David Coates

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Manager Mark Cooper said he believes performances like his Yeovil Town side put in during the goalless draw at home to Gateshead will see his side pick up more points in the National League.

The Glovers had a glorious chance to open the scoring when loanee Sean McGurk struck the base of the post after just two minutes, but they were indebted to goalkeeper Ollie Wright who made an outstanding save in the dying seconds to earn the clean sheet.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, he said: “I thought we played really well, we were aggressive, we looked amazingly fit for a team which has played three games in six days, and we asked a lot of the boys to go again. We dominated the first half, but they were always going to ask us questions in the second half and I thought we stood up to it and had a couple of amazing chances to win the game. I am really pleased with the boys and if we play like that every week we will get more points.

“We are a possession-based team and we usually have more of the ball, but they are the best possession based team (in the division). I thought we pressed really well in the first half and put them out of their rhythm, but I thought we were the better team.”

Following 1-1 draws at home to Woking last Saturday and away at bottom club Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday night, the match was Yeovil’s third in six days. Having lost top scorer Aaron Jarvis, who is expected to be out for three months with a hamstring injury, and defender before kick-off, they saw influential midfielder Brett McGavin go off after 64 minutes.

Cooper said: “The midfield boys normally do 12.5k every game, but Brett (McGavin), Worthy and (Charlie) Cooper had to do it again. But now we have Jacob Maddox who we are slowly looking fit and he looks a good player who can come on and help, so the bonus is we have an extra days rest. The players will get a couple of days off and we will be ready for Monday.”

The result  keeps Yeovil in 11th place in the table with much of the rest of the division due to play on Saturday. They will now have an extra day’s recovery ahead of a long trip to  next weekend to face a Rochdale side who travel to Forest Green Rovers this weekend.

The manager added: “We just have to keep the points ticking over and see what happens. We are getting to have a good look at the league and we will see where it takes us. If we play like that (against Rochdale) we will have a big chance to win the game.”

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Club captain Matt Worthington declared himself “delighted” to reach the milestone 250th appearance when he turned out in the goalless draw at home to Gateshead on Friday night.

The skipper signed permanently at Huish Park in January 2018 having previously had a 15-match loan spell with the club and has been a constant presence throughout two relegations and last season’s promotion back to the National League Premier Division.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah after the match, he said: “It was an amazing feeling. It was something I wanted to reach this season, it took a bit longer than I wanted it to, but I am just delighted. It is a massive personal achievement for me and my family. There has been some lows and then highs with promotion last season, it has been difficult when contracts have been up for renewal, but I love being here and hopefully I can make many more appearances for this club. I see Yeovil as home, I have been here a long time and I am just really happy to have stayed and to reach this milestone, I am just delighted.”

The midfielder was replaced by Frank Nouble in the 90th minute of the match and was given an ovation by the Huish Park crowd and could only watch on as goalkeeper Ollie Wright pulled off an outstanding save in the dying seconds of the match.

On the game, he added: “It is definitely a performance we can build on. We showed a bit more pressing tonight, more high tempo, we just needed to be better in the final third. We had chances to win the game, but they also had chances towards the end and we dug in deep and defended well towards the end.

“The defence has been brilliant this season. I know we have had a couple of mistakes lately which we have been punished for, we rarely make mistakes and at the moment when we make one we seem to get punished. I am delighted for Ollie (Wright) and the backline. We wanted to keep a clean sheet and Ollie’s save at the end was brilliant and we deserved the clean sheet.”

Worthington even had a good chance of his own to make it a real fairytale night but he was denied by a good save by the visitors Owen Mason with ten minutes remaining.

He said: “It was a good press from Jacob (Maddox) and it was a good save. My legs went a little bit and I had a swing at it, but I was just happy to make my 250th appearance.”

From all of us here at the Gloverscast, congratulations to Worthy on his milestone night.

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Yeovil Town drew a blank in front of goal as they were forced to settle for a point under the floodlights of Friday night football at Huish Park against play-off chasing Gateshead.

