July 2023 (Page 4)

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has told the Gloverscast that he has built his squad for the new season expecting that midfielder Scott Pollock would be playing elsewhere.

But, he has not (quite) closed the door on the former Boston United player’s career at Huish Park, revealing that he is waiting for him to regain fitness after a knee injury before making a decision.

He told us: “Scott joined us in early March and he was injured, he had not played for Boston for a couple of months.

“He didn’t play for three or four weeks when he joined us, but we didn’t have enough bodies and he had to play.

“Over the summer he has had a couple of more scans and he has still going a problem with his knee, so we are waiting for that to clear up.

“He is doing his rehab closer to his home and once he is fit we will see what the future holds.”

Asked if he would want to keep the 22-year-old, Cooper added: “I had been told earlier in the summer that he has not going to be here, he was going somewhere else.

“So I recruited with that in mind, I recruited without him and now we have got a balance (in the squad) there has to be a balance.

“We have to make sure those books are balanced and once Scott is fit we will make a decision as to where he goes.”

Pollock arrived from Boston United at the start of March as one of a number of players signed under the ‘stewardship’ of SU Glovers, the group led by Matt Uggla which attempted to buy the club at the end of last season which eventually saw the Glovers relegated.

Uggla has subsequently taken over at National League York City and brought in Zanda Siziba and Callum Harriott, who both featured for Yeovil at the end of last season, with Pollock widely tipped to follow him to Yorkshire.

The one-time Hashtag United and Northampton Town player managed seven appearances for the club last season with his final appearance (of last season) being the 1-0 defeat at Boreham Wood on the final day of the season.

 

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Yeovil Town have confirmed the loan signing of Zachary Bell from Bristol City until January 2024.

The 20-year-old is a right back and spent time on loan at fellow National League South side, Bath City, last season.

The fullback adds further depth in a position that Morgan Williams, Matt Buse and Jacob Shore have shared so far during pre-season.

Bell will be no stranger to Will Buse and Josh Owers who both signed from Bristol City this summer, and he was presumably told good things about Yeovil by former loanees Sam Pearson, Ewan Clarke and Seb Palmer-Houlden.

Welcome to Huish Park Zac!

Image courtesy of YTFC.net

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Yeovil Town’s second pre-season friendly ended with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wimborne Town this evening.

The Glovers fell behind early on and lost Matt Worthington to injury in the first half. Jake Hyde levelled things up in the second half as the Glovers improved but Wimborne struck back following a flurry of substitutions to clinch a win in front of a crowd of 375.

Thanks to Callum Hallett for the updates from New Cuthbury…

FIRST HALF

First half XI: Will Buse, Matt Buse (Trialist), Josh Staunton, Jake Wannell, Alex Whittle, Charlie Cooper, Jordan Stevens, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Matt Worthington, Frank Nouble, Rhys Murphy.

Things got off to a poor start for the Glovers as they fell behind inside the first five minutes after a defensive error. 0-1

Will Buse was called into action minutes later and forced into a save. The Southern League side kept the early pressure on with a dangerous cross just going wide of Buse’s left hand post.

In the 16th minute, the hosts countered in a three -on-one but the final pass was misplaced allowing Matt Buse to clear away for a throw in.

Matt Worthington went down injured 20 minutes forcing Cooper into an early change. Josh Owers, who played the first half against Buckland Athletic, came on as Worthington’s replacement. 

Wimborne attacked again a couple of minutes later dancing through the Yeovil defence. A deflected cross went through the penalty area and was blasted over from close range. A terrible miss!

The Glovers finally had an attacking effort around the half hour mark through Jordan Maguire-Drew. The midfielder struck his effort from the edge of the box but it wasn’t causing the Wimborne keeper any trouble.

Maguire-Draw was involved again minutes later as his cross found Rhys Murphy inside the box. The poacher’s header deflected off a Magpies’ defender into the keeper’s hands.

Wimborne were on the attack again in the 32nd minute, a cross into the box following a corner wasn’t inch perfect and the Wimborne attacker couldn’t good enough connection to test Buse.

Before the half time break Alex Whittle found himself with a chance to shoot after neat play from Frank Nouble, but the left back’s effort was charged down by the a Wimborne defender.

Half-time: Wimborne Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

SECOND HALF

Second half XI: Will Buse (Lewis Williams 61), Matt Buse (Jacob Shore 72), Josh Staunton (Jamie Sendles-White 61), Jake Wannell (Ollie Haste 66), Alex Whittle (Will Dawes 61), Charlie Cooper (Trialist – Andry Demira 66), Jordan Young (for Jordan Stevens), Jordan Maguire-Drew (Benjani Jr 66), Josh Owers, Frank Nouble (Malachi Linton 61), Jake Hyde (for Rhys Murphy).

