Ben Barrett (Page 124)

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Ollie Haste at Truro ? Truro City YouTube

Yeovil Town’s on-loan duo Ollie Haste and Toby Stephens both played for Truro City in their 3-1 win at Winchester City on Saturday.

Haste completed another 90 minutes and almost got his first goal for the White Tigers late on in their victory too.

Midfielder Stephens started the game on the bench and was introduced as an 80th minute substitute to make his first appearance since joining the Cornish side at the start of their Southern League Premier Division South campaign.

Well done on the win, lads.

Goalkeeper Max Evans didn’t feature for Larkhall Athletic, who drew 1-1 at Cowes Sports.

He was back at Huish Park on Tuesday for the game against Barnet sporting a new pair of crutches. It is hoped the injury isn’t too serious, but scans will be needed before a return date can be planned in.

Get well soon, Max!

Stanley Anaebonam, ahead of the draw with Exeter City earlier in pre-season.

As an aside, Truro City gaffer, Paul Wotton also brought on former Glovers’ trialist Stanley Anaebonam as a late substitute. He has joined the Cornish side since departing Huish Park.

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Urgh.

Another near miss, three points snatched away from the Yeovil Town right at the death as Altrincham pegged the Glovers back twice to grab a 2-2 draw.

Our man Ben was in the Press box for BBC Somerset at Moss Lane and here are his conclusions from a frustrating afternoon in the North West.

Altrincham Away ? Ben Barrett

Oh, what might have been.

It wasn’t quite as free flowing as the game against Barnet but HargreavesBall was still the order of the day for the Yeovil Town.

The switch to a 4-4-2 from the off had me thinking we might change our style, but that wasn’t the case, we kept it simple, on the floor and tried to still use our threats from wide angles to creat chances.

Chiori Johnson added a bit more bite to the midfield, the former Torquay man isn’t afraid to put a tackle in, whilst Lawson D’Ath added a calmness to the centre of the park. With Altrincham dominating possession in a way Barnet did not on them previous Tuesday night, he helped utilise what we did see of the ball.

This is our style of play, win, lose or draw, home or away.

Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking of D’Ath. Jeez, we’ve got a classy footballer on our hands.

It’s nothing we haven’t said 100 times before, but a fit and firing Lawson D’Ath is too good for the National League. He can do it all, run with the ball, spray passes, tackle, block, get forward, defend the whole nine yards.

The point here is, how do you now manage a player who is just so influential? His first 89 minutes of the season, with two games in three days at the back end of the week on the horizon and a history of injuries that says you cannot push him too far.

It’s just as important to know when to (when we can afford to) leave him out as it is, to know when to play him.

Charlie Wakefield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Something was up with Charlie Wakefield.

I spent the majority of the second half trying to figure out what wasn’t quite clicking with Charlie Wakefield.

He looked… a bit sad… like he needed a hug, he got one from Lawson D’Ath at one point.

A couple of times the ball slipped under his foot and out of play, a couple of crosses and shots weren’t at his usual standard and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

With the team now Tom Knowles-less it does feel like a lot more eyes are looking at Wakefield to be the star man (pun fully intended) and as he adapts to a new style and new role when playing wing back, the general consensus is that he’s doing just fine.

I hope he’s okay and just had one of those days, we’ve all been there.

Max Hunt vs Bournemouth

It’s time for us to talk about attacking set pieces.

I feel that it’s not been a huge strength of ours over the last couple seasons and for me, it stood out against Altrincham.

Only Notts County have had more possession this season than Alty, which means when you get the ball and the chance to get it in the box, you cannot waste it.

Sadly, we did on a few occasions, and on the times we did get a ball into the right areas, I wasn’t ever totally convinced much would come of it.

Both Josh Staunton and Max Hunt did connect with a header each from a dead ball situation, but both lacked the direction and/or power and it might be an area we have to look at improving.

There will be plenty of times this season where we give up the lion’s share of possession and I’d like us to look more dominant.

I guess we have to end with the new cult hero don’t we?

Gime Toure made a wonderful little cameo from the bench, got his goal of course, but added so much more.

He was trying to impose a little bit of game management (something we lacked after the clock ticked past 90 mins), he was trying to be clever, to buy a free kick, to slow the game down whilst also not being afraid to get on the ball and play – he and Jamie Reckord worked really well together a couple times on the left.

We’re nowhere near seeing the fittest version of Toure and that might be a while off, and the one thing we’ve been told is that there’s inconsistencies to his performances, but he looks bang up for it at the moment and he will provide an alternative to the Fish ‘n’ Mal combo which has started brightly.

