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Yeovil will get back to league action this weekend as they travel to the capital to face Wealdstone at Grosvenor Vale on Saturday.

Form Guide…

The Stones haven’t been in the best form this season as they sit one place above bottom in 23rd. Last time out they won in the FA Cup beating Gosport Borough 4-1. However, the last time they pick up three points in the league was on the 26th August at home against Fylde. Although not winning many they got five draws, including against Southend and Halifax.

Mark Cooper’s side has been very up and down this season with five wins, five losses and three draws. Last time out was disappointing for the Glovers as they were knocked out of the FA Cup against lower league opposition. They have picked up over the last five games in the league however with just one loss against Oldham Athletic but with only win as well when facing Dagenham & Redbridge

Players applaud the away supporters at the final whistle at Chesham United.

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Key Players…

Wealdstone – Callum McFarlane

Callum McFarlane in action for Fulham. Picture courtesy of Fulham FC

The striker has played eight time for the Stones this season, after joining on from Fulham on deadline day. His return has been decent as well with three goals which got him the Wealdstone fans player of the month for September. In a team that has been down on its luck in this season McFarlane has definitely been a bright spark.

Another player to watch out for is Alex Reid. Joining on loan just before their FA Cup fixture Gosport, Reid then went on to score a hat-trick on debut, showing his goalscoring prowess.

Yeovil – James Plant

The right winger has started two games for the Glovers assisting one goal. In those two games the Port-Vale loanee has shown his quality playing out on the right. At 19-years-old there is room for improvement but that will come with time. He will need help from a struggling striker department though if he is to show how valuable he can be to the team in creating goals.

James Plants a cross.
Pic GARY BROWN

That’s what he said…

The Stones boss Matt Taylor spoke club media about the upcoming match with Yeovil. He said: “I’m expecting a really good team that got promoted last season. They’ve got a really good core of players, experienced both on and off the pitch with their management [staff]. I think it will be a difficult game for us.

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to local media ahead of Wealdstone on Saturday. He said: “It’s been a tough week in terms of analysis, leg work, tactics, you know,  but we just want a reaction. I need an angry reaction, I need a group of players that want to show and we aren’t too far away from the team which played really well against Dagenham & Redbridge a week before.”

The Glovers boss also gave insight into his opponents as well. He said: “They have a real culture of being heavily possession based and trying to dominate the opposition with the ball, so if you get your out-of-possession stuff wrong against them they can really hurt you.”

We’ve met before…

These two teams have met six times before, with Yeovil winning one, Wealdstone winning one and there being four draws as well. The last time these sides met it was a 0-0 draw at Huish Park with Owen Bevan being sent off. This picture has seen its fair share of goalless draws with the last three games all finishing 0-0. Thos three games have also seen three players sent off, twice for The Stones and once for the Glovers.

Don’t I know you…

The London side have two ex-Glovers in their squad with Cypriot Anthony Georgiou and Midfielder Craig Eastmond. Georgiou was one of Mark Coopers first signings when he joined Yeovil in November 2022 on loan. He only lasted a month in Somerset playing just the two games.

Anthony Georgiou. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Craig Eastmond was way before Cooper however, as he joined the club in the winter of 2015 after being released by Colchester United. The midfielder, made just one appearance which was against Colchester, playing just seven minutes as a sub. He did appear on the bench for the Glovers 11 other times without stepping on the pitch.

Who’s been naughty then…

Yeovil have been very naughty with four players currently one yellow card away from being suspended, those four are Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis, Charlie Cooper and Dom Bernard. Wealdstone will be able to bring both Adrian Mariappa and Jaydn Mundle-Smith after they both served their suspension.

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The FA Cup is back, as Yeovil Town travel to Chesham United in the Fourth Qualifying Round this Saturday, as they look to carry on winning ways.

Form Guide…

The Glovers  took all three points last time out, as they beat a tough Dagenham & Redbridge team. Yeovil were impressive throughout, with the only goal of the game coming through on-loan striker Ciaran McGuckin. It was the first time the Somerset side had won since a 4-3 win over AFC Fylde on September the 7th.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his second goal in green and white
Pic Gary Brown

Chesham United got through to the Fourth Qualifying Round on Tuesday evening as they defeated Bishops Cleeve in their replay 4-0. Their five games before that saw them win two, draw two and lose one which was at home to Bath City.

Key Players…

Chesham United – Nathan Minhas

The centre-forward has been in good form this season across the league and cup scoring five goals in nine games for The Generals. The 27-year-old joined form Slough in the summer and has been an instant hit. After missing games against Welling and Salisbury his goalscoring has slowed down in recent weeks with one goal in three.

