January 2025 (Page 8)

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Yeovil Town will be back at home for the first time since a Boxing Day draw, as they take on Woking at Huish Park.

Form Guide…

The Glovers form was shaky to say the best over the festive period, two losses and the previously mentioned draw. However, after a week and a half off, boss Mark Cooper will be hoping the rest will put his side in good stead against an inform Cards side. 

Last time out, Yeovil let slip a 0-1 lead to Forest Green in the closing minutes to end up losing 2-1. After a frustrating result the players will be hoping to put things right in front of a home crowd.

The Cards have been in decent form since last playing the Glovers in late November. With only one loss in the five matches since.

That loss was against the ever impressive Gateshead. With victories against Altrincham and Maidenhead and a 2-2 draw vs Aldershot, new manager Neal Ardley will be pleased.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Matt Worthington

It could only be Worthy for this weekend. With the game marking his 250th game for the Glovers it’s hard not to love the ‘Ginger Pirlo’. The 27-year old may not got the praise of his midfield counterparts but he does the not so glamorous side of the game for the team.

Matt Worthington fires a shot off
Pic Gary Brown

 Worthington deserves credit not only for this season but for sticking out was has been a tough six years at the club. No matter what has happened on or off the pitch he has been with the club through thick and thin and is a modern day great for the club. Well done on 250 Worthy.

Woking – Innih Effiong

Effiong is now 33-years old but that hasn’t stopped him finding the net for his new club.

The striker joined Woking in December from fellow National League team Braintree Town. Since then the big man has bagged three goals in four games with two coming in their last game against Maidenhead. 

In truth, since Ardley was appointed not long after we played them in the reverse fixture Woking have been one of the inform sides, so a host of players could turn up at Huish Park at the weekend and make the difference.

Thats what he said…

Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper gave his thoughts on what he expects from Woking on Saturday. He said: “He’s gone into Woking, he’s changed a little bit about the way that they play, he’s tried some rotations and from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to play a lot more football and they’ve had some good results, so it’s going to be a tough game.

But we’re playing really well at the minute and our last few games we’ve performed really well and we’ve not got the points total that we’ve deserved.”

Woking gaffer Neal Ardley shared his thoughts with Woking club media earlier in the week. He said: “Coops has done a great job at Yeovil and it’s always a tough place to go and get a result. We’re enjoying the fact we have won games and we’re scoring goals which hopefully gives us confidence…but we expect tough games every week.”

 We’ve met before…

The two sides have played 34 times with Yeovil running out winners 17 times previously, with Woking taking 12 wins and there being five draws.

When the teams last met in November, the Glovers won 0-2 with a spectacular goal from Brett McGavin and a back post tap in for Finn Cousin-Dawson.

Finn Cousin-Dawson. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Don’t I know you…

There are more than a few players who have been inside the Huish Park home dressing room now lacing up for Woking. Dale Gorman,Jamie Andrews, Dan Moss and Rohan Ince have all had spells in Somerset. 

Dan Moss. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Gorman made 42 appearances during his year long spell in Somerset, contributing with five goals before leaving for Barnet.

22-year-old, Andrews, was on loan at Yeovil from West Bromwich Albion for a short period between November 2022 and January 2nd 2023. During that time he played a total of eight games.

Full back, Moss made a name for himself at Yeovil  whilst on loan from Millwall. During that loan spell the English man played 23 time for Darren Sarll’s side.

Lastly is Ince, who will be name less familiar with newer Glovers fans. As a Chelsea academy prospect the midfielder can to Somerset on loan back in 2012, going o to make two appearances for Yeovil.

Who’s been naughty then…

It is just Kofi Shaw suspended for Yeovil.

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Yeovil Town’s Under-18s side has withdrawn from the Western Counties Floodlight Youth League in a bid to protect the pitch at Huish Park.

The young Glovers had made an unbeaten start to life in the division having opted for a midweek league over the Saturday matches of the South West Counties Youth League which they competed in last season.

In a statement on Friday, the club said that the league had rejected a proposed change of venue for home fixtures which it “deemed essential to help protect Huish Park following a period of severe weather conditions.”

The Under-18s had played all their home matches this season at Huish Park, attracting hundreds of supporters to watch the midweek matches, putting added pressure on the pitch which has felt the full force of the bad weather inflicted upon the South West.

