Muller: We went down with a whimper
Yeovil Town’s Hayden Muller admitted the Glovers went down with a uncharacteristic whimper as they lost 2-0 at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.
The Glovers were felled by a free-kick from the hosts’ Cody Johnson on 59 minutes before Will Flint’s close range finish put them further behind eight minutes later.
Then, to add further insult, they had defender Archie Davies sent off for two bookable offences with 20 minutes remaining.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman after the game, Muller said: “We said at half-time that we needed to start winning more second balls and winning more duels. That wasn’t the case in the second half, we didn’t respond like we would’ve wanted to.
“We conceded a soft free kick, I think, and then didn’t react when we went 1-0 down. Obviously, we went down to ten men, which made it harder. We went out with a bit of a whimper there, I thought. It isn’t like us this season.”
The summer signing started the match in defence before moving in to midfield following an injury to captain Brett McGavin shortly before the half-hour mark.
He said: “It’s something I’ve been used to throughout my career. Last year, I did a bit of midfield and a bit of centre-back, so I’m definitely used to it.
“It’s good that I can help the team in loads of different positions. I’d rather play than sit on the bench. I just think it’s good that I can help the team out as much as I can, no matter where the manager wants to put me.”
Rowley: We lost to a better team
Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley admitted his side were well beaten by an FC Halifax Town team which showed more desire in an early kick-off in West Yorkshire.
The Glovers were felled by a free-kick from the hosts’ Cody Johnson and a close range finish from Will Flint inside eight second half minutes before defender Archie Davies was dismissed for two bookable offences soon after.
To compound a bad afternoon at the office, they also saw influential captain Brett McGavin go off with injury with less than half-an-hour played at The Shay.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Mark Stillman after the match, Rowley said: “We were beaten by the better team today, definitely.
“We had a couple of moments in the first half where we created some half-decent counterattacks, but their game plan was obviously to go man-for-man all over the pitch. It was very hard to get any rhythm and, generally speaking, the team that wants it more in those games will usually come out on top.
“I didn’t think we were great in the transition moments. I didn’t think we were great at winning the second balls and trying to settle into our rhythm. Alternatively, when we did go long and tried to win a second ball, we didn’t really get around the second ball enough.
“It was a bit of an ugly game, but full credit to Halifax. They were better than us today in most aspects of the game.”
The loss of McGavin with just 26 minutes gone was an early blow. Rowley said the midfielder felt his calf soon after kick-off and he was replaced by Davies.
The boss said: “That was a massive blow for us. He felt his calf in the first couple of minutes and couldn’t really cover the ground he wanted to. Obviously, he had to come off and we had to shuffle things.
“I don’t think this game was a massive tactical masterpiece. This was a man-for-man game, a bit like basketball. Dealing with your own man, dealing with your own duel, and we lost too many of them today.
“We missed Jordan Norville-Williams for that type of thing. He’s superb at just getting hold of his man, winning the duels and securing the ball. But we weren’t very good at that and, if you can’t do the nuts and bolts of the hard work and graft, then you’re probably going to lose.”
Already 2-0 down and struggling to contain their hosts, Yeovil lost defender Davies who picked up his second yellow card for a rash tackle on the edge of the box with 70 minutes played. He will now be unavailable for next weekend’s FA Cup first round tie at Chesterfield.
Rowley said: “As soon as Archie went off, ten versus eleven, sadly you don’t think you’re probably going to get a point out of the game, which is really hard to take. It’s a long way to come. I felt like we were set up today to produce a bit of an upset here or get at least a point.”
Match Report: FC Halifax Town 2 Yeovil Town 0
A below par Yeovil Town failed to score for the first time this season as they went down to defeat at FC Halifax Town in an early kick-off on Saturday.
The Glovers went behind when Cody Johnson’s free-kick beat goalkeeper Jos Barker at his near post just before the hour, and then Will Flint turned home a close range finish to make it 2-0 soon after.
Defender Archie Davies saw red soon after when he was sent off for a second bookable offence on 69 minutes.
First half
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors after Brett McGavin fed Slavi Spasov after two minutes. The striker beat how defender but his effort lacked any power.
There were breaks in both directions and a succession of Halifax corners, but the next meaningful action that either keeper had to did not come until the 18th minute. Johl Powell nicked the ball in the middle of the pitch, drove forward but hosts’ keeper True Grant did well to bravely get down at his feet to see away the danger.
At the other end, Jos Barker was called in to action seven minutes pater when he got down smartly to palm away a close range header from Conor Carty around the post. But a bigger blow came shortly after when captain Brett McGavin was replaced by Archie Davies. One can only assume that change was driven by an injury to the midfielder rather than tactical.
For large periods of the first half, Halifax dominates possession and asked a lot of questions of the Yeovil side in particular in wide positions with Ben Tollitt in particular looking tricky on the left side.
There was time for one more opening for the visitors as Ryan Jones dribbled his way through a host of defenders but his shot was not firm enough to trouble Grant.
Half-time: FC Halifax Town 0 Yeovil Town 0
Second half
The second half began in a similar fashion to how the first finished with Halifax enjoying the bulk of the possession but without really threatening the Yeovil goal.