Nathan Minhas goal celebration. Picture courtesy of @cheshamutdfc on X.

Callum Adebiyi has also been impressive for the Buckinghamshire side playing every minute so far this term. The full-back has also contributed to with one goal and three assists.

Yeovil Town – Ciaran McGuckin

The Northern-Irish frontman has proved his worth so far with impressive performances in his first three games. The on loan Rotherham United youngster bagged his first goal at the weekend in the 1-0 home win against Dagenham. Although the Glovers signed Aaron Jarvis and Harvey Greenslade in the summer they have been in need of a presence up top and McGuckin provides that.

After 140 minutes of football so far for the Glovers it finally feels that they may have a natural goal scorer in the 20-year-old.

That’s what he said…

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to local media about how seriously he is taking the game. He said: “We want to pay full respect to Chesham, they have got through some rounds to get to this stage and we have to respect that. I would not disrespect them by giving people minutes for the sake of it, we are going to pick the strongest team we can.

We want to get to the third round and pull a Premier League team and we have to dream, but I am sure Chesham are doing the same. They got promoted last year, they are brilliant, lovely people and they got me a cup of tea and a bit of cake the other night, so we will give them our full respect.”

The Generals joint manager, Michael Murray spoke to the clubs media after his side win against Bishops Cleeve. He said: “It’s a big thing for the football club, to play Yeovil at home. We are going to have our supporters out in numbers like we did with Maidstone last year.

Our boys will compete, our boys will be ready…we know we’re going to have to hit our maximums to compete and to get a right result against them.”

We’ve met before…

These two sides have only met three times before, once back in 1982 in an FA Cup fixture at The Meadow. The result that day was a 1-0 victory for the Glovers, seeing them progress to the second round proper. That day it was Yeovil striker Andy Bell who grabbed the winning goal in front of 1,433 fans in Bucks.

 

The second time we met was in 1986 in the League Cup which the Yeovil won 7-1 with a hat-trick from John McGinlay, two from Carl Zachhau and just one a piece for Mickey Tanner and Phil James.

The last time Yeovil played Chesham was a year later in 1987 again in the league cup which the Glovers again ran out winners, winning 3-0, two form Phil Ferns and one for Paul Randall.

Don’t I Know you…

No we don’t, as there is no ex-Glovers in the Chesham United side. There isn’t even a tenuous link we can make which is a first.

Who’s been naughty then…

No one has been naughty for either Chesham or Yeovil. Glovers boss Mark Cooper was also cleared of his red card last week which he got against Oldham Athletic.

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Yeovil Town will be back home action on Saturday as they play host to Dagenham & Redbridge at Huish Park.

Form Guide…

The Glovers have found wins hard to come by recently with no wins in their last five, over that period Mark Cooper‘s side have four draws and one loss. Goals have also been even fewer and farther between with just the one goal scored.

The Somerset side picked up that one in last outing which was a 1-1 draw at home to Aldershot Town with on-loan Rotherham United man Ciaran McGuckin’s equaliser being that only goal in the last five.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his first Yeovil goal. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The Daggers have been very much the opposite of Yeovil over their last five games with four wins and a draw from those outings. The wins have been emphatic as well against good opponents, the run of results include a 7-1 victory over Gateshead and a 3-0 win against Sutton United. Both those wins came on home soil where Dagenham have the sixth best record in the division (P6, W3, D2, L1), but they sit 18th out of 24 in the away form table (P6, W1, D3, L2) after 12 matches.

In their latest fixture they took a very good point from a decent Solihull Moors side, with the match finishing 1-1, albeit manager Ben Strevens described himself as “very disappointed” after seeing his side waste a hatful of chances to make it three points.

The Daggers sit two places and two points ahead of Yeovil going in to the match in tenth place in the National League Premier table. 

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Ollie Wright

I myself have been sceptical about the shot-stopper with some of his mistakes at the start of the season. But over the last couple of matches the young keeper has made some important saves to keep his side in with a chance of a result.

Wright is still learning his trade so mistakes are more than expected, but with the Glovers’ attackers struggling to find the net, the team need the defence and especially goalie to keep the opposition from scoring at the other end. If Yeovil want to get results at the moment they have to rely on the keeper.

Ollie Wright saves low. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Dagenham & Redbridge – Dion Pereira

For the Essex side it’s been former Huish Park loanee Dion Pereira who has blossomed this season. The left winger has contributed seven goals so far this season and has also chipped in with three assists.

The Luton Town loanee, who had a forgettable one-match spell under Darren Sarll in October 2021, has already shown what an asset he can be in his 12 games so far, so will hand full for whoever is chosen to mark him.