The club’s statement said that it remained committed to developing young players remained “unwavering” and said it was “actively seeking alternative league options“.

When they played in daylight hours in previous seasons, the Under-18s had played at the club’s training pitches at Alvington, Gassons’ Lane in Somerton and Hardings Lane, Gillingham in recent years. 

The club statement in full reads:

We regret to announce that Yeovil Town Under 18s will no longer compete in the Western Counties Floodlight Youth League.

This decision comes after the league rejected our proposed change of venue for home fixtures, a measure we deemed essential to help protect Huish Park following a period of severe weather conditions.

Whilst this outcome is disappointing, our commitment to the development of our young players remains unwavering. To ensure their progress continues, we are working to arrange high quality matches against top local league clubs. These fixtures will provide competitive challenges and invaluable experience to support their growth as future stars of the game.

In addition to these fixtures, we are actively seeking alternative league options and are in the process of shortlisting suitable competitions that will provide the best opportunities for our players’ development. Many of our young talents have already trained and been included within the first team, and we are determined to build a strong, well-rounded group of players capable of achieving great success.

We appreciate the understanding and support of parents, players, and fans during this time.

The Gloverscast has approached the Western Counties Youth League for a comment, however, at the time of writing, no response has been received. 

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Bristol Rovers midfielder Kofi Shaw has extended his loan spell at Yeovil Town until the end of the season.

The club confirmed on Friday night that the 18-year-old will remain at Huish Park having impressed since joining from the League One strugglers at the end of October.

He will not be available for tomorrow’s home match with Woking due to suspension following his dismissal for two bookable offences in the New Year’s Day defeat at Forest Green Rovers.

There had been a question mark over whether new Rovers’ manager Íñigo Calderón would want to take a closer look at the players on loan from the Memorial Stadium, but they have confirmed that both Shaw and defender Dan Ellison, who is at National League Premier side Aldershot Town, will spend the rest of the campaign at their respective loan clubs.

 

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Yeovil Town loan signing striker Ciaran McGuckin has said the lure of being developed by manager Mark Cooper was a major part in his decision to return to Somerset.

The 21-year-old has rejoined from League One Rotherham United until the end of the season having impressed during a one-month spell which ended prematurely when he was recalled by his parent club in October.

He scored twice in six appearances during his previous stint and said he wants to pick up where he left off with the Glovers taking on Woking at Huish Park this weekend.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah, McGuckin said: “There was quite a few decent clubs interested in me, but the way that Mark showed his interest last time and his willingness to develop me as a player and a person was unmatched to what I could get elsewhere. He showed a lot of faith and loyalty in me last time by playing me in games when I hadn’t played in five or six months and it was only right I repaid him for that. But also I want to develop and learn and he is the right man to do that.”

Talking about his recall to Rotherham, he added: “I looked at it positively, the reason I got called back was because I was doing the things I should have been doing. I managed to play in a league I had not played in before under a manager that I only just met when I walked back in the door, and I learnt a lot from some high calibre players whose careers have been what I can only dream of. It was nice to learn from them and see what they have to say about my game and what I could learn from them.”

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his second goal in green-and-white against Dagenham & Redbridge at the start of October. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

McGuckin returns to a Yeovil side sat in 12th place in the National League Premier table having not won in their last three matches over the Christmas-New Year period, but believes the squad is more than capable of pushing of the play-off places, which they currently sit four points off.

He said: “When I left we were in a good position and, looking at the results since I have been away, they went toe-to-toe with Forest Green Rovers (in the 2-1 away defeat on New Year’s Day), who are meant to be one of the best teams in the league. I have only managed to train with the boys once but the standard is up there and the boys are ready to go and wanting to fight. I want to be in that environment, in a team that is looking to push to the top and I think that is exactly what we will do.”

The Northern Ireland Under-21s international made three League One appearances for Rotherham following his return, including starting the South Yorkshire derby with Barnsley in his first match back, and admits he wants to get back in to the rhythm he was in before his abrupt departure.

He said: “I always set targets wherever I go and I had plenty of targets when I first came here and my time was cut short, so those targets continue and they include fighting for the play-offs and scoring more goals. I just have to get back playing and find that rhythm again.

