A home tie against Southern League Premier South side Bath City awaits Yeovil Town or Wells City in the quarter-finals of the Francis Hillier Somerset Men’s Premier Cup.
The Glovers will play their second round tie at Wells next Tuesday 10th October with the prospect of a home fixture if they are successful.
The game had been due to be played at Huish Park but was switched to Wells Athletic Ground with a 7.30pm kick-off.
Yeovil Town’s Hayden Muller admitted the Glovers went down with a uncharacteristic whimper as they lost 2-0 at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.
The Glovers were felled by a free-kick from the hosts’ Cody Johnson on 59 minutes before Will Flint’s close range finish put them further behind eight minutes later.
Then, to add further insult, they had defender Archie Davies sent off for two bookable offences with 20 minutes remaining.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman after the game, Muller said: “We said at half-time that we needed to start winning more second balls and winning more duels. That wasn’t the case in the second half, we didn’t respond like we would’ve wanted to.
“We conceded a soft free kick, I think, and then didn’t react when we went 1-0 down. Obviously, we went down to ten men, which made it harder. We went out with a bit of a whimper there, I thought. It isn’t like us this season.”
The summer signing started the match in defence before moving in to midfield following an injury to captain Brett McGavin shortly before the half-hour mark.
He said: “It’s something I’ve been used to throughout my career. Last year, I did a bit of midfield and a bit of centre-back, so I’m definitely used to it.
“It’s good that I can help the team in loads of different positions. I’d rather play than sit on the bench. I just think it’s good that I can help the team out as much as I can, no matter where the manager wants to put me.”
Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley admitted his side were well beaten by an FC Halifax Town team which showed more desire in an early kick-off in West Yorkshire.
The Glovers were felled by a free-kick from the hosts’ Cody Johnson and a close range finish from Will Flint inside eight second half minutes before defender Archie Davies was dismissed for two bookable offences soon after.
To compound a bad afternoon at the office, they also saw influential captain Brett McGavin go off with injury with less than half-an-hour played at The Shay.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Mark Stillman after the match, Rowley said: “We were beaten by the better team today, definitely.
“We had a couple of moments in the first half where we created some half-decent counterattacks, but their game plan was obviously to go man-for-man all over the pitch. It was very hard to get any rhythm and, generally speaking, the team that wants it more in those games will usually come out on top.
“I didn’t think we were great in the transition moments. I didn’t think we were great at winning the second balls and trying to settle into our rhythm. Alternatively, when we did go long and tried to win a second ball, we didn’t really get around the second ball enough.
“It was a bit of an ugly game, but full credit to Halifax. They were better than us today in most aspects of the game.”
The loss of McGavin with just 26 minutes gone was an early blow. Rowley said the midfielder felt his calf soon after kick-off and he was replaced by Davies.
The boss said: “That was a massive blow for us. He felt his calf in the first couple of minutes and couldn’t really cover the ground he wanted to. Obviously, he had to come off and we had to shuffle things.
“I don’t think this game was a massive tactical masterpiece. This was a man-for-man game, a bit like basketball. Dealing with your own man, dealing with your own duel, and we lost too many of them today.
“We missed Jordan Norville-Williams for that type of thing. He’s superb at just getting hold of his man, winning the duels and securing the ball. But we weren’t very good at that and, if you can’t do the nuts and bolts of the hard work and graft, then you’re probably going to lose.”
Already 2-0 down and struggling to contain their hosts, Yeovil lost defender Davies who picked up his second yellow card for a rash tackle on the edge of the box with 70 minutes played. He will now be unavailable for next weekend’s FA Cup first round tie at Chesterfield.
Rowley said: “As soon as Archie went off, ten versus eleven, sadly you don’t think you’re probably going to get a point out of the game, which is really hard to take. It’s a long way to come. I felt like we were set up today to produce a bit of an upset here or get at least a point.”
A below par Yeovil Town failed to score for the first time this season as they went down to defeat at FC Halifax Town in an early kick-off on Saturday.
The Glovers went behind when Cody Johnson’s free-kick beat goalkeeper Jos Barker at his near post just before the hour, and then Will Flint turned home a close range finish to make it 2-0 soon after.
