October 2024 (Page 6)

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In news which means pretty much nothing to Yeovil Town, goalkeeper Will Buse has extended his loan spell at W*ymouth.
 
The Yeovil-born keeper, who was not given a squad number at Huish Park this season, has extended his stay with the National League South strugglers until January 2025.
 
With Ollie Wright, who is on a season-long loan from Premier League Southampton, the established number one for the Glovers, and goalkeeper/goalkeeping coach Matt Gould the number two, the chances of Buse getting a game at Huish Park are limited to put it mildly.

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Yeovil will get back to league action this weekend as they travel to the capital to face Wealdstone at Grosvenor Vale on Saturday.

Form Guide…

The Stones haven’t been in the best form this season as they sit one place above bottom in 23rd. Last time out they won in the FA Cup beating Gosport Borough 4-1. However, the last time they pick up three points in the league was on the 26th August at home against Fylde. Although not winning many they got five draws, including against Southend and Halifax.

Mark Cooper’s side has been very up and down this season with five wins, five losses and three draws. Last time out was disappointing for the Glovers as they were knocked out of the FA Cup against lower league opposition. They have picked up over the last five games in the league however with just one loss against Oldham Athletic but with only win as well when facing Dagenham & Redbridge

Players applaud the away supporters at the final whistle at Chesham United.

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Key Players…

Wealdstone – Callum McFarlane

Callum McFarlane in action for Fulham. Picture courtesy of Fulham FC

The striker has played eight time for the Stones this season, after joining on from Fulham on deadline day. His return has been decent as well with three goals which got him the Wealdstone fans player of the month for September. In a team that has been down on its luck in this season McFarlane has definitely been a bright spark.

Another player to watch out for is Alex Reid. Joining on loan just before their FA Cup fixture Gosport, Reid then went on to score a hat-trick on debut, showing his goalscoring prowess.

Yeovil – James Plant

The right winger has started two games for the Glovers assisting one goal. In those two games the Port-Vale loanee has shown his quality playing out on the right. At 19-years-old there is room for improvement but that will come with time. He will need help from a struggling striker department though if he is to show how valuable he can be to the team in creating goals.

James Plants a cross.
Pic GARY BROWN

That’s what he said…

The Stones boss Matt Taylor spoke club media about the upcoming match with Yeovil. He said: “I’m expecting a really good team that got promoted last season. They’ve got a really good core of players, experienced both on and off the pitch with their management [staff]. I think it will be a difficult game for us.

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to local media ahead of Wealdstone on Saturday. He said: “It’s been a tough week in terms of analysis, leg work, tactics, you know,  but we just want a reaction. I need an angry reaction, I need a group of players that want to show and we aren’t too far away from the team which played really well against Dagenham & Redbridge a week before.”

The Glovers boss also gave insight into his opponents as well. He said: “They have a real culture of being heavily possession based and trying to dominate the opposition with the ball, so if you get your out-of-possession stuff wrong against them they can really hurt you.”

We’ve met before…

These two teams have met six times before, with Yeovil winning one, Wealdstone winning one and there being four draws as well. The last time these sides met it was a 0-0 draw at Huish Park with Owen Bevan being sent off. This picture has seen its fair share of goalless draws with the last three games all finishing 0-0. Thos three games have also seen three players sent off, twice for The Stones and once for the Glovers.

Don’t I know you…

The London side have two ex-Glovers in their squad with Cypriot Anthony Georgiou and Midfielder Craig Eastmond. Georgiou was one of Mark Coopers first signings when he joined Yeovil in November 2022 on loan. He only lasted a month in Somerset playing just the two games.

Anthony Georgiou. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Craig Eastmond was way before Cooper however, as he joined the club in the winter of 2015 after being released by Colchester United. The midfielder, made just one appearance which was against Colchester, playing just seven minutes as a sub. He did appear on the bench for the Glovers 11 other times without stepping on the pitch.

Who’s been naughty then…

Yeovil have been very naughty with four players currently one yellow card away from being suspended, those four are Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis, Charlie Cooper and Dom Bernard. Wealdstone will be able to bring both Adrian Mariappa and Jaydn Mundle-Smith after they both served their suspension.