The breakthrough came just before the hour mark when Cody JOHNSON whipped in a free kick from the edge of the box which beat Barker at his near post.
Yeovil pressed for an immediate response with Jones forcing a good save out of Grant, and then a long pass out from a Davies picked out Powell whose effort trickled just wide.
The Glovers were left to rue their missed chances even more when Halifax doubled their advantage on 66 minutes. Tollitt cut in from the left with too much ease and squeezed a ball in to the middle where Will FLINT was there to touch it home from close range.
It felt like there was a mountain to climb for the visitors and two minutes later that became an Everest when Davies was sent off after a rash tackle on the edge of the box saw him get his second yellow card with 69 minutes gone. With Ben Radcliffe and Jordan Norville-Williams already missing through suspension and injury respectively, the loss of another defensive option will be particularly painful.
With 15 minutes remaining, Yeovil boss Billy Rowley made a triple substitution bringing on Mason Obeng, Owen Dean and Loick Ayina. Carty bent a free kick inches past the post in the 83rd minute as the home side pressed to add to their advantage. For Yeovil, it was just damage limitation.
Overall, it was a bad day at the office where Halifax’s in-your-face style triumphed over the Glovers’ more patient approach. There have not been too many bad days at the office this season, but this was one of them.
Full time: FC Halifax Town 2 Yeovil Town 0
Match Details
Venue: The Shay
Date: Saturday, 31st October, 2026, 3pm kick-off
Competition: Enterprise National League Premier Division
Scorers: Cody Johnson 59 (0-1), Will Flint 67 (0-2)
Conditions: Dry and bright
Pitch: No complaints about the pitch at The Shay
Attendance: 1286 (196 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Seb Naylor 33, Hayden Muller 45, Archie Davies 58
FC Halifax Town: Cody Johnson 45+1, Will Hugill 63, Ben Tollitt 65
Sendings off
Yeovil Town: Archie Davies
FC Halifax Town: None
Referee: Ben Toner
Yeovil Town
Substitutes: Archie Davies (for Brett McGavin, 26), Loick Ayina (for Zain Westbrooke 75), Mason Obeng (for Seb Naylor, 75), Owen Dean (for Slavi Spasov, 75), Charlie Lennon (not used), Ste Walker (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
FC Halifax Town: True Grant, Lucas Houghton, Will Flint, Shaun Hobson, Deniche Hill (for Dylan Crowe, 74), Cody Johnson (for Tayt Trusty, 74), Will Hugill (for Zac Gilsenan, 80), Connor Douglas, Tommy McDermott (for Amari Morgan-Smith, 80), Ben Tollitt (for Owen Bray, 85), Conor Carty.
Substitutes (not used): Kobe Mathers, Mackenzie Maltby.
Team News: FC Halifax Town (away)
Yeovil Town have made four changes from their midweek win at Hornchurch for today’s early match at FC Halifax Town (12.30pm kick-off).
Hayden Muller comes in for Jordan Norville -Williams in defence with James Daly, Ryan Jones and Slavi Spasov all returning in attack.
Archie Davies remains on the substitutes bench alongside winger Charlie Lennon and striker Ste Walker, who both started on Tuesday night.
Going for Gould – The Best Goalkeeper You’ve Never Seen
We are absolutely delighted to announce that the Gloverscast is officially sponsoring Yeovil Town goalkeeping coach and back-up keeper Matt Gould for the rest of the season.
As an independent voice for Glovers’ fans, we always want to do our bit to back the squad and we’ve decided to put our name behind a true unsung hero.
That’s right, we are throwing our full weight behind the man, the myth, the legend, quite possibly the best goalkeeper you’ve never seen. While he might not always be the one commanding the box under the Saturday afternoon spotlight, anyone who religiously watches the warm-ups knows that his preparation of our Number 1s is top-tier.
Sponsoring Matt is our way of showing that every single member of the squad matters. The training standards, the dressing room presence, and the readiness to step up at a moment’s notice are exactly what make a successful team tick. It takes a full squad to push for our goals this season, and we are proud to have our name associated with a player who brings absolute professionalism to the camp day in and day out.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on our man throughout the rest of the campaign – mostly during the pre-match drills and conversations with fourth officials. Plus, we will welcome Matt onto an episode of the Gloverscast soon.
Here’s to Matt Gould, our keeper, our first ever Gloverscast sponsored player, and a vital part of the Glovers!
Foot In The Opposition Camp – FC Halifax Town (A)
A halloween trip to Halifax is on the cards for the Glovers and it’s time to learn a little bit more about the West Yorkshire side.
We welcome back Tom Scargill from the Halifax Courier to the podcast, to give us an insight into the goings on at the Shay.
Match Preview: FC Halifax Town vs Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town got back to winning ways in midweek and they head to Halifax this weekend looking to break their awful run of form in West Yorkshire.
FORM…
YEOVIL TOWN
Billy Rowley’s men gave the perfect response to last weekend’s disappointing home defeat to Altrincham when they became only the second side to win at newly-promoted Hornchurch on Tuesday night.
