April 2023 (Page 6)

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has again pointed to poor recruitment in the transfer window as being behind the collapse in form which puts his side on the brink of relegation to National League South.

Echoing what he said after the losses to Southend United and Gateshead, the boss went a step further by revealing that striker Frank Nouble was ready to join the club before being allowed to join relegation rivals Torquay United.

The former Colchester United player scored twice for the Gulls in a 3-1 win at Maidenhead United on Easter Monday whilst Cooper’s side struggled in front of goal again as they went down to a 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Cooper said: “It didn’t have to be like this. Five or six weeks ago, the players we wanted to bring in….one of them is going to keep Torquay up by the looks of it and it just didn’t happen. We have to learn from that.”

Asked directly if he was referring to Nouble, the manager said: “The deal was done, Frank was coming in on a five-week deal and it didn’t happen. That’s what way it is. It’s frustrating because it didn’t have to be like this; I will get the majority of the blame, but it didn’t have to be like this.”

The boss has not attempted to hide his displeasure that a number of new signings, including striker Reo Griffiths and midfielders Scott Pollock, Callum Harriott and Zanda Siziba, had been recruited by the club’s prospective owners, SU Glovers, without his involvement.

Asked why the Nouble deal did not go through, Cooper replied: “I will leave you to surmise what went wrong with that.” Grab a calculator folks, punch in 2 + 2 and see if it comes up with 4.

Minutes after the manager’s comments went out, owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla took to his Twitter feed with a lengthy thread claiming why he disagrees with Cooper (to put it mildly) – you can read that here.

The result means there are six points between Yeovil and safety in the National League with just four games remaining, meaning relegation to National League South now seems an inevitability.

Cooper said: “When people sit back and look at it, they can see what happen and it is such a shame because it didn’t have to be like that.

“When it is finished, the football club has to see that as a real opportunity to build and say that is rock bottom, we have to put things in place and do things right and be a real professional football club.”

He added: “I would love to be (manager next season). I know supporters hate me at the minute, but a lot of it has been out of my control. I just hope the club move professionally forward.”

On the pitch, it was the same old story with a struggle to score goals compounded by the sending off of Chiori Johnson at the end of the first half.

Cooper said his side “never looked in too much trouble” until the defender received his marching orders, the boss said: “We played one up front, two in behind, high wing backs to try and get crosses in the box and we had really good opportunities in and around the goal but that final piece is what was missing.

“We have four or five players that I don’t know how they put the shift in that they do. Every game they run, they fight and they scrap but then we are filling in around them that you never know what performance you are going to get out of them.

“But, they are great lads, great characters, trying their absolute socks off <**TRYING THEIR SOCKS OFF KLAXON***> and it is an aboslute pleasure every day to work with them.”

He also took aim at referee Elliott Swallow claiming the sending off should never have happened. From my perspective, Johnson was somewhat fortunate to not receive his marching orders for his first tackle on James McShane, so it does feel like Cooper is clutching at straws here.

He said: “It is never sending off (for Chiori Johnson), it should have been a red card (for Dorking’s George Francomb) and I got booked for asking about an offside. Horrendous decisions. I have been to speak to the ref and I can’t explain it.

“Every foul the referee gave in the first half was a booking. I said to him he doesn’t understand the game because you are allowed to make a tackle without getting booked. That is game understanding from a young referee. He will learn from that.”

Oh, and it sounds like Matt Worthington has “tweaked a hamstring” as well. Just in case you didn’t think things could get any worse.

 

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Venue: Huish Park
Monday, 10th April, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: Maybe my green tinted glasses, but looking in good nick
Conditions: Sunny with a strong wind blowing towards the away end – until the second half when it tipped it down

Scorers: Josh Prior 73 (0-1)

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Chiori Johnson 10, Charlie Cooper 27,
Dorking Wanderers: Joe Cook 14, Josh Taylor 64, George Francomb 86

Sendings off:

Yeovil Town: Chiori Johnson 45 (two bookable offences)

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Yeovil Town (5-2-3)


Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Scott Pollock, 46), Callum Harriott (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 62), Jordan Young (for Jamie Reckord, 74) Ryan Law.

Dorking Wanderers: Lincoln, Francomb, Cook (for Taylor, 21), Moore, Gallagher (for Kuhl, 55), Craig, Taylor, Muitt, McShane (for Seager, 67), Bowerman, Prior. Substitutes: Fuller, Ottaway.


