April 2023 (Page 4)

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When Seb White (Editor at Large of MundialMag.com) asks you if you want some of his old files, more often than not you say yes. This time, he’s offered Gloverscast the PDF of the special commemorative magazine ‘Slope and Glory’ celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 1948/49 FA Cup run, including the famous triumph over Sunderland.

If you’re on mobile tap the pdf and you’ll be able to scroll through. While you’re at it, give Seb’s YTFC episode of the brilliant ‘Giant’ podcast a listen.

 

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Ian, Ben and Dave talk about the 2-2 draw with Solihull from the weekend, those half time changes and our impending relegation. We look ahead to the trip to Wrexham and take your GCQs. 

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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An abject first half followed by a stirring comeback and even two goals to see Yeovil Town take a point from a 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors should be enough to cheer up that miserable curmudgeon Coatesie – right? Well, it kind of did, here’s his conclusions from his day out in the Midlands…..

 

The first half was pathetic: Let’s do this chronologically and start with the biggest negative. Charlie Cooper spoke after the game about playing for personal pride and, on the basis of the performance in the first half, that was completely lacking from every single player in a Yeovil Town shirt. Yes, I know there’s some who are playing with injuries, yes, there are some who really do care, but the way a Solihull side with nothing left to play for carved us apart at will was embarrassing. If any player thinks that type of performance will make them appealing to a club at this level or above, I want some of whatever they’re having. The half-time whistle was met with complete apathy, it was a performance so weak it sucked even the anger out of those who remained on the terrace when it sounded. Those with any sense had departed to the bar long before.

What a difference three subs makes: The arrival of Zanda Siziba and Reo Griffiths changed the game. From the first minute of the second half, Siziba was a constant menace down the left side and, though he was not so in the thick of it, Griffiths’ quality inside the box created both goals. With the two of them on the pitch, we looked a different side. None of us know what exactly has (and has not) gone on with them and the manager and some of their team-mates have not exactly hidden their distaste for it, but they brought exactly what we were crying out for over those crucial fixtures against Gateshead, Aldershot and Dorking. If they’d been given the chance, would it have made a difference? Truth is we will never know, but given how well what we tried worked, I will say it seems a mistake not to have even given it a go.

Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba applaud supporters after the match.

It had to be those two, didn’t it? Whilst I was delighted with the performances from both Siziba and Griffith, their performances gave the petty, childlish side show which continues to play out an opportunity to raise its head again. It’s obvious to everyone these two players were recruited by the owners-in-waiting and even if he’s kept his promise to stay off Twitter so far, Matt Uggla could not resist posting on his Instagram. And, yes Wattsy, you did call it on the last podcast – keep your eyes on Vinted and Strava, folks! I don’t know what’s gone on, but I hate the fact the thousands of good people who support and work for this football club they love are being treated with such contempt by people who claim they love it as well. And, yes, I mean Matt Uggla. Yes, I mean Mark Cooper who can’t resist a petty comment. And, yes, I mean everyone involved in the embarrassing sh*tshow which our club has descended in to. You know who you are and you should be utterly ashamed of what you have ‘achieved’ with your antics. Will you be ashamed? I have my doubts, why not prove me wrong?

I can’t wait for it to be over. Tuesday night at Wrexham will (barring some kind of miracle) see our relegation confirmed and what a strange situation it will be for it to happen whilst our opponents put a foot in to the Football League. The optimist in me (believe it or not, there is one) says that we have to look to the Welsh side to see what can be possible with investment and people with a genuine plan (yes, spending millions of pounds does count as ‘a plan’) can achieve. Let’s not forget (as if we could be allowed to forget) that the ‘fairytale’ in the Hollywood hills of North Wales follows decades of mismanagement, more than a brush with extinction and plenty of suffering for their supporters. Do I sound bitter? Probably because I am. Whilst I do detest how it’s come about and the fairytale fantasy, I am also deeply jealous of what those in the home end at the Racecourse Ground have. We had something like that once and we could have it again…….couldn’t we?

