Ben Barrett (Page 88)

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Isn’t it amazing how just 90 minutes can define a season?

Yeovil Town had yet another ‘all guts, no glory’ performance against Chesterfield and came out on the losing side, with a first half stoppage time worldie changing the game and being the difference.

These conclusions are starting to feel like a broken record, but here are Ben’s five key takeaways from the Technique Stadium.

Ben Barclay
Pic: YTFC YouTube

Ben Barclay ‘gets it’ – he loves defending, he must be a joy to have in the defensive unit.

He’ll put his head in where it hurts and considering we love Luke Wilkinson and Max Hunt for similar traits, he’s quickly becoming a bit of a find for us.

At the time of writing, I’d like to know what his contract status is at Stockport, because if they go up, or deem him not to be in their plans, I’d certainly be looking to bring him in permanently.

Ben Barclay – he loves defending, and he loves defending for us.

At the other end… sometimes, you can’t do much more to score.

It’s no secret we’ve had our attacking problems this season, but at least yesterday it wasn’t for the want of trying.

Tom Knowles could have had a hat-trick, Luke Wilkinson should have had a least one, Adi Yussuf came close, Josh Staunton had a crack.

But sometimes, the fine margins don’t go your way.

On another day, Scott Loach in the Chesterfield goal doesn’t get his hand up, or Knowles’ wonder strike goes in off the bar rather than bounces out.

If the first half ends 3-1 to us, we go on and win the game. 

Those moments haven’t gone for us all season, but on Saturday evening it looked destined to never fall for us.

Striker Adi Yussuf fires a shot in on goal.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

… and on that… I’m done with Adi Yussuf.

Sorry, I don’t like calling out individuals, but I’ve gone from giving him the benefit of the doubt to really struggling to understand what he brings to the table.

He gave away free-kicks, he misplaced key passes in attacking areas which would have led to more chances, he managed to somehow not bundle the ball home from a yard out in the second half, he got in the way of others, and he constantly got caught offside.

Reuben Reid needs to be given a run in the side above Yussuf in the pecking order if Olomola isn’t fit. Reid looked brighter in that final 10 minutes.

Sorry Adi, nothing personal.

Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz

I think, I’m looking forward to a Staunton, Gorman and D’Ath midfield.

Actually, I know I am, I quite excited by it.

Worthington, Barnett, Bradley and Lo-Everton have their place and in a squad environment they’ll all be very very handy, but, Josh Staunton looked he needed his mate, Gorman out there. Like Ant without Dec, Phil without Grant, it just looks a better fit for the team.

And as for D’Ath, he’s genuinely one of the best players in the league. 

He’s that good. It’s all so effortless for him to pick a pass and to have the composure on the ball that so many around him were lacking. 

If we can get those three on the pitch together singing from the same hymn sheet, that’s a bloody good midfield.

Sarll speaks to the media at Chesterfield

And finally, the manager made his clearest statement yet regarding the off-the-field future of Yeovil Town and it needs to be the catalyst for clarity.

Every word he spoke was correct, this is a team worth supporting, getting behind, enhancing, developing and moulding into a squad that can get Yeovil Town promoted.

If, as many now think, this season is over… next season must begin ASAP. That means clarity and plan of how we approach the medium to long term future of the team.

His own position included, either he needs to be told to go and get who he needs because he’s in charge, or told he won’t be allowing a new person to assess the squad. 

That sounds brutal, and harsh and I’m very much ‘Sarll In’ but the time for next season to start is coming… and it’ll be here far sooner than the end of this current campaign.

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… there’s a bank-based pun in that headline, but I can’t quite figure it out, anway...

Ben Barclay
Pic: YTFC YouTube

Yeovil Town have announced the extension of Ben Barclay’s loan deal from Stockport for an additional month.

His original deal was close to completion but Manager Darren Sarll had made no secret of his desire to keep the defender for longer, saying after the midweek game he was waiting on the ‘big man’ to authorise the deal.

The ‘big man’ has found his clicky pen and signed the documents to keep the centre back at Huish Park for another month.

Prior to the weekend’s game vs Chesterfield, Barclay and his defensive unit have conceded just three goals in the last five games and will be hoping to keep former Glover Joe Quigley and Co quiet in the Saturday tea time kick off.