Defender Archie Davies saw red soon after when he was sent off for a second bookable offence on 69 minutes.
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors after Brett McGavin fed Slavi Spasov after two minutes. The striker beat how defender but his effort lacked any power.
There were breaks in both directions and a succession of Halifax corners, but the next meaningful action that either keeper had to did not come until the 18th minute. Johl Powell nicked the ball in the middle of the pitch, drove forward but hosts’ keeper True Grant did well to bravely get down at his feet to see away the danger.
At the other end, Jos Barker was called in to action seven minutes pater when he got down smartly to palm away a close range header from Conor Carty around the post. But a bigger blow came shortly after when captain Brett McGavin was replaced by Archie Davies. One can only assume that change was driven by an injury to the midfielder rather than tactical.
For large periods of the first half, Halifax dominates possession and asked a lot of questions of the Yeovil side in particular in wide positions with Ben Tollitt in particular looking tricky on the left side.
There was time for one more opening for the visitors as Ryan Jones dribbled his way through a host of defenders but his shot was not firm enough to trouble Grant.
The second half began in a similar fashion to how the first finished with Halifax enjoying the bulk of the possession but without really threatening the Yeovil goal.
The breakthrough came just before the hour mark when Cody JOHNSON whipped in a free kick from the edge of the box which beat Barker at his near post.
Yeovil pressed for an immediate response with Jones forcing a good save out of Grant, and then a long pass out from a Davies picked out Powell whose effort trickled just wide.
The Glovers were left to rue their missed chances even more when Halifax doubled their advantage on 66 minutes. Tollitt cut in from the left with too much ease and squeezed a ball in to the middle where Will FLINT was there to touch it home from close range.
It felt like there was a mountain to climb for the visitors and two minutes later that became an Everest when Davies was sent off after a rash tackle on the edge of the box saw him get his second yellow card with 69 minutes gone. With Ben Radcliffe and Jordan Norville-Williams already missing through suspension and injury respectively, the loss of another defensive option will be particularly painful.
With 15 minutes remaining, Yeovil boss Billy Rowley made a triple substitution bringing on Mason Obeng, Owen Dean and Loick Ayina. Carty bent a free kick inches past the post in the 83rd minute as the home side pressed to add to their advantage. For Yeovil, it was just damage limitation.
Overall, it was a bad day at the office where Halifax’s in-your-face style triumphed over the Glovers’ more patient approach. There have not been too many bad days at the office this season, but this was one of them.
Venue: The Shay
Date: Saturday, 31st October, 2026, 3pm kick-off
Competition: Enterprise National League Premier Division
Scorers: Cody Johnson 59 (0-1), Will Flint 67 (0-2)
Conditions: Dry and bright
Pitch: No complaints about the pitch at The Shay
Attendance: 1286 (196 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Seb Naylor 33, Hayden Muller 45, Archie Davies 58
FC Halifax Town: Cody Johnson 45+1, Will Hugill 63, Ben Tollitt 65
Sendings off
Yeovil Town: Archie Davies
FC Halifax Town: None
Referee: Ben Toner
Yeovil Town
Substitutes: Archie Davies (for Brett McGavin, 26), Loick Ayina (for Zain Westbrooke 75), Mason Obeng (for Seb Naylor, 75), Owen Dean (for Slavi Spasov, 75), Charlie Lennon (not used), Ste Walker (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
FC Halifax Town: True Grant, Lucas Houghton, Will Flint, Shaun Hobson, Deniche Hill (for Dylan Crowe, 74), Cody Johnson (for Tayt Trusty, 74), Will Hugill (for Zac Gilsenan, 80), Connor Douglas, Tommy McDermott (for Amari Morgan-Smith, 80), Ben Tollitt (for Owen Bray, 85), Conor Carty.
Substitutes (not used): Kobe Mathers, Mackenzie Maltby.
Yeovil Town have made four changes from their midweek win at Hornchurch for today’s early match at FC Halifax Town (12.30pm kick-off).
Hayden Muller comes in for Jordan Norville -Williams in defence with James Daly, Ryan Jones and Slavi Spasov all returning in attack.