Another recognisable name in the lower leagues that is a worth mention is striker Junior Morias, formerly of Peterborough United, who have a knack of picking up talented players.

That’s what he said…

Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper is wary of the attacking talents the Essex side have at their disposal. He said: “They have some good, experienced players and they can cause problems on their day with Junior Morais and Josh Umerah up front, they are a handful at this level.”

Manager Mark Cooper with assistant Chris Todd. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Daggers’ manager Ben Strevens, who knows Yeovil assistant Chris Todd from their playing days and managerial days together at Eastleigh, said he believed the Glovers should have won their last match at home to Aldershot Town.

Speaking to Daggers’ TV, the former midfielder said: “We know we are going to have to be at our best, whenever you go away from home in this league, you do not get any points if you are anything but your best.”
 
The boss also spoke about new signing defender Romoney Critchlow, the transfer-listed central defender who has joined on loan from Peterborough United ahead of the trip to Somerset.
 
Strevens added: “He will add to the balance of the side. When we signed Trent (Randall) in the summer we expected him to be a right-sided centre half, but he did so well for us at right back in pre-season that he stayed there. So we always felt we were one centre half light, so bringing Rom in to the group helps us with a number of players being out injured. He is a good player who has become available and if there are players who we think will help us improve, we are going to try and do that.”
 

We’ve met before…

There have been 11 meetings between these two teams since they first met in 2010. Of those 11 matches Yeovil have ran out winners on five occasions and The Daggers have won four, with just the two draws.

The last time they met was in January 2023 when the Glovers took all three points with a 2-0 victory, with goals from a Jordan Maguire-Drew penalty and Matty Worthington after the Daggers’ Harry Phipps was sent off after half-an-hour.

The last time we faced the East London side at Huish Park, Yeovil picked up a rare victory under then-manager Chris Hargreaves with Jamie Reckord’s 34th minute strike the difference in August 2022.

Jamie Reckord scores against Dagenham & Redbridge. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Don’t I know you?…

We have already mentioned the only former Glover in Dion Pereira, who came on loan to Huish Park in 2021 playing just a single game. He’s quite a different player to the one we saw it seems.

On the Daggers’ bench, Lewis Young, who was part of the 2012/13 side which earned promotion to the Championship, is assistant manager to Ben Strevens at Victoria Road these days.

 

Dion Pereira in action against Notts County.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty then?…

Neither team will have anyone missing through suspension.

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Yeovil Town are on the road again as they travel to the capital to face Sutton United in midweek in clash between 10th and 16th.

Form Guide…

The home side have a mediocre last five games with three losses and two wins. However, they have found some form in recent weeks as they picked up six points in their last two fixtures, which included an impressive 3-1 victory away to Southend United. Currently sitting 10th in the league the U’s will be hard to beat.

It’s a similar story for the Glovers over their last five games as they have taken seven points from an available fifteen. The Somerset side last won against AFC Fylde at the start of the month. Since that win Yeovil’s form has taken a slight dip with two losses and a draw, with their latest result being a 1-0 loss to Oldham.

Key Players…

Sutton United – Josh Coley

Coley joined The Amber and Chocolates at the start of last season where he didn’t have his most productive year contributing to 11 goals in 48 games many of which were assists. After staying with the London club after their relegation the former Exeter man has found his feet scoring four goals in eight games from right midfield.

Another player who maybe worth keeping an eye on is Ashley Nadesan who has scored in the last two games.

Yeovil Town – Michael Smith

The evergreen fullback has played every game for the Glovers this season, amassing 738 minutes of game time. At 36-years-old, Smith is no spring chicken but the experience, professionalism and quality in play will be vital for Yeovil this season and to get them out of this “mini-slump”.

The right-back clearly has the backing of Mark Cooper (and our very own Ollie Marsh) and it’s not hard to see why, he is one of the most if not the most consistent player in the team who always gives his all.

Michael Smith in action for Yeovil.

That’s what he said…

Sutton boss Steve Morrison spoke to their clubs Youtube channel on his thoughts ahead of the midweek clash. He said: “They’re a really good team, a food solid group of players…there is no point trying to work out whether you think some games will be easier than overs because they’re not, so yeah it’s going to be a tough test.”

Assistant manager Chris Todd talked to the media about the upcoming fixture after the loss at Oldham. He said: “The players are really disappointed, we could’ve come away with a point…but we’ll pick ourselves up and go again with a big game against Sutton.”

Manager Mark Cooper with assistant Chris Todd. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

We’ve met before…

The two clubs have met a four times previously, with Sutton winning on three of those occasion and Yeovil taking the spoils only once. When the pair last faced off in 2021 it was The U’s who took all three points as they ran out 2-1 victors, with Harry Beautyman and Isaac Olaofe scoring for Sutton and Reuben Reid bagging for the Glovers.