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Yeovil Town have been handed a home tie in the Semi Final of the Somerset Premier Cup against either Odd Down or Wells City.

The Glovers’ won their quarter final against Chedder and are one game away from Wembley  the final.

The schedule suggests this game is meant to take place in the week commencing 21st March, but Yeovil host Bromley in the National League on Tuesday 22nd, suggesting this may get moved, we will bring you details once they are confirmed.

Odd Down will face Wells City on Tuesday 1st March for the right to play at Huish Park after their first attempt on February 15th was postponed.

The other semi-final sees Frome Town host Jerry Gill’s Bath City, the final date and venue are yet to be confirmed, in case you were hoping to book the day off work.

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Yeovil Town Manager Darren Sarll said he was frustrated to come away with only a point on Tuesday night against Maidenhead.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he spoke of his disappointment at not picking up the win.

“I was disappointed in the end that we haven’t won the game, I’m frustrated we haven’t won the game because the players and I are hugely ambitious, we don’t want to be a mid table team, our play is improving, but I want us to be more than that.”

“I don’t want to keep leaning on age, or resources, because that’s not fair to the supporters who travel so far and spend so much money. 

The last two away games, that should be six point rather than two.”

The Glovers had two goals ruled out during the game, one for a foul by Luke Wilkinson in the first half and a late strike by Rueben Reid ruled out for offside.

Luke Wilkinson and Reuben Reid celebrate the FA Cup win over Stevenage. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

In all, Sarll was disappointed by the officials.

“I thought the first goal – the Wilkinson header – was a goal, he’s just more aggressive and builds momentum from the delivery and heads it in. If you’re going to give free kicks for that then oh my life.”

“He (the Ref) was poor all night, some of the decisions were astronomical, they were really poor and it just spoils the game”

“We’ll look at it, report it and nothing will get done”

On a brighter note, Olufela Olomola scored his first goal of his third loan spell with a neat finish, unfortunately his match was cut short by injury in the second half.

“He’s got good technique, I’m a little bit worried about what he’s come off for… but it was a good strike, he was a threat, a real threat and he’s got that capability of receiving back to goal and being strong and also really threatening in behind”

Regarding the injury, Sarll says he expects the on loan Hartlepool front man to get a scan ahead of the weekend trip to Chesterfield.

“I’d be a little bit concerned about that right now… or he’s a wimp and I don’t know him well enough and he rocks up fit for Saturday”

  • Ben Barclay‘s loan is expected to be extended until the end of the season, we reported earlier that the Manchester Evening News had reported that an extension was on the way, but Sarll himself confirmed he was waiting on the final paperwork to be completed. “I think that’ll go through tomorrow (Wednesday), we’re just waiting on the big man (we presume he means Scott Preistnall, rather than God, Santa Claus or Peter Crouch) to authorise it. Ben wants to stay, he’s been fantastic for us, I think we’ve conceded something like three goals since he’s been with us.”
  • Lawson D’ath completed 60 minutes and the manager was pleased as he continued his recovery from long term injury. “He’s fabulous, some of his touches and awareness. I just thought the 60 minute mark was enough because he started to look fairly frail, bless him, but he will push with that game time he will push, the great thing with Lawson is he is a big player for us, even in that 60 minutes, it’s better for us to have Lawson out there”

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Alex Bradley in conversation with manager Darren Sarll.

Yeovil Town midfielder Alex Bradley spoke to the BBC after the Glovers’ 1-1 draw away at Maidenhead and he said it was disappointing not to get the win on his return to the side.

The former Finland youth international was making his first league start of the season and played 87 minutes before being replaced by Adi Yussuf.

“I really enjoyed being back playing with the lads, just disappointed we haven’t come away with all three points”

“I’ll play wherever I’m told to play, when the manager wants me to play… I feel fit, I feel really fit, the gaffer has got me doing extra running and extra training so yeah, I do feel fit and tonight I felt good out there”

The game saw no fewer than three goals ruled out for various reasons, two for the Glovers; and Bradley says there’s more to come from this side.

“We’ve got to want more, we’ve got to keep pushing as a team and as a squad, we can’t be satisfied with coming here tonight and going away with a point because these are the places we have to come and look to get all three points”

With Chesterfield on the horizon, Bradley is adamant the Glovers will be out for the win, with confidence remaining high.

