Wealdstone was a wet, windy walloping. Ben, Dave and FGCQC Rob Manley try and pick it apart whilst looking ahead to putting it right at Scunthorpe. There’s voicenotes, GCQs and a few naughty words. Sorry kids!
Yeovil Town manager Richard Dryden has demanded a reaction from his Glovers side when they go to Scunthorpe this weekend.
Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset’s Jack Killah, the manager was feisty in his reaction to Tuesday’s defeat and how they’ll attack this weekend’s trip up north.
“[Tuesday was] a horrendous, horrendous day for us. We were way too passive defensively, that’s down to us as a group of staff and players, but mainly the staff on that, but the passiveness did work and we won the ball back, without them creating too many chances. But, when we got the ball back, we were we were nowhere near the standard expected to keep the ball and create chances. So all in all, it was a horrendous day.
We get back on the pitch today we’re going to work on shape defensively and I’m not going to hide it, we’re going to be more more aggressive, which we’ve got to be, although Scunny are going to be a little bit different from Wealdstone, how they play, but we’re going to be more aggressive and I’m expecting when we do get the ball back, we’re going to be better with it.”
“I’m going to say it one more time. I’m expecting a good reaction.”
Looking at how things might change for the game on Saturday, there is hope that some of the injured members of the group could be available as well as the returning from suspension duo of Finn Cousin-Dawson and Harvey Greenslade.
“Brett, when he’s on the pitch, gives a lot of calmness. The good news is he’s training for the first time today, which is good. So he’s getting back to fitness. Yeah, we got three or four maybe. Maybe we can get one more in there, but we have to juggle people about a little bit. So we’ve got we got a sizeable squad, which we need. So there is potential to make make a few changes.
[Maddox is] still a while away, yet frustrating for him. He’s desperate to get back onto the five train with us. He’s on the grass, but he’s he’s a bit frustrated at the moment.
We’re hoping [Josh Sims will be available] because, like I say, I think he’s coming to the building. He’s been he’s been quite a standout player for me. Yeah, I’ve heard good things about him. And he’s proved some people right. And, you know, he can play various positions. So it’ll be good to get him back if he if he’s fit.”
As for Scunthorpe, who sit comfortably in the play off places, the manager said that he was going to keep the focus on his own side with a reaction needed following Tuesday.
“They’ve done exceedingly well, you know, they’ve come straight up and and kept their good run going. So, you know I’m still I’m still hurting massively from Tuesday and I need to see a good reaction with and without the ball on Saturday.
They’re set up to do certain things. They’ve got players ready for it and certain things different from maybe the Boreham Woods and the Yorks and what they do they do well with what they’ve got. So, they’re set up well, but like I say, I’m not too worried about them or not to worry about anybody at the moment, but from apart from my form. So like I say, the emphasis now until Saturday is all about us.
I think that [Scunthorpe having no midweek game] makes no difference. I think we found it hard a little bit when it was constant like the Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday and then you’re playing again on the Saturday. But like I say, it’s no excuses. There’s no excuses to turn a run around and and got ourselves right. And like I say, it’s not just the people on the pitch. It was people off it as well. So like I say, I can’t draw a line under it from this week. I’m not happy about it. And like I say, I’m going to say it one more time. I’m expecting a good reaction.”
Yeovil Town head up the road to Scunthorpe this Saturday as will match official, Richard Aspinall.
If you’re thinking you’ve heard that name before, you’d be right. He refereed our recent match at Halifax Town.
On that day, he awarded the Glovers a penalty – cooly converted by Junior Morias, but it wasn’t enough as the hosts made a comeback in Richard Dryden’s first match in charge following the departure of Mark Cooper.
That was the first time Mr Aspinall had ever taken charge of a Yeovil fixture.
In total, he’s been man in the middle for four National League games, 17 yellow cards have been brandished, but no red ones.
Scunthorpe United FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Aspinall, Richard
Assistant Referee: Morris, Richard A.
Assistant Referee: Murray, William
Fourth Official: Burgess, Adam
After 10 days off, it was not a happy return to Huish Park for Yeovil Town. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from a miserable night under the lights.