Don’t I know You…

The Yellows have a few familiar faces for travelling fans to spot. Currently on the books is former Cambridge loanee Lewis Simper, the midfielder spent a couple months at Huish Park in 2021 playing just the one game in a 2-0 loss to Grimsby.

Another ex-loanee in Edwin Agbaje also now plays for the U’s. The Irish man had a spell at the Glovers at the start of 2023, where he went on to make 10 appearances for the Somerset side.

Edwin Agbaje. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty….

Neither Yeovil or Sutton have anyone suspended for the game. Mark Cooper‘s potential suspension is unknown after he received a red card against Oldham.

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Yeovil are back in the road this weekend, as they make the trip to Greater Manchester to play Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Saturday.

Form Guide…

The Latics have been the kings of 1-1 draws this season with five results ending with that score line, with four of those coming in their last five games.

However, their latst result against Woking saw them triumph 3-1 winners away from home.

Over the last five games the Glovers have picked up seven points with wins on the road at AFC Fylde and Boston United, and two defeats and a draw on home soil against Rochdale, Solihull Moors and Altrincham respectively. 

Away from home, Yeovil go in to the weekend with the third best record in the division, facing the 15th-best home record in the division in Oldham, who have not won since a 3-0 success over Braintree Town on the opening day of the season.

With the Somerset side currently sat in 12th in the National League it has been a steady start to the new campaign, however, on paper, Premier League founder members Oldham will provide a much sterner test than the past couple of weeks.

Key Players…

Oldham – Mike Fondop

Fondop has been the Greater Manchester side biggest threat this season with three goals and two assists in nine games. The striker has started 67% of games for The Latics, becoming someone they have heavily relied upon.

He will be a familiar face for all the wrong reasons for Glovers’ fans having scored against us both home and away in the 2022-23 season, including a brace in a 3-0 win for Oldham in the penultimate game of a forgettable season (for us) at Huish Park.

Michael Fondop on an Oldham Athletic X post.

Another notable name is James Norwood who hasn’t been his prolific self but his qualities at this level could be on show if he finds form. Norwood rose to prominence with an impressive goal-scoring record at Tranmere Rovers which earned him a move to Ipswich Town and then Barnsley, before arriving at Oldham in the summer of 2023. He scored 18 times last season and has just one in five appearances so far this campaign.

Yeovil – Sam Pearson

The winger has been very productive this season with four assists and one goal in nine games so far this season.

The Welsh youth international has contributed mainly when playing on the left  with one goal and two assists coming from when playing in that position. But the ex-Bristol City man has found himself more often than not on the right where he has been far less effective.

Pearson will need to be outlet this weekend for Yeovil as attacking opportunities may be hard to come by against a recently relegated team.

Sam Pearson on the attack – Pic – Gary Brown

Thats what he said…

Glovers boss Mark Cooper talked to the press about the talent Oldham have at their disposal. He said: “They have a squad of players that are probably above the level and at a club like Oldham they know they have to win games of football, otherwise the crowd are not happy.”

Latics’ manager Micky Mellon spoke to the club’s website about the weekend, he said: “We are definitely competing with the better teams in the division and we need to turn these draws in to victories, we are certainly creating chances and the next stage is being more clinical and ruthless.

“This is the most balanced National League I have known, every game seems to be contested evenly, there’s loads of quality players in to this division and every week is a tough challenge and the next game (against Yeovil) will be that.

“There’s loads of Football League experience, loads of players that have been schooled well at Under-23s level, but we believe we have a really good group that can handle that.”

We’ve met before…

Oldham and Yeovil have met 22 times in their history with The Latics winning eight of those, the Glovers have also won eight with the other six fixtures being draws.

The last time these two side met was in 2019 at Huish Park with the away side winning 0-3. In fact Yeovil haven’t won a game in this fixture since 2015 when they won 2-1 at home.

Don’t I know you…

The former Yeovil players don’t stop as former Glovers man Otis Khan is now in Micky Mellon’s squad. Khan played 87 times for the Glovers netting 18 times and setting up 15 goals. The Pakistan international was at Huish Park for two years between 2016 and 2018.

Otis Khan in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Since leaving Somerset the winger has gone to play for Mansfield, Newport and Tranmere to name a few.

Who’s been naughty then…

Neither team will have anyone missing through suspension.

How can you keep across the game?

In Person

If you fancy the 500-mile round trip from Somerset to Greater Manchester, tickets are available – check the Huish Hugh Ciderspace Away Travel Guide for full details.

On the Radio

BBC Somerset will have full coverage of the match with Josh Perkins the man with the mic.

