the weekend that he was looking to bring in four signings before the deadline for registering players closes on Thursday.

Harriott left League Two side Gillingham at the end of February having only made four appearances this season, the last as a late substitute in the Gills’ FA Cup tie with Leicester City on January 7th, whilst Siziba has featured only twice for Ipswich, both in the Papa John’s Trophy. His last match was on November 22nd.

Siziba, 19, had been training at Huish Park in recent weeks and was announced by a tweet from Uggla showing him signing a contract alongside Paul Sackey, who is part of the SU Glovers group which is looking to take over at Huish Park*.

https://twitter.com/matt_uggla/status/1638251952105484300?s=20

Harriott, 29, is a product of the Charlton Athletic academy and featured for the Addicks in the Championship before signing for Reading in 2016, before leaving at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and turning up at Colchester United, where he had a spell on loan in 2015-16.

He was a popular player with the Essex club, making nearly 100 appearances before being released in May 2021 and then joining Gillingham last November. He left at the end of February.

Uggla posted a link to a YouTube highlights package, see below, showing the tricky winger adding: “Daylight robbery. Big big player.” In a later post, he confirms the player is on a permanent deal.

 

* – until someone says the “bureaucratic thing” which Uggla was delaying the takeover of the club from former owner Scott Priestnall has been overcome, we’ll stick with ‘owners-in-waiting’. But, the commitment of SU Glovers to invest is (at the very least) a reassuring.

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Tickets for Yeovil Town’s remaining four home matches of the National League season will be priced at no more than £10, the club has confirmed.

Following a success ‘Pack the Park’ campaign draw a crowd of nearly 3,000 to Huish Park for the 1-0 win over Eastleigh in the last outing, the club has confirmed it will continue the offer for fixtures against Bromley, Southend United, Dorking Wanderers and Oldham Athletic.

Tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions (OAP, 17-21 year olds, Armed Forces and students) with anyone aged 16 years and under paying just £1.

The club is also offering season ticket holders the opportunity to bring a friend for free for the remaining fixtures. To claim the deal, season ticket holders will need to login to their online account through the club’s ticket portal – click here.

https://twitter.com/matt_uggla/status/1637867422857191447?s=20

Anyone who has already purchased a ticket for any of the remaining four fixtures will have the difference in ticket price refunded to their account in the coming days. If you don’t see the money land in your account, contact info@ytfc.net.

The 3,907 who came to the Boxing Day match at home to Torquay United represents the biggest crowd of the season so far at Huish Park – could this weekend’s visit from Bromley top that?

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The three plebs return to talk through the 1-1 at Halifax Town and have moan about officiating, the pitch and what we’re going to do with all these injuries.

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The Football Association’s disciplinary portal has updated to confirm Matt Worthington’s two match ban.

Worthy picked up his 10th yellow card in the (very) latter stages of Saturday’s game against Halifax, a game which represented the ‘cut off’ for such bans.

As it stands he will miss both home games against Bromley (Sat 25th March) and the TV game against Southend on 1st April, his next appearance will likely be the crunch clash away at Gateshead the following Tuesday.

For what it’s worth, now that the 10 yellow card cut off has passed, the next significant booking-based milestone surrounds Jamie Reckord who sits on 12, three more between now and the end of the season would lead to a three-match ban.

 

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In what might have been one of the worst footballing spectacles the National League has ever seen, FC Halifax Town and Yeovil Town played out a 1-1 draw at The Shay on Saturday.

Gloverscast Ben was on co-commentary duty for BBC Somerset in the press box and explores the reasons for this, of which plenty were out of Yeovil’s (or anyone’s) control for that matter.

A point on the road should be taken as a good thing on the whole.

I’ll get to the game itself in a moment, but I think it’s worth noting that we are at the stage of the season where we can’t really worry too much about style of play, or level of performance, but it’s now about getting as close to 50 points as possible.

