January 2024 (Page 4)

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Yeovil Town will travel down to Devon for their clash against Truro City on Tuesday night.

Town go into the match having won five in row with their latest triumph coming at home against Hemel Hempstead on Saturday. That game saw new signing Sam Pearson bag a brace.

The White Tigers haven’t played since 13th January as they have had two postponements.

Yeovil Team News

Manager Mark Cooper talked after the Hemel game how he is “excited” for the game. He said: “I’m looking forward to it immensely, every game is closer to where we need to be.”

Cooper, 54, also described Truro’s pitch as “horrendous” the last time we played there in pre-season, so he isn’t expecting much better this time around, with Storm Isha hitting the country.

After Sam Pearson‘s Team of the Week performance, boss Cooper undoubtedly will have a selection headache as to whether keep him in the starting eleven or freshen things up after a short turnaround.

https://twitter.com/Vanarama/status/1749401530053034027

The Glovers have no new injuries or suspensions, with just Jordan Stevens being out until the end of this month.

Truro Team News

Before their last game against Welling on the 13th January Truro were on a four game winning run, leading to boss and ex-Glover Paul Wotton getting manager of the month for December.

Aside from Wotton, there is another ex-Yeovil player in the White Tigers ranks, with former loanee Ryan Law now signed for the Devonshire team. They also have former trialist Matt Buse playing for them, the midfielder is the brother of our very own Will Buse and also grew up in the town.

Matt Buse.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

The last time we played…

The last game between the two sides saw Yeovil win 2-1 in what was an entertaining game. In what was a back and forth match Jake Wannell scored the winner in the dying minutes.

The first half saw Truro dominate the opening 15 minutes, with golden chances falling to Rocky Neal, whose shot was blocked by former captain Josh Staunton and Harvey Greenslade  who hit the framework of the goal.

Yeovil had their own chances through Rhys Murphy and Jake Hyde, but the half finished goalless.

The second half was much of the same with Truro controlling the opening exchanges, their pressure ultimately paid off when Rocky Neal finally got his goal after beating the offside trap and slotting past Will Buse.

The Glovers equalised in the 84th minute through Olly Thomas after he played through by midfielder Charlie Cooper. With Yeovil applying the pressure it wasn’t until the dying seconds of added time where Wannell scored the winner.

 

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The Best YTFC Re-Debut of all time? Maybe!

Sam Pearson’s double goal bonanza has earned him a place in the official Vanarama Team of the Week.

As a note, he was also in the Non League Paper Team of the Day too!

Two goals, two Teams of the Week… lovely stuff!

 

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Ian and Dave are joined by Former Gloverscast Quiz Champion Rob Manley to chat through the 2-0 against Hemel Hempstead at the weekend. Apologies for some of the audio, Storm Isha did a number on the internet connections.

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On a chilly Saturday afternoon, Yeovil registered their fifth consecutive win, as they avenged their opening day demons against Hemel Hempstead. In a minimised running order (thanks Mother Nature!), let’s see what else happened in the NLS this weekend.

We start in Essex, where Aveley twice surrendered a lead to record a 2-2 draw at home to Chippenham Town, while a surprise came at Slough Town, where a Josh Jackson double gave the hosts a brilliant 2-1 win over playoff contenders Maidstone. Another 2-1 win came at Havant & Waterlooville, as visitors Weston-super-mare left the south coast with all 3 points.

In the final two games of the day, there were 1-0 wins for two playoff chasers; Ollie Pearce bagged his 21st goal of the league campaign to give his Worthing side the win away to Tonbridge Angels, meanwhile Gary Johnson’s Torquay United scraped a 1-0 win at home to Dover Athletic, courtesy of yet another thunderous Brett McGavin strike.

Tuesday’s hosts, Truro City, weren’t in action as their trip to Welling United was postponed, however a positive to take is that it’s likely our fixture will go ahead with them, as their ground-sharing hosts Plymouth Parkway played at Bolitho Park on Saturday with no issues.

 

National League South results – in full

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

National League tables

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Yeovil Town picked up another victory at Huish Park yesterday against Hemel Hempstead thanks to two goals from Sam Pearson on his return in green and white. Here are Ian’s Conclusions from Fortress Huish…

We’ve got a player in Sam Pearson. We kind of knew this anyway, but with the circumstances in which he left last season, it felt like Pearson had a point to prove. And he sure proved it. He was non-stop and a constant thorn in the side of Hemel’s defenders. The Welshman was always available for his teammates and showed real bravery on the ball. His first goal was an acrobatic effort (which he described as his trademark goal) and the second had a giant chunk of fortune about it, but they all count. The 22-year-old has made a brave decision to leave Bristol City and is motivated to show what he can do. What a piece of business.