Where was the intent? From the kick off Wealdstone seemed to show all the intent, energy and desire. They controlled the ball – albeit it was Cooperball-esque – but we were never able to keep it and build our own pressure. Every scrap of something we had was a ball out to Oluwabori or Plant and hoping they could make something happen. All over the pitch we were sloppy with our passing and I thought, tactically, we had no answer to the visitors. Even if you take the conditions into account, Wealdstone had no problems and we cannot use it as an excuse. Wealdstone looked the like the home team last night [insert jab about training in Bristol] and that’s pretty damning.
One step forward, two steps backwards. The improved performance against Carlisle United gave supporters a nugget of hope. We appeared to have turned a corner and the hope was to build some momentum. Maybe get some players back in and fit. Sadly, Sims and McGavin weren’t ready and yet again we still looked leggy. Oluwabori had little impact, Morais made no difference from the bench and Jarvis and Campbell were feeding off scraps. Even the Efete and Nurse, who I though looked good in the last outing, barely completed a pass to a teammate. Maybe the Carlisle draw (only our second all season) papered over the cracks, but our next two are even more difficult against Scunthorpe and Southend.
Goals goal goals. Nine matches at home this season, nine goals, three of which came against Gateshead. 25 goals at home last season, 18 at home in 22/23, 20 in 21/22. Bar the National League South season (46), we’ve not had many chances to cheer during League matches. It feels like a tale as old as time in the National League, we struggle to created chances for our strikers. Last night was no different, Jarvis nearly got on the end of a cross in the 2nd half, but he and Campbell spent so much time coming deep to get the ball and bring others into the game but they get zero service. Oh for a Sonny Blu…
Mussa ran the midfield. Wealdstone’s number four seems to love Huish Park. Back in October 2021 he pulled the strings for W*ymouth in Yeovil’s 1-1 FA Cup draw and he did it again last night. Cool on the ball, fancy feet get out of tight spots – which set them on their way to a second goal – and read the game expertly. With McGavin and Maddox to return from injury to add to Joliffe and McCormick in the midfield, I really hope we can see some of that in our midfield. Or maybe, we can sign him in January? It’s not always raining sideways Omar.
What’s left this season? We’ve not even reached firework night and I feel like the reasons to believe this season are ebbing away. The minor momentum and good-will from Carlisle vanished last night with boos ringing around Huish Park on full time. Hopefully the FA Trophy draw is kind to us and we get can get a decent run in that. But, I’ve not seen enough consistency to think we can achieve anything more than mid-table this season. I hope I’m wrong on that and hope that preparation for 2026/27 is going on in parallel because, if the attendance is going to stay over 2,000, we need something to believe in.
In 2009, a couple of young loanees turned up from Tottenham Hotspur and made an instant impact. One of those, Jonathan Obika, came back a further three times leaving a mini-mark on Huish Park. On this month’s Glovers Past, we catch up with the former striker who scored 24 times in his 77 appearances in green and white.
On loan winger James Plant was not blaming the horrendous weather conditions for Yeovil Town’s below par performance in a 2-0 home defeat to Wealdstone on Tuesday night.
The Port Vale player, who returned to the starting XI for the first time after a month out with injury, said there was “a lot of frustration and disappointment” in the Huish Park dressing room after the game.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah after the game, he said: “I was buzzing to be back out there, but I feel deflated now. No-one can be happy after that. There is a lot of frustration, a lot of disappointment but we will work it out as a team, let the dust settle a bit and go again for the rest of the week and hopefully put it right on Saturday.
“You can’t predict the weather and predict it will be blowing a storm. We had a game plan to nullify them and it worked to an extent, but maybe we did not make the most of the weather. I thought we came out pretty decent in the second half, then the goal deflates us and there is a bit of panic. We are trying to get back in the game and then they get another goal which obviously killed us.
“We will watch it back and that is where we will make decisions on what we should have done, but right now there is just a lot of disappointment.”
The Glovers’ had a strong wind at their backs for the opening 45 minutes but did not threaten the visitors’ goal and allowed Wealdstone to boss possession. Then, after a bright opening ten minutes from Yeovil, the Stones broke the deadlock through Dominic Hutchinson before Max Kretzschmar added a second.