On the TV/ stream

National League TV has this game listed as available to watch outside of the UK

On the Gloverscast.co.uk

We’ll have team news, match report, Five Conclusions and our usual reaction podcast to follow on Monday.

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It’s another away day for Yeovil Town as they travel to the Lancashire coast to face AFC Fylde on Saturday afternoon.

Form Guide…

AFC Fylde are not entering this weekend in great form with just one win so far this season, coming with a 3-2 victory at home to Solihull Moors on the opening day of the season. Their last outing was a 1-0 defeat at Wealdstone on August Bank Holiday Monday, meaning they have gone five games without a win. It hasn’t all been bad however with draws away at Oldham Athletic and at home to Maidenhead United in the same five-game run.

The Coasters made the headlines for the wrong reasons last weekend when their home match with Southend United was postponed due to the visitors’ train from the South East to the North West on Saturday morning being cancelled.

Yeovil have had a very up and down start to the season, with three wins and three defeats so far. The three wins have been against teams they would be expecting to get wins against – albeit victories over Braintree Town and Boston United have come away from home – whilst their defeats to Hartlepool United, Gateshead and Rochdale have come at the hands of sides expected to be closer to the promotion race than the relegation battle.  

The Glovers’ last game saw them win away 3-1 at Boston United, which will give the travelling faithful hope of another three points away from home this weekend.

Key Players…

Nick Haughton

Haughton plays in an attacking midfield role for Fylde and although the team’s results has not been great so far this season, it’s been a brilliant start for the former Salford City player. With five goals from five games, 29-year-old is joint top of the National League Premier scoring charts alongside Forest Green’s Christian Doidge and Aldershot Town’s James Henry. Haughton also has one assist to his name. 

Since joining Fylde in 2018, Haughton has scored 85 goals and get 36 assists. He has previously played for other Lancashire clubs including Fleetwood Town in the Football League and Chorley.

Brett McGavin

We have already looked at McGavin as important player, but in recent games he has proven why he might be our most important this season. With our strikers struggling to find scoring form so far, the midfielder has stepped with some important goals.

Last weekend against Boston United the 24-year-old picked up two goals, one of which was a brilliant free kick nestling in the top right corner. The competition between him and Haughton for being a dead ball specialist is one to keep an eye on at Mill Farm this weekend.

Outside of goals-coring McGavin has a more progressive roll than our other midfielders, which offers a different dynamic for Yeovil manager Mark Cooper as he doesn’t have to rely on his strikers as much with McGavin seeming to make late runs onto the edge of the box.

He is one to watch that is for sure.

Video courtesy of Dannholla_ on X.

That’s what he said…

AFC Fylde boss, Chris Beech, gave his thoughts to club media ahead of the game. He said: “They’re a very good team which have got great football league experiences in their playing ranks. Mark Cooper – I played with him at Hartlepool in midfield so I know Mark very well, and he’s done brilliant in regards to his longevity in football, his management career and he’s got his mojo back. He did a brilliant job at Yeovil last season, so I have no doubt he’ll be trying to emulate previous successes of that football club and other clubs he’s worked for and I’m really looking forward to seeing him.”

Glovers manager Mark Cooper was very complimentary about Saturday’s opponents. He said: ““They will be really organised, they will be ultra fit, a real process to what they do and they will have something up their sleeve. They have some good players, (midfielder Nick) Haughton is an exceptional player for the level who should be playing League football and they have one or two others.”

We’ve met before…

These two last met five years ago when they drew one and Yeovil won the other. In the first game the Glovers ran out 3-2 victors in a tight game at Huish Park in September 2019. The scorers that game were Rhys Murphy, Myles Hippolyte and Jimmy Smith for Yeovil with Kurt Willoughby getting a brace for Fylde.

The most recent of our meeting was a 2-2 draw in the same season, with a Gabriel Osho own goal and Dan Bradley finding the net for Fylde to put them 2-0 up at Mill Farm. Striker Courtney Duffus grabbed two late goals to see Darren Sarll’s Glovers head home with a point.

Don’t I know you…

AFC Fylde do posses an ex-Glover in their side (I know I’m in shock too) in the form of centre back Corey Whelan. The Chester native played for Yeovil on loan way back in the 2017/18 season, at which point he was captain of Liverpool at Under-23s’level. Making just 11 appearances for the Glovers, Whelan is not an instantly recognisable name.

Since his loan spell in Somerset, the centre-back has played in Major League Soccer in the United States for Phoenix Rising, before returning to the UK to have spells at Wigan Athletic and Carlisle United before making the move to Fylde in the summer.