I did enjoy myself. If you have got to this stage of this hissy fit, then kudos to you for that. I feel I owe it to our last conclude-r, Marcus Duncomb, to try and end on a positive because I did enjoy (the second half) of this game. We were all any Yeovil Town supporter wants us to be – committed, attacking, fearless and playing with some pride. We scored a good first goal and an absolutely sumptuous second – a lot to be said for just leathering it, eh? Hats off to Owen Bevan for that strike. Yes, it was too little too late as I’ve said, but I did enjoy it.

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Another Saturday of footballing action up and down the land, here’s what the Glovers loanees were getting up to.

Ben Richards-Everton played the full 90 minutes as already relegated Scunthorpe lost to Aldershot, Charlie Wakefield wasn’t in the squad for Woking as they got beaten 3-0 by Notts County.

Let’s drop down, in the National League South, Max Evans played for Hungerford who lost 5-1 to Chemlsford.

North of the National League divide now and at Leamington, Ollie Hulbert scored a penalty and had another goal ruled out in a 2-1 defeat to Chorley.

Rob Hollard joined Wincanton Town this week on an emergency deal, but they lost 2-0 to Hendon, Benjani Jnr was named amongst the substitutes for Sherborne – they won 2-1 against Falmouth Town, Benjani Snr was in the crowd.

Over at Gillingham, the Gills – with Sam Hodges – were on the end of a last minute Portishead winner, and lost 3-2.

Jake Graziano clocked up another 90 minutes for Dorchester in a 3-2 win over Hendon.

Finally, Ollie Haste was back in Truro’s starting line up, he played just under an hour as the White Tigers secured their spot in the Play Offs with a 2-0 win over the Met Police.

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Yeovil Town midfielder Charlie Cooper has said his team-mates have to play for pride in their remaining three matches of the National League season.

The 25-year-old, who joined his father, manager Mark, at Huish Park at the start of the year, said he would “give everything” in the remaining fixtures and challenged others in the dressing room to do the same.

The Glovers’ relegation to National League South will be confirmed if they fail to win at league leaders Wrexham on Tuesday night, and even if they achieve that unlikely task, they will then need to win at home to Oldham Athletic next weekend and on the final day at Boreham Wood to stand a chance of survival.

Speaking after the 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors, he told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “It comes down to pride as a professional football player, we need to go and show that and put in maximum every day.

“I feel like I have tried to do that every day even if I am not having a good game, I will fight and scrap for everything. Everyone in the changing rooms needs to have a look at themselves and ask if they are doing everything for the team and the club.

“For the next three games we will give it everything and hopefully we can get some positive results.”

Asked about injuries he had been playing through in recent weeks, he added: “When it gets like this, you can hide behind injuries and say ‘I am not quite fit for this one’ but that is not me, if I am 50% (fit) I will give everything and I hope everyone else will do that as well. There’s a few in there that I look and think ‘I want you by my side’ and if we had 11 of them, I think we would be alright.”

Having gone 2-0 down inside half-an-hour after another gutless display in the first half at Damson Park, a second half revival saw them pull level to earn a point with goals from substitute Zanda Siziba and a stunning strike from Owen Bevan but could not do enough to nick the win.

Cooper admitted the dressing was “deflated” despite the point, adding: “We have given everything in the second half and shown that at times we can be a good team, but it’s probably been the story of the season – even though we had a ridiculous amount of chances, we have still not won the game.

“I don’t really know what happened in the first 20 minutes, people were just off the pace. We were all fired up before the game, we had some harsh words with the staff to get us fired up but we didn’t go out there and do that. There were some (more) harsh words at half-time and we had to show some personal pride, as well as pride for the club and the supporters and I felt like we did that in the second half, but on the whole it is obviously disappointing to be in this situation.

“If you out-run the opposition, you will more than likely get the result. There was a lot of energy shown out there in the second half, but it needs to be like that all the time from us as players on the pitch, every Saturday, every Tuesday, we have to put in maximum effort because if you don’t you are going to get punished for it. We did in the first 30 minutes.” What Ben Barrett would describe as “doing the dirty work” there, Charlie, and you’re quite right, there’s been a criminal lack of it on too many occasions this season.

