April 2026 (Page 6)

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Defender Dan Ellison is looking to stake his claim to be in Yeovil Town’s starting XI next season between now and the end of the season.

The 21-year-old was signed from League Two Bristol Rovers by former boss Richard Dryden in October but did not feature much under him and was loaned out to National League South play-off chasers Weston-super-Mare where he has impressed.

He made his first start for the Glovers in the 2-1 defeat at Eastleigh on Bank Holiday Monday and popped up with a late consolation goal in the second minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Ellison said: “It has been a tough season, tough mentally. Moving on from Bristol Rovers and coming here and then going on loan at Weston which was brilliant to actually play. I felt I did really well at Weston and really enjoyed it there, but coming back here is everything I wanted, I have a point to prove and I am getting chance until the end of the season. I am grateful to be back here.

“I feel I deserve (the opportunity). I came in here to be starting in the team but it did not end up happening which is fine, so I have gone to Weston and I feel like I have earned my place, earned the chance so I am going to enjoy playing until the end of the season.”

With captain Jake Wannell missing through injury, Finn Cousin-Dawson out suspended and fellow centre half Joy Mukena struggling with a hamstring injury, Ellison was recalled from Weston last week and was a second half substitute in the home win over Truro City on Good Friday.

He said: “I felt like I did fairly well (against Eastleigh) and to get a goal as well, it has been a while since I have scored so I was happy with that. It would have been nice to get a result as well, we were not a million miles off it but I am just happy to be playing.

“It was a tough game, the boys are playing through injuries and stuff, but we have to say thanks to the fans for being brilliant today and in the last game as well and we want that to continue.”

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Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley was forced to bemoan his side’s bad luck as the walking wounded Glovers went down to a 2-1 defeat at Eastleigh on Easter Monday.

The boss said a number of the players which took to the field in Hampshire were suffering injuries or illness which meant they should not have even featured in the matchday squad.

They finished the match with Under-19s players defender Jaydon Biss, midfielder Ollie Hughes and striker Liam Nardiello on the pitch and saw defender Joy Mukena come on as a half-time substitute before having to go off again after 77 minutes with a re-occurrence of a hamstring injury.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Rowley said: “The performance and the game was always going to be difficult today. Overall, I was not thrilled by a 2-1 loss here, there were patches where I thought we were okay, on the whole we were pretty poor, but the reason is that the squad is playing on one leg at the minute, with an eye patch on and an empty tank! Even today we have had to bring James Daly on the pitch even though he is injured and sick, Brett (McGavin) has had to play when he shouldn’t have really, Joy Mukena had to come on due to an injury and then come off injured and we finished the game with three academy lads on the pitch. So, to even escape this game with a 2-1 defeat you will probably look back in a few weeks and say ‘it’s not bad’ on reflection.

“Players had to come off because they are injured and we are putting players on that are injured and one of those has to come off because they are injured. It is boring for me to have to stand here and say this, but any of our hardcore supporters (will know what I mean). (The supporters) were incredible today, that is the best support that I have ever witnessed away from home, it was unbelievable. All of those who know the squad in and out will look at that (differently) to supporters who look at the result on the Teletext** will say ‘bad loss’, but the hardcore ones will understand what we have gone through here. I have so much respect and time for anyone who made the trip and gave the boys a nice send off at the end. It was a really difficult day for us, it was always going to be. The idea was to just limp over the line with maybe a draw today.”

There were 582 Yeovil Town supporters at the Silverlake Stadium on Easter Monday. Picture courtesy of Luca Manley.

In his pre-match comments, the Glovers’ boss described defender Mukena as “patched up to the brim” and it was a surprise when he appeared as a half-time substitute following a(nother) injury to Alex Whittle.

Explaining the decision, Rowley said: “I am really sad for Joy because I really did not want to put him on the pitch today. He suffered a hamstring injury at Crawley which he had when we got him in and we have tried to nurse him and get him back to top fitness, but because of the schedule and the injuries he has had to play a set of 90 minutes every few days which is not ideal for him. We suffered a couple of injuries in the first half and we have had to tell him he is coming on and he has pulled up with his hamstring again. I am so annoyed and it breaks my heart, he has been brilliant since he came in and I am just really sad that has happened to him.”