It was loanee Sean McGurk who came the closest to scoring for the Glovers when he slammed a shot against the base of the post in the second minute of the game and the hosts arguably edge the first half.

In the second it was definitely Gateshead’s with Luke Hannant curling an effort against the inside of the post with five minutes remaining before Ollie Wright pulled off an outstanding save from Will McGowan to seal the clean sheet and the point.

First half

It was an eventful bit of team news with manager Mark Cooper confirming the absence of striker Aaron Jarvis would be for the next three months and such was the reaction that the absence of defender Morgan Williams from the starting XI barely got a mention.
 
There were returns to the line-up of left-back Alex Whittle alongside club captain Matt Worthington who took the armband for his 250th appearance for the Glovers. New signing forward Lewys Twamley was named amongst the substitutes.
 
We had thought it was a back three (a fair guess) but it is Dom Bernard and Whittle taking up the right and left positions in defence with Jake Wannell and Finn Cousin-Dawson in the centre of the defence. Brett McGavin is playing (at least for the start of this game) as the deeper of his partnership with Charlie Cooper.
 
The opening chance fell to Yeovil and it was so close to going it after just two minutes. Josh Sims’ ball found Ciaran McGuckin with his back to goal, he could not turn the defenders but managed to find Sean McGurk just inside the box and the Swindon Town loanee smashed his shot off the foot of the post. So close.
 
We are moving the ball quicker. This is not a drill, we are moving the ball quicker. For the opening ten minutes, we weathered a bit of a storm but gave as good as we got against a Gateshead side which were very keen to dominate possession.
 
There was a blow for the visitors after just 12 minutes as defender Max Sheaf, recently signed following his release from Scottish side Ross County, went down injured and was replaced by Charlie Colkett.
 
Alex Whittle shown a yellow card after half-an-hour of his return from injury.
 
The tactic from the Yeovil midfield seems to be to try and draw the Gateshead defence out by playing a little deeper, presumably to free up for some space for McGuckin to run in to.
 
There’s not been a lot of action for either goalkeeper, a bit of a tactical chess game going on here. Some restless shouts from the Huish Park stands and judging from Mark Cooper’s gesticulation, he wants the ball forward as well. That speed of moving the ball I mentioned earlier has slackened off somewhat.
 
With 90 seconds of the first half remaining, a Charlie Cooper corner was not dealt with by Gateshead keeper Owen Mason and there was a scramble inside the box which Finn Cousin-Dawson headed wide. The offside flag was up, so it was academic anyway.
 
 
There was a yellow card for Gateshead captain Kenton Richardson for a foul on Josh Sims which led to the best chance since the second minute. Cooper’s free-kick in to the box was knocked back across goal by Jake Wannell and Matt Worthington stretched to try and turn it home but could not quite reach it.
 
A technical battle but we held our own and there was more energy and purpose going forward compared to the past couple of matches. We have arguably edged it, but GERRIT FORWARD, YEOVIL!
 

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Gateshead 0

Second half

The first chance (if you can call it that) of the second half fell to the visitors’ Louis Flower after five minutes of the restart. A ball in between Wannell and Whittle was not dealt with by either player but fortunately Flower could only put it over the away end and possibly on to the top pitches. Those individual errors we have been feeling the brunt of recently almost cost us again there.
Gateshead have stepped it up this half and are moving the ball quickly (lovely) and there was a bit of pressure in our area without forcing Ollie Wright in to action.
 
There was an effort from McGurk who was found by a beautiful ball from Brett McGavin affair 56 minutes and moments later Ben Worman had one easily held by Wright. Cagey affair this one.
 
On 59 minutes, new signing Lewys Twamley replaced Josh Sims. 
 
Gateshead’s foothold in the game is getting firmer and firmer as Yeovil drop deeper and deeper and on 61 minutes Jean Belehouan’s shot from inside the box went narrowly wide. It is one-way traffic with the visitors dominating and starting to create openings. 
 
