New signing Kyrell Wilson has been handed a debut as Yeovil Town take on Rochdale in the National League Premier Division today (3pm kick-off).
The Swansea City forward plays alongside Ciaran McGuckin and Sean McGurk in a front line in place of Josh Sims as on of the two changes from the goalless draw with Gateshead in the last match.
Jacob Maddox replaces the departed Matt Worthington in midfielder with Jake Wannell taking the captain’s armband.
Yeovil make the trip north to Rochdale today for National League action. Ben had a chat with Chris Fitzgerald about Rochdale’s season so far and how the hosts are doing at the moment.
It’s trip to Greater Manchester for Yeovil this weekend, as they face Rochdale AFC in the league.
The Dale have been in ok form in the cup and league over their last five fixtures, with three wins and two loss in that period.
The Spotland side three wins have come against lesser teams respectively in Stockton, Fylde and Tamworth. It’s against the historically “better” teams that Rochdale have for form against in recent time with losses at Forest Green and Dagenham & Redbridge, which is where the Glovers could capitalise.
No wins in the last six games has seen the Glovers slowly fall down the league table. Over the last five of those games Mark Cooper’s men have drawn four and lost one which isn’t ideal but shows his side are hard to beat at least.
The worry however comes from draws against bottom side, Ebbsfleet and a last 10 minute capitulation at Forest Green on New Year’s Day.Last time out the Glovers drew to high flying Gateshead 0-0. So, if Yeovil want to turn their form around Rochdale will be a tough place to do it.
Yeovil – Jake Wannell
The imposing centre-back had a tough start to the season, but since the new year it’s seems as though Wannell has stepped up a gear.
Having played over 2,000 minutes for the Glovers, he has been a mainstay of Coopers side (when not suspended). That consistency gives confidence to a young goalkeeper in Ollie Wright and breeds strong partnerships with Morgan Williams and Finn Cousin-Dawson and the midfielders in front. He is at the core as to why Yeovil have been hard to beat recently.
Rochdale – Kairo Mitchell
The centre forward has been unstoppable for the Dales this season, bagging 11 goals in 21 games.
As mentioned in other previous key player sections, having a goal scorer is key to be a successful team, which is why the Greater Manchester side currently lie in 8th. Mitchell also has two assists to his name.
Another notable name in the side is former Wolves centre-back Ethan Ebanks-Landell. Now captain of Rochdale, quality like that in the National league is hard to come by.
Forward Connor McBride spoke to club media ahead of the game. He said: “They’re a good side…we’re expecting a difficult game on Saturday but we know if we bring our game we will win.”
Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to the BBC ahead of the match. He said: “They are really well coached and you can’t go there and play your own game, you have to pay respect to how they play.”
In the 11 times the two teams have met, Yeovil have won four, Rochdale have taken the spoils five time and there has been two draws.
The last time they met, the game finished 0-1 to the Dale with tricky winger, Connor McBride scoring.
Unfortunately we don’t. There are no ex Yeovil players in the Rochdale squad.
There are no red cards to not this week for Yeovil.
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Yeovil Town have announced the signing of Swansea City youngster Kyrell Wilson.
The 20-year-old has been a mainstay of the youth set-up at the Liberty Stadium since joining from Chelsea on scholarship terms in 2021 . He signed a new two-and-a-half year contract with the Championship side earlier this month.
Having scored 18 goals for the South Wales side’s Under-21s last season, but his start to this campaign has been hampered by injury. He scored twice on his return to fitness for the young Swans in a 4-1 win over Colchester United earlier this month.
Predominantly a right winger he’s capable of playing anywhere across the attacking line and heads into the Glovers’ squad ahead of the away game at Rochdale on Saturday.
Welcome to Huish Park, Kyrell!
Yeovil Town club captain Matt Worthington has joined National League Premier rivals Oldham Athletic.
The departure comes days after the midfielder made his 250th appearance in green-and-white in last Friday’s goalless draw at home to Gateshead.