Archie Davies remains on the substitutes bench alongside winger Charlie Lennon and striker Ste Walker, who both started on Tuesday night.
Yeovil Town got back to winning ways in midweek and they head to Halifax this weekend looking to break their awful run of form in West Yorkshire.
Billy Rowley’s men gave the perfect response to last weekend’s disappointing home defeat to Altrincham when they became only the second side to win at newly-promoted Hornchurch on Tuesday night.
The Glovers raced in to a 2-0 lead and doubled the amount of goals their opponents had conceded in their previous six home matches in just six second half minutes and that means they have now won four of their seven National League Premier Division matches of the campaign.
Whilst not the finished article, as the manager admitted in his pre-match comments ahead of the trip to Halifax, the side’s start to the new campaign has gone better than many could have imagined.
They will be without defender Jordan Norville-Williams who limped off with a hamstring injury at Hornchurch. He will undergo a scan to assess the extent of the damage.
Halifax boss John McGrath admitted that he had not felt as bad after a defeat during his brief time at the club as he did on Tuesday night.
The Shaymen looked comfortable when winger Ben Tollitt added his second of the night against Barrow just after the hour mark, but they capitulated to a 3-2 defeat, only their second on home soil this season.
They were without first choice right-back Max Bardell who is expected to be out for at least four months after tearing a hamstring in the 2-2 draw at Southend United last weekend, and then lost left-back Raheem Conte who was sent off for a second bookable offence with a minute of normal time remaining against Barrow.
Both players will be missing for that match and they will be a blow for a side which has one of the youngest squads in the division with Tollitt, aged 31, the only player over the age of 30 in their starting XI on Tuesday night.
Speaking afterwards, McGrath told the Halifax Courier: “You can’t have the excuse of ‘they’re a young group’ because it doesn’t matter how old you are, 18 or 38, you’ve still got to go and win your duels, still got to win your headers. As they get older, they will learn how to see games out, they will learn how to do the right things at the right times.”
The winger proved the new terrace chant that Yeovil can’t play without him again when he made a stunning impact coming off the bench at Hornchurch on Tuesday night.
Within 90 seconds of his arrival in Essex, the 26-year-old burst down the left wing and drilled home an unstoppable shot which proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory. It was a goal which perfectly illustrated what he brings to the Glovers, boundless energy, the ability to beat a play and finishing which has now seen him score three in his last four appearances.
Daly missed a large chunk of last season after picking up an injury early in the campaign, but still managed to chip in with seven goals in a season when Yeovil struggled.
Manager Billy Rowley appears to be mindful of the fitness of one of his key players, but after his impact in midweek and the promise of a vast expanse of the pitch at The Shay, he may be tempted to release one of his key men again this weekend.
Summer signing Ben Tollitt is playing some of the best football of his career having crossed the Pennines to join Halifax from Morecambe in the summer.
At 31 years old, he is one of the more experienced heads in the Shaymen’s otherwise youthful squad and has stepped up to the responsibility with six goals in his first 15 appearances, including a brace in the 3-2 home defeat to Barrow on Tuesday night.
The Liverpool-born player has been something of a journeyman throughout his career when he has bounced between the lower reaches of the EFL with the likes of Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool and the non-League having seen service with Oldham Athletic and AFC Fylde.
John McGrath had a difficult introduction to life at The Shay having left National League North side Buxton to fill the manager’s seat surprisingly vacated by Adam Lakeland who dropped down a division to join relegated Morecambe at the end of last season.
He has some form with Buxton having guided them to two consecutive play-off finishes including a fifth-placed finish last season, the highest in the club’s history. But he had to deal with a number of high profile departures from the Halifax side which finished eighth in the National League Premier Division last season with the exits of top scorer Will Harris and midfielder Jay Turner-Cooke.
As a player, McGrath has faced the Glovers before, he was part of the Dagenham & Redbridge side hammered 4-0 by Gary Johnson’s side in 2003 and faced them again two seasons later with Shrewsbury Town and Kidderminster Harriers. He was also part of the W*ymouth side which won the Conference South in 2006 and he was also promoted in to the Football League with Burton Albion three years ago.
Yeovil Town have an pretty horrendous record at The Shay in recent seasons.