Jean Belehouan shoots just wide of the post.
 
Another injury blow to add to the losses of Jarvis and Williams as another key player goes off the pitch. Brett McGavin limping off after 64 minutes replaced by Jacob Maddox.
 
On 66 minutes, Jake Wannell found himself unmarked inside the box to pick his spot from Cooper’s free-kick, but he got it all wrong. A great delivery but Wannell got it all wrong and found himself in the wrong position and headed in to the Thatcher’s End. That was a chance.
 
Kofi Shaw replaced Sean McGurk after 70 minutes. It looks like a tactical change as well with Worthington getting further forward with Twamley and Shaw in behind McGuckin.
 
With ten minutes remaining, there was almost a beautiful end to the script as Yeovil pressured the ball and McGuckin fed the ball through to Worthington who forced a fine stop out of Owen Mason on his 250th appearance. Worthy’s 250th appearance, that is.
 
There was another great chance with eight minutes remaining. The ball pinging around inside the Gateshead box, Maddox’s shot was blocked but broke to Shaw who inexplicably put the effort wide. Luckily for him the linesman’s flag spared his blushes. It’s Yeovil who are on top for now.
 
But, within seconds it was the visitors who had two glorious opportunities within the space of 90 seconds. On 86 minutes, Luke Hannant’s curling effort looked to be creeping in to the corner of the net only to come off the inside of the post and away to safety, then seconds later Will McGowan tried to curl one only to be denied by an outstanding save from Ollie Wright. Take a bow, son!
 
What a save, Ollie Wright.
 
We are looking like the walking wounded here, Alex Whittle, who looked like he was running backwards against Belehouan before the Hannant effort, is getting stretched out by a team-mate, and Matt Worthington is replaced by Frank Nouble after 88 minutes. Huish Park rises to recognise the 250th appearance from their captain. What a servant.
 
Well, a strike of the post apiece and an even game. It is not going to appease those looking for a different style of play, but a point each is probably a fair result. If you look at the league table, it’s not a bad point.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Gateshead 0

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 17th January- 7.30pm kick-off 

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: None

Pitch: Patchy in front of the Thatcher’s, but looking okay otherwise
Conditions: Cold

Attendance: 2,919 (61 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Alex Whittle 30
Gateshead: Kenton Richardson 45+2, Louis Flower 54

Referee: Ed Duckworth

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

 

Substitutes: Lewys Twamley (for Josh Sims, 59), Jacob Maddox (for Brett McGavin, 64), Kofi Shaw (for Sean McGurk, 70), Frank Nouble (for Matt Worthington, 90), Ollie Hughes (not used), Harvey Greenslade (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Gateshead: Owen Mason, Jean Belehouan, Robbie Tinkler, Kenton Richardson (for Dan Jones, 84), Luke Hannant, Josh Williams (for Kain Adom, 89), Liam Humbles, Max Sheaf (for Charlie Colkett, 12), Will McGowan, Ben Worman, Louis Flower (for Jovan Malcolm,68).

Substitutes (not used):  Lewis Leech, Connor Pani, Jamie Bramwell.

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Yeovil Town striker Aaron Jarvis is missing for the next three months after tearing his hamstring, manager Mark Cooper has confirmed.

The Glovers’ top scorer, who has scored seven times this season, limped off after an hour of the 1-1 draw at bottom club Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday night and is not in the squad for tonight’s home match with Gateshead.

Asked by BBC Somerset reporter Josh Perkins what the extent of the injury was, Cooper said: “Three months. Hamstring, he’s torn his hamstring. It is a massive blow, but we now have Ciaran McGuckin who can play through the middle which is where he prefers to play. Losing Jarv is a massive blow, but injuries are part and parcel of football.”

Aaron Jarvis. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The Glovers face a Gateshead side sat fourth in the National League Premier Division, but they have lost their last three matches in all competitions.