The 27-year-old has moved on a free transfer and signed for the Latics, who presently sit fifth in the National League, until the end of next season.
In a statement from Yeovil chairman Martin Hellier, he said that it was “with a heavy heart” that the club had allowed the skipper to depart seven years after he joined the club permanently in September 2019.
The owner said: “Whilst I, as well as the club’s supporters, are saddened to see Matt go, I am also fully supportive and excited for him receiving what is a great offer and an exciting move for him and his career, and I have no doubts that fans will share in that support for Matt’s ambitions.
“Matt has shown great loyalty and service to Yeovil Town, and I am always reminded of his commitment in staying with Yeovil Town after it was relegated to the National League South, despite offers he had at the time from clubs in higher leagues. Jack and I have enjoyed an endearing friendship with Matt off the pitch too, and when Matt approached us requesting this move, we are first and foremost commitment to the happiness and welfare of an employee as well as a good friend.
“Myself, Mark and Jack, as well as all the staff and supporters of Yeovil Town salute you Matt for your dedication and loyalty, and sincerely wish you the very best for the future.”
In their announcement, Oldham confirmed Worthington had agreed a deal until the end of next season and quoted Worthy saying he only found out about the move on Thursday.
He said: “When I was presented with the chance to join, it was something I could not turn down. The move came about very quickly to be honest, I found out yesterday it could get done so I headed up here this morning (Friday) to get it done.
“I am a good age and I have played a lot of games at the level for Yeovil, when Oldham come in and showed interest it was something I had to get done.”
A freak injury sustained in the goalless draw at Tamworth in late October kept Worthington out of the team for a month and has limited him to 16 starts and six substitute appearances in all competitions this season.
However, the former AFC Bournemouth youngster has showed his versatility filling the role of wing-back in the absence of first-choice Michael Smith and Alex Whittle through injury at points this season.
Worthington’s first appearance came off the bench in a 2-2 home draw against Morecambe in September 2017 when he joined Darren Way’s Yeovil on loan from AFC Bournemouth in the first half of the 2017/18 season in League Two. He made 19 appearances for the club that season, before starting the following campaign at Forest Green Rovers, then managed by current Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper.
At the end of his time in Gloucestershire, he signed permanently with Yeovil in January 2019 and was part of the side which took the club out of the Football League at the end of the 2019-20 season. Following relegation, he was a key part of teams under first Darren Sarll, the temporary charge of Charlie Lee and briefly Chris Hargreaves, before suffering relegation in to the National League South under Cooper’s charge in 2022-23.
He was one of the first to sign a new two-year contract in May 2023 despite interest from other National League Premier clubs for his services. He was rewarded by being the man with the armband who lifted the National League South title 12 months later, confirming his place in the club’s history.
This season back in the top flight of the non-League game has seen him used more sparingly due to the form of Brett McGavin and Charlie Cooper in the centre of midfield and injury, but he did make his 250th appearance for the club in the goalless draw at home to Gateshead last weekend.
Tomorrow’s opponents Rochdale have told Yeovil Town they are “confident” that tomorrow’s National League match in Greater Manchester will go ahead.
Storm Éowyn dumped a good amount of rain across the region overnight on Thursday, but the majority of havoc on Friday is being caused by high winds which have seen much of the city’s tram network halted, flights from Manchester Airport delayed and led to a number of fallen trees and similar disruption.
In an update around 1pm on Friday, Yeovil said: “Ahead of tomorrow’s Vanarama National League fixture against Rochdale, we’ve received an update from the hosts regarding the pitch at Spotland Stadium.
“Over the past fortnight, work has been carried out on the centre of the pitch, with the area around the centre circle fully excavated, refilled, and re-turfed. This newly renovated section performed well during Rochdale’s National League Cup tie against Stoke City Under 21s earlier this week.
“There is still a slight concern over the surface near the corner between the David Kilpatrick Main Stand and the Smith Metals Family Stand, but Rochdale’s ground staff are monitoring and working on this area to ensure it remains playable.