All in all, it was so close, but so far from that elusive first win of the season.

Urgh.

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⚠️Please Note, the audio quality and editing isn’t up to its usual standards in this episode and for that, Ben is sorry. The transitions between jingles and chat is a little longer than planned and Ben’s mic has its moments… sorry, usual service will be resumed ASAP ⚠️

Ben and Dave are the deadly duo attacking the ‘oh what might have been’ against Barnet and the ‘what might well be’ of Altrincham.

We chat to Erin from Golf Road Goals as well, an Alty fan for her view on Saturday’s game.

As ever, we really do appreciate your continued support. Like, share, subscribe if you can please. ?

 

 

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Josh Staunton modelling the 2022-23 kit. Picture courtesy of YTFC.net.

Yeovil Town skipper, Josh Staunton is looking forward to returning to Altrincham after guiding the side to a 1-0 win there as Caretaker manager at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Speaking exclusively to the Gloverscast’s Ben Barrett after the game against Barnet he said he has fond memories of his one-game stint as Manager

“We go into Saturday with a clean slate, they’ve gone full time if I’m right, they’ll be a different type of outfit to what they were last year.

Obviously we know what they like, in terms of they like playing football, it’ll be a different test at times to tonight (against Barnet) who were quite direct at times.

I do have fond memories there, it’s a stadium which I’ll never forget, I think if you go into a game with a positive mindset and a visualisation of positivity it can only bode well.”

Staunton said he might have to wait for the dust to settle after the defeat to Barnet before reminding the new manager and players about his 100% win rare as a gaffer, but didn’t rule out making a light hearted comment or two as the week’s training went on.

Yeovil huddle before Altrincham

You’ll be able to listen to the game from Altrincham this Saturday with Sheridan Robins and Ben Barrett on BBC Radio Somerset

 

 

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Football can be cruel mistress.

Laurie Walker had a night to remember at Huish Park as the Barnet ‘keeper single handedly kept his side in the game long enough to allow for a couple of late suckerpunches as Barnet took a 2-1 win from Huish Park.

Here’s Ben’s five conclusions, he’s slept on it and it hasn’t really helped.

If that game was played out on Football Manager or FIFA 23, you’d rage quit, without saving your progress, throw the controller at the wall and promise you’d never play the game again ever… until next week.

I cannot truly explain just how dominant Yeovil were for 98% of the game across 98% of the pitch.

Some of the football we played, particularly in and around the midfield was genuinely brilliant. Quick, one-touch, confident football  the likes of which we haven’t seen in quite a while.

But… and you knew this was coming.

None of that matters if you don’t put the ball in the onion bag.

I’m not going to have a go at the three chances which led to genuinely brilliant saves from the Barnet ‘keeper, that can happen.

But there were occasions where we’d worked a position but couldn’t convert, Linton fired a shot down the keeper’s throat, Pearson produced a tame effort in the second half when bearing down on the keeper and Fisher did amazingly well to bring a ball down from a free kick only to fire it straight into the waiting arms of the flourescent keeper.

Fine margins, but as the manager spoke about, its time to start being more ruthless… the neanderthalic football fan in me thinks that in some cases that means… just leather the bloody thing.

Sam Pearson

Sam Pearson is the real deal and needs to stay with us beyond his month.

I think the midfield three of Worthington, Perry and Pearson properly excites me.

Perry was right in this game when I felt he went missing in the game against Scunthorpe, Worthy is a new man, he’s the senior man with a licence to get forward – is this the Worthington Dale Gorman was holding back?

But Pearson has all the attributes to go far in the EFL.

Strong, fearless, attacking, needs to add more nous and experience will help some of his decision making but everything he does is exciting, he battled through an injury and some… agricultural opposition to put on. a very good show.

Now, I’ve mentioned him once, but the it was the Ghost of Christmas Past in Dale Gorman who will be the talking point for many.

Yes, he should have been sent off, yes he could of – and arguably tried to – hurt someone, but I wanted to make a wider point.

The contrast of style of play Gorman and Worthington have shows we are very much in a new era of YTFC.

We are no longer the masters of the dark arts, we are no longer trying to worry more about how we rile up the opposition, or trying to slow and break up the game. That’s moved on… quite literally to Barnet.

We’re a football team now.

I’m not saying either is right or wrong, they can both be equally as effective and both as entertaining to watch.

But this is HargreavesBall starting to take shape. The Poop-house has closed for business at Huish Park.

Now, I’d like to break Rule 1 of the Gloverscast (Rule 1. All refs are rubbish at this level, live with it, don’t moan about it).