Yeovil made a double change at half time (flashbacks intensify) with Jake Hyde and Jordan Young replacing Jordan Steven and Rhys Murphy.

Hyde made an instant impact grabbing his second goal of pre-season and levelling things up. A lovely ball from Owers found Maguire-Drew who squared it to Hyde to scuff home! 1-1

Wimborne tried to regain their advantage shortly after with an inviting ball smashed across the box, but no one could get on the other end of it.

Maguire-Drew was centre-stage again, chopping in and out before getting low shot away that was deflected into the feet of Wimborne’s goalkeeper.

Wimborne had an effort of their own moments later as their striker fired a long range effort wide of Buse’s top corner.

Alex Whittle found himself more involved in the 2nd half and his pass to Maguire-Drew led to Jordan Young shooting over the bar.

The Maguire-Drew x Hyde combination almost found a second in the 64th minute, but the striker’s header went straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.

in the 68th minute the Glovers fell behind again. A lovely ball through the Yeovil defence was squared across the box and tapped home past substitute Lewis Williams. 1-2

Wimborne kept the pressure on and after good play down the right hand side they had an effort deflected over the bar for a corner.

Young attempted an effort from 25 yards out five minutes from time, but his shot didn’t cause the keeper any trouble.

Benjani Jr earned the Glovers a freekick on the edge of the box, but Young despatched his effort well over the bar. The youngster was in the thick of things again moments later, flashing a brilliant cross across the penalty box begging to someone to get a toe on it!

Full time: Wimborne Town 2 Yeovil Town 1

Goals: Wimborne 4 (1-0),  Jake Hyde 49 (1-1), Wimborne 68 (1-2)

Wimborne Town: No idea

Attendance: 375

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Yeovil Town have unveiled a yellow-and-black away strip for the upcoming National League South season, a nod to its past.

The kit replicates the strip worn by Petters United, a factory team of JB Petter & Sons which started off building engines in the late 19th Century which played in the town.

Unveiling the kit on Monday evening, club chairman Martin Hellier said: “As we embark on this new journey, I wanted the new away kit to pay homage and testament to our rich history, and therefore have decided to emulate, as much as possible the last kit worn by Petters United, dating back to 1913.

“The tale of Petters United, a team that existed for a mere decade, left an indelible mark on the subsequent fortunes of the club that is cherished by us all.

“I hope that fans of Yeovil Town will enjoy the away kit and the nod to our history of which we are so proud.”

The new Yeovil Town away kit, produced by Errea, for the 2023/24 season. Picture courtesy of @YTFC Twitter.
Petters United.
Picture courtesy of the Yeovil Town Heritage Society.

Petters United were formed in 1904, based around the nautical works on Reckleford in the town, and joined the Yeovil & District League striking up a rivalry with Yeovil Casuals, who with the amalgamation of Petters United would later go on to be the club we know today as Yeovil Town FC.

In its ten-year existence, Petters rose from district football to the senior county leagues of Somerset and Wiltshire and played on a number of different pitches before finding a permanent home in 1912 on Brickyard Lane, just off St Michael’s Avenue.

Despite being backed by chairman Guy Petter, the Ironmen as they were known struggled to attract crowds, not a problem for their local rivals.

In 1914, the two clubs decided to amalgamate as Yeovil & Petters United and it is fair to say that without the merger there is every chance Yeovil Casuals would have gone bust. They consistently drew good crowds but always ended up in financial difficulties unlike Petters which had quite the opposite problem.

With thanks to Mike West from the Yeovil Town Heritage Society for use of imagery and reporting.

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After a trip down to Devon, Ian shares his thoughts on the Buckland Athletic friendly with Ben and Dave. Plus we take your #GCQs.

Image courtesy of Iain Morland

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A glorious July afternoon in Devon saw Mark Cooper’s Yeovil Town run out 4-0 winners against Buckland Athletic. There was plenty of travelling support for the first pre season game of 2023/24 and a good sprinkling of optimism amongst supporters who saw Yeovil put on a goal scoring display. What a novelty! And before you say, ‘come on it’s Buckland’, we’ve had a miserable 12 months and to see us score four goals was lovely.

Ian was there, and here are his conclusions:

Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

We have a wealth of attacking options. How long has it been? With Jake Hyde, Malachi Linton, Jordan Stevens and Benjani Junior in the first half and a front five of Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Jordan Young and Matt Worthington we are blessed with depth at the top end of the pitch. Four of those listed got on the score sheet yesterday and if an instant return to the National League is going to happen, they all need to chip in.