On the opposition, Cooper said: “They play brilliant football and they are tough to play against, so we have to make sure win our duels and we play our style as well.  We have just rested most of our players (since the Ebbsfleet game) because our midfield players are covering 12.5 kilometres a game on a Saturday, Tuesday and Friday (that is a lot to ask). But they have to play because they have been really consistent.“

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Striker Aaron Jarvis and central defender Morgan Williams are out of the Yeovil Town starting line-up for tonight’s home match with Gateshead at Huish Park (7.30pm kick-off).

The former Torquay United frontman limped off with a hamstring injury after an hour of the 1-1 draw at Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday night, where Williams completed the full 90 minutes having missed the 1-1 draw at home to Woking last weekend.

Club captain Matt Worthington makes his 250th appearance for the club and Alex Whittle returns at left-back for his first start since the 2-0 win at Woking at the end of November.

New signing Lewys Twamley, signed from Southern League Premier Division South side Merthyr Town yesterday, is named among the substitutes.

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Not surprisingly goalkeeper Ollie Wright is making keeping a clean sheet a top priority as Yeovil Town prepare to face Gateshead under the Huish Park floodlights on Friday night.

The Southampton loanee has not kept a clean sheet since the 2-0 win away at Woking at the end of November and said this will be his aim against the Tynesiders.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, he said: “Keeping clean sheets is the most important thing and we have not done that for a while, so (against Gateshead) first and foremost we need to keep a clean sheet and hopefully the lads up top can put the ball in the back of the net. We have a lot of talent in the team, as you saw with Sean (McGurk’s) goal on Tuesday night, you can see what he can do.

“We have been unfortunate with red cards and injuries, but I would back everyone in my back line to do a job. It has chopped and changed and it is difficult, but whoever comes in I back them to do their jobs.”

Gateshead are the National League Premier’s second-highest goalscorers with 50 goals in their 26 matches so far this season, but they have suffered the loss of top-scorer Owen Oseni who has joined Scottish side St Mirren.

Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Louis Flower has been brought in on loan but they started with Ben Worman and Jovan Malcolm, who have four goals between them this season, up front in the 3-1 home defeat to FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

Wright said his team-mates saw the quality their opponents possess when they were beaten 3-1 on Tyneside at the end of August and will be expecting another tough game.

He said: “When we played them (in August) they were really good on the ball, so we have to be really solid off-the-ball. It will be a good game. Our home form has not been great, but first and foremost we have to keep a clean sheet.

“The group we have and the staff, we are very solid with very talented players. We could be higher than we are, but there are still a lot of points to play for, so we just have to keep our heads down and keep playing.“

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has called on his players to regain their “winning mentality” as they look to shrug off a disappointing 1-1 draw at bottom club Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday night.

The Glovers took the lead in Kent through a stunning goal from loanee Sean McGurk before a defensive lapse saw them throw away a lead for the fourth time in as many games to drop points. 

They take on play-off chasing Gateshead under the floodlights at Huish Park on Friday night knowing they need to cut out the errors quickly.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, the manager said: “That’s our Achilles’ Heel at the minute, we have to try and get the second and third goal so those mistakes are not killing us at the end of the game. It was a game we should be winning.

“It is a mental thing now, a winning mentality, that we make sure we get over the line and get the win. We have thrown so many points away this season, but it is just individual errors that are defensively hurting us. We could easily have 15 points (without those mistakes), but we just have to keep the scoreboard ticking, adding points and see what happens.

“To play the way we play when we dominate the ball, we have plenty of courage, we ask players to take the ball in tight areas. It is a mentality thing, it is not a coaching thing now, it is just about making sure we get over the line. We had a couple of great chances to finish the game off (against Ebbsfleet) but we missed the target or picked the wrong finish, so if we can get that we will be fine.”

Cooper said that his side picked up “one or two bumps and bruises” on Tuesday night, the biggest concern being the loss of striker Aaron Jarvis who limped off with a hamstring injury. There was no update given on his progress, but the Glovers were also without full-back Michael Smith who was not in the squad having picked up a hamstring injury in the previous match.

