February 2024 (Page 4)

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The FA’s “Naughty Portal” has updated to confirm the two-match suspension that Jordan Young will face.

The Glovers’ top scorer was given his 10th yellow card of the season for “Delaying the Restart” in the win over Havant and Waterlooville.

Such is the quirks of the National League system, at our level, the suspension does not kick in automatically; Yeovil’s number 11 will miss the away games at Chelmsford (24th Feb) and Farnborough (3rd March) but will be available for Tuesday’s home game against Weston Super-Mare.

After his time in the stands, Young will be available again for Aveley Away on the 4th of March.

For what it’s worth, the cut off for a 10-booking ban is the Glovers’ game against Welling on the 9th of March.

Charlie Cooper has 8 yellow cards, Jake Wannell has seven with a host of others on five and six, so long as none of them make it to the dreaded double figures before the final whistle of that game against Welling, none will miss any fixtures (until they get to 15!)

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The Glovers got the job done at Huish Park on Saturday, here’s how the cohort of loanees did out and about.

Firstly, no Jordan Maguire-Drew for Barnet, he wasn’t named in the match day squad after being forced to miss last week’s FA Trophy Cup Tie.

Anyway, on to those who did play, and Malachi Linton did his bit for his parent club by scoring against 2nd place Worthing in the National League South, it’s a shame the rest of his W*ymouth team mates didn’t help him out though.

Worthing ran out 4-1 winners, despite having TWO players sent off. 

As the headline suggests, he wasn’t the only scorer, Ollie Haste got the first of Dorchester’s three goals in their win over Bracknell Town.

 

Charlie Bateson clocked up 60 more minutes for Shepton Mallet, they won 3-0 against Welton Rovers.

This game was some something of a Loan Watch Derby (El LoanWatchico?) Welton had both Max Dyer and Jacob Shore in their starting line up playing directly up against Bateson…

Welton were reduced to nine men shortly before the hour mark, which makes their performance in defence all the more admirable, Dyer was booked in the game too. Mason Alden was used from the bench with 20 or so minutes to go.

Charlie Bateson shoots at goal, blocked by Jacob Shore
? – Dean Halliwell

The games involving Sherborne, Melksham and Gillingham were all postponed due to waterlogged pitches. 

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

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper admitted his side did not perform brilliantly in a 1-0 home win over Havant & Waterlooville this afternoon – but he was just happy to see them pick up the three points.

A 32nd minute goal from Jake Wannell, the defender’s third in two games, was enough to seal the victory in atrocious conditions at Huish Park against a visiting team which belied their position second-from-bottom of the National League South.

The win maintains the Glovers’ ten-point advantage over second-placed Worthing, who won 4-1 at W*ymouth this afternoon, going in to Tuesday night’s all-Somerset clash with Weston-super-Mare.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins and our own Ian Perkins (no relation), the boss said: “It was a difficult afternoon in horrible conditions, but at this stage of the season it is just about points. A lot of managers  talk about injuries, but we have got a group of lads that just keep getting it done.

“We didn’t play brilliantly well, we should have scored four goals because we had some brilliant chances, but we are allowed to miss them. But, did we grind out and defend brilliantly? Yes. So, for us, it is just another three points and at this stage of the season that is all we are bothered about.

“It’s about the effort and the horrendous conditions we played in, especially in the second half, a referee who seemed hell-bent on trying to book all our players for I do not know what, he was giving throw-ins to them when they had quite clearly booted the ball out of play. It was a frustrating game, but we got the three points.”

Having taken the lead through a well-worked goal straight off the training pitch, Yeovil had three great opportunities to extend their lead with strikers Frank Nouble and Sam Pearson and substitute Jordan Stevens all spurning chances.

Cooper said: “We had four unbelievable chances, Frank, Sam Pearson and Jordan Stevens are all clear through, and then their keeper drops the ball and we tapped it over the bar instead of in to the net. If you look at those chances compared to theirs, where Joe Day has saved on by the near post in the second half, we should be winning the game more comfortably.

“We have got (former striker) Marcus Stewart (on the Huish Park coaching staff) with us and that is what we have talked about, when they get in that position, we give the keeper a chance to make that save and that is really frustrating.”