Plant added: “You can’t blame the weather for this result, but it does change the way you do things. These things play on your mind, but as a team we could have made better decisions, we definitely could have been better on the ball even though the pitch was lively. They were better on the ball than us and that is what cost us.”
Yeovil Town manager Richard Dryden said he could understand fans’ frustration after his side were booed off the Huish Park pitch after a 2-0 defeat to Wealdstone.
The Glovers turned in a damp squib of a performance on a miserable night with wind and rain lashing South Somerset and goals from the visitors’ Dominic Hutchinson and Max Kretzschmar sealing the defeat.
Asked about the reaction at the final whistle, Dryden told BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah: “We have not given them enough to cheer about. When we started the second half off with a shot, the intent was there, but we have to give them more to cheer about. I can totally understand their frustration.”
The Glovers failed to take advantage of having the conditions in their favour in the first half, failing to muster a meaningful effort on the Wealdstone goal, and lacked an intensity to take the game to the visitors.
There was a brief rally after the break, but the goals punctured any hopes of a comeback.
Dryden added: “Out of possession we were pretty good, but in possession we were not good enough as a whole group when we got the ball back. When you look at the goals, there was probably a free-kick (for a foul in the build-up) on Tav (striker Tahvon Campbell) but there a lot of things that happened after that when we should have done better.
“For the second goal, we are in a decent position and we give it away and whilst it is not game over, 2-0 is a high bar to come back from.
“We know what Wealdstone are like, we have got their (possession) stats, but we felt that in the blocks we would win the ball back and we did. The issue was when we got it back we were not good enough on the ball tonight. When we did get up the pitch and got in to good areas, it was not up to the standard we want and expect.”
Yeovil were without the suspended Finn Cousin-Dawson and Harvey Greenslade and the injured Josh Sims and Brett McGavin, leaving Dryden few options to bring off the bench as Wealdstone dominated the midfield with ex-W*ymouth midfielder Omar Mussa impressing.
Dryden said: “We were without Simsy and Brett, but we were trying to change the shape and get an extra man in there, we just did not have enough to change it too much. James Daly came on (in the 81st minute) and Junior came on to try and bring a bit of spark. But in possession was the big problem.”
The manager said he hoped Sims would be back in training later this week with the ominous task of a trip to a Scunthorpe United side who have made an impressive start to life back in the National League Premier Division this season.
He added: “There are some good characters in that dressing room. No-one likes to get beaten, we want to win games. It is a frustrated changing room, but as a group we have got to bounce back.”
It sounds unlikely McGavin will be fit to return for the trip to Lincolnshire with Dryden saying he is “probably another week away, maybe a bit longer.“
Yeovil Town turned in a performance as damp as the weather at Huish Park as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Wealdstone on a miserable Tuesday night.
The Glovers failed to take advantage of the wet and windy conditions being in their favour as they failed to trouble the visitors’ goal and then in the second half Wealdstone showed them how it should be done and goals from Dominic Hutchinson and Max Kretzschmar sealed the win.
There were boos around the stadium at the final whistle and, having been forced to watch a poor performance in terrible conditions, you cannot blame the home crowd.
The game started in atrocious conditions with strong wind and driving rain working against Wealdstone who were attacking the Thatcher’s Stand from the kick-off.
Jake Wannell was the first Yeovil player to try his luck from distance with a wind-assisted effort from fully 30 yards after seven minutes, it went high over the bar in the away end but worth a goal in these conditions. Wealdstone had a lot more of the ball in the opening 15 minutes with ex-W*ymouth midfielder Omar Mussa dominating in the middle of the park whilst Yeovil tried to play the ball over the top without much success. You’d need rockets on players’ boots to get on the end of those balls.
With 16 minutes gone, Dom Hutchinson got away and it required a good block from Miche Efete to deny Wealdstone an opportunity at the back post. It all feels a bit too easy for the visitors who appear to have played in the wind and rain before, not sure our players have on these opening exchanges.
The first moment came just before the half-hour when Wannell moved forward and took us higher up the pitch, suddenly we had more players in the attacking third and broke to Jarvis and the ball went out for a corner. That’s about the nearest to anything we have managed in this opening 30 minutes. One moment of aggression and something happens.