Who’s been naughty then…

Jake Wannell has been a naughty boy. The centre-back was sent off in the final minutes against Boston last weekend, so will sit out this weekend’s trip to Fylde. With Wannell suspended and central defensive partner Morgan Williams expected to be missing with concussion, Finn Cousin-Dawson will surely make a start for Cooper.

Speaking about his defensive headache on Thursday, the manager said: ““If you had told me ten days ago we’d lose Morgan Williams, Jake Wannell, Alex Whittle, Raph Araoye, and Harvey Greenslade, I would have said ‘wow, we are in a bit of a pickle there.’ But I have faith in the boys we have got, and if we have to shuffle things about, we can, we have Michael Smith and Charlie Cooper who can play centre-half, Matt Worthington can play right-back, so there is plenty of flexibility in the squad.”

Jake Wannell sees red at Boston

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Yeovil are back in action on Saturday as they head north to Boston United in a clash that sees two of the newly promoted teams face off.

Form Guide…

The Pilgrims have not started the season well with just one win and draw from five games. The four points that they have picked up however have been in their last two games, with their most recent result being a 2-0 win over York City.

Yeovil haven’t exactly been in a purple patch either having lost their two previous fixtures. Bank holiday Monday saw the Glovers come up against Rochdale who they kept quiet until 90+1 minute, ultimately losing 0-1.

Key Players…

Boston United – Michael Bostwick

The centre back was dropped after the first two games in which Boston got beat 3-0 and 4-0. However, he has been solid over since coming back into the team over the last two games for the Pilgrims, only conceding one goal in that time.

if Yeovil are to get back in the goals they will need to negate Bostwick’s experience and calmness at the back. Now aged 36 he has little in his legs but still provides the back bone to this Pilgrims team.

Yeovil Town – Frank Nouble

Frank Nouble cuts a frustrated figure
📸 Gary Brown

It’s tough when the team hasn’t started great for players to find form and a rhythm to the season.

Nouble hasn’t got off the mark this season but he is still vital for the Glovers on field success this season. Having bagged 11 goals last season, the big man has shown he has the quality to contribute at this level, and if the Huish Parks side want their form to pick up Nouble will be crucial to that.

Thats what he said…

Pilgrims first-team coach, Joe Simpson, is expecting a tough game on Saturday. He said: “Every game is difficult, Yeovil are another full time team that were in the [Football] League  not to long ago, but they’re games we’re going to embrace and enjoy. We know that if we are at it, we give ourselves a good chance to get a result.”

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper gave his thoughts on the Boston game as he spoke to the media on Thursday. He said: “They had a great result at York, but we have to concentrate on the things that make us good. We are not going to throw everything out of the window because Boston beat York and we lost to Rochdale.”

We’ve met before…

We have to go all the way back to 2005 for the last time these two teams met in a League Two fixture. Yeovil won that game 2-1 with both goals scored by captain fantastic, Terry Skiverton. 

The current head to head record has the Glovers with four wins to Bostons two.

Don’t I know you…

We love an ex Yeovil player here at Gloverscast and Boston boast one in their ranks.

Cast your minds back to 2008, Russell Slade in the dugout and a young loanee by the name of Martin Woods was on the team sheet. If you do remember him, you are probably in the minority as he played three games for the us that season on loan from Doncaster Rovers. 

Woods has gone on to have somewhat of a journeyman career however, playing in England and Scotland for the likes of Ross County, Dundee and Halifax Town.

Martin Woods signing for Boston United
Martin Woods signing for Boston United (X:@bostonunited)

Who’s been naughty then…

Neither side has any worries in terms of suspensions or players one yellow card away from suspension.

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Saturday sees Yeovil Town play their second of three games in six days as they make the long trip north to Gateshead in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.

Form Guide…

Both sides have found their feet early on in the season, with Gateshead in second place in the National League Premier table and the Glovers in eighth.

The Tynesiders haven’t lost yet winning twice and drawing once with their most recent result being a 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

The big news of the Heed’s season has been the loss of two key players to injury with captain Greg Olley suffering a horrific leg break in their second match at Woking a week ago, and defender Joe Grayson, who injured his knee in their opening game of the season, a 5-1 home win over Ebbsfleet United.

The Glovers have been in good form as well after a spirited loss on the opening day they bagged six points from the last two games. The Somerset side dug in on Tuesday night to win 3-2 against Ebbsfleet United.

Charlie Cooper assesses his options – Pic – Gary Brown

Key Players…

Brett McGavin

Captain Matt Worthington was our pick for key player for Tuesday night’s fixture at home to Ebbsfleet and for this game I want to look his midfield partner in Brett McGavin.