Match Report

In a game which was billed as “do or die” for Yeovil Town’s hopes of surviving in the National League, any hopes of avoiding playing in regional football next season were all but extinguished by a 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers.

The script was a cut and paste from so many other performances which have led us to this point with some strong attacking intent across both halves leading to very little to test the visitors’ keeper and when Chiori Johnson was sent off on the stroke of half-time for a mindless second booking, the writing appeared to be on the wall.

Even with ten men, Yeovil kept up the pressure going forward but it was just waiting for the sting in the tail which came when Jason Prior turned in a parry from Grant Smith to get what turned out to be the winner for Dorking.

Like so many other performances this season, there will be hard luck tale told about this one, but – like so many other performances this season – it just was not good enough.

 

First half

It was a high octane start from Yeovil who were playing towards the Thatcher’s End against a strong wind blowing towards the away end, but a couple of corners thanks largely to the non-stop Matt Worthington were all there was to show in the opening exchanges.

On 10 minutes, Chiori Johnson’s full-blooded tackle on Dorking striker James McShane drew a yellow card from referee Elliott Swallow and four minutes later Joe Cook went in for an equally feisty challenge on Owen Bevan.

The wind was causing some issues – both positively and negatively – for both sides which misplaced passes and overhit balls all over the place.

In terms of attacking intent, it was all from Yeovil for the opening 20 minutes but (yet again) they failed to force visiting keeper Dan Lincoln in to a meaningful save. Malachi Linton looked to get involved up front, Worthington was everywhere, but there was nothing which constituted a notable effort. Same as Good Friday at Aldershot.

Whatever it was, Dorking manager/chairman/owner Marc White did not like it and after 21 minutes he replaced Cook with Bobby Joe-Taylor; to say that the defender – who was on a yellow card – was unhappy with the decision would be an understatement.

On half-an-hour, good play by Worthington fed Reckord whose ball in to the box found Jordan Maguire-Drew in space on the edge of the box, he tried to check back on to his right foot and only ended up dragging an effort wide. Then four minutes later, Lincoln was finally called in to action with Worthington’s shot from distance which he looked at best uncomfortable about.

At the other end, a quick break after a poor through from Jamie Reckord saw Jimmy Muitt hit on the break and get a ball in to the box which Josh Staunton put out for a corner with Dorking players lurking inside the box.

But, with the game ticking in to injury time at the end of the first half, it was another self-made disaster which cost Yeovil. Johnson went in for a heavy tackle in front of the Main Stand and collected his second yellow card of the game. In fairness, he received some leniency from the referee to not see red for his first bookable offence, but his luck ran out.

There have been times this season where the luck has not gone Yeovil Town’s way, but in the all too familiar shortcomings up front and then a moment of madness from Johnson which cost them. An uphill battle in the second half.

Chiori Johnson walks after his first half red card.

 

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Dorking Wanderers 0

 

Second half

The sending off meant a tactical change was required with Andrew Oluwabori coming on in place of Scott Pollock, with the formation returning to four at the back with Maguire-Drew and Oluwabori left and right respectively and Linton up front on his own.

Oluwabori was quickly in the action winning a free-kick with his first attack, from the ball in from Maguire-Drew and the substitute was there to poke the ball goalwards, only for it to be cleared off the line for a corner with 47 minutes gone.

On 51 minutes, a slip by a Dorking defender saw Miguel Freckleton surging forward down the left side – not the player you would have chosen to be that position – and the on loan Sheffield United defender’s shot was deflected aside for a corner. He’s not a striker, but another one of those ‘what if?’ moments for Yeovil.

Two minutes later, Luke Moore had two opportunities. The first was a bit of a scramble, but the second a good move from the right side saw the ball fall to Moore who dragged his shot wide.

Despite having a man advantage, it was Yeovil who had the better chances and none more so than on the hour mark when Linton burst down the left and drove in a shot which Lincoln turned aside – with Oluwabori screaming for the pass. Then on the opposite side Linton got the better of a mistake by George Francomb to burst in to the box but with no striker in the middle to pick out, he laid it back to Cooper who scooped an effort over.

Yeovil were certainly playing with some belief but – yes, I’m as sick of typing it as you are of reading it – still without that goal. Dorking were everything that Ben warned us about on the podcast – complete poophouses.