“I think every game we have to go into with confidence, if you don’t you’ve already lost the game, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing – top of the league or bottom of the league – the objective has to be the same, to be going to game to try and win”

He also praised the return of Charlie Lee as assistant manager in his first league game in his new role, saying Lee is a “great bloke” and it’s “great to have him back”.

Bradley and Yeovil head to Derbyshire to face Chesterfield this Saturday at 17:20.

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The Manchester Evening News reporter Sam Byrne is reporting thay Stockport County are likely to allow defender Ben Barclay to remain at Huish Park for the remainder of the season.

Ben Barclay
Pic: YTFC YouTube

Byrne, who covers Stockport for the MEN tweeted on Tuesday that with the loan due to expire this coming week a decision was due to be made and it appears that it has fallen in the Glovers favour.

https://twitter.com/_SByrne/status/1496115092135493635?t=QuD6RBO-Fm0zz8K1BedlBw&s=19

Last week, Yeovil boss Darren Sarll said he’d be hopeful of keeping the central defender beyond his current stint and that appears to have been granted.

There is likely to be a recall clause in the deal, much like with Fela Olomola incase of emergency at the parent club, but we hope to hear some good news from the gaffer on the deal this week.

Barclay has been part of the Glovers defence that has kept three clean sheets since he joined.

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Another week at Huish Park passes us by and that means another Western Gazette column has been published.

For those of you who haven’t had chance to pick up the paper just yet, here is another chance to read our thoughts on how two key players could help us even out the form against the bottom sides to when we play the best teams in the National League.

Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz

Yeovil Town’s season so far makes no sense.

If you told me there was a team that had beaten Wrexham, Bromley and Stockport away, dispatched Halifax on the TV and picked up a pair of draws against Solihull, I’d assume they were set for promotion.

Tell me there’s a team that has failed to beat King’s Lynn, Dover, W*ymouth, Maidenhead, Wealdstone and Altrincham you’d have a fair guess they’d be struggling towards the bottom.

But the Glovers fit both these categories and as a result sit slap bang in the middle of the National League.

We asked both Luke Wilkinson and Darren Sarll to try and explain our peculiar record and neither could quite nail it on the head.

It could be potentially a mental thing, against lower sides we have to enforce the pace and tempo of the play as sides sit back and invite pressure, whilst we do exactly the same to those above us with all the promotion pressure that the big spenders have.

But, at time of writing,just nine points separate the Glovers from the play off spots, it’s hard not to look at those results against the relegation fodder and dream of what might of been.

Quite how we overcome this hurdle is a tough question, but it may well boil down to two things; someone to unlock the defensive lines of those who shut up shop and someone to find the back of the net.

Lawson D’ath has the quality to unlock those pockets of space, and find the final quality ball we’ve so desperately missed, and if Fela Olomola can add the final touch then maybe some of the drab draws or dreadful defeats can be turned into wins and the momentum can build from there.

Those two have the ability to take the pressure off of the likes of Wakefield, Knowles, Yussuf and Reid who have had the focus firmly placed on them for the lack of goals in the side.

The Glovers have drawn 7 games this season, a stat only beaten by Chesterfield with 10, it feels like the holy grail isn’t all that far away, but if the Glovers are to make a late surge – much like Luke Wilkinson said they could – they need to find a way through quickly and definitely have to beat W*ymouth next time, too!

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Charlie Lee rises highest
? Mike Kunz

Yeovil Town have announced former midfielder  Charlie Lee has rejoined the club on a short-term deal as assistant manager to Darren Sarll.

Sarll has been looking for a new right-hand man since the departure of Terry Skiverton to join the first-team coaching set-up at League One Charlton Athletic last month.

Speaking about his return, Lee said he “can’t wait” for first time match on the Huish Park touchline as assistant against Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.

The 35-year-old said: “I’m really excited about it. It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’m going to learn so much, obviously there is a lot for me to learn. I’m new to the role but there’s a lot of things I know I can bring, whether that be day-to-day, with the team or away from the team. I’ll bring a lot of energy.