“People would be surprised at the standard of the non-League game. There may be a slight change in tempo, but I look at some of the boys here and ask ‘how are you not playing higher?’ It is not as big a gap between League One and non-League as some may think.”

McGuckin’s first opportunity to impress in front of the Huish Park faithful comes this weekend when a rejuvenated Woking side arrive in Somerset. The Cards are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions since appointing Neal Ardley as manager following the sacking of Michael Doyle, who was in charge when the Glovers ran out 2-0 winners in Surrey at the end of November.

Speaking about his re-debut, the loanee added: “(Woking) have picked up a little bit and I watched their game the other day when they won 3-1 (at home to Maidenhead United on New Year’s Day) and they look a decent side, so it will not be an easy game for us. But we are here at Huish Park, so that should help. I think I scored last time on my first full game here, so I will be going for that again. We will prepare properly and ready to take on the game.

“Huish Park is a proper Football League stadium. The first time I saw it I was taken aback by it a little bit, it is a bit different to what I have played in before. It remind me of the games I used to go and watch with my Dad and the fans are just top, the reception they have given me and the boys especially at home are a big part of why I wanted to come back as well.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has been chatting to the BBC ahead of the visit of Woking on Saturday and says that he hopes that any frustrations about having a bit of time off can be taken care of at the weekend, even if preparations have themselves, been tricky at times.

Chatting to reporter Jack Killah, the boss said: “You cant get on the grass, we’ll be lucky if we get on grass, we have to train on a icy 3G, but yeah, we’ll get some work done. 

“[Having a break] has it’s pros and cons, you can clear up a few niggles if you’ve got some, but generally, you just want to play, you don’t want to have too many big gaps in between games.”

Yeovil have added not one, but two new bodies to the group this week, firstly, the return of former loanee striker Ciaran McGuckin for another spell borrowed from Rotherham United.

“When somebody comes in and does as well as Ciaran did, he gave us that sort of impetus at the top of the pitch with Jarv, he wants to run in behind, he wants to run towards the goal and he can score so, that was something that we were always trying to do, we’d have loved to do it on a permanent but, not for now, but the next best thing we can get him until the end of the season.

“He really enjoyed his time here and I think he feels like he’s got unfinished business.”

Ciaran McGuckin drives home his equaliser in the 1-1 home draw with Aldershot Town at the end of September. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The other is midfielder Jacob Maddox, on a permanent deal from Forest Green Rovers, Cooper says that he fits the bill of what he looks for in a Yeovil player. 

“He’s one that fits our – what we try and do – technically, really good. [He] can run, he’s a decent size, he’s got pedigree, he’s one that can definitely add to our group.

“He played at Chelsea, he played in Portugal, he played in League One, League Two. He’ll be frustrated that he’s not played, but sometimes when a manager goes into a club he wants to sign his own players and that’s fair enough.”

Jacob Maddox

The squad has been further boosted by the return from loan of striker Harvey Greenslade who spent a month with Weston-super-Mare in the National League South, but the gaffer did confirm that full-back Alex Whittle remains sidelined.

“[Harvey’s] move [to Weston] didn’t go as well as we hoped, he picked up a niggle with his ankle, and then he was ill, so, he didn’t play the amount of games we hoped, but you know that can happen, so Harvey wants to come back in and fight for a place.”

“Alex Whittle has still got a mysterious niggle in his knee, he’s done some training this week, but he’s not trained with the group because he can’t train on the 3G, so it’ll be too soon for him, this weekend. But the rest are in pretty good shape.”

Alex Whittle

The game on Saturday could mark a milestone appearance for club captain Matt Worthington in green-and-white. The midfielder one of the few players to have represented the Glovers in the EFL, National League and South and as captain could make his 250th club appearance after first signing on August 31st 2017. This Saturday marks 2679 days since his debut, an eight-minute cameo from the bench in a 2-2 vs Morecambe.

Cooper said: “It’s great that in this day and age, people stay at a club for five or six years, it’s rare. Obviously last year, I made him the captain and we had a really good year, it’s great that a player stays at a club for that long and plays that many games, so it’s a big achievement.

“He’s honest, his work rate – he runs – you know what you’re getting from him every week, I think that’s important.”