There was a moment for the 582 supporters in the away end at the Silverlake Stadium to cheer about when defender Dan Ellison headed home a consolation goal in the second minute of second half stoppage time. The former Bristol Rovers’ man was making his first start for the club he joined “for a fee based on performance-based incentives” in October.

Having bizarrely been signed by and then not featured under former boss Richard Dryden, the 21-year-old was sent out on loan to Weston-super-Mare by Rowley at the end of December before returning as the injury/suspension crisis took hold at Huish Park.

The Yeovil boss was full of praise for his performance at Eastleigh, saying: “I thought Dan was great today, he has shown great character to come back from his loan and he did not really put a foot wrong today. He is learning a different style (of play today), he has not really trained, so to top it off with a good header, and that is what he brings you, he is elite in the air. I thought he was decent with the ball today, he showed a lot of composure in build-up and he is a real threat in both boxes.”

With results elsewhere going in their favour, Yeovil’s place in the National League Premier Division is now mathematically secured for next season with three matches of the season remaining. They take on FC Halifax Town, who still have an outside chance of making the play-offs, at Huish Park next Saturday, followed by a trip to title-chasing York City seven days later and then a final day home match with Solihull Moors.

Dakarai Mafico could be available again next weekend. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Rowley had on loan midfielder Troy Perrett available following a three-match suspension against Eastleigh and is hopeful that his Cardiff City team-mate Dakarai Mafico will return having not featured since the middle of March due to injury. Midfielder Jonathon Page, who has managed just 136 league minutes since arriving in mid-January, was an unused substitute and may also be available for next weekend.

Rowley said: “When I first came in we were (in 17th place), I was the fourth manager of the season and all that jazz, so it was always a difficult challenge. We have had some indifferent results and we have turned in to a ‘win one, lose one’ team which is mid-table form. I am really happy (to be mathematically safe) given what we have gone through in these past couple of weeks, the injuries and suspension we have which a lot of the time has been our own fault, we have to own that. To be safe with three games left, I will take that.

“I think Dak will be back, Pagey possibly, Troy has played today, but I am going to have to check in with the medical team to see where we are at but we will start planning for that and we will be prepared as always.”

** – Teletext was a service which offered text-based news and sports including football results on your television between 1993-2010.

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A goal in each half saw Yeovil Town go down to an Easter Monday defeat at Eastleigh on the same day their safety in the National League Premier Division was confirmed.

Spitfires’ striker Aaron Blair opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a poacher’s finish before adding the second on 57 minutes when he chipped visiting keeper Jed Ward before Glovers’ defender Dan Ellison, making his first start, added a late consolation goal.

But results elsewhere mean Brackley Town, who occupy the top of the division’s relegation places, now cannot match Yeovil’s 50 points in their remaining three matches.

First half

Unsurprisingly goalkeeper Jed Ward was in the thick of the action inside the first 30 seconds. Firstly the on loan Bristol Rovers man air kicked an attempted clearance and almost let Eastleigh striker Aaron Blair in, before diving at his feet to turn the ball out for a corner. From the resulting flag kick, the ball was worked back to defender Jayden Moore whose header was acrobatically tipped over the by Ward. The warning signs are there early.

Seven minutes in Blair was brought down by Kyle Ferguson right on the edge of the area and received a yellow card. Ward was the hero again saving the first effort from Jake Vokins and then got up in time to deny Temi Eweka from the rebound. “Jed Ward, in the middle of our goal…” sings a busy-looking away end.

The next moment in Ward’s one-man crusade to save Yeovil in this match (season?) came on 22 minutes. Blair burst through and was one-on-one with the keeper who stayed upright and made himself big to block the shot. Yet another glorious opportunity for Eastleigh and another glorious save for Ward.

On 32 minutes, the Ward wall could not hold any longer. A lovely through from Eweka found Harvey Saunders who bombed in to the box and laid it across for Aaron BLAIR to poke home. It was nothing less than the hosts deserved, we look every inch the patched up side we are. Blair is everything we have missed in a striker for so long – relentless in his pressing and give him a chance and he’ll take it……except if Jed Ward is in his way, see above for explanation.

Blair and Saunders, who is on loan from League Two Tranmere Rovers, are causing us all kinds of trouble with their running in behind our back line. A shot from Delano McCoy-Splatt after about 20 minutes which I didn’t mention before because it didn’t really seem worth mentioning, is as near as we have come to troubling the Eastleigh keeper. Will Merry looks like one of the few players with the desire to go forward on the rare occasion he receives possession, but the rest look either knackered or uninterested – or both.