The Glovers raced in to a 2-0 lead and doubled the amount of goals their opponents had conceded in their previous six home matches in just six second half minutes and that means they have now won four of their seven National League Premier Division matches of the campaign.
Whilst not the finished article, as the manager admitted in his pre-match comments ahead of the trip to Halifax, the side’s start to the new campaign has gone better than many could have imagined.
They will be without defender Jordan Norville-Williams who limped off with a hamstring injury at Hornchurch. He will undergo a scan to assess the extent of the damage.
FC HALIFAX TOWN
Halifax boss John McGrath admitted that he had not felt as bad after a defeat during his brief time at the club as he did on Tuesday night.
The Shaymen looked comfortable when winger Ben Tollitt added his second of the night against Barrow just after the hour mark, but they capitulated to a 3-2 defeat, only their second on home soil this season.
They were without first choice right-back Max Bardell who is expected to be out for at least four months after tearing a hamstring in the 2-2 draw at Southend United last weekend, and then lost left-back Raheem Conte who was sent off for a second bookable offence with a minute of normal time remaining against Barrow.
Both players will be missing for that match and they will be a blow for a side which has one of the youngest squads in the division with Tollitt, aged 31, the only player over the age of 30 in their starting XI on Tuesday night.
Speaking afterwards, McGrath told the Halifax Courier: “You can’t have the excuse of ‘they’re a young group’ because it doesn’t matter how old you are, 18 or 38, you’ve still got to go and win your duels, still got to win your headers. As they get older, they will learn how to see games out, they will learn how to do the right things at the right times.”
KEY PLAYERS…
YEOVIL TOWN – JAMES DALY
The winger proved the new terrace chant that Yeovil can’t play without him again when he made a stunning impact coming off the bench at Hornchurch on Tuesday night.
Within 90 seconds of his arrival in Essex, the 26-year-old burst down the left wing and drilled home an unstoppable shot which proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory. It was a goal which perfectly illustrated what he brings to the Glovers, boundless energy, the ability to beat a play and finishing which has now seen him score three in his last four appearances.
Daly missed a large chunk of last season after picking up an injury early in the campaign, but still managed to chip in with seven goals in a season when Yeovil struggled.
Manager Billy Rowley appears to be mindful of the fitness of one of his key players, but after his impact in midweek and the promise of a vast expanse of the pitch at The Shay, he may be tempted to release one of his key men again this weekend.
FC HALIFAX TOWN – BEN TOLLITT
Summer signing Ben Tollitt is playing some of the best football of his career having crossed the Pennines to join Halifax from Morecambe in the summer.
At 31 years old, he is one of the more experienced heads in the Shaymen’s otherwise youthful squad and has stepped up to the responsibility with six goals in his first 15 appearances, including a brace in the 3-2 home defeat to Barrow on Tuesday night.
The Liverpool-born player has been something of a journeyman throughout his career when he has bounced between the lower reaches of the EFL with the likes of Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool and the non-League having seen service with Oldham Athletic and AFC Fylde.
THE GAFFER…
John McGrath had a difficult introduction to life at The Shay having left National League North side Buxton to fill the manager’s seat surprisingly vacated by Adam Lakeland who dropped down a division to join relegated Morecambe at the end of last season.
He has some form with Buxton having guided them to two consecutive play-off finishes including a fifth-placed finish last season, the highest in the club’s history. But he had to deal with a number of high profile departures from the Halifax side which finished eighth in the National League Premier Division last season with the exits of top scorer Will Harris and midfielder Jay Turner-Cooke.
As a player, McGrath has faced the Glovers before, he was part of the Dagenham & Redbridge side hammered 4-0 by Gary Johnson’s side in 2003 and faced them again two seasons later with Shrewsbury Town and Kidderminster Harriers. He was also part of the W*ymouth side which won the Conference South in 2006 and he was also promoted in to the Football League with Burton Albion three years ago.
WE’VE MET BEFORE
Yeovil Town have an pretty horrendous record at The Shay in recent seasons.
The most recent appearance in August last season a brace from Halifax midfielder Owen Bray saw the Glovers go down to a 3-2 defeat in the first match after the sacking of Mark Cooper. Having fallen behind to Bray’s opener, a penalty from Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade strike put the visitors in front before Bray got his second and then Will Harris grabbed the winner.
The last time the two sides met at Huish Park, the game finished in a fairly forgettable goalless draw in April which ended the Shaymen’s hopes of promotion.
You have to go back to 2019 to find the last time when Yeovil won at The Shay. A brace from striker Gold Omotayo earned Darren Sarll’s side a 2-0 win.
DON’T I KNOW YOU?
There are no former Yeovil Town players in the FC Halifax Town squad this season.
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Ben Toner is taking charge of his first National League match of the season. He’s been busy in the EFL in the season to date.
Read our Ben’s write-up – here.
Gloverscast #538 “Love really hurts without you”
We’ve all had that Billy Ocean song in our head this week so we’ve leant into it fully here at the Gloverscast.
Ben and Dave talk Hornchurch, Halifax and everything else green and white.
We’d like to thank Jon Sturgess of LRO Financial Consultancy for his help at Gloverscast HQ this week.