The 25-year-old echoed the comments made by his father after the match about the perilous off-the-field situation surrounding the club’s ‘will they, won’t they?’ takeover and said he felt for the club’s staff and supporters.

He said: “I feel sorry for them because it’s not been good enough, on the pitch or off the pitch, it’s not been good enough. The club needs to come together as a whole, there’s no point in any negativity any more, I feel like it has probably been like that for a few years at this club and now it has to pick itself up and start from rock bottom and climb up the divisions. I do feel really bad for the supporters and I have done for the last seven or eight games because it has not been good enough.”

Asked about the public war of words between owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla and the manager, he admitted the situation had impacted a number of players in the dressing room during the crucial run-in towards the end of the season.

He said: “As players we see it every week on our phones after the games, we all get messages and notifications and it’s not helpful but as a player you need to block that out when you go out on the pitch. You need to think about the fans and the staff who have been involved with the club for a long time and put on a performance for them because they don’t deserve this. It needs to be sorted out because I think everyone can see things are in turmoil at the minute, so the quicker it gets sorted out the better. Everyone needs to pull together now and go in the right direction.”

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Mark Cooper stressed the importance of clarity for the future of Yeovil Town, as the Glovers look destined for National League South next season.

A second half fightback saw Yeovil earn a point against Solihull Moors but defeat at Wrexham on Tuesday will confirm relegation to regional football.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the match, Cooper said his players were fr*strated at the situation they find themselves in. “They’re frustrated by what’s happened, but like I said last week, it didn’t need to happen. But it has, and we have to see it now as rock-bottom for the club.

“I think everyone needs to look at it as a chance to rebuild. It’s a chance to put real good building blocks in place. Right people in the right positions. Recruit a really good squad on top of the boys, we’ve got some exciting players at the club for next year. The recruitment has got to be spot on because if you get it wrong at the start of the season, or during the season, it’s really difficult to recover.”

He also reiterated his desire to be at the club next season: “I get excited about the future, as I said when I came here I was desperate to build the club and to put it back where it belongs. I still want to do that, but it’s [the club] not what it said on the tin. So we all have to take a little bit of blame. We have got a group of four or five warriors that are desperate for the club to succeed and we have to add to the group.

With deafening silence around the takeover of the club (it’s been 46 days since the stewardship announcement) Cooper called for clarity for supporters and staff at Huish Park.

“If the takeover goes through, there’s a lot of us not going to be here, there’s no point beating around the bush. But I want to be here. Look, nobody knows what’s going to happen, the takeover has been going on for a long time now. For the sake of the supporters of the club and the really good people that work at the club, it’s so important that they get clarity.”

The manager was disappointed with his side’s opening 20 minutes, which saw them go 2-0 down to goals from Josh Kelly. After the introduction of Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba at half time the Glovers improved and on balance, should have left with all three points. 

On the changes Cooper said: “We’re having to make changes after 20-odd minutes. We were powder-puff for 20 minutes and we tweaked a couple of bits and from then on in we looked as though we were going to be a threat.

“I think a lot of it’s fear. Players are frightened to make a mistake but we haven’t got time for that. You’ve got to seize the moment, if you get an opportunity in the team you’ve got to take. The changes we made affected the game and we’ve ended up getting something out of it.”

Griffiths and Siziba, who have been used sparingly since signing for the club, made a big impact and Cooper said their absences we’re not down to their ability.

“It’s not about ability. I said to the whole group it’s not about ability, that’s only one part. It’s about application and being a really good professional. If players show that, they get opportunities to play, if they don’t, and work as hard of the rest of the players then they don’t. It’s as simple as that, it’s an unwritten rule for us that you have to buy in to the group and work hard.”

