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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.

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Yeovil Town will travel to Gloucester (I’ll get to that part) to face Truro City on Thursday night, in their rearranged league fixture.

The Glovers will be finally looking to get over the line and win the league after they failed to beat Worthing in their last match. With only one point now needed to win the National League South a draw will do for the Somerset side.

The Cornwall outfit have now been advised by the league to play their remaining games at Gloucester after their back up home ground (Wordsworth Drive) is unplayable due to damage from water logging. Thursday nights game will see the White Tigers play for the second time in 24hrs, after playing Eastbourne on Wednesday.

Yeovil Town News

Manager Mark Cooper seemed irked by having to play at changed venue. He said: “At the start of the season, you are told who you have to play against and where you have to play, then when it comes to that game, they are playing at a different place at a stadium which is in a different regional league, on a different surface. I am not sure it is right, but that is the way it is and we have to obey by the National League rules.”

Cooper briefly spoke about how “we can enjoy everything that comes with (winning the league) when it is done.”

Mark Cooper before Truro

The ex-Swindon man wants to make sure his team get the performance right. He said: “That is our work for this week, keeping everyone level-headed and looking forward to Thursday. We have to be really cold and calculated, forget the noise and make sure we get a performance on the pitch.”

Striker Rhys Murphy spoke openly about the teams current mindset. He said: “You just have to keep going, nothing is given to you in life, you have to take it.

“We are still in a fantastic position. We have to dust ourselves down and to have that resilience is crucial, so we go again.”

Rhys Murphy.

Injury wise for the Glovers, Jordan Stevens is back in contention after short spell on the sidelines. Full-Back Michael Smith is back in training. However, Jahmari Clarke and Will Dawes are both out for the season. Jake Hyde is ruled out due to 3G pitch.

TruroCity FC Team News

Truro boss Paul Wotton was keen to keep his side encouraged in the lead up to a busy week. He said: “I’ve told the boys don’t worry about it, keep believing, there is six games to go. Every points a prisoner.”

Truro City manager Paul Wotton.

Players To Watch

Centre Forward Andrew Neal is the White Tigers biggest threat having scored 12 goals this season. “Rocky” as he is known has been prolific in goal scoring for the majority of his career. Before his first spell at Truro, Neal scored 60 goals for Bodmin Town. Having spent two season in Cornwalls only city, the forward left for Taunton where he scored 42 goals across two campaigns. Then in 2020 he rejoined the White Tigers.

Tyler Harvey is another name to look out for with the forward/attacking midfielder contributing 10 goals in 30 games. Harvey started his career the other side of the Cornish border at Plymouth Argyle where he made 5o appearances. The front man is well thought of at Truro having been the clubs top scorer in both the 21/22 and 22/23 seasons.

Crossing Paths

Matt Buse will be a familiar name to fans with the Truro midfielder the older brother of current Glovers keeper Will Buse. Buse had stint as trials in the summer with the Yeovil but was not successful in getting a contract, like his brother he was also born and raised in the Town.

Matt Buse.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

The White Tigers boss Paul Wotton played 45 games across a loan spell then permanent transfer between 2010-2012 for the Glovers. Playing as a Centre-Back/Defensive midfielder Wotton was very much a leader on the pitch having joined form Championship side Southampton.

Ryan Law is another name in the Truro ranks who once plied his trade in South Somerset. The fullback spent the back end of last season on loan from Plymouth at Hush Park.

 

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Yeovil Town will face off against Worthing FC on Saturday at Huish Park as they look to clinch the league title.

The Glovers will win the league if they match or better Chelmsford’s result against Slough Town. With the potential of securing a first league title since the 04-05 season, Mark Coopers men will be looking to out on a show for a packed Huish Park.

Worthing will also be looking to secure all three points as they continue their push for the playoffs. The Rebels are currently sitting fifth in the league and haven’t lost in three games, so will prove tough opponents for the home side.

Yeovil Town Team News

Boss Cooper reiterated his season long stance of this game being the same as any other. He said: “It’s very rare you get an opportunity to win a league with five games to go, it shows how well the players have done…It’s important we see it as another game, it has to be like that.”

The 54-year-old spoke highly of Saturdays opposition claiming them to be “the best footballing side in the league”. Cooper also batted away any suggestion he may be approached by other clubs by stating he is “Happy here”.

Mark Cooper after the Weymouth game. Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

The former Swindon manager also talked about the dangers the Rebels may pose. He said: “They are the top scorers in the league and you can see why, they got some great players that have no fear, who just want to pass the ball and run forward and they’ve got the top marksman in the league [Ollie Pearce] who has done brilliantly well.”

Matthew Worthington shared his thoughts on being named captain after Josh Stanton‘s departure. He said:“I’m massively proud to be captain of this club and this team.

It’s new to me and I’m enjoying it, I’m grateful to the gaffer for giving me the opportunity.”

Matt Worthington.
Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

There are no fresh injury concerns for the Glovers.

Worthing FC Team News

First team coach Darren Budd spoke after the Rebels’ win over Hampton & Richmond. He said: “It was a great set of results this weekend which we now have to take into the Yeovil game. That’s going to be a tough test, they’ve shown their quality with where they are in the league but the boys will be relishing it.”

Budd also talked about Hush Park being a “great place to play” and how the “size of the pitch and grass” will suit the Worthing side.

The Worthing boss Aarran Racine knows Mark Cooper well, being managed by the Yeovil boss whilst at Forest Green Rovers. Racine should still be in the dugout for the match even after receiving a red card in Monday’s fixture . Kodi Lyons-Forster could be a doubt for the game after going off with a knock on Monday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

One player for home fans to keep an eye on is Ollie Pearce. The emphatic talisman has scored 36 goals in the league this season for the East Sussex side. Having started his career at Bognor Regis Town, Pearce made the step up to Worthing in 2018. It wasn’t until last season that the striker made a name for himself scoring 25 goals, assisting 14.

https://twitter.com/Vanarama/status/1773753349264822611

Another player to keep a look out for is youngster Brad Dologhan who bagged a brace against Hampton & Richmond.