The most recent appearance in August last season a brace from Halifax midfielder Owen Bray saw the Glovers go down to a 3-2 defeat in the first match after the sacking of Mark Cooper. Having fallen behind to Bray’s opener, a penalty from Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade strike put the visitors in front before Bray got his second and then Will Harris grabbed the winner.
The last time the two sides met at Huish Park, the game finished in a fairly forgettable goalless draw in April which ended the Shaymen’s hopes of promotion.
You have to go back to 2019 to find the last time when Yeovil won at The Shay. A brace from striker Gold Omotayo earned Darren Sarll’s side a 2-0 win.
There are no former Yeovil Town players in the FC Halifax Town squad this season.
Ben Toner is taking charge of his first National League match of the season. He’s been busy in the EFL in the season to date.
Read our Ben’s write-up – here.
Yeovil Town’s latest loan signing defender Seb Naylor believes his style of play will help him fit in to a Glovers’ side which has made an impressive start to the new season.
The 21-year-old, who began his footballing career in the academy at Premier League giants Manchester City, has arrived at Huish Park on loan from Bristol City until January and believes his footballing apprenticeship will stand him in good stead.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Josh Perkins ahead of the trip to FC Halifax Town on Saturday, he said: “Being at Manchester City has been really good for my development, being there so long. Possession-based football is a strength of mine, so bringing that here, with what the gaffer likes as well, because we play that way.
“We’ve got a load of lads who are so good with the ball, and I think I fit in, to be honest. Within training and stuff, I can bring some experience from that to these lads and hopefully add some help around the group.”
Having been on the bench for the 2-1 home defeat to Altrincham last weekend, Naylor impressed on his debut in the 2-1 win at Hornchurch on Tuesday night. Boss Billy Rowley was full of praise for the youngster and spoke positively about the versatility of the new arrival who can play on the left side of defence or in midfield.
He started the game in midweek on the left side of the Glovers defence and said: “Where I played on Tuesday night is probably my preferred position. That left-back slotting in as a midfielder with Brett (McGavin) in the pivot and then trying to help the lads out defensively as well at full-back.”
Naylor’s arrival is looking particularly astute following a hamstring injury sustained by Jordan Norville-Williams, who has been Yeovil’s only option on the left side of defence all season. He is now looking forward to getting minutes on the pitch under his belt, starting on Saturday at Halifax, just a stone’s throw from his birthplace in Calderdale.
He said: “I have never played there, but I’m looking forward to it. I think a big pitch suits us guys with the ball, it’s a nice pitch, I’ve heard, so I’m excited for Saturday.
“I just want to play as many minutes as possible and help the lads out, help get us as high up the table as possible.”
Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has admitted his side has clicked quicker than he expected as they go in to this weekend’s trip to FC Halifax Town in the National League play-off places.
Ahead of the start of the season, the Glovers’ boss had been predicting his side to hit their stride as the year drew to a close but, with 15 games played they sit fourth in the division having scored 50 goals in all competitions.
They bounced back from last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Altrincham with a win by the same scoreline at Hornchurch in midweek and Rowley said supporters will still need to have patience with the side at some points.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Josh Perkins on Thursday, the boss said: “It’s probably quicker quicker than I thought, but equally I think we are going to see a couple of steps back here and there.
“We’ve still got such a young group, a lot of boys who have come from a league or two below, so when we don’t perform to our maximum it’s about staying level-headed, realising we are not the finished product, going again, training hard and trying to improve all the time.”
He added: “Results have been good, players are playing well and they are full of confidence and there are some really good relationships in the camp as well. Many of these lads did not even know each other’s names four months ago, now they are hanging around with each other outside of football, building great relationships. It’s really nice to see.”
Defender Jordan Norville-Williams will be missing from the squad which travels to Halifax on Saturday after he limped off with a hamstring injury in the first half at Hornchurch. He joins defender Joy Mukena and summer signing Joe Haigh, who is yet to make an appearance for the Glovers having undergone surgery, in the Huish Park treatment room.
Rowley said Norville-Williams would be going for a scan on the injury, adding: “The initial feeling from the physio is that it is not too serious. Best case scenario is probably ten days to two weeks, worst case is maybe three for four weeks.”