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Looking ahead to Woking, Cooper expects a changed outfit to the one that Yeovil beat 2-0 at the end of November, a change in manager amongst a whole host of differences. Neal Ardley took over at the Kingfield following the sacking of Michael Doyle in mid-December and has won all his four matches in all competitions since his arrival/.

Cooper said: “[Neal Ardley] has done well hasn’t he? He’s gone into Woking, he’s changed a little bit about the way that they play, he’s tried some rotations and from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to play a lot more football and they’ve had some good results, so it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re playing really well at the minute and our last few games we’ve performed really well and we’ve not got the points total that we’ve deserved, we’ve been on the end of a few sticky decisions shall we say? If we keep playing as we are, it might be our time to get a little bit of a rub of the green.”

 

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Ticket’s for Yeovil’s upcoming trip to Dagenham & Redbridge are now on sale to Yeovil supporters making the trip.

The game takes place on Saturday 8th February with a 3:00pm Kick Off.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

Glovers’ fans will be situated behind the goal in the SD Samuels Stand as you can see below in Block 1.

Tickets are available at a reduced rate ahead of time, with the club saying that tickets purchased on the day rise by £2. Yeovil fans will enter via Turnstiles 9-11. Usual notes that anyone purchasing age-specific or concession tickets may need relevant ID. Purchases of Under 10s tickets require an adult ticket purchase too. 

When purchasing tickets online, there is an account that needs logging into (or setting up), and your tickets will be delivered electronically, you can show the tickets at the turnstiles, you do not need to print them off. 

Facilities for Supporters Using Wheelchairs

The club has 24 positions for wheelchair user supporters together with a seat for a personal assistant if required. These are situated in front of the SD Samuels Stand. There are also limited spaces available in front of the Family Stand. 

Within these designated areas matchday tickets are provided at a concessionary price, from £10 (subject to other concessions e.g. child). A complimentary ticket will be provided for a carer. Season Tickets are sold in the designated areas on the same basis.

In conjunction with the proof of disability mentioned above, this concession will only be available to those people who meet the eligibility criteria described below.

  • Wheelchair using applicants should ideally be accompanied by a person who is capable of supporting their needs in the event of an emergency and for this reason Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club strongly recommend that this person is sixteen years of age or above and not infirm.

**Disabled tickets are subject to the criteria found on our **website. To purchase please call our Ticket Office on 0208 592 1549 ext. 2 to process.

Car Parking Facilities

Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club has disabled persons parking places for home and away fans in the car park that are allocated to Blue Badge holders. These are provided free of charge to match-day attendees but should be booked at least 48 hours prior to the game by contacting the Club Secretary Charlie Fraser on 0208 592 1549 ext 2 or email secretary@daggers.co.uk. Please note the car park closes one hour before kick off.

Match Day Programme Pre-Purchase.

If you so wish, you can pre-purchase your copy of the Dagenham v Yeovil programme. HERE for £5, please note that ff you are ordering for a match in advance, please note this will be dispatched on the Monday after the match.

Other upcoming tickets for Yeovil fans to purchase.

Rochdale (Jan 25th) – https://gloverscast.co.uk/rochdale-away-tickets-on-sale/

Maidenhead (Feb 22nd) – https://gloverscast.co.uk/maidenhead-away-tickets-on-sale/

Barnet (March 4th) – https://gloverscast.co.uk/barnet-away-tickets-on-sale/

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Perfect Plympton Pip Past Glovers

Yeovil Town women suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of table toppers Plympton, who maintained their perfect record despite a gallant performance from the Glovers.

Paul Knight made three changes to the side who thrashed Honiton last time out before the Christmas break, as Abbie Vernon, Becky Miles and Terri Will returned to the starting eleven.

Despite scoring three goals and taking the game to the unbeaten visitors, Yeovil’s brave performance did not earn anything from the affair, with Plympton taking all three points. A brace from Samantha Metters as well as goals from Dionne Igalawuye and Elsa Finnegan
ensured that the visitors took all three points back to Devon and strengthened their bid for promotion to the Premier Division of the Regen Arable South West League system. Yeovil’s goal-scorers are unknown.

 

Yeovil Town Women now look ahead to their next league encounter as they travel to the Bob Lucas Stadium for a matchup against rivals W*ymouth. With W*ymouth sitting second in the league, one place above the Glovers, Yeovil will be desperate to make a statement on the
Dorset coast.