As mentioned on previous podcasts, ten 1-1 draws between now and the end of the season might be enough. Although you’d rather get it wrapped up far sooner.

After the game Yeovil manager Mark Cooper told of his pride in the squad for coming back from 1-0 down and for putting their bodies on the line.

I’ve slept on it (Rule 2) and with some of the teams below us in the table dropping points – Torquay and Gateshead drawing and Dorking losing – it goes down as a ‘good away point’.

Now to the match… well, actually no, to the pitch now.

Manager Mark Cooper leads the applause for the away supporters at the end of the game.

The Shay stadium pitch was an utter disgrace.

Yes, I know it was the same for both teams, but I have to include something on the sandy surface.

I got the chance to stand on a little bit after the game, it was exactly like running across the beach when the tide had just gone out.

It was tough to get any grip if moving at speed, but in tight areas it was sticky and sludgy enough to get your foot stuck in it.

It was basically like playing on a non-Newtonian liquid. (Ask your science teachers, kids).

There’s no doubt in my mind it prevented any kind of a football match from breaking out and could well have contributed to one – or maybe both – of the serious injuries suffered by Lawson D’Ath and Edwin Agbaje.

Lawson D’Ath is lifted to his feet after suffering a hamstring strain.

Speaking of which, I’ve heard rumours that if you win the Golden Gamble next week, the prize has been changed from cash to a place on the bench for the second half. Bring your boots if you’re coming to the game on Saturday.

Edwin Agbaje looks set to be out for a considerable amount of time, Lawson D’Ath broke our hearts again by pulling up chasing to correct an error by Ryan Law, and Matt Worthington is out for two games after a tenth yellow card of the season after ‘taking one for the team’.

Goal-scorer Malachi Linton looked more like Malachi LIMPton as he came out of the tunnel to chat after and Charlie Cooper and Josh Staunton are bandaged up enough to represent an ancient Egyptian artefact.

Alex Fisher and Jordan Maguire-Dre both looked to be nursing something or other as well.

It’s a big week in the physio room as we patch a few bodies up and get them ready.

If Agbaje is out for a while, it would make sense to try and replace that loan spot, but my word do we need some bodies.

I still haven’t mentioned the football have I?

Let’s talk playing out from the back.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

I love the commitment to the cause, it’s clearly something Mark Cooper wants to see and maybe the personnel we have doesn’t suit long goal kicks, but oooof does it make me nervous.

The best keeper in the league, two centre backs in Josh Staunton and Owen Bevan you’d hang your hat on more often than not, but with the margins so fine and meaning so much, the risk-reward balance is right on the line and at times it was inviting more pressure than it drew on us.

Finally then. What happens now? A week off, but only for the players. 

Well, the assumption is that we need to bolster the ranks (see Matt Uggla’s tweets from Saturday night – here), which is far easier said than done, we’re already oversubscribed on loans but may need to roll that particular dice again.

We appear to have already earmarked targets for the summer (what is this forward thinking… and why do I like it?) but the suggestion is we might be in a position to move a bit earlier for those, which would be helpful.

Do we need to think about recalling some loans? We have two players in Will Dawes and Ollie Hulbert playing reasonably well in the division below, we have Ollie Haste, who is incredibly highly thought of, who can play as a back up to the left side.

But more than that, we have two home games in a row, the first of which falling on Non League Day. Is there time to try and do something to entice Bristol City fans, Southampton fans… any fans of Premier League/Championship clubs to spend their international break at Huish Park?

I’ve seen some clubs offer any season ticket holder of a Premier League or EFL side a £10 ticket, or similar, but having a bouncing Huish Park will only help the lads get through 90 more minutes against a very good team.

Nine more cup finals to go…

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Yeovil Town’s owner-in-waiting* Matt Uggla has said he is looking to bring in up to “four top top players” as the Glovers look to boost their injury-hit squad.