Half time: Eastleigh 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

Billy Rowley made three changes at the interval – perhaps agreeing with much of the paragraph above – with defender Joy Mukena, winger James Daly and young midfielder Ollie Hughes coming on. Off when McCoy-Splatt, Millar Matthews-Lewis and Alex Whittle. In his pre-match comments, the Glovers’ boss described Hughes and his Under-19s’ team-mates Jaydon Biss and Liam Nardiello, who are also on the bench, as “not quite ready” for the cut and thrust of the National League. It says something about the first half display that he has felt compelled to bring on an untested youngster.

One thing you cannot question is the commitment of the travelling supporters. For a game which means little, they have made the trip to Eastleigh in numbers and they have not stopped making a racket all half.

The first ten minutes was better from Yeovil, but on 57 minutes the home side took the lead and it was all about Aaron BLAIR. The striker seemed to have lost possession, but did not give up and won it back off Mukena before chipping Ward from an angle. What we would give for a player like him. Those fans I just spoke about are still jumping up and down and singing – heroes, 582 of you!
582 heroes. Picture courtesy of Luca Manley.
Perrett’s shot on 70 minutes looped comfortably in to the hands of the Eastleigh keeper before Harvey Greenslade had a shot well blocked by Jack Baldwin, but that’s about all we have offered going forward all match.
With 78 minutes played, Jaydon Biss became the second Under-19s player to join the fray as he replaced Mukena. Rowley described Mukena as “patched up to the brim” in his pre-match comments and his arrival at half-time may have been more about trying to spare Biss the nightmare of managing Blair and Saunders.
Five minutes from time, Rowley completed added the third and final youngsters from his bench as Liam Nardiello came on in place of Brett McGavin.
Two minutes in to second half stoppage time, Yeovil got a consolation goal back. Ryan Jones lifted a ball towards the back post and there was Dan ELLISON to head home. Nothing more than those travelling supporters deserved, but not enough to trouble getting a point.

Full time: Eastleigh 2 Yeovil Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Silverlake Stadium
Date: Monday 6th April, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Aaron Blair 31 (0-1), Aaron Blair 57 (0-2), Dan Ellison 90+2 (1-2)

Pitch: Bare in places
Conditions: Beautiful Spring day

Attendance: 2,682 (582 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Kyle Ferguson 7, Harvey Greenslade 79
Eastleigh: None

Referee: Ross Martin

Yeovil Town

Substitutes: Joy Mukena (for Alex Whittle, 46), James Daly (for Delano McCoy-Splatt, 46), Ollie Hughes (for Millar Matthews-Lewis, 46), Jaydon Biss (for Joy Mukena, 77), Liam Nardiello (for Brett McGavin, 85), Jonathon Page (not used), Matt Gould (not used)

Eastleigh: Josh McNamara, Josh Lundstram, Temi Eweka, Jack Baldwin, Jayden Moore, Archie Harris, Ricky Aguiar, Jordan Cousins (for Richard Brindley, 84), Jake Vokins (for Kieron Evans, 20), Harvey Saunders, Aaron Blair.

Substitutes (not used): Lloyd Humphries, Angel Wariuhm, Inih Effiong, Barney Stone, Niall Maher.

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Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley admitted his starting line-up is patched up as he named a squad with three Under-19s players among six substitutes at Eastleigh on Eastleigh.

The Glovers’ boss is without captain Jake Wannell and striker Aaron Jarvis who both went off injured in the Good Friday home win over Truro City to add to a significant number of substitutes. The youngsters named on the bench are defender Jaydon Biss, midfielder Ollie Hughes and striker Liam Nardiello.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off, Rowley said: “It’s the biggest patchwork job ever. No disrespect to them, but we have three academy lads and it’s not a professional academy, it’s a college programme essentially. If you add Gouldy (goalkeeper coach Matt Gould), we basically have two (senior) outfield players. Joy (Mukena) is patched up to the brim, so we have two players to come on.

“I say that with respect (to the Under-19s’ players), this is a tough, National League game and the three academy lads are not exactly ready for that. That is not to say they will let us down, but it is needs must.”

Troy Perrett
Pic c/o Gary Brown

On loan Cardiff City midfielder Troy Perrett returns to the starting XI having missed the last three games through suspension after his sending off in the 2-0 win at Wealdstone.