“With a dry and windy forecast, Rochdale are confident the match will go ahead as planned, with no pitch inspection currently scheduled.”
Dale have played just 23 matches this season, the fewest of any team in the National League Premier, due to issues with their pitch.
Speaking on Thursday, Yeovil manager Mark Cooper said he expected their hosts this weekend to be pulling out all the stops to get the game going ahead.
He said: “We just know it is a new pitch. I think it is more wind than rain and I am sure they will be desperate to get the game on because if you fall too far behind in the number of games you have played, you find yourselves playing Saturday and then Tuesday. If you have not got a massive squad that can become a real drain.”
Ian, Ben and Dave are back to reflect on the Fans Forum that took place on Tuesday and look ahead to tomorrow’s trip to Rochdale.
Defenders Morgan Williams and Michael Smith are both back in contention for Yeovil Town as they prepare for this weekend’s trip to Rochdale, according to manager Mark Cooper.
Williams missed last Friday night’s goalless draw at home to Gateshead with a calf injury sustained in the 1-1 draw at Ebbsfleet three days earlier whilst Smith has not started a match since the defeat at Hartlepool United before Christmas.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, Cooper said that striker Aaron Jarvis, who is out for three months with a hamstring injury, was the only absentee from the squad this weekend.
He said: “Michael Smith has had a couple of days training, Morgan Williams was unavailable (for the 0-0 draw against Gateshead last Friday) after he got a whack on his calf at Ebbsfleet. He is back, so we have nearly everyone back.
“We are a bit light in the striker position, but that is a really difficult to get a player of the quality we need. We are keeping our eyes open there and hopefully we can try and add in that department. I think Aaron is one of the top target men in this league, he scored eight goals and it is just unfortunate how he has picked the injury up. But hopefully his rehab goes well and we get him back for a final push towards the end of the season.”
One player who will definitely be available this weekend is midfielder Sean McGurk whose initial one-month loan from League Two side Swindon Town has been extended until the end of the season. Robins’ boss Ian Holloway has confirmed that they have a recall clause in the deal meaning he could return to the County Ground if required.
On McGurk, Cooper said: “For this level he is a top player, he’s got great ability and he can unlock the door and I think he’s getting better the fitter he gets. It’s a great signing for us and I would love to make it permanent and I have told him that, but let’s see what happens and how he does between now and the end of the season. He’s enjoying his football and we are enjoying having him.”
This weekend’s opponents are in eighth place in the National League Premier Division table, two points outside the play-off places, but have placed the fewest number of games of any side in the division due to issues with their pitch. In midweek, they had the surface relaid and played a National League Cup fixture against Stoke City Under-21s on Tuesday night.
With named Storm Éowyn expected to batter the north of the country on Thursday night and Friday morning, there will be a lot of focus on how the surface holds up to the deluge, but Cooper said Yeovil had no suggestion the fixture would not go ahead.
He said: “We just know it is a new pitch. I think it is more wind than rain and I am sure they will be desperate to get the game on because if you fall too far behind in the number of games you have played, you find yourselves playing Saturday and then Tuesday. If you have not got a massive squad that can become a real drain.”
Rochdale went away from Huish Park with all three points following a late 1-0 win on August Bank Holiday Monday and Cooper is expecting his opposite number Jim McNulty’s side to perform similarly when they meet in Greater Manchester this weekend.
He said: “It was a chess match that day, two good teams both trying to play with the ball and they are still the same kind of team. They are really well coached and you can’t go there and play your own game, you have to pay respect to how they play. They are pretty similar to Gateshead in the way we play. Jim is doing a cracking job, he’s got some good players and his side is really well coached. When you are such as a legend as a player, fans expect you to be a magician as a player but consistently keeping them around the play-offs is a good job.“
Loan midfielder Sean McGurk said he had no hesitation in agreeing to remain at Yeovil Town for the rest of the season following a successful initial one-month loan.