All that was waiting for this script was a sucker punch and it came on 73 minutes. Substitute Ryan Seager – yes, that one – did well to keep the ball alive on the right, found Moore on the edge of the box and his effort was parried by Grant Smith and Jason PRIOR was on hand to turn in the opener.

The entire Yeovil defence seemed more intent on calling for an offside decision against Prior which never came than trying to get to the ball ahead of him.

The deflation was palpable across Huish Park. You felt it in the crowd, you could see it in the Yeovil players and unsurprisingly Dorking had their tails up.

Nine minutes from time, a ball forward found Seager whose effort was turned aside by Smith and three minutes after that Seb Bowerman had an effort from the other side which Smith smothered.

There was still time for an appalling refereeing decision. No National League fixture is complete without one. Linton was shoved to the ground by Francomb with five minutes remaining, the defender was the only player between Mal and the goalkeeper and yet – despite being the dictionary definition of the last man – referee Swallow gave a yellow card.

The Easter period of games against our relegation rivals was supposed to be our opportunity to make a fight of National League survival – but we have managed one point from a possible nine.

It’s not just about those three games, it’s about so much more, but regional football in National League South is now seemingly an inevitability.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Dorking Wanderers 1

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Yeovil Town make two changes from the Good Friday draw at Aldershot Town with Jamie Reckord and Scott Pollock returning to the starting XI for the do-or-die match with Dorking Wanderers at Huish Park on Easter Monday (3pm kick-off).

Pollock replaces Jordan Young, who went off after an hour in Hampshire three days ago, and Reckord comes in for Ryan Law who is named on the substitutes’ bench.

 

Substitutes: Law, Oluwabori, Harriott, Clarke, Young.

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Ian and Ben chat through the Aldershot draw, talk about today’s huge match and take your GCQs.

Come on you Glovers – it’s the biggun today!

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.

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Well, isn’t that lovely?

The good people at the Non League Bible have nominated the Gloverscast in their “Best Podcast Award”.

The award sees us nominated alongside plenty of Wrexham podcasts and some good ones too…

The details can all be found in the tweet below, but if you’d like to vote for us… the link is below.

LINK – https://nonleaguebible.weebly.com/nlbible-awards.html

Whilst you’re there casting your vote, may we also draw your attention to the ‘Best Female Content Creator’ section too, where Sheridan Robins has also been nominated, we’d like to think she would get plenty of YTFC support too, we’ve voted for her, so should you!

Thank you so much for all your support and help making the Gloverscast a success, we don’t expect awards (especially against Wrexham pods), we do it, because it’s good fun and because you lot keep listening and reading.

Congratulations to all the nominees (apart from the ones who beat us)!

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Yeovil stopped a run of three defeats in a row to get a point at Aldershot. Ian was at the EBB stadium in the sunshine…

A draw was tough to take. This was the epitome of a six-pointer and one where in hindsight we could have really done with three points. York, Halifax, Gateshead and Torquay all got wins with Gary Johnson’s side leapfrogging Yeovil after their third win in a row. We’re now in 22nd, five points behind Aldershot in 19th. In truth, I didn’t have a clear enough view for our penalty appeal, but many think it should have been. Aldershot had a golden opportunity to grab victory from the spot and they didn’t. Maybe lady luck is on our side for the run in…

We improved from Tuesday. The bar was low right? But we looked more like a side yesterday. Defensively we looked okay, although giving the tallest man on the pitch a free header in the box was less than ideal. In midfield were still trying to find a combination that clicks, is fit enough to last and can create chances. I wouldn’t describe us at outstanding, but from the very low standards on Tuesday, we’ve pulled out a performance and arrested the slide.

Everything good came from Matt Worthington. As important as Staunton is at the back of the pitch, Worthington is at the front. He’s a leader on that pitch, setting an example to all his teammates. He assists the equaliser, is always an option for a team mate and was the legs getting in behind the Aldershot defence on plenty of occasions. He’s really stood out for me this season and when we’ve not had him in the side, we’ve missed him.

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

We came out in our numbers. 529 Glovers made the trip on Good Friday to try and roar the team to victory. It was an amazing effort after the dismal showing on Tuesday and it shows, even when times are tough, the amazing support this club has. SU Glovers were on the terrace in the thick of it and will have felt that support and hopefully have a plan to harness that energy when they complete this protracted takeover. 