To say we have not adapted to the conditions would be an understatement whereas Wealdstone have been dynamic and not been afraid to press higher up the pitch. We have sat back and tried to catch them on the counter attack, but every ball forward has been overhit. Everything we have not been, they have been. That said, there’s not been any real saves from either goalkeeper.
Half-time goalless. Need to something better from us against the wind in the second half than we did with the wind in the first.
In under two minutes of the second half, James Plant drove forward, Luke McCormick clipped the ball in to the box almost found the chest of Aaron Jarvis, just millimetres away. Moments later, a long George Nurse throw broke to McCormick on the edge of the box, his effort flew wide but we are already showing some attacking intent which is an improvement.
On 51 minutes, McCormick squared a ball from the right and picked out Jarvis in front of goal, his effort went wide. As close as we’ve come even if that is a low bar. But we are looking more aggressive and on the front foot.
But, on 57 minutes the visitors took the lead. Wealdstone won the ball back and Sak Hassan got away down the left, whipped a ball in and it came to Dominic HUTCHINSON on the spin at the far post and he fired a shot in to the near post. A very clever finish and you cannot say Wealdstone do not deserve it.
Richard Dryden did not hang about to respond to going behind with Junior Morias replacing James Plant. The substitute was involved in a good moment on 68 minutes when he fed in Andrew Oluwabori who powered forward, fed the ball out to the right side where Campbell had a shot from a tight angle which was deflected away for a corner.
Moments later, Micah Obiero got away with just Efete between him and Jed Ward and flashed his effort just past the post and then on 70 minutes the ball broke to McCormick inside the box and his powerful effort was pushed away by Dante Baptise in the Wealdstone goal. I think that is the first time I have mentioned the visiting goalkeeper. More of that.
On 73 minutes, it was 2-0 to Wealdstone. Yeovil did not clear the danger and two headers from the visitors landed to the feet of Max KRETZSCHMAR who smashed home the second from point blank range. Heads are down.
A poor back pass from Baptiste gifted the ball to Oluwabori, he weaved towards goal but rather than going further forwards he laid it off to McCormick who tried to find Campbell but lost possession. Sums us up. That was the last action for Oluwabori as he was replaced by James Daly with nine minutes remaining. Pretty late to make any changes.
The second half was an improvement from the first, not that that is saying much. But for many of those 90 minutes there was a lack of intent to either put pressure on Wealdstone or look to take the game to them. They had both those things and were worthy winners.
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 4th November, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Dominic Hutchinson 57 (0-1), Max Kretzschmar 73 (0-2)
Pitch: Wet.
Conditions: “Absolutely soaking sideways rain” – Jack Killah, BBC Radio Somerset
Attendance: 2,337 (52 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Morgan Williams 54
Wealdstone: Connor McAvoy 49
Referee: Kirsty Dowie
Yeovil Town (4-4-2)
Substitutes: Junior Morias (for James Plant, 58), James Daly (for Andrew Oluwabori, 81), Alex Whittle (not used), Dan Ellison (not used), Kyle Ferguson (not used), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
Wealdstone: Dante Baptiste, Jack Cook (for Steven Turner, 71), Anthony Georgiou, Omar Mussa (for Eddy Nsasi, 71), Enzio Boldewijn, Max Kretzschmar (for Nathan Tshikuna, 76), Sak Hassan (for Olufela Olomola, 90+4), Micah Obiero (for Daniel Nkrumah, 76), Dom Hutchinson, Connor McAvoy, Terrell Agyemang.
Substitutes (not used): Hubert Graczyk, Moussa Diarra.
Loan winger James Plant returns to the Yeovil Town starting XI as they get back to National League Premier Division action at home to Wealdstone tonight (7.45pm kick-off).
The Port Vale player has not featured since departing in the 55th minute on the 3-0 home defeat to Boreham Wood a month ago and replaces Harvey Greenslade, who is not on in the squad at all.
Striker Junior Morias returns on the substitutes’ bench, but there is no place for midfielder Brett McGavin. Youngster Ollie Hughes is among the seven subs named by manager Richard Dryden.