After injuries to on loan defender Edwin Agbaje and midfielder Lawson D’Ath in the 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town on Saturday, the director of SU Glovers posted on Twitter that he would be looking to “open the cheque book” ahead of the deadline to register players next Thursday.

He responded to one supporter questioning whether he was willing to invest saying: “Very wrong! Let’s see who comes in next week.”

Asked about the potential deals, he responded: “We are in contact with 4 top top players all permanent. Wanted them in the summer but will have to push that forward to before Thursday. I think next week will be a big week.”

https://twitter.com/matt_uggla/status/1637169982910988291?s=20

Speaking after the draw at Halifax, Yeovil boss Mark Cooper confirmed D’Ath was expected to be missing for up to three weeks after picking up a hamstring injury, whilst Agbaje’s season appears to be over after he was stretchered off following a 71st minute tackle.

These come on top of injuries to defenders Max Hunt and Morgan Williams, midfielder Scott Pollock, who is yet to appear since joining earlier this month, and forwards Charlie Wakefield (back) and Jordan Young (hamstring). Oh, and Matt Worthington will miss the home matches with Bromley and Southend United after picking up his tenth yellow card of the season in West Yorkshire.

* – until someone says the “bureaucratic thing” which Uggla was delaying the takeover of the club from former owner Scott Priestnall has been overcome, we’ll stick with ‘owners-in-waiting’. But, the commitment of SU Glovers – which includes ex-England rugby union international Paul Sackey – to invest is (at the very least) a deeply reassuring.

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Another Saturday of football means it’s time once again to see how the Glovers loanees are getting on… some of them might be playing for a place on the bench at Huish Park before the season is out.

Starting in the National League where defender Ben Richards-Everton played the full 90 minutes for Scunthorpe United as they picked up a huge win at the bottom of the table, beating Wealdstone 4-1.

Oxford City were 1-0 winners in the National League South, Will Dawes was initially credited with the only goal, but an internal dubious goals panel took it off him in the game against Cheshunt.

Truro City were comfortable 3-0 winners against Bracknall Town, Ollie Haste was brought on in the 90th minute.

Striker Ollie Hulbert played the full 90 for Leamington, but they lost 3-0 away to Peterborough Sports.

Gillingham Town drew 0-0 with Bristol Telephones, team news hasn’t been made available, Rob Hollard and Sam Hodges may have been involved.

One person who definitely didn’t play was midfielder Toby Stephens who was absent from the Plymouth Parkway side.

Down at Tiverton, striker Charlie Bateson was brought on for the final few moments of their 3-3 draw with Marine.

… and finally, how about a man of the match performance from Jake Graziano? He was a stand-out performer for Sherborne Town as the Zebras drew 0-0 with Bridgwater United, fellow Glover Benjani Junior was on the bench.

Here’s a picture of Jake with a bottle of MOTM bubbly, we’re not sure he’s actually old enough to drink yet.

 

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Yeovil Town’s goalscorer at Halifax, Malachi Linton, thought the point was a ‘good’ one after late drama at the Shay.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the striker said: “Little points like this against a sort of relegation rival, I think its fair to say, can go a long long way. I definitely think in the manner of how we came back, late drama, it’s always a good point.”

His late equaliser, in a game where manager Mark Cooper said they were against the world, was a testament to the squad’s togetherness according to Linton.

“I think that performance shows our togetherness as team. We dug deep until the end, got a late equaliser and you know we’re around each other. People fill in holes and everyone applies themselves and we go out each game no matter what it is.”

“I don’t think the game should have gone the way it went. I think a dominant performance in the first half, the way the gaffer likes to play, I think we should bury it then and there, but we didn’t. And you always leave yourself vulnerable when you don’t take you chances and dominate a game and you’re susceptible to a counter attack goal like that.”

The striker did say he felt belief was coming back into the team though: “I think the past few games we’ve have had more of the belief that we’ve needed to have and I think if you go into a game not believing you’re not going to come out on the right side of it.”

More goals please Mal!