The Glovers’ manager was critical of referee George Laflin, who handed out three yellow cards to each side, and it was the inconsistency of the official which riled Cooper.

He said: “Frank got booked for kicking the ball away, a milisecond after the referee blew his whistle, their right-back kicked the ball away right in front of me in the first half and he was blind to it. The difference is that if you kick it away in the second half you get booked, if you kick it away in the first half, you don’t.

“If you time waste in the first half, like they did, you get booked, but when Joe Day throws the ball to Jake Wannell, in the second half when we are winning, he gets booked.

“Credit to the players, they just keep coming here and getting it done and we have to keep getting it done for the next 14 games.”

Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

One of those bookings proved costly for forward Jordan Young who collected his tenth booking of the season for dissent in the second half. He now misses next weekend’s trip to third-placed Chelmsford City and the visit to Farnborough Town the following weekend.

Cooper said: “(Jordan) has had some ridiculous bookings for dissent, two-footed tackles when he has never made a tackle in his life and kicking the ball away. So it is really frustrating for us and for him.”

There was also a concern around full-back Alex Whittle who came off after just 19 minutes having only managed the first half of last weekend’s 4-2 win at Tonbridge Angels. He was replaced by Jay Foulston who now seems likely to feature in the upcoming games.

His manager said: “That is two weeks running he has come off and that can’t continue. Jay came on and did really well and it looks like he will play for the next few games. It’s not an injury, it’s like an illness, I think.”

With a full National League South schedule expected to take place (except for Taunton Town who are slated to play at home, of course) on Tuesday night, Cooper has called on the Huish Park to play their part in raising the atmosphere against Weston-super-Mare.

Speaking after the Havant win, he said: “I thought the fans were really quiet today from minute one and I might get stick for saying that. I asked on Thursday and I know it is hard because of the conditions and we did not start the game brilliantly, but we are top of the league and ten points clear and we need the fans to really get behind us. So Tuesday, please come and get behind us for 90 minutes.“

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Yeovil Town captain Matt Worthington admitted he may have had a couple of cross words at some of his team-mates who spurned glorious opportunities to make a 1-0 home win over Havant & Waterlooville more convincing.

Strikers Frank Nouble and Sam Pearson and substitute Jordan Stevens all had great opportunities to make it 2-0 in the second half at a rain-soaked Huish Park, but a first half Jake Wannell goal from a well-worked set piece was the difference.

Speaking to our man Ian Perkins after the game, the skipper said: “In the heat of the moment you probably say a few things you shouldn’t, but it’s very difficult. They are chances we should have scored and they know that, they didn’t mean to miss. As long as we are creating the chances, we know the goals will come.

“Toddy (assistant manager, Chris Todd) is massive on set pieces and, in any league, you have to score goals from set-pieces to be successful and we’ve done that really well today.”

The midfielder said his team-mates had expected Havant, who belied their position second-from bottom of the National League South table with a committed second half showing, to come out strongly with the wind behind them after the break.

He added: “I think first half we were really in control,  everything we had worked on really came out, playing from the back and getting space out wide with the full-backs which I thought we did really well.

“Second half was much more difficult of the wind and the conditions, so we had to win ugly in the second half and sometimes it is that way.

“I have played here enough times to know that it’s really difficult when there’s a lot of wind at that end, but we had to battle it out and it was a good result in the end.

“They have nothing to lose where they are in the league and we knew that coming out for the second half, they were going to gamble and put everyone forward which they did.”

The win keeps Yeovil ten points clear of second-placed Worthing, who picked up a 4-1 win at W*ymouth despite ending the game with nine men. Third-placed Chelmsford City, who host the Glovers next weekend, earned a 3-0 win at Eastbourne Borough.

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Weston-super-Mare, who grabbed a late winner to seal a 2-1 victory away at Hemel Hempstead Town this afternoon, visit Huish Park in an all-Somerset clash on Tuesday night.

Worthington said: “We are taking every game as it comes, we have a good, level-headed group in there and we will look to go out on Tuesday and hopefully get another three points. I know a few Weston players, but we are not worried about anyone else, as long as we do that.“

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A Jake Wannell goal earned saw Yeovil Town grind out a 1-0 win over a battling Havant & Waterlooville side at Huish Park this afternoon.