However, the boss has been boosted by the arrival of Bristol City loanee Seb Naylor who impressed on his debut at Hornchurch. The 21-year-old has joined on loan until the start of January and is an obvious replacement for Norville-Williams.
Rowley said: “We didn’t have another left-back in the building, we decided to loan one last week for that reason and then Jordan gets injured, so it’s kind of a blessing we did that. Seb fitted in seamlessly and I said after the game at Hornchurch on Tuesday, he’s had a great grounding at Manchester City and now Bristol City.
“He’s played in a really possession-based team his whole life, understandings the positional concepts and has a great understanding of football. So he will fit seamlessly in to this group and offer us a lot of different qualities to what Jordan does, but an equal amount of ability in that team.”
Yeovil make the long trip to West Yorkshire to take on Halifax in a 12.30pm kick-off – one of just two in the division with broadcasters DAZN also choosing to send Harrogate Town to Forest Green Rovers for a lunchtime start. The Shaymen went down to a 3-2 home defeat to Barrow in midweek having led 2-0 with an hour played and Rowley is expecting a different test to the one his side faced at Hornchurch.
He said: “I remember the last time we were up that way, we were sitting around all day in the hotel until 7pm waiting for kick-off, this is at the other end of the spectrum, we’re up early and we will go down there and try and get another result.
“But are a top team and they have proved that in the last couple of years in this division. Stylistically it is going to be very different to what we faced on Tuesday. We are going to have to be the best version of ourselves to go up there and get anything from the game.“
Yeovil Town bounced back from the disappointment of a home defeat at the weekend with a battling 2-1 win at Hornchurch on Tuesday night. Abby Carter was one of the 267 travelling fans straining their eyes in the away end and here are her conclusions.
I cannot remember the last time I went to a ground where neither team had “an end”. We turned out well, but it felt like football at an athletics track with VERY bright lights. We’ve been to a lot of athletic tracks over the years, we’ve also been on a lot of “new” away days, Bridge Avenue might not be the best we will visit this season. What I will say is, they’ve certainly know how to make that ground and more importantly surface work for them. The fact we were only the third team to score a goal there in this season, only the second to win there and we doubled the amount of goals they conceded at home in their previous six matches in just six minutes shows what an important three points this was.
Hornchurch were all over us at the start of the second half and by that point we had already seen it was going to take something special to get through their defence – but boy did Billy time his substitutions to perfection. You will struggle to find a stronger bench than that this season and yet again, last night was proof that when we ask this team for a response, they do not let us down. The arrivals of first Ryan Jones, Mason Obeng and Slavi Spasov and then James Daly changed the game and bought out the best in the lads left on the pitch. I’ve said it countless times, but this team understand what it is to deliver, grind out a result and the subs made all the difference just when we needed them. As the away end serenaded at the final whistle: “Daly, Yeovil can’t play without you“.
Late goals from Zain Westbrooke and substitute James Daly saw Yeovil Town grab an important win at Hornchurch on Tuesday night.
The Glovers were struggling to find their way through a resolute defence when manager Billy Rowley brought Ryan Jones, Slavi Spasov and Mason Obeng on in a triple change just after the hour which swung the initiative in the Glovers’ favour.
Westbrooke turned home from a scramble inside the box on 72 minutes before Daly, on as a substitute just 90 seconds before, smashed home a second with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.
The hosts’ Charlie Pegrum pulled a goal back with a minute remaining but Yeovil saw the game out for the win which moved them in to fourth place in the National League table with 15 games played.
Yeovil made six changes from Saturday’s home defeat to Altrincham with on loan Bristol City defender Seb Naylor and striker Owen Dean with defender Joe Gubbins, midfielder Zane Westbrooke, winger Charlie Lennon and striker Ste Walker all starting. Naylor lined up on the left side of our usual formation whilst Dean was out the right wing with Lennon on the left.
Hornchurch suffered a blow after just seven minutes when defender Ryan Inniss suffered a knock and had to be replaced.
On 14 minutes, it was Naylor who found Lennon down the left and almost picked out Dean arriving in the area only for the Urchins’ defence to scrambling to clear. Six minutes later Johl Powell fizzed a ball in to the box with Dean lurking at the back post, but a defender was there to clear the danger.