Aaron Jarvis went off injured after an hour at Ebbsfleet. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Loanee Pedro Borges was recalled by his parent club Exeter City ahead of the trip to Ebbsfleet and subsequently loaned back out to National League South side Weston-super-Mare, but Yeovil did strengthen their attacking options with the arrival of forward Lewys Twamley from Merthyr Town on Thursday. 

He is expected to be available to face Gateshead and the manager did not rule out potential further new signings. He said: “We are always looking and if we can find quality which will improve us, of course we will recruit. Everybody is after the best players and usually the teams with the most money get the best players. We have to look at it more organically and find little nuggets that are unmined and there are some out there we are keeping tabs on.

“There are more players coming available from League clubs, but you have the issue of them not wanting to drop into the non-League and then there is a pecking order. We are happy with where the squad is, but if we can add a couple of additions.”

One player who has been missing in recent matches is left-back Alex Whittle, who returned on the substitutes’ bench on Tuesday night, albeit did not feature. Cooper said he had not given up on trying to add further cover in that position.

He said: “We have tried to sign two or three left-backs because we were not sure how long Alex was going to be out. It is going to be a big ask for him to play every game, so we are still exploring that option. Most of the goals we have conceded have come down that (left) side, because we have not got a natural left-back, so hopefully he is fit and ready to go.”

Gateshead have lost key players in recent weeks with striker Owen Oseni, who has scored 12 goals this season, has joined Scottish side St Mirren whilst midfielder Callum Whelan has joined League Two outfit Carlisle United. They have brought in young forward Louis Flower from Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion and midfielder Max Sheaf, who recently left Ross County.

The Tynesiders still sit fourth in the National League Premier Division table despite losing their last three games, most recently a 3-1 defeat at home to FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

Cooper made no secret of his admiration for the visitors, saying: “They play a brilliant brand of football, total domination of the ball, but they take risks. They have lost some players over the last couple of weeks, but the way they play is difficult to play against. We have to try and implement our game on them if we can. I think it will be a technical game with a lot of good football, two decent teams so I am looking forward to it.”

 

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Yeovil Town have signed forward Lewis Twamley from Southern League Premier Division South side Merthyr Town until the summer of 2026.

The 21-year-old has scored 15 times in 21 appearances for the South Wales club this season having joined the club following his release by League Two Newport County in September 2023.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, he said: “I feel this is the right move for me in my career now, I am obviously stepping up two leagues but I feel like I am ready for the move. I trained this morning with the lads and they welcomed me in.

“I did two years at Newport and it did not really go as planned, I went on loan twice (to Salisbury and Pontypridd) which did not really go as planned either, but I came to Merythr and I found a home. I have had a really good season this season and I am hoping to continue my form here.

“I got my move back up because of my form, 15 goals and 21 assists, I think it is, and I just cannot wait to get started here now. I like to get fans off their feet, I am quite a tricky player, left-footed, I like to get the ball on the half term and beat players, but I pride myself on goals and assists.”

He arrives to join a forward line including loanees Ciaran McGuckin, Sean McGurk and Kofi Shaw as well as permanent players Aaron Jarvis, Frank Nouble and Harvey Greenslade. The Glovers face Gateshead in the National League Premier Division at Huish Park on Friday night.

The Welshman joined his hometown team, Cardiff City, at the age of just six years old before moving on to Newport as a teenager and made three appearances in the Papa John’s Trophy in the 2020-21 season. His only other appearance for Newport came off the bench in the same competition at home to Arsenal Under-21s the following season.

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Chairman Martin Hellier has said he will answer questions from the club’s supporters alongside manager Mark Cooper at Huish Park next week.

In a post on the club’s social media accounts on Wednesday, the owner said he understood “frustrations” from supporters which came to the fore on social media following the 1-1 draw at bottom club Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday night.

The event will take place next Tuesday, January 21st starting at 7pm in the Alec Stock Lounge at Huish Park.

