David Coates

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Match-winner Dom Bernard‘s heroics for Yeovil Town at AFC Fylde on Saturday have earned him a place in the National League’s Team of the Week.

The 27-year-old, whose arrival at Huish Park was only announced on Friday, scored an 88th-minute winner to grab three points for the Glovers in a see-saw 4-3 victory in Lancashire.

Fylde’s Nick Haughton is also named in the XI for his two first-half strikes which put them 2-0 up at half-time.

Congratulations, Dom!

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It was another three points on the road for Yeovil Town (that’s three for the season, by the way) this weekend with a win in a chaotic, see-saw match at AFC Fylde yesterday.

It took a while for Dave to get his heart-rate down long enough to pen some conclusions on the match, but these are them.

What have I just seen? That was absolutely bonkers. If anyone doubted the Spirit of 2023/24 had departed, think again. In the second half, we just went for it and it was a performance built on fearlessness to attack, character to get back up after Fylde pulled it back to 3-3, and a healthy dose of quality.  That said, for context, in the first half we looked well off it. I know both Mark Cooper and Dom Bernard said afterwards that they thought we were okay, but I felt our defence was rocking every time Fylde (or Nick Haughton, more to the point) pressed forward, our midfield was anonymous, and I  don’t think their keeper Ben Winterbottom had anything to do. In the second half, he had plenty to do and we did that magic thing of taking our chances when we created them. These boys have got some cast-iron balls and deserved everything they got yesterday.

Dom Bernard celebrates his winner – and kudos to the wearer of the 1995-96 shirt featured. Picture courtesy of Bekah Harper.

Take a bow: Aaron Jarvis quite rightly got the plaudits from his manager post-match. Yeovil have had plenty of players who just ‘run around a lot’ in the past, but everything Jarvis does has a purpose. If you don’t believe me, look at his role in Sam Pearson’s first goal and the way he brings the ball down and is then in the right place at the right time to score the equaliser. He did that a lot and gave as good as he got from the Fylde defence as well.
But can I also give a shout out to Ollie Wright? He’s had his critics this season, but made some important saves, none more so than from Taelor O’Kane in injury time. And, if praising opposition players is allowed, Fylde’s Nick Haughton. He could have had four or five goals alone and must surely be interesting some EFL clubs. All that said, Sam Pearson was my Man of the Match.

The importance of substitutions: Mark Cooper spoke before the season about how the increase to five changes from seven substitutions would be key. He got his changes right and Fylde’s Chris Beech got his wrong. Now, Cooper only had five to pick from today – those magical empty benches made up the other two (Hey, Gloverscast Ben!) – and the changes he made all paid off. Sam Pearson and Jordan Young both caused problems, Pearson especially was at the heart of a lot that we did well in the second half, and then that strike from Sonny – it looked even better from behind the goal than it does on the highlights. 

Another one of ‘those’ ticked off: It’s far too early to be looking at league tables, but if you were to do that you’d see Yeovil Town in seventh place, the final spot for the National League play-off places. Now, I’m definitely not saying we’ll be there come May, but if we’re going to finish nearer the top than the bottom, Fylde away is where you need to get points. Given the injuries and suspensions, I would have happily taken a point from this one, so to take three is a big bonus. That is three wins from four away from home, now let’s get our home form going. It’s Solihull Moors under the lights at Huish Park on Tuesday, another tough test but one we should not be fearful of. Jake Wannell will return from suspension, Dom Bernard has an impressive debut under his belt, so we can go in to it with confidence. Pack the Park, ladies and gents, Pack the Park.

Sometimes it’s more than a game: As everyone enjoyed the post-match celebrations, some quick-thinking supporters and, more importantly, the Yeovil Town medic Tony Boreham and physio Joe Storey, raced to the aid of a fan who had been taken ill on the terraces. We learnt afterwards the fan in question was the grandfather of Corey Koerner, the young full-back who was named amongst our substitutes, and there were some worrying moments as he was ‘worked on’ as fans filed out of the ground. It is with much relief we learnt soon after that he was responsive thanks to the treatment he received and was taken to hospital. It’s often said that a football ground is sometimes the best place to be taken ill, and the quick-thinking and undoubted skills of the Glovers’ team to spring in to action underlines this fact. Well done to them and everyone who supported, and we obviously wish Corey’s grandfather a full and speedy recovery.

