August 2023 (Page 7)

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A late winner from defender Jake Wannell earned Yeovil Town a smash-and-grab win as they broke the resistance of a determined Truro City side to record back-to-back wins for the first time since March 2022.

After a goalless first half which saw the Cornish outfit dominate, the visitors took the lead when Rocky Neal broke the offside trap to slot past Will Buse after 55 minutes, stirring rumblings among the home supporters.

Substitute striker Olly Thomas, who replaced Jake Hyde after 68 minutes, pulled one back when he got on the end of a Charlie Cooper through ball with six minutes remaining, before Wannell rose highest at the back post to head the winner as the game ticked in to added time.

Here is how Dave saw it from the Thatcher’s Stand at Huish Park…….

FIRST HALF

The starting XI remained unchanged from the 2-1 home win over St Albans City on Saturday, albeit we lined up with a back three with Josh Staunton, Morgan Williams, and Jake Wannell. Jordan Maguire-Drew and Alex Whittle operating as right and left wing-backs respectively.

The opening 15 minutes saw the visitors carve out the clearer cut chances, the best of which arrived with 14 minutes gone when Williams had to slide in to the box to deny Ed Palmer before the ball broke to Rocky Neal whose effort was blocked by Staunton.

A minute later, they got even closer when on-loan Bristol Rovers youngster Harvey Greenslade’s effort came back off the outside of the post. A minute after that hosts’ keeper Will Buse turned away another effort from Greenslade before captain Connor Riley-Lowe headed narrowly wide.

The visitors, managed by ex-Glovers’ midfielder Paul Wotton, were not here to just make up the numbers. They looked more of a threat going forwards than their hosts , they quickly got back in to a defensive shape to frustrate us. It was going to be a long night with a lot of patience required at Huish Park

The nearest to a goal the Glovers got in the opening half-hour was a speculative effort from Maguire-Drew. Was it a shot? Was it a cross? Either way Truro keeper James Hamon turned it over the bar for a corner.

There was a nervous atmosphere inside Huish Park again (after the second half had been against St Albans) and it seemed to translate on to the pitch.

In a fluid formation, it was Williams who pulled out to the right with Staunton, Wannell and Whittle forming the back line. But Williams proved an effective attacking force with his crosses almost finding Murphy inside the box on 31 minutes and then just missing Hyde at the back post a minute later.

The chances were starting to come with Murphy found inside the box with five minutes of the half remaining but his effort was blocked. That was the theme of the evening as Truro seemed to have something in the way of every effort whilst looking the far more threatening going forward.

Come half-time it was certainly the home side who were grateful to go in goalless at the break.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Truro City 0

Thanks to Ollie Marsh for the photography

SECOND HALF

The second half saw Zac Bell replaced Williams, who appeared to be carrying an injury, with the Bristol City youngster going in on the right side of a back four. In the forward line, Murphy seemed to play slightly behind Hyde with Nouble and Maguire-Drew on either flank.

The result was certainly more possession for the home side but it was difficult to say they were was much in the way of chances as a result of it.

At the other end, Truro were continuing to threaten with the pace of Greenslade causing issues for the Yeovil backline and it was no surprise when that led to them taking the lead after 55 minutes. Rocky NEAL broke the offside trap – some in the Screwfix Stand certainly thought he did not break it – and raced clear and slot past Buse.

It could have been 2-0 two minutes later when Greenslade put one wide before Nouble shot wide at the other end. That effort was about all the home side had to offer in the opening 15 minutes after the break with a distinct lack of movement in the forward line.

On 68 minutes, Jordan Young and Olly Thomas replaced Maguire-Drew and Hyde. The changes were like for like and with a narrow formation like the one we were playing, did little to give Truro much to think about whilst the visitors stuck to their task.

With 77 minutes gone, a deep ball to the back post found Thomas at the back post to head it back in to the danger zone. It bounced around and Murphy was unable to bring it down and get a shot away.

It was difficult to see where anything was going to come from for Yeovil – and then an equaliser appeared. A ball through from Charlie Cooper set THOMAS away and he coolly slotted home the equaliser.

That lifted the stagnant atmosphere inside Huish Park and the Thatcher’s Stand burst in to life with the home side responding as Thomas had another effort. Then as the game ticked in to the final minute Worthington lifted a ball in to the box found WANNELL at the back post to head home a winner.

In summary, it was not a pretty win, it was not a convincing win – but it was a win!

Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Truro City 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Tuesday, 15th August, 7.45pm kick-off

Pitch: Looking early season good
Conditions: Dry and cool

Attendance: 3,315 (70 away supporters)

Scorers: Rocky Neal 55 (0-1), Olly Thomas 84 (1-1), Jake Wannell 90 (2-1)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Matt Worthington 51, Rhys Murphy 90+5.
Truro City: Ryan Law 53, Will Dean 66, Dan Rooney 72.

Yeovil Town (4-3-3) 

Substitutes: Zac Bell (for Morgan Williams, 46), Jordan Young (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 68), Olly Thomas (for Jake Hyde, 68), Jamie Sendles-White (not used), Josh Owers (not used).

Truro City: Hamon, Melhado, Riley-Lowe, Palmer, Sanders, Law, Dean, Porter (for Yeboah, 90), Rooney (for Brett, 74), Neal, Greenslade (for Adelsbury, 90). Substiututes (not used): White, Jones.

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Having picked up their first home win of the National League South season with a 2-1 win over St Albans City at the weekend, Yeovil Town host newly-promoted Truro City at Huish Park on Tuesday night (7.45pm kick-off)

The Cornish side, who play their home games in Bolitho Park in Plymouth, picked up a 5-2 opening day win at home to Welling United, but suffered late heartbreak at the weekend going down 3-2 at Braintree Town having battled back from 2-0 down to level the game.

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper has said he is expecting an “aggressive” opponent from tonight’s opponents – somewhat different to the free-flowing passing football played by St Albans three days ago.

Mark Cooper in discussion with captain Josh Staunton during the 2-1 home win over St Albans. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town News

Speaking about Truro following the win over St Albans, Cooper said he knew the opposition, managed by ex-Glovers’ midfielder Paul Wootton, having watched their Southern League Premier South play-off final win over Bracknell Town which earned them promotion in May.

The boss told BBC Somerset reporter Ian Randall: “I watched their play-off games last season and they are aggressive with some decent players so it is going to be a test.

“We had to win today, no-one wanted to mention it but I knew we had to win today and that is pressure. At times, the players feel that and they are just pleased to be off and running and looking forward to Tuesday.

“I have been a manager for 19 years and I have never had an easy game, nobody gives you anything. You have to respect your opponent and find a way to win and that is what we have done today.

“We witnessed their home ground (in pre-season), the pitch at Plymouth Parkway was really poor, they have a nomadic existence at the moment which I know they are going to change shortly.”

Glovers’ goal-scorer Jake Hyde said that the team’s focus would be on their own performance as they go in search of back-to-back wins for the first time since March 2022.

He said: “We want to concentrate on ourselves, but we do our homework as well.  The stronger we get and the more efficient we get, it will be more about us but in these early stages it is important to know enough about the opposition so we can give them respect, but not too much.

“It is a new league for a lot of us and we are all coming up against teams we have not played against before, but it is mostly going to be about us especially at home.”

Truro City News

Truro battled back from going 2-0 down in the first half of their (600-mile round) visit to Braintree Town last weekend. Having trailed at the break, on loan Bristol Rovers striker Harvey Greenslade pounced on a goalkeeping mistake to get his first since arriving at the club to pull one back before the experienced Rocky Neal levelled with six minutes of second half injury time played.

 

However, a goal one additional minute on from that (it’s going to happen a lot this season, isn’t it?) Braintree full-back Kyran Clements struck the winner.

Wootton said: “The first half we were poor and we gave them two goals and we were off it. There were a few home truths in the dressing room at half-time and I don’t know how we haven’t won the game, let alone drawn it.

“If the game finished 2-2, it would have been a good point, but we battered them in the second half. But we can’t give a team two goals, we aren’t good enough for that. We have to get over our disappointment quickly because we have another game on Tuesday night.”

As well as Greenslade, Truro have brought in defender Sam Sanders on loan from York City and young striker Obed Yeboah following his release by League One AFC Wimbledon.

Sanders played the full 90 minutes when York won 1-0 at Huish Park last September while Yeboah, the nephew of ex-Leeds United frontman, Tony, joined permanently after impressing on trial.

Sanders started the defeat at Braintree at the weekend whilst Yeboah was on the substitutes’ bench.

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Yeovil Town playmaker Jordan Maguire-Drew has (unsurprisingly) been named in the official Vanarama National League South Team of the Week.