There was some defensive work to do with the giant frame of Ryan Loft causing issues when the home side got the ball forward, but there was nothing much to trouble Jos Barker in the Yeovil goal.
At the other end, Hornchurch keeper Arthur Nasta pulled off an outstanding save to keep out a goal bound effort from the outside of the boot of Brett McGavin after good work from first Lennon and then Powell to set him up for the shooting opportunity. That is about as near to a proper shot on target as we have mustered for all our possession.
With the game ticking in to nine minutes of stoppage time, Barker was called in to action to deny Charlie Pegrum with his legs.
The home side had a huge opportunity to open the scoring with five minutes of the second half played when Pegrum, who had been causing problems down the left side in the first half, weaved into the box and laid it off to substitute Jack Sandat who blazed it over.
Hornchurch had brought on wingers Myles Weston and ex-Glovers’ loanee Angelo Balanta and both made an instant impact causing issues down both flanks. Loft flashed a close range header just past the post before first Dean and then Powell spurned good openings to break the deadlock.
On 62 minutes, Billy Rowley made a triple substitution with Ryan Jones, Slavi Spasov and Mason Obeng replacing Walker, Lennon and Dean. Something was needed to unlock the hosts’ defence.
That something came with 71 minutes played when the Glovers took the lead. After the latest foray forward looking to pick the lock of a Hornchurch side which had only conceded two goals at home all season, the ball found its way to Joe Gubbins on the left and his ball in was not dealt with before landing to Zain WESTBROOKE who controlled it beautifully before smashing home his first goal in green-and-white.
McGavin pulled a free-kick just wide soon after before Urchins’ substitute Harry Hearn came within inches of pulling level moments later.
James DALY came off the bench with 12 minutes remaining and within seconds of his arrival he doubled the advantage. A long ball forward from Gubbins picked the winger out on the left of the box, he let it bounce twice before smashing home a half volley from an acute angle. That is some finish and the substitute jumps in to the arms of boss Billy Rowley in celebration.
The changes have added intensity to Yeovil’s game and swung it in our favour, but it needed a fine block from Jos Barker to deny Pegrum who was picked out at the back post by a deep ball in to the box. From the resulting corner, the visiting keeper had to make another fine stop at his far post.
Muller flicked a header just why and then Daly had a great chance to put the game out of sight when he tore down the left and Nasta did well to tip his effort wide. That was almost a carbon copy of the second goal but the Somerset-born keeper did well to get his gloves to it.
With a minute to go, Hornchurch pulled one back when Weston’s ball in from the right picked out Charlie PEGRUM in the middle of the box where he fired a ball straight through Barker.
But it was Yeovil who held on for the win and become just the second team to win at Hornchurch so far this season.
Venue: Hornchurch Stadium
Date: Tuesday, 27th October, 2026, 7.45pm
Competition: Enterprise National League Premier Division
Scorers: Zain Westbrooke 72 (1-0), James Daly 78 (2-0), Charlie Pegrum 89 (2-1)
Conditions: Cold but dry
Pitch: Players losing their footing all over the show.
Attendance: 1,143 (267 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Jack Kingdon 25, Ryan Jones 87, James Daly 90+1
Hornchurch: Tom Wraight 33
Referee: Harry Wager
Yeovil Town
Substitutes: Hayden Muller (for Jordan Norville-Williams, 39), Mason Obeng (for Charlie Lennon, 64), Ryan Jones (for Owen Dean, 64), Slavi Spasov (for Ste Walker, 64), James Daly (for Johl Powell, 77), Loick Ayina (not used), Archie Davies (not used).
Hornchurch: Arthur Nasta, Frankie Edwards, Ryan Inniss (for Tom Dallison, 7), Jack Baldwin (for Jack Sandat, 23), Will Greenidge, Charlie Pegrum, Miles Bracking, Alfie Massey (for Myles Weston, 46), Tom Wraight, Ryan Loft (for Henry Hearn, 70), Josh Walker (for Angelo Balanta, 46).
Substitutes (not used): Rhys Byrne, Nathan Ferguson.