Rowley said: “Troy was playing really well at Wealdstone before he got sent off. It was unlike him to make that type of challenge, so it was unfortunate, but I think it was something he has learnt from and we are happy he is back playing.”

Eastleigh are in need to points to maintain the six-point buffer between them and the National League Premier Division relegation places, whilst Yeovil look safe with ten points between them and the dotted line. But, Rowley insisted his side are not thinking about their summer holidays and identified Spitfires’ striker Aaron Blair as a danger man.

He said: “All the players are still playing for a lot. When you put on the Yeovil badge, there is a lot of history and a lot of great players and people who have been associated with this club attached to that, and it is an honour to play it in any game, that is first and foremost. We are not going to treat any game lightly, we are not looking at the end of the season, we are looking at this fixture as our next game. But for me personally I am continuing to learn the level, the opposition, what does and does not work, so it is a good few experiences.

“There are a couple of players in the team that I really like, Aaron Blair being one of those. He’s probably in the top three in the league for his movement, he’s got explosiveness, he can play off the shoulder, he has timing, so he is going to keep our back three really honest today. We are going to treat the game a bit more conservatively, we are going to sit a bit deeper and try and conserve our legs for the second half and I imagine Eastleigh in the (league) position they are in are not used to breaking down a block and being really creative in how they play. So we are hoping to catch the on a couple of counter attacks and that is the approach.“

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Injury-hit Yeovil Town name a starting XI of just about every fit player available as they travel to Eastleigh on Good Friday.

Midfielder Troy Perrett returns after serving his suspension and joins fellow loanees, Millar Matthews-Lewis and Will Merry, in attack.

There is no place for forward Terrell Works who is the unlucky sixth loanee, whilst defender Dan Ellison makes his first start for the club.

Youngsters defender Jaydon Biss and midfielder Ollie Hughes, who have both been on the bench in recent weeks, are joined by Under-19s’ forward Liam Nardiello amongst the substitutes.

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Yeovil Town travel to the South Coast as they take on Eastleigh down in Hampshire on Easter Monday afternoon.

FORM…

YEOVIL TOWN

The back end of this season has been more up and down than a heartbeat monitor. We win two games, lose two game and then win another game. The inconsistency would be worrying if we were’t all but safe and it wasn’t the end of the campaign, the only thing I hope with this spell is that it doesn’t carry into next season.

In the last game it was another case of fatigue being the name of the game for Yeovil, although they ended up winning 1-0 to relegate Truro City on Good Friday. It says a lot for how tired the squad is when the goal comes from the newest player in the team, Southampton Under-21s Will Merry, in the 95th minute. Even the newer loan recruits have looked jagged, but we were all merry at the end of that Truro game.

Will Merry wheels away | Photo by Gary Brown

EASTLEIGH

It’s been tough for the Spitfires over recent game, with just four points since the 25th February. That run of poor form has left Eastleigh in 20th position, hovering around the relegation zone. With other teams around them now picking up points, they will be up for this match.

One of those four points was in the Spitfires most recent game a at Woking on Good Friday. That match was one of either poor defending or great goalscoring, depending on which side of the fence you sit. The fixture finished 3-3 with Eastleigh 3-1 up with 15 minutes to go, but did end a run of four straight defeats.

KEY PLAYERS…

YEOVIL TOWN – JED WARD

It was the Jed Ward show again on Good Friday, and I’m thankful for him being in this side this season. As I’ve said many a time this season, the on loan Bristol Rovers’ keeper is one of, if not the main reason we have stayed in games and even won games. The last games was no different. The 22-year-old showed once again why I would not be surprised if he is his parent clubs first choice next season.

It was multiple great saves from the shot stopper that kept the Glovers going during a tired looking first half. I think we can safely put our player of the month in the conversation for one of great loan players here at Huish Park.

Jed Ward and Josh Sims
Pic c/o Gary Brown

EASTLEIGH – AARON BLAIR

Blair has been in the same rut as his team in the last month and a half, and his dip in form may have contributed to some of the poor form. However, he has arguably been the best player for the Hampshire side this season. With four games left of the campaign, the 25-year-old has been the go to man when his side have needed a goal.

The forward has scored 15 times so far this term and although he hasn’t found the net since his double against Brackley Town a month ago. He did however chip in with two assist last time out. But one thing that is for sure he will be wanting to put the current drought to bed.