With those forward thinking players, the defensive midfielder role is key. Josh Owers did a decent job in the first half, but was receiving lots of advice from Mark Cooper throughout his 45. The second half saw Charlie Cooper take up that role in front of the defence. Buckland got more out of our defence in the first half, with Will Dawes and Ollie Haste on the left half of the back four. But Whittle, Wannell, Sendles-White and Matt Buse were resolute on the 2nd and barely gave Buckland a sniff.

Jake Wannell.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

I’ve teed this one up, but I was so relieved to see a back four. It felt more balanced, we appeared more comfortable with the ball and the team seemed more aware of eachothers positioning. This isn’t an anti-wingback crusade, I’m open to it with the right players, but we looked confident throughout.

That kit is lovely. We may as well get the ‘Best Dressed, award out the way. The anxiety around kits is real but this one is a belter. Some of the Errea ones that have been released already have been shockers but this one is League-winning, I’m sure.

Jake Hyde
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

It felt good to see a win. Yes, it was against Buckland. Yes, it’s only pre-season. Cynics will say it’s mainly a fitness exercise and I was amongst them. Last summer I was in that camp when we struggled to a draw against Taunton. When we put up a decent fight against Exeter and Plymouth without ever really laying a glove on them. We drew with Dorchester before scraping past Weston. It set the tone for a woeful season that none of us expected. We’ve started bright, we actually look like a team and we’ve scored some goals. That feels good.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper was pleased with the team spirit he saw from his side as they picked up a 4-0 win at Buckland Athletic in their opening pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The Glovers’ boss described the atmosphere in the dressing room last season as “horrendous” as the club dropped out of National League, and said he had focused on the characters of his summer recruits.

In Devon, two goals came from recent arrivals strikers Jake Hyde and Frank Nouble with midfielders Jordan Stevens and Matt Worthington chipping in with the others.

Speaking after the match, Cooper said: “They have gelled as a unit and a squad and my off season was about bringing in the right characters first and foremost for Yeovil Town.

“After last season, it was horrendous, so I have tried to recruit really good characters through doing my homework and getting information and that helps the changing room.

“They are getting on really well as a group and I think you could see that out there today with the camaraderie.”

“It is important that we share the goals out because we have got some firepower in the squad.”

The manager was pleased to see goals coming from across the pitch after last season when his side struggled to score ending as the lowest scorers in the National League with just 35 goals in 46 matches.

Frank Nouble.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Of his strikers, he said: “Hydey has got a goal and Frank has got one as well. It is important that we share the goals out because we have got some firepower in the squad.

“It is important we try and manage that group of players to keep them fresh and get enough game time out of them.

“I think it went well. You are looking for different things in pre-season, the main thing being fitness and trying to get through without too many injuries.

“I thought we looked good in spells, after a while the pitch starts to dry out and it gets a bit sticky and difficult to move the ball quickly, but on the whole I was pleased with it.”

The win over the Western League outfit started the Glovers’ pre-season campaign on the right note and they carry on with a visit to Wimborne Town on Tuesday night before another trip to Devon to take on Southern League outfit Tiverton Town next weekend.

Jordan Stevens celebrates his opening goal in the pre-season friendly win at Buckland Athletic.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

The preparations are building up to the opening game of the National League South campaign with a trip to Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday 5th August – and Cooper is excited about the challenge ahead.

He said:  “I am looking forward to (the new season), I think it is going to be a really exciting season with some fantastic games. There’s a lot of local games and there was a lot of Torquay fans here (at Buckland) today, so it will be interesting to see what they thought. I have been speaking to a few of them and they think they are going to win the league, I am sure our fans think that we are going to win it, so it makes for a really interesting season.

“You have to have hope and the aim is to finish as high as you can. We are a big club in this league and we have to pick our chests out, shoulders back every time we go out on the pitch and make sure we are competitive.”

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Buckland Athletic co-chairman John Piller has issued a statement about “unsavoury behaviour” at his side’s pre-season friendly with Yeovil Town in Devon this afternoon.

The incident occurred just after half-time when ‘fans’ from Torquay United turned up at Homers’ Heath to clash with a small section of the travelling ground, leaving a few cuts and bruises on either side by all accounts.

In a statement issued just after the game, the co-chairman said: “Buckland Athletic FC would like to address the unsavoury behaviour displayed at Homers Heath today and confirm that we have a zero-tolerance policy for violence on our premises.

“Buckland Athletic is a community football club and a welcoming facility for families to watch local football and we are saddened that today’s events impacted a small number of our spectators.

“We would like to thank Yeovil Town FC for today’s fixture, which was played in a great spirit and we hope that their travelling support enjoyed their visit to Homers’ Heath.”