The defender won the sponsor’s Man of the Match, but who was it impressed you the most on a rainy afternoon?

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Jake Wannell’s third goal in two games saw Yeovil Town maintain their unbeaten home form to edge out a Havant & Waterlooville side whose performance belied their lowly status on a miserable afternoon at Huish Park.

The only goal came on 32 minutes when a ball across the face of goal by Sonny Blu Lo-Everton was turned home by the centre half to seal the three points in atrocious conditions.

There were glorious chances for strikers Frank Nouble, Sam Pearson and substitute Jordan Stevens to increase the advantage in the second half, but Havant keeper Ross Worner was in inspired form and his team-mates put in an impressive display to match Yeovil in the second half.

First half

Yeovil Town were unchanged from last weekend’s 4-2 win at Tonbridge Angels with Charlie Cooper still missing with an injury picked up in the last fixture at Huish Park, a 3-1 win over Slough Town.

Boss (and Cooper’s father), Mark Cooper, said he was hoping to save the midfielder for some important upcoming fixtures, not least the trip to third-placed Chelmsford City next weekend.

The flag remembering ex-Glovers’ captain Lee Collins was back on the Thatchers’ End ahead of kick-off.

Havant arrived with just one win to their name all season, but they had a glorious chance to open the scoring after just four minutes. A ball in to the box found former Glovers’ striker, Yeovil-born Ryan Seager, in space behind Jake Wannell and his misdirected header went to Callum Kealy whose own header had to be tipped on to the bar by Joe Day.

The visitors’ tactic was to press high and pressure the home side’s midfield, but when Yeovil got in control they created an opening with Michael Smith’s ball in from deep almost finding Sam Pearson, just past the striker’s left boot.

There was a blow for Yeovil as Alex Whittle was replaced by Jay Foulston after a fairly innocuous-looking incident. The full-back had also departed at half-time at Tonbridge the previous weekend when he was suffering with illness. We’ll have to wait to hear from Mark Cooper about the fitness of the full-back.

After 31 minutes, Pearson had a shot well blocked, before a great ball in to the box saw Nouble stretch for a header Nouble over to Michael Smith, he could not quite get enough on it and the ball came off the post. But seconds later the home side were ahead.

A good set-piece routine saw Yeovil play it short, a back heel from Pearson inside the box found Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and his ball across the goal-line was turned home from close range by Jake WANNELL.

On 39 minutes, there was a blow for the Glovers after Young picked up a booking, his tenth of the season, for delaying a restart. That means he will be missing for the trip to the Chelmsford in seven days and the visit to Farnborough Town the weekend after.

Overall, a good controlled performance, dominating in possession albeit not creating too much in the way of chances in tricky conditions, but ahead at the break.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Havant & Waterlooville 0

Second half

With five minutes of the second half played, patient play from Smith saw him put a ball in to the box which carried on the slippery surface and had Havant keeper Ross Worner scrambling. He seemed to punch the ball back in to the danger zone but, luckily for him, there was no Yeovil player there to capitalise.

There were a number of waves of attack from Yeovil, but, with the wind and rain behind them, Havant had not given up on this game and had a succession of corners without forcing Day in to notable action.

Then, just before the hour mark, the hosts broke away with Nouble thundering towards goal, clean through with only Worner to beat. But the big striker lifted his effort high, wide and not so handsome.

Three minutes later, Pearson robbed Ben Morgan and found himself one-on-one with Worner with the whole goal to aim at only for the keeper pulled off a fine stop, but it really should have been 2-0 to Yeovil. From the corner which followed from Young, Pearson was unable to prod the ball towards goal as Worner collided with his own player.

Jordan Stevens replaced Dylan Morgan after 65 minutes and lined up alongside Michael Smith down the right side.

Within five minutes of arriving, Stevens had a golden opportunity to double the advantage. Great hold-up play from Nouble fed the speedy midfielder who nicked it past his defender, but he was denied by a superb save from Worner. HOW IS THIS NOT 2-0?!

With 20 minutes remaining, Lo-Everton got dispossessed in a midfield where a lot of space was opening up there and James Roberts found himself with a great chance to put the visitors level. Thankfully his effort went just past the post.