The Swindon Town player extended his stay at Huish Park having scored twice in his first five matches having joined on Christmas Eve although his parent club do have a recall clause in his deal.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah ahead of this weekend’s trip to Rochdale, the 21-year-old said: “From the minute I came in I have enjoyed every second of it and there was no reason why I did not want to stay and continue my form and hopefully help the team as much as I can and see where we can go as a group.
“This is a very good team, the football we play I was shocked at how good a team we were when I came in because there are good players everywhere. They were together, everyone gets on and that makes everything on the pitch easier. The ability in that changing rooms if we can tweak a few things that have gone wrong in recent weeks, I think we are so close and it is going to be just one moment where it is going to click and we are going to go on a little run.”
Among his goals were a Goal of the Season contender in the 1-1 draw at Ebbsfleet United earlier this month, and said he is keen to score more. He said: “The turn and the nutmeg is just my game, I enjoy doing it and I have probably hit a hundred of those shots which have gone over the stadium, but if I had taken a chance I had later in that same game we would have won the game. Like I say, it is those little things that if we can turn them around and that chance goes in, we win. It was a good goal, but I want more.”
Swindon boss Ian Holloway has spoken to the media about the move and said he has told McGurk that he has not earned his trust enough to be a regular in the League Two side’s starting line-up and challenged the player to go and prove him wrong in the National League.
The County Ground is the Liverpool-born player’s third footballing home having previously been in the youth set ups at Wigan Athletic and then Leeds United before making the move south to Swindon. He has made one start for The Robins in League Two and a number in the Vertu EFL Trophy this season along with a number of other appearances off the substitutes’ bench.
Speaking about not playing, McGurk said: “Every footballer wants to play football and at Swindon I was not playing football and when you are three-and-a-half hours away from home on your own, I was on my own most of the time. When football goes wrong, it is tough and people do not see that side of it. When I came here I needed a fresh headspace and just start enjoying it again and a goal on my debut helped and when football is going well when you are living away, life is going well. That’s all I care about at this moment and I will just keep going.”
McGurk will be among the Yeovil players looking to pick up their first win in six matches as they travel to Rochdale, who sit eighth in the National League Premier Division, on Saturday.
On returning to his native North West, the player said: “From playing nothing to three games in six days was tough, but I needed it and it is going to be a good game this Saturday. Every game in this league is tough, so we do not go in to any game thinking it is going tough. We just have to prepare, we will get shown how they play and we will go there and be ourselves as we have with every other game and hopefully we can fix the little things that have gone wrong in recent weeks. It’s been a good week’s training and hopefully we can go and get the three points.”
Yeovil Town head to Spotland for Saturday’s clash with Rochdale and we’ve got a vastly experienced official in charge.
Scott Oldham gets the match referee duties for this game. (I have no idea if he’s any relation to James Oldham who did our game with Forest Green recently, and yes, I’ve checked, he’s refereed Oldham Athletic six times)
A full-time joiner and bathroom fitter, as well as being an EFL standard ref since 2017, he’s a busy chap.
This is actually his first game as a National League official this season, he’s been in the middle 20 times this season, all in Leagues One, Two or National Cup Competitions.
He’s ‘only’ given two red cards, two penalties … and 77 yellows, all season long.
We have seen him before, albeit a while ago. He took charge of the last time Yeovil played a league game on a Friday night (prior to the Gateshead game) – a 1-0 defeat at Lincoln in March 2019 and a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup against Port Vale 18 months prior.
Being based in the North West – he was part of the Blackpool Football Association as an amateur – he has reffed Rochdale plenty of times, but again, not for a while.
A couple of years ago, he did a sit down interview with Sky Sports about his daily routine. Here it is, below.
Rochdale AFC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Oldham, Scott
Assistant Referee: Bacon, Matthew
Assistant Referee: Hallam, Aaron
Fourth Official: Chadwick, Jonathan