Brett McGavin salutes the Thatchers Stand after scoring v Ebbsfleet

McGavin joined in the summer after leaving Torquay United. He has since proven a valuable asset, playing 70 minutes or more in all three games so far this season. He also contributed in Tuesday nights game with a goal that saw the Glovers go 1-0 up.

Regan Booty

Booty has so far been the stand out player for Gateshead. The central midfielder has got four assists in three games so will be crucial to the home side in the final third.

His battle with Worthington/McGavin will be interesting as whoever has the task of marking him will have there work cut out. Whoever wins this battle I feel will win the game.

 That’s what he said…

Glovers manager Mark Cooper had only positives to say about Saturday’s opponents when speaking to the media ahead of the Bank Holiday Weekend. He said: “They’re the most pure football team in the league, in terms of the way they play. They’re really easy on the eye…they really test you and ask you questions.”


Cooper has mixed feelings to playing Gateshead away with a game on Monday as well.

“We’re going when the weather’s decent and it’s not freezing cold, it is a write off of two days however due to the travel.”

The love-in between these two sides was reciprocated by Gateshead manager Rob Elliot who said he expects Yeovil to be the strongest of any of the teams promoted last season.,

He said: “They have a very experienced manager, experienced players, they have a good system and a really good shape, they are really solid and can dominate the ball, but they are also very compact in the way they hold the mid-block.

“They have a lot of threats, big Nouble up front, a big personality and a big player, so we expect this to be our toughest test of the season. We have to make sure we are ready for it and make sure we attack the game and do not fall in to being passive because if we just pass it around without intent, you can find it really hard to gain momentum.”

We’ve met before…

There has been three meetings between these two sides, with Yeovil leading the head-to-head with two wins to Gateshead’s one.

The last time they met was in the F.A Cup last year when the Glovers ran out 3-1 winners, with goals coming from Rhys Murphy, Jake Stevens and an own goal from Joe Grayson.

Don’t I know you…

Mark Beck. Remember that name, if you don’t I can’t blame you, his time at Yeovil wasn’t memorable (sorry Mark).

Joining in 2015, the Scottish striker made nine appearances for a Paul Sturrock side scoring no goals and getting just the one assist. He was soon loaned out to a then non-Hollywood Wrexham team.

There’s also Brandon Haunstrup who possibly makes this list having had a complete of substitute appearances at left-back for Mark Cooper’s side in pre-season this summer. He did not make the grade at Huish Park, but has got a deal on Tyneside, where he had a brief spell on loan last season whilst a Cambridge United player.

Who’s been naughty then…

Neither Yeovil or Gateshead have anyone suspended for the game.

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Yeovil Town Badge on huish park

It’s time for our first evening game of the season. Yeovil will face Ebbsfleet at 7.45pm Tuesday night in what will be hopefully a noisy Huish Park.

Here’s what you need to know…..

Form Guide…

After two games the Glovers have won one and lost one which has them sitting mid-table. Their win on Saturday was solid and should provide some building blocks for the Somerset side. 

Morgan Williams wheels away as the ball nestles in to the Braintree net.

Ebbsfleet have lost both games to start the season but they have had to face two of the favourites for promotion in Barney and Gateshead. In their last game against Barnet they only lost 2-1, so will provide a stern contest for the home side.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Matty Worthington

So we have looked at forwards and defenders in the last two weeks, so let’s now look at a midfielder. Matty Worthington is a stalwart, he does the things many don’t want to do, he is the definition of box-to-box and above all else he is a bloody good captain. 

The “Ginger Pirlo” has been a mainstay in the midfield since he joined the Glovers permanently in 2019. Last season he started to add goals to his game which has been what’s missing for him. If he can carry that on this season he’ll be even more of an asset to Mark Cooper. 

Matt Worthington.
Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

As captain he doesn’t need to do much else, Worthy is a modern Yeovil great, who has green and white running through his blood.

Ebbsfleet United – Dominic Poleon

The striker has been at The Fleet since 2021 after leaving Newport County. Poleon has bagged one goal in his only game so far this season. 

The big man has been what you’d call prolific for the Kent side, scoring 71 goals across 131 games. Originally a Leeds United academy product the St Lucian has bounced around the leagues and will be a handful for the Glovers defense on Tuesday.

Thats what he said…

Ahead of Tuesday night’s game Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to the clubs social media.

“I haven’t thought about it yet…but we’ll have some tired bodies.  I’ll have to pick the freshest best team we can to try and get the three points in tough game on Tuesday.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent Danny Searle was looking at the good his side has done so far this season. He said: “Let’s get ourselves back on the training pitch, let’s go to Yeovil and take the positives from today, and we’ll look at the negatives and address them.”