W*ymouth Women v Yeovil Town Women: 14:00 KO Bob Lucas Stadium.

 

 

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Yeovil Town host Woking in National League action this Saturday, 11th January and a fairly familiar referee will take charge.

Paul Johnson was the man in the middle for the Glovers’ 0-0 draw with Sutton United earlier on this season and he will be again at the weekend.

In total, he dished out seven yellow cards on that day with Charlie Cooper, Dom Bernard, Morgan Williams and Alex Whittle all having their name taken. 

Our Match Report does note late on that; “Ashley Nadesan goes in the referee’s book for a very (very!) late challenge on Alex Whittle right in front of the dug-outs. Whittle looks to land heavily on his shoulder and soon after he goes down inside the box for some treatment. Nadesan on the other hand is substituted with his manager maybe recognising his player may have been lucky to only given a yellow.”

It would be an injury that would keep Whittle out for a bit. 

Since that game, Mr Johnson has officiated three other National League ties including a 6-0 thrashing for Solihull who gave Ebbsfleet a pasting in a game which saw two players sent off, including Solihull’s James Clarke after just six minutes – and they still went on to win 6-0!

In total, we’ve seen him three times as our ref; two draws and a 3-0 loss at home to Oldham in April 2023.

Referee Paul Johnson sends off Solihull’s James Clarke

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Woking FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Johnson, Paul
Assistant Referee: Morris, Richard
Assistant Referee: Morris, Kevin
Fourth Official: Spender, Oliver

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Yeovil Town have strengthened their squad with the signing of striker Ciaran McGuckin and midfielder Jacob Maddox.

As widely trailed, McGuckin returns on loan from League One side Rotherham United following a successful spell at Huish Park last year, whilst Maddox has joined following his release by National League Premier Division rivals Forest Green Rovers.

The pair were announced on Tuesday afternoon with details of McGuckin’s loan confirmed and Maddox signing on a permanent deal until summer 2026.

Speaking to the club’s official social media, McGuckin said: “It’s good to be back, it’s been a long time coming and it is good to finally get back. 

“I went back (to Rotherham) in a good position thanks to Yeovil and having a few games under my belt thanks to Mark (Cooper) and his staff and in my head I had targets I wanted to meet here and I still have those.

“It was a great experience to learn from the calibre of players (I was playing with at Rotherham) and improve my game and it was nice to get some recognition for what I did here.

“But, once I knew going back out on loan was an option, after seeing the other offers, Yeovil was always my number one choice. I have a bit of unfinished business here and still have plenty of targets to hit and some more added to that.

“I think the supporters know I am going to come in and work hard and hopefully push for those play-off places.”

Ciaran McGuckin. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

In his own interview, Maddox said: “It feels really good to be here and I am just excited for the challenge now. I trained this morning and the boys and manager were very welcoming, we spoke about how (the manager) wants to play and I feel it aligns with my qualities, so I am excited.

“I feel like I have a lot of experience and I like to bring that to my game. I like to say I am comfortable on the ball and have a lot of qualities, so I want to show that straight away, excite the fans and show those good qualities.

“I have played Yeovil before a few years back and always played quite well here, but it will be nice to put on a green shirt and do it for Yeovil.

“I am eager and ready to go with lots of hard work and hopefully qualities to show.”

Jacob Maddox

Maddox, 26, has made a single National League Cup appearance for Forest Green this season having suffered with a hamstring injury.

The Bristol-born midfielder started his youth career at Bristol City before progressing in to the Chelsea academy for seven years where he had loan spells at Cheltenham Town, Tranmere Rovers and Southampton, before joining Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2020.

He had a loan spell back in the UK with Burton Albion before signing permanently with Walsall and then joining Forest Green in the summer of 2023.

McGuckin is a far better known face in Somerset. The Northern Ireland Under-21s international impressed during a month on loan when he scored twice in six appearances before being recalled by Rotherham United in late October where he has since made one start and two substitute appearances.

His return to Yeovil was confirmed by his manager Steve Evans at the weekend, adding: “He had a really good spell there and got some goals. It’s important that he goes out and gets three months of football education.”

McGuckin’s arrival will bolster a frontline which now also includes Harvey Greenslade following his return from his loan spell at Weston-super-Mare ahead of this weekend’s home match with Woking.