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Venue: Damson Park
Saturday, 15th April, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: In pretty good nick for this stage of the season
Conditions: Dry and bright

Attendance: 1813 (176 away supporters)

Scorers: Josh Kelly 23, 28, Zanda Siziba 53, Owen Bevan 83

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: None
Solihull Moors: J Clarke, J Kelly

Referee: Farai Hallam

Yeovil Town (5-3-2)

Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Max Hunt, 29) Zanda Siziba (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 45) Reo Griffiths (for Jordan Young, 45) Grant Smith, Scott Pollock

Solihull Moors: Boot, Beck, Clarke, Donawa (for Mills, 77), Gudger, Howe (for Jones, 60), Kelly, Morgan, Stevens (for Wood 81), Tiensia, Whelan Substitutes: Howell, Roberts


Match Report

Yeovil Town managed to turn round a dire first half performance to earn a point at Solihull Moors this afternoon. Second half goals from Zanda Siziba and Owen Bevan cancelled out Josh Kelly’s first half double.

The result see’s Yeovil cut adrift by eight points behind Aldershot with just nine points left to play for.

Here’s how Coatesie saw it…

First half

After the opening exchanges between a team all but relegated and another with nothing to play for came to the anticipated amount – very little – the it was Solihull Moors who settled in to their rhythm the quicker.

On six minutes, a misplaced pass in midfield gifted the ball to hosts’ striker Jake Stevens whose effort was turned around the post by Will Buse, making his first start of the season. That sparked a flurry of attacks with Solihull captain Callum Howe arriving at the back post to head against the outside of the post before a long range effort from full-back Junior Tiensia warmed the palms of Buse. I’ve seen hot knives have more trouble tackling a block of butter than Solihull had getting through our defence.

Going forward, the script for this one was identical to almost any other you have read for Yeovil Town this season. A lot of play through the midfield, plenty of running around from Jordan Young and Malachi Linton up front, but zero in the way in terms of efforts to trouble Ryan Boot in the hosts’ goal.

The breakthrough came after just 23 minutes, Justin (‘The Boy’) Donawa found James Clarke on the overlap, he pulled it back to Josh KELLY who tucked away the opener. Former Yeovil striker Mark Beck, who looks every bit the head on a stick he did when he played for us, indicated the direction he expected his former employers were heading. Hard to argue.

If that was game and set, match was soon to follow. Four minutes after the first goal, along came the second when Stevens’ shot was blocked by one of a scrum of Yeovil defenders – and the referee adjudged it had hit a hand. Hard to say from my angle but there was not too much by way or argument from the visiting defence. KELLY stepped up and sent Buse the wrong way from the spot. Game. Set. And you have to feel, match.

Assistant manager Chris Todd was the man on the touchline with manager Mark Cooper suspended for too many booking this season. I therefore assume it was Todd (maybe after a text message from Cooper) that introduced Andrew Oluwabori in place of Max Hunt with Owen Bevan moving across to the right side of defence after 29 minutes.

Ten minutes from half-time a rare foray in to the box saw efforts (such as they are) from first Matt Worthington and then Jamie Reckord. Pot shots would probably be a better way to describe them.

In fact, the nearest we got to a meaningful effort came at the start of the one minute of first half injury time was mercifully awarded and Oluwabori broke forward down the left, beat at least two players on his own and then fired over the top.

Resigned dejection is the best way to describe the noise from the away end which met the referee’s whistle. So, so soft.

Half time: Solihull Moors 2 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

The half-time break saw striker Reo Griffiths and midfielder Zanda Siziba replace two of our Jordan’s – Young and Maguire-Drew. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be in no doubt what the view of the manager and many of their own team-mates think of the two players who joined the fray. A ‘Hail Mary’ is what you call that, I think.

Whatever it was, Siziba was straight in to action with a ball in from the left wing which almost found one of Oluwabori or Linton at the back post. As it was it didn’t find either of them.

But, it was the two half-time arrivals who combined to create a goal which at least gave the long-suffering away support something to cheer about. Griffiths showed great close control down the left side before laying it back to SIZIBA who finished coolly in the corner.

It would not be an exaggeration to say the desire of that pairing, both quite obviously brought in by owners-in-waiting SU Glovers, has been openly questioned. But on the basis of their effort in even the opening ten minutes, you have to question why it’s taken until everything was lost (in this game and this season) for them to be thrown in.