We’ve met before…

Yeovil have the head to head record in this match having only played one game against each other in the covid hit 2019/20 season.

That year Darren Sarll’s side romped to a 3-1 win. With goals coming from Rhys Murphy, Remeao Hutton and Tom Whelan. Aswad Thomas was scored Ebsfleet’s only goal.

Don’t I know you…

For the second week in a row there is no former Glovers who now ply their trade in Kent. 

However last season, they did have Billy Clifford. Technically he never actually played a game for us but he did have a loan to Somerset in 2013, that’s the best link we can get.

Who’s been naughty then…

Although neither team has players  missing through suspension, both sides had yellow cards in their last games.

What makes this noteworthy is Ebbsfleet received five bookings throughout the game so there maybe some hotheadedness within their ranks if Yeovil can find the right buttons to push.

The Fleet will be without first-team coach Grant Basey who was sent off against Barnet.

HOW CAN YOU KEEP ACROSS THE GAME?

IN PERSON

Get to Huish Park! Tickets are available for the game here.

ON THE RADIO

Ian is back on the mic with Jack Killah for BBC Somerset and Three Valleys Radio will have full match coverage too.

ON THE TV/ STREAM

National League TV has this game listed as available to watch. Match Passes are £9.99

ON THE GLOVERSCAST.CO.UK

We’ll have team news, match report, Five Conclusions and our usual reaction podcast to follow on Monday.

 

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Yeovil travel east this weekend, as they play their first away game of the season against Braintree Town. Here’s what you need to know.

Form Guide…

With just the one game having been played so far this season form can be taken with a pinch of salt. However, both sides find themselves toward the bottom end of the table after suffering defeats on the opening day. 

Alex Whittle rises highest. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil fell victims to the far travelling Hartlepool team. After staying solid for the first half, it wasn’t until the 65th minute where the Glovers conceded the only goal of the game, consigning them to a 0-1 loss.

Braintree didn’t fair much better either, with the Essex side losing away to newly relegated Oldham Athletic, 3-0. Oldham will prove difficult for most teams this season, so it’s hard to say whether Braintree themselves will be difficult for Yeovil on Saturday.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Jake Wannell

Last week we looked at the attacking talents of Jordan Young. Defending is just as an important asset for a team though and with Jake Wannell we have a very good centre back. Last season he proved to be instrumental alongside defensive partner Morgan Williams.

In what that will be a cagey affair, with both teams looking to get all three points, a solid defensive base will be key against The Iron. Wannell will need to be on top form to keep John Akinde and Inih Effiong at bay.

Jake Wannell gets the better of Hartlepool striker, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Jake Wannell gets the better of Hartlepool striker, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Braintree – John Akinde

John Akinde will be a threat. At 35-years-old, Akinde is not what he once was, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a handful. Dropping down from the football league to join Braintree is definitely a coup for The Iron, who will be hoping he can find his old form.

Last season wasn’t the best for the centre-forward only bagging two goals, albeit for a struggling Colchester United side. At his peak however the ex-Bristol City man was a 26 goal a season striker.

That’s what he said…

Angelo Harrop spoke to the Braintree social media team on Thursday, following their opening day loss to Oldham, he said he was hoping for a bounce back to form.

“We’re disappointed with the result against Oldham, but we are a different animal at home and I’m hoping to see a big, big reaction from our players on Saturday.”

He then spoke about the need to have the ‘Iron Army’ behind him and his team as they, like us, try and get our first National League points on the board.

Whilst Mark Cooper was wary of the challenge that a physical Braintree side will pose. 

“I think Saturday will be even harder (than last Saturday), as they’ve recruited really well, they’ve signed Inih Effiong, they’ve signed John Akinde, which are immense forwards for this level, they did a remarkable job getting promoted last year, they were one of the best teams we played…

We know it’s going to be a tough job, but I’m sure Angelo will be expecting a tough game from us.”

 

We’ve met before…

The two teams know each other well having faced off twice last season. With two wins from two for the Glovers, you wouldn’t blame the travelling fans for thinking all three points may be a certainty here.

The first game was at Huish Park last October where the Glovers ran out 2-0 winners, with goals coming from Jake Hyde and Matty Worthington. The second of our two previous fixtures is where fans can be cautiously optimistic as Yeovil won 0-1 in Essex. This time Frank Nouble bagging the only goal of the game.

Don’t I Know You?

For what might be the first time ever there is no opposition players or staff who have had a spell at Huish Park. Last season Charlie Wakefield was part of the group that was promoted alongside the Glovers, but the silky winger has since departed.

Charlie Wakefield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty then!?

Neither Yeovil or Braintree picked up any red cards in the opener, so both sides will be with their full options of players.