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Yeovil Town have been drawn at home to Weston-super-Mare in the second round of the Somerset Men’s Premier Cup.

The Seagulls, who today announced the signing of winger Sam Pearson just 24 hours after the termination of his contract at Huish Park, will visit South Somerset in the competition.

No date or kick-off time has been set for the match yet.

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Yeovil Town winger Dylan Morgan is confident his loan spell at National League South side Weston-super-Mare has helped him recover from an injury in pre-season.

The 22-year-old admitted it was “a bit of a surprise” to be sent out on loan having started the opening day home defeat to Hartlepool United, but believes his time on the north Somerset coast has helped him regain the form which saw him in impress in pre-season. He returned at the end of September having scored three goals in five matches for the Seagulls.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the weekend’s trip to Wealdstone, he told BBC Somerset’s Toby Crabb: “I always wanted to be playing for Yeovil, but the injury happened and I spoke to the Gaffer (manager Mark Cooper) and he thought that was the best thing for me at that time. So I went there, delivered and then came straight back in to the team. I enjoyed my time there, but ultimately I wanted to get back here and deliver in the National League Premier. It was a bit of a surprise (to go out on loan), but I have been in worse positions than going on loan to Weston so I had to back myself and my ability and I did that and now I am back.

“I had a good pre-season, scored a lot of goals and I managed to do that again at Weston, and that made the club realise they had to bring me back in. I am happy I got the opportunity to come back in as quick as I have and hopefully the goals start coming for Yeovil. I always start the season saying I want ten goals this season, I got three at Weston so now I would like to get at least seven for Yeovil. It was lovely to come back and get a good reception and I am just hoping to put a few more smiles on people’s faces.”

Morgan said the players had come in to training “firing” following the FA Cup exit at lower league Chesham United last weekend. He was Cup-tied for the match having been allowed to play for Weston in the earlier stages of the competition.

He said: “It was pretty clear on Monday that it was not acceptable, it hurt everyone and that ups everyone by 10%, so everyone came in firing in training. It was awful (not to be able to play) because you want to be able to help in every game and have a good FA Cup run. It is a team game and I know everyone will be hurting as much as I am.“

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Manager Mark Cooper has challenged his Yeovil Town players to fight back after the disappointment of their early exit from the FA Cup.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the trip to Wealdstone in the National League Premier, the Glovers’ boss said he “needed an angry reaction” after admitting it had been a “sombre” week of training since the fourth qualifying round defeat to Chesham United last weekend.

He told BBC Somerset’s Toby Crabb: “It’s been a tough week in terms of analysis, leg work, tactics, you know,  but we just want a reaction. I need an angry reaction, I need a group of players that want to show and we aren’t too far away from the team which played really well against Dagenham & Redbridge a week before. We got a standing ovation after that game, everybody got clapped off and we were the best team in the world.

“The performance from our goalkeeper to the edge of the opposition box (against Chesham) was not bad. I could give you loads of stats and how many times we got safely to the edge of their box, but when we got an attacking positions we did not produce and that’s the hardest part of the game, so we need to solve that. We are not doing anything drastically wrong.

“If we scored every chance we created we’d  be top of the league, but defensively we are really sound. The toughest part of the game is putting the ball in the net, because there are 11 men trying to stop you doing it. We know we need to be better, the players are not daft, we have got some experienced players and they know it is about getting that right.”

The boss expects to have striker Aaron Jarvis, who has missed the matches against Dagenham and Chesham with concussion, and full-back Alex Whittle available for the trip to north London on Saturday. However, he confirmed right-back Michael Smith was still “a few weeks away” from recovering from a hamstring injury.

He also confirmed that Port Vale loanee James Plant is available having not been given permission to play in the FA Cup tie and Dylan Morgan, who was Cup-tied having featured for Weston-super-Mare in the earlier rounds. Forward Harvey Greenslade, who appeared off the bench late in the defeat at Chesham, is also fit to feature having been missing with a shoulder injury since the end of August. 