Admittedly I’m struggling with this one, but we have to try and believe. There are still games to go, and it’s not over yet. We could still do it. Aldershot weren’t much of a side. If we can build on this point and get something from Dorking, confidence can grow and we may do something. Its the National League after all. If Elon Musk can crash twitter once and for all we may actually shut down all this ridiculous noise that is not helpful in a fight for survival. On social media many have gone from ‘supporting the team, not the regime’ to supporting the not-yet regime rather than the team.

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The Glovers picked up a point in the National League, but there were plenty of other Glovers out and about picking up wins, goals… and there was even a late-in-the-season debut for our young Keeper, Max Evans.

Let’s start in the National League, Charlie Wakefield wasn’t in the Woking side that came from behind to beat Dorking – another former Glover, Rohan Ince scoring twice.

Ben Richards-Everton played the full 90 for Scunthorpe who lost away at Gateshead.

Into the divisions below, Ollie Hulbert scored for Leamington, his opener helped lead his side to a big win over Hereford.

Jake Graziano – fresh off the back of being named Toolstation Premier Fan’s Player of the Month for March – was back in action for Dorchester, but they succumbed 2-0 to Chesham Utd.

Ollie Haste was used from the bench as Truro came from behind to beat Harrow Borough 4-1, Sam Hodges was back in the starting line up for Gillingham Town, but they went down 2-1 against Wincanton.

Finally, goalkeeper Max Evans made his debut for Hungerford Town in the National League South, but couldn’t prevent a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Hampton and Richmond, with one of the goals coming from former Yeovil midfielder, Jake Gray.

Both Plymouth Parkway and Tiverton play on Saturday, rather than Friday.

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Matt Worthington has said how pleased he was with the response of the Yeovil side after coming from 1-0 down to salvage a point against fellow strugglers, Aldershot.

After the 1-1 draw he spoke with BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins and starting by comparing the game with the 4-0 defeat to Gateshead on Tuesday.

“We did play much better than Tuesday night, it was excellent, people coming off the bench but it wasn’t enough unfortunately.”

“But we’re still in the fight and hopefully the traveling fans can can see that. We need to take it on to Monday.”

“I thought we had a lot of possession in the final third like you said it’s the history of season, unfortunately we didn’t take our chances in the first half, we didn’t really test keeper enough which is probably the only the only bad thing about about our performance, but we reacted well to going one nil down, it was a very soft goal, it’s pretty inexcusable to allow the biggest player on the pitch to get a free header in their in our box so that was really disappointing but we reacted really well.”

The result still leaves the side adrift at the bottom, five points from safety with five games to go, but Worthy, much like the manager, isn’t throwing in the towel just yet,

“We’ve got a lot of lads in there with a lot of fight especially me, I’ll fight until it’s impossible to that we can’t stay up and I still believe that we have a chance and we want to have that belief and I’ll keep fighting.

“(the goal) was brilliant, like I said we reacted really well (to going 1-0 down) we had a lot of those chances in the first half but, I was just really happy that we got that goal back.” 

“I’ve got a lot of fight and that is for them (the supporters) and the club, this club means a lot to me so it’s yeah it’s it’s hard at the moment but you know we’ll keep on fighting.”

Attention turns to another huge game against Dorking on Easter Monday, a game the side are looking forward to.

“Everyone can be frustrated at times but ultimately it’s we had to stay together without a Unity it’s this point of stuff’s going up the pitch we have high standards in there and a lot of things are said after games but we put it to one side as soon as we get back and we have to roll our seats up and go again Monday.”

“Monday is a big game, I said to the lads you’ve got to enjoy that sort of pressure going to a game you have to win I think today showed that if we perform like that there’s no reason why we can’t win the majority of the games, so we have to keep believing.” 

“The gaffer is brilliant, I have nothing but good things to say about him he’s a great manager for this level and he’s constantly encouraging us, picking us up no matter what sort of criticism he gets he’s given us players a lot of belief and like I said we fight for the gaffer, we fight for the club, the fans, the backroom staff.”

 

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Following the Glovers’ 1-1 draw with Aldershot on Good Friday, Mark Cooper hailed the improvement from the Tuesday night defeat to Gateshead.

Speaking post match to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he thought his side were denied a late penalty but that more than just a point was deserved.

“I thought from start to finish we were outstanding, yeah of course we made some mistakes, committed, one mistake from us from the corner you know you you’re relying on people to do their jobs and and we let somebody get free header in the Box.