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Match-winner Dom Bernard said the spirit his new Yeovil Town team-mates showed to grab a 4-3 win at AFC Fylde today was evidence of the spirit he had seen since arriving at the club this week.

The 27-year-old arrived at Huish Park this week following his release by Forest Green Rovers, where he had played under Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper, at the end of the season.

He revealed that, aside from one week of training with Cheltenham Town in July, he had not had a pre-season to set him up for the match, but still went on to play the full 90 minutes and grab the winner with two minutes remaining.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins at the end, he said: “The lads want to be up there (in the National League Premier table) and that is what I want.

“I have a winning mentality and these lot have as well and today really shows it, we want to be up there and fighting. It is a long old season, but I can already tell the togetherness of this group.”

The Glovers found themselves 2-0 down at half-time in Lancashire after a double strike from Fylde dangerman Nick Haughton, but Bernard said he did not think they were far off their opponents.

He said: “I did not expect the game to be like that, I know the Gaffer’s style is expansive but controlling the game.
I thought we played well in the first half, it was only a few margins for error, but it was a crazy ending.

“I have not had a pre-season, I was in at Cheltenham when clubs were going back to training but other than that I was just keeping fit on my own, doing what I can. Then I signed and back in amongst it again and it’s great to be here.

“Centre half is my best position, I see myself best there but like I said to the Gaffer I will do a job anywhere. Everyone played their part today, the lads who came off the bench had instant impacts and it is a really good result.”

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper said his side’s defensive injury crisis meant they had no choice other than to try and outscore AFC Fylde in a see-saw 4-3 win in Lancashire this afternoon.

The Glovers found themselves 2-0 down at half-time before goals from Sam Pearson, Aaron Jarvis, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and then a late winner from debutante Dom Bernard earned the three points.

Cooper’s men started the game with five substitutes on the bench with central defensive pairing Jake Wannell (suspension) and Morgan Williams (concussion) missing along with forward Harvey Greenslade (shoulder injury).

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, the manager said: “Everybody knows we are depleted defensively, so we had to try and make it an open game to give us the best chance of winning but we had some brilliant chances in the first half. We could have scored three or four goals.

“It should not really be 2-0 at half-time, but we had to make it an open game because of our physical presence at the back.

“At half-time we made some changes and gambled and we knew that if we scored first, we would win the game. We just went for it and the players were outstanding today, even when we were 2-0 down I thought we were really good considering we only had Finn (Cousin-Dawson) at centre half.”

He added: “We had to make it an end-to-end game, we had to leave the defence isolated because we thought our best form of defence was attack. We had to try and score more goals than them, that was the only way we could do it and luckily it has come off.”

Aaron Jarvis celebrates his equaliser.

Cooper reserved special praise for striker Aaron Jarvis who scored his second for the club since signing in the summer from Torquay United, and his manager described the frontman as “unplayable.”

He said: “If he plays like that he has to be one of the best number nines in the league. That gives us another option because we can play off the front a bit quicker when you have a real targetman like that. We played it in to Jarv, he battered the centre-halves and that is where all our play came from.”

But the highest praise was reserved for Yeovil medical man, Tony Boreham, who raced in to the away end at the final whistle to deliver medical treatment to a supporter who Cooper confirmed was the grandfather of substitute, Corey Koerner.

The manager said he had suffered a heart attack at the final whistle but was responsive following treatment and taken to a nearby hospital.

Cooper said: “Our medical team were unbelievable, Tony (Boreham) and our physio Joe (Stacey) got him round which is good news. That is brilliant from our medical team, that is the best part of the day.

“Full credit to the whole club today. The supporters were fantastic, to come this far North. It was an amazing effort from the players with only five substitutes on the bench, staff were incredible and the biggest star of the day is Tony.”