His Man of the Match performance topped off a good week for the former Grimsby Town man, who also signed a new contract at Huish Park.
He assisted Jake Hyde’s opener and generally gave the St Albans’ defence nightmares for 90 minutes, and we loved it!

Congrats, JM-D, here’s to many more.

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It was a winning return to a rejuvenated Huish Park for Yeovil Town. Ian, Ben and Dave are here to chat through the 2-1 win over St Albans and we take your questions…

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

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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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It has been confirmed that the newly re-formed Yeovil Town Women will play their first team games in the Somerset County League Division One for the upcoming season.

The Glovers will face sides like Ilminster Town Reserves, Wells City and Nailsea United at that level in a league consisting of ten teams.

The league is scheduled to get underway on September 3rd.

We think a full fixture list will become available HERE at some point, but we’ll confirm that when it is completed.

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Three points on the board, two of our strikers on the scoresheet, and the biggest attendance in the sixth tier this weekend, it was a fruitful weekend for Yeovil Town. Here are Dave’s conclusions from his vantage point in the middle of the Thatcher’s Stand…..

WE GOT A WIN! I said in my pre-season hopes/predictions that the thing I was most looking forward to about this season was seeing some wins. It seems such a long time ago since seeing us win 2-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge – 196 days, to be precise, so this one was much needed. I’ll get on to how we got there and how it could have been better, but make no mistake – we needed a win, we got a win. That in itself was job done.

Yeovil Town celebrate the 2-1 home win over St Albans City.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Huish Park was looking fabulous. It was my first look at the new look Huish Park and I was thoroughly impressed. Whilst my journey (a five-hour drive down from the North West) meant that I missed the opening act on the main stage in the new Fan Zone, to see it filled with so many people was fantastic. One small point would be that there maybe needs to be a few more staff on at Badger’s Bar (lovely touch that, by the way, major kudos!) as the poor folks in there were overrun, but that is a fantastic addition. And if anyone ever had any doubt that ‘if you build it they will come’ – 3,326 home fans is your answer – plus 86 away ones. The highest is the sixth tier – 3,380 watched Scunthorpe draw 1-1 with Peterborough Sports in National League North whilst in our division 2,733 watched Torquay lose 3-0 at home to Worthing.

 

The Ciderspace Fan Zone on Saturday.

What a start. Having been at Hemel Hempstead seven days earlier, this start to the game was everything that game was not. Having selected a thoroughly attacking line-up – Hyde, Murphy, Nouble, can you imagine what would have been possible if we’d had just one of those last season? That opening showed exactly what we can be when we are in the mood and that has to become the norm if we are going to achieve something this season.

We saw the best and the worst of Will Buse. Oh Will. I genuinely cheered like it was a goal when Will Buse pulled off a stunning save after just five minutes to deny Jack Jones and keep that impressive start going. After his clanger (sorry Ben, but it was a clanger) at Hemel the previous weekend, that seemed to give him confidence and there is no doubt he’s an excellent shot stopper. However, the mistake which gifted St Albans their equaliser was a worry and is a worry. It’s a goalkeeper’s life, I know (I hear you, Ben) and you’re right that no other player’s mistake is as costly, I just hope he/we can cut out those errors.

Will Buse loses out in a battle for the ball at Hemel Hempstead Town.
Picture courtesy of Dan Finill.

The second half was nervy, but it will get better. At this point I have to give credit to St Albans, who I thought did not look out of the game at any point and the second half was quite uncomfortable at times. Our midfield – or Matt Worthington and Charlie Cooper, as they are known – seemed to get pulled out of position repeatedly and it was not until Josh Owers came on with six minutes (if you excuse the ten minutes added on at the end) from time that we looked anything like in control. It was nervy, very nervy. But we have to remember there a lot of players who are still getting to know each other, it’s going to take time but if we can win whilst they are doing it all the better.

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Week 2 in the National League South didn’t disappoint, with thrills, skills, and a couple of spills across the division. Here’s what went down elsewhere following Yeovil’s 2-1 victory over St. Albans City!

Like Matchday 1, there were plenty of goals flying in, with the highest scoring fixture coming courtesy of Havant & Waterlooville hosting Chippenham Town, who played out a 4-2 thriller in favour of the visitors. Aveley secured their first victory at this level, by thumping Taunton Town 4-1, with Yeovil loanee Malachi Linton grabbing the solitary goal for the Peacocks.