But, you take that out – of course at the end we’re pushing bodies forward and they have a couple of counter attacks – but their players were going down like flies and we kept going, we kept going we kept going and that’s an horrendous decision from the referee at the end it’s a blatant penalty, everybody in the stadium sees it and he panicked. I think he thinks I can’t give that that late in the game.”

“it’s a great performance, a great following, nice to see the prospective owner and his friend in there leading the chants and, yeah great following.”

Callum Harriott returned to the side to grab a late equaliser, in a game which saw plenty of changes including seeing Jordan Maguire-Drew in an unfamiliar role centrally.

“We’re just trying to find a formula you know, we’re playing with a lack of front players and we’re trying to cover that up.
Jordan Maguire-Drew. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

We played Jordan McGuire-Drew in midfield today him and him and the other midfield players were really good I thought, some good performances and if we play like that until to the end of the season we have a chance (of staying up)”

“When you get the fans behind you, you see the response you get from the players and it’s so productive when they’re like that.” 

Yeovil did fall 1-0 behind early in the second half, but Cooper was pleased that his side were able to get back into the game.

“When confidence is low it’s easy to cave in when you go one or down but I thought there was some real top performances today and I thought we deserve to win the game. ” 

In the dying embers of the game, Aldershot had the chance to get all three points after Chiori Johnson was adjudicated to have fouled a Shots’ attacker gifting the hosts a penalty – which they would blaze over the bar. The decision was a contentious one from referee James Durkin.

“It’s difficult to see for me but I thought he looked to me like he diverted the ball in a different direction but referee couldn’t wait could he? When it was at the other end he was never going to give it.”

“We should have won the whole day felt like we were here, everybody was here and we were going to, I spoke to the players before the game, no matter what’s going on, all the outside noise it’s just about going back to when you were seven or eight years old in the playground, it’s not about we have to win and we’re going to get the club around again it’s about enjoying go and enjoying your football and we tried to take the pressure off them and I thought they were magnificent.”

Attention turns to another huge game against Dorking, the third of three against relegation rivals, and Cooper believes that his side are still in the fight to survive.

“We’ve got to keep going if we win on Monday then we could be two points and you know if we get to the last game who knows we’ve got games obviously we’ve got a really difficult one against Wrexham but the others are winnable.” 

“It was a great performance, that’s what I’m I saw what we’re asking for, a great spirit, we know where we’re short and we can’t affect that now because we can’t do anything about it but as long as we get that that commitment we’re fine… we’ve got a real core group of players that want to scrap or want to fight for everything and we’re going to need that in the last five games.”

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Venue: EBB Stadium
Friday, 7th April, 3:00pm kick-off

Attendance:

Pitch: 
Conditions:

Scorers: Cordner, 50 (1-0), Harriott, 68 (1-1)

Bookings:

Yeovil Town: Cooper 12, Young 48, Staunton 54
Aldershot: Corndner 31, Campbell 77, Klass 96

Referee: James Durkin

Yeovil Town (4-3-3)


Substitutes: Hunt, Reckord, Harriott (for Law, 58) Pollock (for Young, 58) Oluwabori (for Worthington 88)

Aldershot: Ashby-Hammond, Barham, Campbell, Cordner, Glover, Harfield, Jordan, McQuoid, Mnoga, Ochieng, Partington

Substitutes: Amaluzar (For Partington 66), Klass (for McQuoid 69), Hutchinson (For Barham 75) Rowe, Thomas.

Match Report

Yeovil Town earned a point at Aldershot this afternoon in a game of expected quality between 20th and 21st in the National League. Results around the Glovers mean that Mark Cooper’s side fall to 22nd this evening.

A nervy first half never saw many chances, but Grant Smith was forced into action in the 26th minute. 

In the second half, former Weymouth man Tyler Cordner headed in from a corner to give Aldershot the lead.

In the 65th minute the Glovers equalised. Malachi Linton released Matt Worthington on the right wing and his cross found Callum Harriott in the box to give the Glovers hope.

Linton found space on left of the box but could only put his effort into the side netting.

Drama ensued before the final whistle when Aldershot were awarded a controversial penalty. Yeovil lost out on the edge of the Aldershot box and as Campbell broke, in seemingly an offside position, he was brought down by Chiori Johnson.

Fortunately for the Glovers, Jake Hutchinson skied his penalty but a point doesn’t feel enough right now.

Full time: Aldershot 1 Yeovil Town 1