James Plant, who was unavailable on Chesham last weekend, is available for the trip to Wealdstone. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

However, he will be without winger Sam Pearson whose contract was terminated by mutual agreement due to “personal reasons” and defender Raphael Araoye who was recalled from a five-month loan from Bristol City on Friday. Cooper confirmed the Robins had recalled the 6’3″ teenager due to injuries in their first team and said he could be in the squad for their Championship match to Middlesbrough at the weekend.

On Pearson, the Glovers’ boss said: “Sam was a valued member of the squad. He had not done as well this season, but the reason behind that was that he was travelling five hours every day from Cardiff and that had started to affect his welfare, his performances, he was just down, and he just wanted to go and play closer to home. I am sure there will be drama out there that me and him have had a fall out, but we got on great. We had to help him  and his wishes were to be closer to home. When the player is adamant that he wants to go, we have a duty of care to the player.  Sam’s had that issue before where he’s he’s been homesick and he’s wanted to to go back and we have to appreciate that.”

On Araoye, he added: “It was not a mutual decision. Bristol City called him back, (Academy Director) Brian Tinnion called me yesterday and was really apologetic but said they have got some injuries and and Raph could be involved in the first-team at the weekend. That is fantastic for the boy and it shows you what a loan does for the younger lads, they come out and play some senior football and and do pretty well, and they’re ready to go back and compete for first-team place.”

Cooper said that he was confident he would be backed in the transfer market to bring in a forward player if he could find the right candidate, but hailed the form of on-loan Rotherham United striker Ciaran McGuckin, who has scored twice in his last three appearances.

Cooper said: “If there is a player there that can improve us we will look at it. I know if I went to the chairman (Martin Hellier) and said ‘I have found this player who is going to get us 20 goals before the end of the season’, he’d say  ‘let’s do it’ – but I haven’t found that player and it’s a difficult part of the season to be able to do it. Of course we are looking but I want really one of the other boys that are here to catch fire. McGuckin is on fire, not just with his goals, but it’s performances as well, and we need one of the others to come to the party now. They have got real quality, they are great lads who work their socks off. I don’t think any anybody could label our team for not trying, we give everything we’ve got and that’s a must, but we need one of those boys to catch fire (in front of goal).”

This weekend Yeovil travel to a Wealdstone side which sit second from bottom of the National League Premier Division table having won just once all season. However, the Stones did progress to the First Round Proper of the FA Cup with a 4-1 home win over Gosport Borough, who play two divisions below them in the Southern League Premier Division South.

The Glovers go in to the match in tenth in the table and with the seventh-highest away record in the division having picked up three wins and a draw in their opening six games on the road.

Cooper said: “The last time we played in the league (the 1-0 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge) we were exceptional and I am sure Wealdstone will have looked at that performance and they will know it is going to be a tough game for them. If we play like we did there, we have a chance.

“But bear in mind three players came out of the team (which played Chesham) from the team which beat Dagenham. James Plant could not play because Port Vale would not let him play in the Cup, Michael Smith was injured and Dylan Morgan could not play. That is three big misses and we get them all back this weekend, so let’s see.”

On the weekend’s opponents, he added: “They have a real culture of being heavily possession based and trying to dominate the opposition with the ball, so if you get your out-of-possession stuff wrong against them they can really hurt you. We like to get at teams when we do not have the ball, but we will have to get whatever we do spot on against Wealdstone because they are technically very good. They cannot afford to go and get the best striker, they have to have a real way of working and they have done it for a number of years now. They are very easy on the eye, so it will be a tough game but we want to react and put in a good performance.”

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Defender Raphael Araoye’s time at Huish Park has finished with Bristol City recalling him from his loan spell which had been due to to run until January.

The 19-year-old joined at the start of the season and has made six appearances in a spell interrupted by a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a dead leg he suffered in the 3-1 win at Boston United at the end of August.

Confirming his departure on Thursday morning, the club said: “We can confirm Raphael Araoye has returned to Bristol City after being recalled from his loan spell.

“The 19-year-old arrived in August and has made 6 appearances during his time with the Glovers.

“We would like to thank Raphael for his services and wish him all the best in the future.”

Araoye’s last appearance was in the 1-0 defeat at Chesham United in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round last weekend.

The 6’3″ defender made two starts and two appearances in August, filling in when Alex Whittle was unavailable on the left side of defence, before picking up the injury at Boston. He returned as a 76th-minute substitute in the 1-0 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge earlier this month and then started on Saturday.

He becomes the second player to depart the club this week after the exit of winger Sam Pearson who mutually agreed to terminate his contract due to “personal reasons” on Wednesday.

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Right, the FA Cup is done, time to concentrate on the league, right? Good.

Yeovil head to Wealdstone on Saturday and we’re going to need a referee.

Mr Sam Mulhall is our official for the game, he’s refereed Yeovil three times in his life… but it could have been four, more on that in a moment.

The last time we saw Mr Mulhall, was when we beat Gateshead 3-1 at Huish Park in November 2022, he only booked Matt Worthington on that occasion, all good.

He was though, also in charge for a 1-0 defeat to Southend a month or so prior to that, he sent of Gime Toure for *checks notes* an “off the ball incident”. 

Referee Sam Mulhall shows Gime Toure a red card

There was also a 0-0 against Wealdstone that same season, he sent off Lewis Kinsella after just nine minutes for kicking Malachi Linton and gave the Glovers a late penalty, Linton stepped up, but put the spot kick into a neighbouring borough of London. Eurgh.

Referee Sam Mulhall sends Lewis Kinsella off for a VERY early bath.

Now, onto that game he NEARLY refereed.

Mr Mulhall was subject of a ‘formal complaint’ by Yeovil Town after he made a decision to call off a home game against Altrincham in January 2023.

The Glovers had a ‘heater’ on one area of the penalty area in front of the Thatchers Stand and that was deemed troublesome enough for Mr Mulhall to send the Lancashire-based side back up north and looking forward to a midweek trip in Somerset.

Awkward. 

Mulhall will be assisted by Daniel Robinson, Andy Bennett and Daniel Baines is in the fourth official’s chair.

 

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Winger Sam Pearson has “mutually agreed to terminate his contract” with Yeovil Town due to “personal reasons.”

The 22-year-old Welshman arrived at Huish Park in January having previously had a spell on loan with the Glovers during his time with Bristol City.

In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the club added: “Discussions have been ongoing in recent weeks, with both parties reaching a mutual understanding that it was in the best interests of Sam and the club to part ways at this time.

“Yeovil Town Football Club would like to thank Sam for his contributions during his time at the club and wish him all the best for the future.”

On his Twitter/X account, Pearson said: “Just want to say thank you to everybody at @YTFC. To the fans thank you for your continued support to me and the team home and away it goes a long way, I always gave 100% for the shirt and nothing less. Shame it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of being a Glover. What we achieved last season will always be with me and never forgotten. Wish the staff and all the players the best in the future.”

 

Chairman Martin Hellier responded to criticism about the decision to allow Pearson to leave on the club’s Facebook account.

Pearson has appeared 13 times for the club this season and was a second half substitute in last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Chesham United which saw Yeovil exit the FA Cup in the fourth qualifying round. His only goal this season came in the 4-3 win at AFC Fylde at the start of September.

His first spell at the club began in July 2022 when then-manager Chris Hargreaves brought him on an initial one-month loan which was extended until the end of January 2023. However, he departed in October 2022 suffering with “fatigue” before Cooper arrived.

Pearson spent second half of the 2022-23 on loan at AFC Wimbledon and was released by Bristol City in January before returning to bolster Cooper’s National League South title chasers six days after his departure. He became a champion a few months later and extended his stay signing on for the current season in June.

As a regular presence in the Glovers’ squad this season, it is fair to say that few people will have seen his departure coming and no doubt it will be a question to manager Mark Cooper when he speaks to the media ahead of this weekend’s trip to Wealdstone in the National League Premier division.

From us here at the Gloverscast, we thank Sam for his time with the club and wish him the best for the future – as long as he doesn’t score against us!