That seemed to add some of the spark which was so sadly lacking in the first half and, lo and behold, a little attacking intent led to some efforts on goal. Firstly, Oluwabori’s 65th minute effort was turned over by goalkeeper Ryan Boot, and then Linton saw two breakaways see him denied by the keeper.

On 73 minutes, it is almost inexplicable how the game was not level. A clever free-kick from Charlie Cooper bamboozled goalkeeper Ryan Boot and came back off the post. Griffith and Oluwabori were both in close attendance, but the quality of the effort caught them as unawares as the keeper and neither were able to turn the loose ball home.

You could literally see the confidence return to the likes of Oluwabori and Siziba as the game progressed. They tried things and they came off, it was like shackles coming off them. I enjoyed it, it was great to see, but my mind keeps going back to why it’s taken until now for it to happen.

Play swung straight to the other end with Kelly breaking clear of the Yeovil defence but curling his effort wide. Defensively, we still looked suspect but our attack was (for once this season) proving the best form of defence.

Ex-Glover Tom Whelan put a chance over with 80 minutes gone, but three minutes later Yeovil were deservedly level and again it was a goal which owed a lot to the skill and intent of Griffiths. It was the on loan Doncaster Rovers man’s footwork which kept the ball alive inside the box and broke to Owen BEVAN to thunder home his first goal for the club for the edge of the box.

The irony that Griffiths, whose desire was publicly questioned by his manager in the week, and Siziba, whose name fits the Tequila-themed chant far better than Dale Gorman’s ever did, were at the heart of both goals was not lost on anyone in the away end at Damson Park.

But Yeovil did not seem in the mood to stop at two goals. The attacks kept coming, I know, I’m thinking the same as you are – where has that been all season?! Linton battled, Oluwabori looked a constant threat with that magic ingredient of confidence injected in to him, and Siziba was involved in most of what was good.

The best chance in six minutes of injury time fell to Oluwabori, following good play by Griffiths, but the on loan Peterborough United player could not get his effort on goal.

So, a point it was. Not enough for today, not enough for the season, not enough to secure survival on the National League which will almost certainly be extinguished at the hands of Wrexham on Tuesday night – but something to shout about. You’ve got to take what cheer you can.

Full time: Solihull Moors 2 Yeovil Town 2

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Yeovil Town Manager Mark Cooper has said that Will Buse deserves his chance as the Bristol City loanee makes his league debut.

Speaking to Sheridan Robins pre-match he had nothing but praise for the stopper.

“Busey has been patient, (he’s got a) brilliant attitude, Grant Smith is still struggling with the effects of the challenge at York, on the bottom part of his ankle where he kicks the ball, so he needs some time to try and clear that up a bit, Busey deserves a go as well”

“Where you’re a number two goalkeeper, you support the number one, and he’s done that brilliantly, he trains every day like it’s his last, I’ve never seen a goalkeeper take more balls in the face than Busey – he’s so brave, I really hope for him and his family he does really well today”

“He’s a Yeovil boy, he’s local, he wants to do well… he’s not big in stature, but he’s big at heart”

Max Hunt returns to the starting line up in place of the suspended Chiroi Johnson and the gaffer suggested that he’s hoping Hunt, along side others are taking their opportunities with the season – and their contracts – coming to an end.

“Hunty is really, really big in stature and he’s out of contract, like a few, whatever his plans are in the summer, he’s got to stake a claim now and make sure that if it’s not Yeovil it’s someone else that want to sign him and he’s got to take his opportunity.”

 

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On loan goalkeeper Will Buse is handed his first National League start of the season as Yeovil Town take on Solihull Moors today (3pm kick-off).

The Bristol City stopper replaced number one Grant Smith who drops to the bench.

Up front Jordan Young comes in place of Scott Pollock, who is named among the substitutes, and Max Hunt is in for the suspended Chiori Johnson, who was red carded in the 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers last time out.

 

Substitutes: Grant Smith, Zanda Siziba, Reo Griffiths, Scott Pollock, Andrew Oluwabori.

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Ian’s off on his holibobs, so it’s Dave, Ben and Elliot Watts who team up to chat the 1-0 to Dorking, the Solihull game on Saturday… and all the shenanigans in between.

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