In his post, the chairman said: “We understand that frustrations are borne from competitive sports such as football. I am certainly pleased with the direction we are going in, as I think Mark (Cooper) is as well. Therefore I thought I would call an impromptu fans’ forum next Tuesday night at the club.

“It will be your chance to get your questions across to Mark and me and you can have that two-way street with us and we will happily answer anything you want to know and happily appease some of your concerns about the direction we are going in. Come on up to the club, have a drink, have a chat and we can chat things through. Hope to see you them.”

He asked any supporters looking to attend the event to comment on the post on the club’s social media to enable the club to estimate numbers of attendees in the venue, which holds around 130 people.

Responding to fans’ questions on social media, club press officer Dan Howell said the fans’ forum would be streamed on YouTube and the club would “take in to consideration and respond” the idea of questions being pre-submitted.

From us here at the Gloverscast, we think it is fantastic the club is looking to host a fans’ forum to speak directly to supporters and encourage anyone with an opinion (let’s be honest, that’s most of us!) to attend the event if you are able.

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It was a night to forget as Yeovil Town huffed and puffed without ever blowing down the house of bottom-of-the-table Ebbsfleet United in Kent last night. Dave was among the 150 who made the journey and here are his thoughts from the away end.

An absolute stinker: There’s no sugar-coating this one. Against a team which bottom of the league and playing with ten men for half-an-hour, to get 0 shots on target in the second half is unforgivable. Ebbsfleet were playing for a point from the first minute, but we showed no attacking intent for large parts of that game. The fact we’ve finished a game and no-one is saying a word about the referee for once tells you that he was favourable to us and he absolutely was. Truth is, we have no-one to blame but ourselves.
 
Rover The Dog’s expression summing up the feelings of those in the away end.
 
The moments came when we went direct: I feel like I have written this half-a-dozen times this season. I’m the wrong Pleb for nuanced tactical analysis, tune in to Friday’s podcast for that, but the moments a threatened were when we ditched the patient passing. I get that you need to be in control to find the moments to go direct but it just did not happen often enough. In ‘The 3 Loanees’ (Ciaran McGuckin, Kofi Shaw and Sean McGurk) we should have the quality to unlock the leakiest defence in the division. Another cross, another block, and rinse/repeat. It screamed of the need to try something else.
 
What has happened to our defence?: Another defensive error has cost us. We didn’t say that much last season, did we? But I will bet everything I have that Ebbsfleet are playing in National League South next season, and we gifted them one. The goal was a difficult one to see from my vantage point in the away end, but it looked like Jake Wannell got done. There’s so much quality in our defensive players, but their mistakes are killing us right now. See above for how our attacking play is also killing us right now.
 
Sean McGurk. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
 
Sean McGurk, take a bow: Thank goodness for McGurk’s goal. Even from the distance of the away end, it looked an absolute beauty. The skill to spin away from the midfielder from a ball dropping from some distance was just mouth-watering, little nutmeg and then a superb strike in off the post. It was going to take something to threaten Brett McGavin (either the free-kick at Boston or the rocket at Woking) in the Goal of the Season contest, but that’s put the cat right among the pigeons. 
 
We’re still mid-table: Yes, yes, I hear you shouting at me. Hear me out. We go to football to be entertained and (McGurk’s goal aside) nothing entertained me about Yeovil’s performance last night. But I could say that about so many Yeovil sides down the years. I’ve wasted days of my life, spent thousands of pounds and burned thousands more miles for the pleasure and that is something I accept as a lower league football fan. I come to matches hoping to be entertained, but never expecting it. The reality is that this style of play has us where we should be this season, in mid-table. That is a statistic you cannot argue, the concern for me is we have got there getting results against other mid/lower table sides and last night was a golden opportunity to get one. Ebbsfleet are battling against almost inevitable relegation and yet they showed character, we need to summon some of that and show the undoubted quality we have – the players, the manager, everyone. Okay, you can carry on shouting at me again now.
 
I didn’t even get to talk about the heartbreak of finding out The Rose has shut.