Braintree Town snatched a last gasp victory over Truro City in an exciting 3-2 clash, goals coming in the 96th minute for Truro, and the 97th for Braintree.

It was a bad day at the office for fellow relegated sides from the National League, with both Torquay United and Maidstone United losing 3-0, Torquay hosting Worthing, and Maidstone travelling to  Bath City, while Dover Athletic continued their promising start to the campaign with a late 2-1 win away to Slough Town,

There were two 1-1 draws yesterday, played out by Chelmsford City and Hampton & Richmond, and Farnborough and Eastbourne Borough.

Weston-super-mare and Hemel Hempstead continued their winning starts to the campaign, with another 1-0 win each, over Tonbridge Angels and Welling United respectively, while W*ymouth got their first points on the board with a 1-0 win over Dartford.


National League South results – in full

Aveley 4 Taunton Town 1
Bath City 3 Maidstone United 0
Braintree Town 3 Truro City 2
Chelmsford City 1 Hampton & Richmond 1
Farnborough Town 1 Eastbourne Borough 1
Havant & Waterlooville 2 Chippenham Town 4
Slough Town 1 Dover Athletic 2
Tonbridge Angels 0 Weston-super-Mare 1
Torquay United 0 Worthing 3
Welling United 0 Hemel Hempstead Town 1
W*ymouth 1 Dartford 0

National League South table – don’t look at it until September

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Another Saturday of action brings another edition of Loan Watch and we have some goals to tell you about.

Taunton Town played away at Aveley in the National League South and it was the hosts who were comprehensive 4-1 winners, but the Peacocks’ only goal of the game did come from Malachi Linton.

It’s Linton’s first competitive goal in the claret and blue of Taunton, he was awarded the away side’s Man of the Match too on a disappointing afternoon.

Next, to Dorchester where defender Ollie Haste was not in the squad for the Magpies, but Benjani Junior was a substitute. The young striker appeared in the 64th minute, but the Magpies  couldn’t hold out for a win though, conceding a late equaliser well beyond the 90 minute mark, it finished 2-2 againt Harrow Borough.

Striker Charlie Bateson, who was prolific for the Under-18s last season, is currently on a youth loan with Shepton Mallet in the Western League Premier Division. He was on the scoresheet after just two minutes for his loan side who ran out 2-1 winners against local rivals Walton Rovers.

Finally, defender Jacob Shore got just the final five minutes of Tiverton Town’s 5-2 defeat to Hayes & Yeading in the Southern League Premier Division South. The game was finely poised with 70 minutes on the clock, but a second red card for Tivvy opened the floodgates for their hosts who took full advantage.

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Yeovil Town playmaker Jordan Maguire-Drew has said that he only sees good things for the future of the team, and the club as a whole as he rounded off a great week with a Man of the Match performance against St Albans on Saturday.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, he said that the assist, the win and the performance capped off a positive week.

“It’s about winning and getting that first win on the board in front of a great crowd, they were brilliant.

“There’s been a lot of pressure on us this week, because last week was not good enough (against Hemel) by our standards, we had a lot of travelling fans we let down and we’ve put it right.”

“It could have three or four extra goals, but that’ll come and hopefully we can take all the positives into Tuesday”

There was some confusion for the Glovers’ first goal of the game, a JM-D cross may or may not have been touched by Jake Hyde on the way in (Hyde is very much claiming it) but the Press Association and the stadium announcer gave it to the Glovers’ number 10.

However, Maguire-Drew isn’t worried if it is classed as his or not.

“If I score or set one up, so long as it goes in… that’s what I’m there to do, create and score goals so an assist is as good as a goal for me”

JM-D says that the attacking unit are still in the process of getting to know each other and that the bond that the likes of Hyde, Frank Nouble and Rhys Murphy have will only grow as the season grows.

”We should have scored more goals but that’ll come, the main point of today was to get three points and we did that, in front of a great crowd, hopefully we can repeat that on Tuesday”

“It’s always nice to win a game of football, but it’s always nice to do it in front of your home fans and to keep them coming back, because they help us massively – they don’t realise it, but they do”

This past week saw the midfielder sign a new contract at Huish Park, something which JM-D says was an easy decision.

“It’s an easy one really, this club is only going one way, I believe and I wanted to be a part of it, I just want to keep building, to stay fit and keep going and keep building and hopefully we can get that golden prize at the end of the season that everyone is aiming for.”