On 77 minutes, Will Dawes replaced Pearson, and four minutes later Seager had a great opportunity to level, but could not find the target from a free-kick in from substitute Roarie Deacon.

This is a frenetic second half without either side really having the better of it. Yeovil have had two glorious opportunities to have put the game out of sight, but Havant did not give up the fight until the final whistle.

It perhaps was not the win that Glovers’ fans expected when they arrived at Huish Park, but a win is a win. The ten-point lead at the top of the National League is maintained. Just to be on the safe side, keep on minding that gap.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Havant & Waterlooville 0

 

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 17th February – 3pm

Competition: National League South

Pitch: Held up in places and showing a little wear and tear in goal-mouth
Conditions: Miserable. Got heavier and windier as the game proceeded.

Attendance: 3,801 (123 away supporters)

Scorers: Jake Wannell 32 (1-0)

Bookings: 
Yeovil Town: Jordan Young 39, Frank Nouble 46, Joe Day 68
Havant & Waterlooville: Nathan Carlyle 52, Ross McNerney 83, Ben Morgan 90+1

Referee:  George Laflin

Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)

Substitutes: Jay Foulston (for Alex Whittle, 19), Jordan Stevens (for Dylan Morgan, 65), Will Dawes (for Sam Pearson, 77), Josh Owers (not used), Alex Fisher (not used).

Havant & Waterlooville: Ross Worner, Devante Stanley, Kai Innocent, Joe McNerney, Ben Morgan, Nathan Carlyle, Harry Jewitt-White (for Sion Spence, 82), Alfy Whittingham (for Roarie Deacon, 63), Callum Kealy (for Ethan Beckford, 58), Ryan Seager, James Roberts. Substitutes (not used): Brendan Willson, Jack Jebb.

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper has said he is “not taking any chances” with the fitness of midfielder (and his son), Charlie Cooper.

The 26-year-old is missing for the squad for the visit of Havant & Waterlooville to Huish Park in National League South this afternoon, having limped off in the last match the Glovers played on home soil, a 3-1 win over Slough Town at the end of January.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off, the manager said: “We are not taking any chances with it, we want him available for some big games. 

“The other injury updates are (strikers Jake) Hyde and (Rhys) Murphy are still long-term injuries.”

Charlie Cooper has missed the previous two games through injury. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

Havant are one of only four teams to beat Yeovil in league action this season having won a 4-3 thriller in Hampshire on Bank Holiday Monday in August, but Cooper insisted this was not about a revenge mission.

He said: “It’s just about three points and us trying to play well, what’s is gone, is gone, we can’t affect what happened back in August, we just want to win and get three points today.

“Of course we look at the results of the teams below us, but we don’t drive ourselves mad about it. We just try and concentrate on what we’re doing and that’s winning games and we have to keep doing that.”

Havant arrive in Somerset second-from-bottom of the division and have won just seven times all season and just once away from home.

Of the opponents, Cooper added: “I think with the players they have got, they shouldn’t be in the position they are in, so something has gone wrong.

“They have beaten Chelmsford and Maidstone, but they have struggled against teams in and around them which is where they have got it wrong. But we are expecting a tough game as it always is at Huish Park.“

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Yeovil Town are unchanged from last weekend’s win at Tonbridge Angels as they prepare to take on Havant & Waterlooville at Huish Park this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

That means there is still no place for midfielder Charlie Cooper who has not been seen since going off injured late in the last home win over Slough Town at the end of January.

The Glovers are unbeaten at home this season and top the National League South table, ten points clear of second-placed Worthing, who travel to W*ymouth today.

The visitors, who sit second-from-bottom of the table, have former Glovers’ striker Ryan Seager in their starting line-up, the Yeovil-born forward who has had two spells with his hometown team has eight goals since joining the Hawks in November.

Another Huish link is midfielder Alfy Whittingham, whose father, Guy, who had a prolific season in green-and-white in the late 1980s before going on to represent Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portsmouth.

Havant also have defender Nathan Carlyle, signed on loan from St Albans City this week, in the starting line-up. He played for his parent club in the 1-1 draw with Yeovil earlier this month and assisted for the Saints’ equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

 

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Havant are the visitors today, and Dave has got the latest from Cliff Pledge.

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