Koerner, who was making his first appearance on the bench for the first-team, had been understandably distressed by the situation, and Cooper promised his team-mates would be rallying around him following the incident. 

He added: “(Corey) is in bits right now, he is a young boy, making his first trip with us, but the good news is Tony has got (his grandfather) round and let’s hope he is in good hands in hospital.

“(His grandfather) will be in good hands, I am sure, and we have to look after our young boy, Corey, and we just have to make sure he is looked after and we get him back home.”

From us here at the Gloverscast, we are sure we speak for every Yeovil Town supporter and all those who attended today’s match when we wish Corey’s grandfather a full and speedy recovery.

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A debut goal from defender Dom Bernard earned Yeovil Town three points in a madcap match at AFC Fylde which saw the Glovers battle back from 2-0 down at half-time in Lancashire.

The game could not have been one of two more contrasting performances from the visitors. In the first half, they appeared defensively all at sea with an anonymous midfield and unable to capitalise on their chances, but in the second half the roles were reversed as they went on the attack, took their chances and their hosts spurned theirs.

It was Fylde dangerman Nick Haughton who put the Coasters in control with a first half brace, but substitute Sam Pearson pulled one back on 66 minutes before Aaron Jarvis pulled the Glovers level three minutes later. It was substitute Sonny Blu Lo-Everton who put us ahead with a sumptuous strike on 78 minutes then with six minutes remaining Fylde debutant Tyler Roberts pulled the hosts level.

It was left to Bernard to smash home the winner from close range after a goalmouth scramble which sealed the points. Character, not half! 

Here’s how Dave saw – once he got his heart-rate down – from the away end at Mill Farm……

First half

Yeovil Town fielded a patched-up looking defence with new signing Dom Bernard handed a debut the day after being unveiled alongside Finn Cousin-Dawson, there was a welcome return for Alex Whittle on the left side of defence.

However, within three minutes, Whittle was was out-muscled down the right side by Nick HAUGHTON who went on to lash a fine finish past Ollie Wright from a tight angle. 

Three minutes later there was another close call which saw Frank Nouble having to clear a header from ex-Glovers’ loanee Corey Whelan after he was left unmarked at the back post from a Haughton corner. 

Having been stung on a couple occasions, Yeovil began to find a bit of control. A neat touch from Aaron Jarvis allowed Brett McGavin to pick out Josh Sims just outside the box, but he lifted the ball over the bar. The visitors were enjoying plenty of possession, but the majority was played in our own half where Fylde were happy for us to have it.

The best opportunity the visitors had created came on 27 minutes with Jarvis again showing good link-up play this time to set up Michael Smith whose cross almost found  Sims at the far post, but he could not get anything on it. Soon after, Finn Cousin-Dawson put a header harmlessly over the bar from a corner, but Fylde keeper Ben Winterbottom was still yet to be tested by anything approaching a meaningful opportunity.

Meanwhile, every time Fylde (or should I say Nick Haughton) went forward they cut through our defence like a hot knife through butter, and our patched up defence was rocking. Haughton fizzed an effort over the bar and Ethan Mitchell both had opportunities and you felt a second was coming.

It arrived on 39 minutes and Yeovil were architects on their own downfall. McGavin found himself with his back to goal on the corner of his own area, he was out-muscled (that word again) by Mitchell who teed up  Nick HAUGHTON drill another unstoppable shot past Wright. How this lad is still playing at National League level, I have no idea.

From then on praying for no further goals before the half-time whistle was about all the visitors could do, and Haughton almost completed his hat-trick before it sounded when he smashed another effort just past the post.

A rocking defence, a non-existent midfield and forward players who could not finish their own dinner. Other than that, it’s been alright. 

Half time: AFC Fylde 2 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

Half-time saw changes from Yeovil with Jordan Young and Sam Pearson coming on for Finn Cousin-Dawson and Josh Sims…..as full-backs, yes, full-backs. That meant a back three of Michael Smith, Dom Bernard and Alex Whittle.

The result was certainly more attacking from the visitors  with much of the progress coming from the two new arrivals, