December 2024 (Page 2)

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said his side should have come away from today’s Boxing Day fixture against Eastleigh with more than a point.

The Glovers looked to have snatched the win when defender Morgan Williams headed them in to a 2-1 lead with 89 minutes played, but they conceded a goal three minutes in to second half stoppage time and had to settle for a draw.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman after the game, Cooper said: “We played lots of good football, we had to deal with a lot of direct balls forward which you have to do against Eastleigh, but we scored two great goals but we did not see it out against two balls in to the box which we did not defend.

“Up until the last 15 ,minutes I thought we dealt with them okay. They scored (their first goal) with a long throw-in which we should do better with and then a hopeful ball forward and we did not track the runner. When we go 2-1 up we have to see it out, we have to have a more character than that. To play as well as that and not win is really frustrating, I thought we looked a really good football team.”

Yeovil took the lead when new signing Sean McGurk, signed on a one-month loan deal from Swindon Town on Christmas Eve, opened his account on 49 minutes, but they were pegged back ten minutes from time when Eastleigh defender Lloyds Humphries headed home.

Kofi Shaw in action. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Bristol Rovers’ loanee Kofi Shaw picked up the sponsors’ Man of the Match and at the time of writing is the leader in the Gloverscast poll – cast your vote here – after an all-action display. The Gas appointed former Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ingo Calderon on Boxing Day morning and Cooper admits he does not know how that will impact on Shaw’s loan. The 18-year-old joined at the end of October with the deal billed as “until January“.

The Glovers’ boss said: “Kofi is a young player and you have to pick the right times to bring him in and out of the side. He is still a baby, he has just turned 18,  but he is Bristol Rovers’ player, they have just appointed a new manager and we will wait to see if they want to bring him back to assess him but hopefully we can keep him.”

McGurk was put straight in to the starting line-up having joined just before Christmas following the departure of winger Dylan Morgan to National League South leaders Torquay United. But, asked whether he expected to have further new faces before the New Year’s Day trip to Forest Green Rovers, Cooper said he was doubtful.

He said: “We probably will not sign anyone because of registrations over Christmas period. We have let some players go and people have a bit of a meltdown, but we are trying to improve the squad and that is just part of football, that is evolution, you have to keep progressing. If you look at Sean McGurk’s quality today, he is an improvement and you have to keep doing that so we can keep competing at the top end of the table.”

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Yeovil Town suffered stoppage time heartbreak as an equaliser in the third minute of second half injury time saw them have to settle for a point against Eastleigh at Huish Park on Boxing Day.

The Glovers looked like they had gift wrapped three points when a late Morgan Williams header from a corner (where have we heard that before?) saw them take the lead with a minute of normal time remaining.

But the visitors grabbed an even later goal when a suspiciously offside looking Richard Brindley snuck in on 90+3 minutes to grab an equaliser.

Here’s how Dave saw it from the Thatcher’s End….

First half

Yeovil gave new signing winger Sean McGurk, who joined from Swindon Town on Christmas Eve, an immediate start playing alongside Kofi Shaw in behind Aaron Jarvis. Josh Sims and Matt Worthington took up the left and right wing-back positions with no sign of Alex Whittle in the squad and Michael Smith on the bench.
 
The first effort on goal came from Shaw after four minutes following persistent play by Jarvis and the Bristol Rovers loanee, whose effort was blocked.
 
The Huish Park pitch looks to be suffering the after effects of weeks of non-stop rain and the ball held up well and had players from both sides slipping and sliding from early on. It was also clear the Eastleigh players had heard about Shaw who seemed to have three yellow shirts marking him for the opening exchanges.
 
On 15 minutes, McGurk flashed a shot across from goal after Sims got away down the left side. But it was Eastleigh who enjoyed a ten minute spell of pressure as the half reached the midway point, albeit without forcing Ollie Wright in to action.
 
On 28 minutes, sustained period of pressure saw the ball pinging around inside the Eastleigh area, before falling to Charlie Cooper who needed two goes at it but forced a stop out of Joe McDonnell in the visitors’ goal.
 
Cooper, who had been in commanding form in the middle of the pitch, had another effort with seven minutes to go until half-time. He found himself in space on the edge of the box, but McDonnell was equal to another fierce effort.
 
On 41 minutes, Shaw combined well with McGurk before bending an effort the wrong side of the post and moments later a low ball in to the box found the loanee at the far post but his effort was blocked by McDonnell.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Eastleigh 0

Second half

But it was Yeovil who started with more attacking threat with Jarvis just unable to get enough on a ball in from the right, before McGurk had a glorious opportunity to open his account on 47 minutes. He was found by Shaw but delayed his shot and McDonnell denied him.

It took just one more minute for the Swindon Town loanee to get a goal and he’ll never get an easier one. A long ball forward from Williams saw Jarvis battling (when doesn’t he?) for the ball and it broke for Shaw who fired across the face of goal, evading McDonnell and McGURK was completely unmarked at the back post to tap home the opener.

 
Having brought on Paul McCallum, a player with a history of being prolific at this level, at half-time and lost another player with a similar record, Scott Quigley, on 58 minutes through injury.
 
But on 69 minutes it was a great bit of skill from Waruih which saw him turn as Finn Cousin-Dawson slipped and chipped the ball over the onrushing Wright, only for Worthington to come to the rescue with an outstanding goal line clearance.
 
With 20 minutes remaining, McGurk was withdrawn and replaced by Frank Nouble and in 75th minute he almost had a great chance to open his account for the season. Worthington hooked a clearance back in to the danger area but the ball did not come down quick enough for the striker and Eastleigh cleared the danger.
 
Jake Wannell came close when his header from a McGavin cross crept agonisingly wide before Shaw had another effort blocked. But the next clear-cut fell to McCallum who found himself one-on-one with Wright after Williams tumbled under pressure from the substitute, only to be denied by a great save from the on loan Southampton keeper.
 
Ten minutes from time, the visitors found their equaliser. A long throw from McCallum, who had been chucking bombs since he arrived, found its way to the back post where Lloyd HUMPHREYS stole a yard of space to head it home.
 
With three minutes of normal time remaining, Michael Smith replaced Sims and the evergreen Northern Irishman was straight in to action, causing issues for the Eastleigh defence down the right side. And it was his  pressure which won a corner that put Yeovil back in front.
 
With a minute of normal time remaining, McGavin lifted one in to the middle of the box which landed on to the head of Morgan WILLIAMS who sent the Thatcher’s Stand in to raptures.
 
That looked for all the world to be enough to take three points until six minutes of injury time came up from the officials and in the third minute of stoppage time, Eastleigh grabbed an equaliser. Richard BRINDLEY stole in from what looked a decidedly offside position (admittedly looking from the Thatcher’s End) to grab the visitors a point. Having seen it again on the highlights, I still cannot tell you if it’s a botched attempt at playing offside from our defence or a botched attempt at being a linesman.
 
Whether it’s another hard luck story about National League officials again, the two goals we conceded in that second half  were soft and, when coupled with our inability to convert our chances, tell the story of our season so far.

Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Eastleigh 2

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Thursday 26th December 2024 – 3pm kick-off 

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Sean McGurk 48 (1-0), Lloyd Humphries 80 (1-1), Morgan Williams 89 (2-1), Richard Brindley 90+3 (2-2)

Pitch: Looked heavy from the off with plenty of sand at the Thatcher’s end. Feeling the effects of weeks of relentless battering from the weather.
Conditions: Misty but mild 

Attendance: 4,355 (130 away supporters)

Bookings:

Yeovil Town: None
Eastleigh: Noa Boutin 52, Niall Maher 86

Referee: Ross Martin

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

Substitutes: Frank Nouble (for Sean McGurk, ) Michael Smith (for Josh Sims, 87), Pedro Borges (for Kofi Shaw, 90), Dom Bernard, Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Eastleigh: Joe McDonnell, Richard Brindley, Lloyd Humphreys, Ludwig Francilleti, Jake Taylor (for Paul McCallum, 46), Tyrese Shade, Dominic Gape, Angel Waruhi, Scott Quigley (for Luis Hernandez, 53), Noa Boutin, Niall Maher.

Substitutes (not used): Scott, Hodson, Stepien-Iwuene, Ryan, Underhill.

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New signing Sean McGurk goes straight in to the starting line-up for Yeovil Town as they take on Eastleigh at Huish Park today (3pm kick-off).

The winger, whose arrival on a one-month loan was announced on Christmas Eve, is one of three changes with Bristol Rovers’ loanee Kofi Shaw, who scored in the 2-1 defeat at  Hartlepool United last weekend, and Josh Sims also in the XI.

Out of the team go defenders Michael Smith, Dom Bernard and striker Frank Nouble, who are both named on the substitutes’ bench.

 

 

 

 

 

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Put that dry turkey down and get down to Huish Park, Eastleigh are coming to town.

Form Guide…

Eastleigh are coming into this game off the back of a six-match unbeaten streak. They beat Maidenhead United 1-0 on Saturday with a single goal from Guadeloupean Ludwig Francillette earning the points.

Their last defeat came at the hands of Braintree Town back on November 9th with the Iron coming from behind to pick up all three points.

The Glovers have been on a win-one-lose-one pattern of games stretching back to the defeat to Barnet in late November.

Should that plan keep going, Yeovil Town should be down to win this after falling at the feet of Hartlepool United on Saturday.

When last seen at Huish Park, Yeovil ran out 3-1 winners against Braintree.

Yeo-Ho-Ho!!! (Picture courtesy of Gary Brown)

Key Players…

Yeovil – Kofi Shaw

Is it too much to be calling a barely 18-year-old a key player? But after scoring his first goal in green and white at Hartlepool, Kofi Shaw has put together a couple of eye catching performances in a row now for the Glovers.

The Bristol Rovers loanee is edging towards the end of his (initial) loan spell and will hoping for a couple more influential games before returning to the Gas (or staying for longer?).

His direct style might give the Eastleigh defence some hassle and his ability to find the space between midfield and frontline might give Aaron Jarvis more support as he leads the line.

Kofi Shaw. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Eastleigh – Paul McCallum

Paul McCallum has a record of four goals in 11 games against the Glovers including one for Chesterfield when he last came up against the green-and-whites, and vital one for Barnet in Yeovil’s only play-off campaign in the National League Premier in 2019/20.

He has already found the net eight times in 19 league games this season… albeit not since the 22nd of October.

He returned to the Spitfires’ squad after serving a one-match ban on Saturday and will be desperate to get his goal tally up and running again soon.

Paul McCallum scores from the spot

Thats what he said…

Eastleigh gaffer Kelvin Davies had few words to say about the game after their fixture on Saturday telling club media: “I think Boxing Day games are one of the best games of the season, you always look out for that, we’re happy to go down there and if we perform to levels we’ve been performing of late it’ll be a tough challenge for Yeovil.”

Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper agreed telling BBC Somerset reporter Chris Sykes after the defeat at Hartlepool: “They’re all tough, mate.”

Gunna be a toughie, then.

We’ve met before…

The last meeting between these sides went the way of Yeovil, a single Matt Worthington goal was all that was needed to separate the two teams in a game which saw Ousseynou Cisse shown two yellows and a subsequent red late on. We’ve watched it back and it still is absolutely not a foul… at all, not a chance.

Yeovil have won four of the last eight head to heads with two draws and two wins for the boys in blue. Three of those wins have come at Huish Park.

A great leap (definitely not a push, ref!) by Matt Worthington for the opener.

Don’t I know you?…

You’d think given the relative locality of the two sides there might be some more cross over, but as far as I can tell, only Wes McDonald currently lines up as a former Glover.

McDonald signed a short-term deal in the summer of 2018 and despite attempts to elongate his stay he departed in January… clearly saw the ship was sinking ahead of time and wanted to get off, sharpish. 

He played 12 times, scoring a grand total of zero goals, (I’ll be honest, I had to check he actually did play for us!)

Sub goalkeeper Tommy Scott did have a spell in the Glovers Under 18s, but that was also a fair while ago.

Who’s been naughty then?…

There is no players suspended for the Glovers, but we are yet to hear the outcome of Mark Cooper’s sending off against Braintree.

 

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Winger Sean McGurk has joined Yeovil Town from League Two side Swindon Town on a one-month loan deal.

The 21-year-old has appeared 12 times for the League Two side, most recently in their Vertu Trophy win over Wycombe Wanderers earlier this month.

He joined the Robins in February this year having left Leeds United, where he had been a regular feature in the youth team set-up, and made nine appearances at the County Ground last season. This season a combination of injuries and falling out of favour with former manager Mark Kennedy has seen him having limited chances.

Speaking about the Liverpool academy graduate, current Swindon boss Ian Holloway recently told the Swindon Advertiser: “I asked him why he wasn’t playing and he blamed someone else, so I grabbed him by the ears and said ‘No, you can’t be working hard enough. It is your fault, nobody else’s.’

“He has been out in the cold but I might need his skill here and there and he can do all sorts of things.

“We almost got one of the best goals I have ever seen down in the bottom corner with his feet – they don’t realise how good they are.”

The signing follows the recent departures of winger Dylan Morgan, who joined National League South leaders Torquay United last week, and defender Ed James, who has returned to his parent club Exeter City with a hamstring injury.

On Christmas Eve, both clubs confirmed the signing on a one-month deal, subject to ratification by the EFL, and McGurk will be available for the home match with Eastleigh at Huish Park on Boxing Day.

Yep, we thought this shirt said McGuckin in the club’s announcement video for a second as well….

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Boxing Day means football and that means getting the whole family to Huish Park for the festive clash against Eastleigh.

We hope the family of Mr Ross Martin will be along to watch his performance too, he’s our match official for the day.

We’ve already seen Ross Martin at Huish Park this season, he was in charge for the Glovers’ 1-0 win over Dagenham and Redbridge.

He only booked Ciaran McGuckin for the Glovers on the pitch, but Mark Cooper also saw yellow on the sidelines.

Overall, he’s been a fairly busy Man in the Middle with 18 games across, EFL, Premier League 2 and National League competition this season and credit where it’s due – he’s only sent off one player.

In total, we’ve had him four times and we’ve won the lot including a game on Boxing Day, last season… the thrashing of Taunton Town!

He is also the subject of one of our favourite photos of the season so far… 

Referee Ross Martin sent off by Jolly Green pre match, a bit harsh, maybe.
Pic Gary Brown

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Eastleigh FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Martin, Ross
Assistant Referee: Hooper, James
Assistant Referee: Wright, Joe
Fourth Official: Morris, Kevin

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Defender Ed James has returned to his parent club Exeter City after picking up a hamstring injury.

The 19-year-old joined the Glovers as something of an emergency defender with suspensions to Jake Wannell, Finn Cousin-Dawson and Dom Bernard all overlapping.

In a statement on Monday, Exeter manager  Gary Caldwell said: “Ed picked up a hamstring injury so we have called him back. We do not think it will be a long injury but he could not feature for Yeovil (in the 2-1 defeat at Hartlepool) on Saturday so he is coming back for Michael in the medical team to assess him.

“Hopefully we will get him back quickly and available as we are struggling in that area as well.

“Ed has been brilliant so far and is someone we have high hopes for in the future. I’ve seen him progress steadily since I’ve been here and he has made good steps forward this summer.”

He scored one goal in green-and-white, a close range header against Braintree Town, but missed last weekend’s trip to Hartlepool United after picking up an injury representing Exeter Under-21s last week.

Speaking after the 2-1 defeat in the North East last weekend, Glovers’ manager Mark Cooper said he was hoping to have new additions for they face Eastleigh at Huish Park on Boxing.

His targets may have been focused more at the top end of the pitch, however, having been without left-back Alex Whittle as well as James at the weekend, he may be considering whether strengthening in defence has taken on added importance.

Thanks for your efforts, Ed!

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The Gloverscast would like to say thank you Frank Reid for his kind permission to use these photos from Saturday’s game with Hartlepool.

No photos are to be reproduced without his prior permission.