Sam Pearson celebrates his second goal. Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

Despite our small squad, we’ve got so many attacking options. Last season, our recruitment was infamously terrible. This season, it couldn’t be more juxtapose. When you look at the combinations yesterday, and who’s missing, this team could do damage to most teams on its day. Here’s who we’ve seen play at the top end of the pitch this season so far: Sam Pearson, Frank Nouble, Jordan Young, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Jake Hyde, Dylan Morgan, Will Dawes, Jay Foulston, Rhys Murphy, Jordan Stevens. (+ Alex Fisher and JMD) There won’t be many teams in the National League with as many fluent, exciting combinations as that.

It should have been more than 2-0. Over the course of the 90 minutes, Yeovil were the dominant team and should have scored more. There were a lot of nearly moments in and around the box, including some well-timed interceptions by the Hemel Hempstead defenders. Jake Hyde’s header looked destined for the back of the net, but for an excellent save from Craig King in the Tudor’s goal. If the Glovers can turn a few more of those nearly moments into goals, things could get even more comfortable.

Jake Hyde heads at goal. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

It got a bit spicy! Clearly, the Glovers have not forgotten about the defeat on the opening day. After the game Mark Cooper revealed how Hemel were banging on the changing room walls and doors following the 1-0 defeat in August, so revenge was on the cards yesterday. In the second half, some of that animosity started to come through and there were some rough tackles. Charlie Cooper was victim to a tackle which you’ve definitely seen red cards for, but Craig Scriven only though it was worthy of a yellow. Jake Wannell took a whack in the face in the first half. Mark Cooper said “we can give it out as well and we have to have that nasty streak. I don’t know any team that wins things that has not got that streak in them that they will look after each other.”

Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

It was another professional performance. This team turn up, get the job done and move on to the next one. They have had a laser focus on getting out of National League South at the first time of asking and we’re on course to do that – by the end of February according to Frank Nouble. We’re unbeaten at home and playing some great football at times and everyone in that squad steps up when required to. It’s eight without loss since the Welling game. We’ve won five in a row now and with the upcoming fixtures, belief and professionalism, what’s to say we can’t go another run like we did earlier in the season? 

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It’ll come of no great surprise that thr weather was the real winner this weekend.

In fact, only two Glovers loanees got any game time this weekend.

At Dorchester, defender Ollie Haste played the full 90 minutes in a 3-2 win over Merthyr Town.

The Magpies were 1-0 down at the break and their manager Tom Killick saw red at half time.

The only other YTFC connection to get on the pitch was young striker Charlie Bateson.

He was used as a second half sub with Shepton Mallett losing 2-0 to Helston.

… and that was it.

Barnet, Oxford City, W*ymouth, Sherborne Town, Melksham Town, Welton Rovers and Gillingham Town all fell foul to the weather.

 

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Pictures courtesy of Gary Brown. Please ask for permission before using.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said his side is fully focused on securing promotion from National League South this season.

Two goals from new signing Sam Pearson saw the Glovers maintain their unbeaten home record and their 13-point advantage at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Hemel Hempstead Town at Huish Park today.

His most recent signing is a clear signing of building for the future, but the boss told our man Ian Perkins he has not given much thought to next season.

He said: “I’m not really thinking about it because we have to get this season done first, but it is prudent when we make a signing that it is one which can go with us on a journey. When I was trying to convince Sam, the thing I think got it over the line was the belief of where we want to go. The signings we make are with that in mind.”

The manager was pleased with Pearson’s contribution on his second debut. He added: “We brought him in, played him up front because of his movement. The way we play, the boys at the front of the pitch have to run and run hard and fast in to space and Sam gives us that option.”

What was definitely on his mind was a second half tackle by Hemel youngster Kombe Kawimbe on Glovers’ midfielder Charlie Cooper which the boss described as “the worst tackle I have seen in three or four years on any football pitch.”

Charlie Cooper in action against Hemel Hempstead Town.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

He told BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins: “It is a young player that committed it, he is learning the game, he’s full of remorse for it, but the referee (Craig Scriven) has to do his job. It is a straight red card, we can’t be sentimental. In any other game you are getting locked up for three weeks for that tackle, not just a red card. Luckily we are not sat here talking about a really bad injury with that tackle. Charlie is okay but he had a little tight hamstring towards the end, but he’s okay.