“I’ve been in football for a long-time, I’ve helped out before with things that the coaches are normally involved in, even when I was here as a player. For that to be my focus, it’s really exciting and I can’t wait for the game on Saturday.”

https://twitter.com/charlielee06/status/1494363743488253954?s=20&t=9vfWrZTb2ZRRkdHeOTXi6w

Lee has coaching experience with youth teams at some of his former clubs Leyton Orient and Stevenage and, as a player, has tasted promotion on five separate occasions with Peterborough United, Gillingham and Orient.

Darren Sarll said it took “a three-minute conversation” to persuade his former skipper to return to Somerset having retired from playing whilst at National League South side Billericay Town in December.

The manager said: ” I think the appointment of Charlie highlights so many wonderful things about the club. Firstly, Charlie was desperate to come back and work for me and really try and impact the players with his experience, winning mentality and character.

“Secondly, it goes to show how much he loves and has connected with this Football Club. This was a three-minute conversation and we had an agreement, I think that says it all about the man and his willingness to make a difference.

“Sure, there are certain aspects of the role he’ll have to learn, but who knows winning better than Charlie? Not many. He’ll be an excellent foil for me and a perfect bridge to a young changing room, his enthusiasm will help me continue the path this team is on. I am truly delighted he is back where he belongs.”

Nick Crittenden did help out for the derby against W*ymouth last month, but Sarll was keen to add someone on a full-time role until the end of the season.

Charlie Lee controls the midfield
? Mike Kunz

Lee played more than 60 times across two seasons in the Glovers’ midfield before leaving Huish Park at the end of last season and joining Billericay at the start of this season.

He announced his retirement from full-time playing citing back problems, but has been spotted playing Sunday League football in recent weeks.

Welcome back to Huish Park, Charlie!

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There were a few names which Glovers’ fans might have been expecting to see on the team sheet for the Somerset Premier Cup tie against Cheddar, who were missing, we’ve done some digging and this is why a few young Glovers were missing.

● Ollie Haste was away on international duty with the English Colleges FA. He played from the start against Wales today, earning his second cap. The defender has also been playing for Southern League Division One South side Barnstaple Town.

● Pedro Borges came off the bench against Bridgwater United and starred against Larkhall Athletic back in November, but has now signed scholarship forms at Exeter City and represents their Under 18s.

● Korey Andrews, who also made a couple of appearances from the bench in the SPC. He has now joined Western League Premier Division side Street and represents them in their first team.

However, there was a good representation of the Under-18s side in the squad which faces Cheddar tonight with defenders Mason Hunter and Finlay Ridout both named in the starting XI.

On the bench, there are places for Callum Smalley, Sam Hodges, Benjani Junior, the son of the former Manchester City and Portsmouth striker, and Fin Skiverton, one of Terry’s three sons who played and scored against Bridgwater United in a previous round and has been playing for Street recently.

As promised by manager Darren Sarll, there are starts for goalkeeper Max Evans, and midfield spots for Alex Bradley and Toby Stephens.

 

Yeovil Town (4-4-2): Max Evans, Mason Hunter, Finlay Ridout, Morgan Williams, Jordan Barnett, Matthew Worthington, Toby Stephens, Alex Bradley, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Adi Yussuf, Reuben Reid. Substitutes: Callum Smalley, Sam Hodges, Joshua Sutton, Aidan Skiverton, Benjani Junior.

Cheddar (5-4-1) Dan Jackson, Kyle Sampson, Jamie Laird, Joe Woodley, Steve Holland, Chris Coombs, Kris Bell, Ricky Bennett, Ethan Reed, Harry Taylor, Robbi Maggs. Substitutes: Webster, Groom, Biggs, Hucker, March.

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Glovers’ Ollie Haste
Pic From @yeovilcollege⁰

Yeovil Town Under-18s player Ollie Haste was named in the starting line up for England Colleges’ fixture against their Welsh counterparts on Tuesday.

The Glovers’ left-back, who has represented Darren Sarll’s side in both the Somerset Premier Cup and been on the first team bench on a couple of occasions, played the full game in a 1-1 draw played at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

This was the defender’s second appearance for the three lions after making his debut back in December.

As well as turning out for the young Glovers, Ollie is on a dual registration with Southern League Division One South Barnstaple Town. He played in their goalless draw at AFC Totton at the weekend.

Huge congratulations, once again, Ollie, from everyone here at the Gloverscast.

England College Line Up vs Wales including Ollie Haste ? @ECFA12