Commenting on it on his Twitter account following the match, Yeovil chairman Martin Hellier described the incident as “a minor scuffle.”

https://twitter.com/martinhellier/status/1677745000451375106?s=46&t=Wqhbr9zW6SC9Vqq85Pu_MQ

Unfortunately, these Gulls’ ‘fans’ were unable to watch their own team pick up a 5-0 win over Reading Under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly and therefore seemingly had nothing better to do than manufacture a rivalry.

Let’s hope everyone has now got it out of their systems, eh?

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Yeovil Town’s pre-season campaign began with a comfortable 4-0 win over Western League outfit Buckland Athletic in Devon on Saturday.

Goals from midfielder Jordan Stevens and striker Jake Hyde  in the first half were followed after the imterval by a stunning striker from new signing Frank Nouble and a late goal from second half skipper Matt Worthington.

There was only a couple of opportunities to play the traditional pre-season game of ‘Spot the Trialist’ and yes undoubtedly someone came out with the “big day for the Trialist family” ‘joke’ – good one.

For the visitors, Andry Demira, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder who had a spell at Gloucester City last season started, with Yeovil-born Matt Buse come on under the Trialist tag for the second half.

First half

The early chances fell to the Glovers with Jordan Stevens, who lined up alongside trialist Demira, Benjani Junior and Josh Owers in a diamond midfield, almost finding an opening inside the first five minutes.

A good ball inside from Jake Hyde found Stevens inside the box but his shot was charged down.

However, the former Barrow man made it 1-0 on seven minutes when STEVENS curled home a free-kick from the edge of the box following a foul on Benjani.

Buckland has a golden chance to even things up soon after when striker Jared Lewington looped the ball over Will Dawes, only to shank his effort high and wide.

On 31 minutes, Morgan Williams, who has looked comfortable up until that point, limped off with what appears to be an ankle injury. Worryingly the defender had ice on the injury during the half-time break which we obviously hope was only precautionary. Williams was replaced by Under-18s defender Jacob Shore.

A minute later HYDE doubled the advantage poking home Malachi Linton’s ball in to give the Glovers a 2-0 half-time lead.

Half-time: Buckland Athletic 0 Yeovil Town 2

First half XI: Lewis Williams, Morgan Williams (for Jacob Shore, 31), Josh Staunton, Ollie Haste, Will Dawes, Josh Owers, Trialist (Andry Demira), Benjani Junior, Jordan Stevens, Malachi Linton, Jake Hyde.

Goals: Jordan Stevens 7 (1-0) Jake Hyde 32 (2-0).

Second half

The interval saw a full change of XI by manager Mark Cooper with Matt Buse, who had trialled at Huish Park last summer under Chris Hargreaves but was not offered a deal, among those warming up for the visitors.

He started at right back with his brother, goalkeeper Will, between the posts.

It took until 53 minutes for three summer signings to link up with defender Alex Whittle playing the ball forward to Rhys Murphy who cleverly stepped over the ball to allow Frank NOUBLE to curl his effort in to the far corner.

On 68 minutes, a good bit of link up between Nouble and Jordan Young almost found Murphy at the back post and four minutes later Jordan Maguire-Drew saw his effort from the edge of the area come back off the crossbar.

Frank Nouble celebrates his goal with Jordan Maguire-Drew, left, and Jordan Young.

Perhaps the highlight of the second half came in the 76th minute when midfielder Charlie Cooper refused to accept this was indeed a friendly match and earned a yellow card for booting the ball at the referee. Whilst we would never condone violence against match officials – never change, Charlie!

With four minutes to go, Maguire-Drew picked out Matt WORTHINGTON who rounded off the scoring with a calm right-footed effort past the keeper.

There was a final chance for the home sides to get a consolation a minute later but substitute striker Jesse Howe saw his effort blocked.

Full time: Buckland Athletic 0 Yeovil Town 4

Second half XI : Will Buse, Trialist (Matt Buse), Jamie Sendles-White, Jake Wannell, Alex Whittle, Charlie Cooper, Jordan Young, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Matt Worthington, Frank Nouble, Rhys Murphy.

Goals: Frank Nouble 53 (3-0),  Matt Worthington 86 (4-0)

Buckland United: Collings, Morcom (for Roberts, 70), Leary (for Clark, 70), Farkins, Pearce (for Stone, 70), Carter (for Bridger, 53), Lewington (for Howe, 78), Watson (for Hendrickson, 82), Rosenquest (for Hall, 86), Stayt (for Shanley, 53), Grant (for Crocker, 57).

Attendance: 520