“I said to the referee that those kind of tackles have been outlawed from the game. When I played you got a round of applause for that tackle, but (the referee) did not do his job today. He endangered the safety of the players and, as good as his performance was at times, he will be remembered for that tackle. We want to help referees to learn, but they have to want to learn and hopefully he will and come back better because he has the potential to be a good referee.”

Substitute Jake Hyde suffered a calf strain just minutes after arriving into the game.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

The boss said he expected Cooper and full-back Michael Smith, who suffered a slight groin strain during the victory, to be available for Tuesday night’s trip to Truro City – but revealed he expected striker Jake Hyde to be missing after suffering a calf strain shortly after coming on against Hemel.

However, Cooper is hoping to have top scorer Rhys Murphy, who sat out the Hemel game with a hamstring injury, to be available in three days time. He said: “We are hoping he will be okay for Tuesday, but if not Tuesday then Saturday. It will be great to have Murph back because he has been great.”

The final word came for the winning streak which the manager sees in his squad as they enter the business end of the season knowing they can expect more rough treatment in the coming weeks.

He said: “Teams are going to try and beat us up and kick us off the pitch. In the first week of the season we had a discussion about whatever the opposition bring, we have to do whatever we have to do to win.

“Whether they want a scrap in the car park or play Tiddlywinks in the bar, whether we are knee-deep in mud, playing on a rubbish 3G pitch or if it is chucking it down with rain, we have the mentality that we want to go to the well and get it done.

“Their was a few naughty tackles today, there was a punch in the first half on Jake Wannell, but we can give it out as well and we have to have that nasty streak. I don’t know any team that wins things that has not got that streak in them that they will look after each other.“

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Hours of practising in the school yard played a part in new signing Sam Pearson‘s opening goal on his return to Yeovil Town.

The former Bristol City youngster, who had a spell on loan at Huish Park at the start of last season, got airborne to turn home Charlie Cooper’s ball in to the box after 28 minutes gone in the 2-0 home win over Hemel Hempstead Town.

He told BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins that the goal was his trademark, he said: “The first one was probably my trademark goal, in primary school I used to practice bicycle kicks and that side of my game and I have scored a few in my time, so it has obviously paid off. I had a feeling something like that was going to happen and I would back myself in any situation like that to score.”

Sam Pearson gets some close attention from a Hemel defender.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

Having put his new side ahead, the 22-year-old played a major part in the Glovers’ second when his shot deflected off a Hemel defender Kyle Ajayi on its way in to the net. Pearson insists he is claiming it as his own, and we’ll wait to see how the record books show it.

He added: “It was on target and I don’t think the keeper would have saved it. Thanks to (the Hemel defender) I have got another goal, so thanks to him!

“It couldn’t have gone much better – maybe if I had got a hat-trick! We executed the game plan well and we won, that is the main thing. The Gaffer told us how they were going to be and we had to break them down because we knew they were going to come here and sit in a block. We did that and obviously we got the three points.”

Having played 11 times, scoring twice, during his first spell under the ill-fated reign of Chris Hargreaves last season, Pearson spent the end of last season on loan at League Two side AFC Wimbledon. But, having played all of the season so far in youth football at Bristol City, he is delighted to be back playing first-team football.

He said: “I did what is best for me over the past two weeks and I am back playing first team football. I just want to enjoy it and be happy and perform out on the pitch.

“It is a fun group. I know Josh (Owers) from Bristol and he loves the banter, so he can be a bit annoying at times. I know most of the boys, there’s a few new faces, but we all get along well. Everyone is buzzing, it is a good moment to be in because we are winning and nothing can put us down now. It is down to us to keep winning and keep that atmosphere in the dressing room.

“I feel like no-one can beat us in this league right now. That is the best feeling, your confidence is high and you just know you are going to go there and get the win, no matter what. That is all we want to do in that changing room – just win, win, win and win the league.”

The contrasting atmosphere around Huish Park and the improved surroundings inside the stadium from his first spell in Somerset played a major part in his decision to sign a permanent deal

He said: “It is a massive difference, I came here two or three days ago and had a tour around the place and everything has changed. The atmosphere, the coaching staff, even the stadium has changed in places with the new dug-outs and it goes a long way. I think you can tell it does because of the way we are performing.

“I needed to score today to apologise to the fans for what happened back then. I think I have redeemed myself now.

“Fans are everything in the game and that is what helped make my decision, the amount of fans we get now made the decision a lot easier. Fans are the whole point of football and when there are so many getting behind us, you just want to do well to make their day better. They have gone home with a smile on their faces and we all will – apart from Hemel.“