But I’m not allowed to tell you it might have been the single most petulant, awful, inconsistent, making the game about himself, loves the sound of his own whistle and gives out more cards than your Grandma at Christmas performance from the worst referee I’ve seen at a Yeovil game in some time…. so I won’t tell you any of that. ?

Instead my final conclusion is this…

Getting the first win is gaining importance quickly.

Not because if we don’t win on Saturday we’re suddenly in a relegation battle, because we’re not – I haven’t even invoked the Green Day clause yet (I’ll judge our position when September ends).

But more because the noise will grow, the same negative voices are already starting to make silly comments, and the best way to shut that up is to win a game, even if we don’t play all that well.

I’m genuinely excited by the football this team is trying to play, when we are heavy in possession 3-5-2 is a real asset of ours and I truly believe we have a squad and team to get behind, but then again, I would, wouldn’t I?

See you at Altrincham

? Photos Courtesy of Mike Kunz unless otherwise stated.

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Malachi Linton, left, celebrates with team-mates Jamie Reckord and Alex Fisher. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

In what will be a shock to absolutely nobody, Malachi Linton made this week’s Non League Paper’s ‘team of the day’ following his wonderstrike earned the Glovers a 1-1 with Wrexham.

Linton joins three ex-YTFC names on the list with Tristan Abrahams and Rohan Ince both in the mythical side managed by Darren Sarll.

The full team is below.

Non League Paper Team Of The Day

Safe to say we’ll be watching the strike on repeat once the highlights are out, what a way to get off the mark in Green and White.

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Sam Pearson

Chris Hargreaves had special praise for loan duo Sam Perry and Sam Pearson following the Glovers’ 1-1 draw with Wrexham.

Perry, on loan from Walsall, impressed after a difficult debut and speaking exclusively to the Gloverscast’s Ian Perkins the gaffer said how pleased he was with the young midfielders showing.

“As a midfielder especially – I was a midfielder, so I’m probably harder on midfielders, once you get into the game and into a passing rhythm you become a different player”.

“When that first couple of passes comes off you work your way into the game, I said the same to Worthy (Matt Worthington) at half time.

I thought both midfielders were outstanding, they worked their socks off, very pleased with that but would like them to chip in with goals.”

Pearson & Matty Grivosti

As for Pearson, on loan from Bristol City, Hargreaves was pleased with his ability to step up to this level.

“It’s a big jump for Sam to come into such a big environment and such a big game. He’s been playing (Under) 23s football at a very good club in Bristol City but its very different.

He was excellent, he was bright, his legs had given up on him so we had to give him a rest, but he showed enough to show he’s a very talented footballer with a bright future”

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Ollie Haste at Truro ? Truro City YouTube

Two of Yeovil Town’s loan players clocked up more valuable minutes for their temporary clubs on Saturday.

Defender Ollie Haste played the full 90 minutes for Truro City in a convincing 4-0 home win over Dorchester Town.

Whilst goalkeeper Max Evans was once again in action for Larkhall Athletic.

The Larks went down 1-0 at home against Tavistock AFC with the Larkhall social media team praising Evans for his performance between the sticks.

Toby Stephens remains yet to play a competitive game for Truro, he joined at the same time as Ollie Haste, played as a trialist against Torquay, but has not figured since.

Next up, Evans’ Larks travel to Bishop’s Cleeve in the Southern League Division One South on Tuesday night, whilst Truro face Poole Town on Wednesday.

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Maybe it’s the heat, but I cannot for the life of me put a Fisher and Pond joke together, anyway…

Alfie Pond

Yeovil Town have announced the loan signing of Exeter City’s Alfie Pond.

The central defender had been on loan with Tiverton Town during the 2021-22 season with Grecians’ gaffer Matty Taylor describing him as someone who “is going to be a serious player” following his first team debut in a JPT game.

6ft 3, Pond becomes the 6th Glovers loanee meaning one of Sam Pearson, Sam Perry, Will Buse, Finley Craske, Matty Grivosti and Pond will have to sit out of each match day squad as per FA rules only permitting five in a match day squad.

He has been linked with Celtic and Rangers in the past with Exeter’s academy regularly on the big clubs’ scouting lists after numerous successes.

Commenting on the loan move, Hargreaves said; “Alfie is certainly an exciting prospect, but he’s someone who we believe can make an impact now.

“He’s proven he can make the step up to men’s football whilst at Tiverton, and will become another valuable member of our squad.”

There were no details of the length of the teenager’s loan agreement in Somerset, however, at tweet from Exeter suggests he is with us until January.

 

Here’s hoping for a successful stint in green and white.

Welcome Alfie!