THE GAFFER…

Eastleigh will be welcoming Yeovil to the Silverlake Stadium with an interim boss at the helm. The man in charge is Richard Hill, a man that may be not known to many. The 62-year-old had a playing career that spanned 10-years from 1982-1992, featuring for the likes of Northampton, Watford and Oxford United during that time.

Since retiring from playing, Hill has had a very nomadic career, from being advisor to the Ethiopian national team to managing FC Kairat in the Kazakhstan Premier league. When closer to home, the Hinkley man has been in charge at Stevenage, Whitehawk and Eastleigh on three previous occasions.

Surprisingly, Hill has never managed a game against the Glovers.

LAST TIME WE MET…

Eastleigh has been a bit of a bogey team for Yeovil in recent seasons with no wins since 2023. The previous fixture between the sides was at the end of December, when they drew 1-1. Yeovil took the lead in 28th minute through Luke McCormick, before Aaron Blair netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Luke McCormick scoring against Eastleig for Yeovil Town.
Luke McCormick scoring against Eastleigh.

The last game in Hampshire was a win for the home side thanks to a Chris Maguire goal in the first half.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

Sam Pearson is an ex-Glover who is on the books at Eastleigh, but the Welsh winger will not be featuring against his old employers on Easter Monday.

He has been on loan at National League South promotion chasers Dorking since March.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Ross Martin will be the man with the whistle on Tuesday evening For more on him and his team read Ben’s article here.

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Last minute winners are never guaranteed, but when they do they always end in a place in the Team of the Week.

With the double header across the weekend, the National League and their sponsors Enterprise are doing a Friday and a Monday one and the Southampton loanee has his place in the Good Friday edition.

Good work, Will!

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It was another three points for the Glovers and another unconvincing performance, but who cares? Ian was at Huish Park for the 1-0 win against Truro City and here are his Five Conclusions…

We looked exhausted in the first half. It was the main point Billy Rowley made in his post-match interview, but from kick off we looked dead on our feet. Terrell Works, normally buzzing around pressing, wasn’t. Delano McCoy-Splatt and Brett McGavin weren’t able to control the midfield – I thought the first half passed them by in truth – and we ended up lumping it to the Truro defence for them to rebuild over and over. The wingers were on the ball sparingly and Truro could have gone in 2-0 up at half time was it not for poor finishing and Jed Ward in the middle of our goal.

Terrell Works puts the pressure on | Photo by Gary Brown

We improved in the second half. I’m not so sure if the players got a rocket at half time or not, but you didn’t need a body language expert to understand how the manager was feeling in the first half. Rowley praised Darren Simpson for the positional tweaks which improved the Glovers and I think it was evident early on in the higher press and the early chances. Until…

We started dropping like flies. Our threadbare, (small squad of quality™) patched up team started to fall victim to their gruelling schedule. Since Morecambe, Yeovil have travelled more than 1300 miles in round trips. Away trips to Wealdstone, Gateshead, Southend in seven days will have killed any sort of meaningful preparation. Aaron Jarvis and Jake Wannell both exited through injury, Joy Mukena was on one leg and we found out pre-match the Josh Sims is out for the season too. Fitness has been an issue all season and the importance of getting it right in pre-season is even more evident given our current situation.

Will Merry still had some fuel in the tank. The youngster was full of running throughout the match and was Yeovil’s brightest spark. When a bit of space opened up in front of him in stoppage time he only had one thing on his mind and as he glided past the Truro defence and put the ball past Aidan Stone the roof came off Huish Park. It was, once again, pure relief as we found a way to grab all three points.

Will Merry slots home | Photo by Gary Brown

We need this season to finish. In my five conclusions following Sutton I said “each game will be it’s own cup final with varying levels of severity as we muddle through until May.” I think that’s generally how it’s gone. We’ve not seen much of a playing style come through for various reasons but with us now (all but mathematically) safe and sat in 13th we can relax. As I said on Friday’s podcast, I think we can go into the summer with calm off the pitch, but there is pressure on the Jamie ‘the HR guy’ Hedges, and the brain trust behind the recruitment plan to get it right to make us competitive. I hope we’ve spent all this time working on a strategy so as soon the final whistle goes after Solihull we know exactly what we’re going after in summer and we get our business done early.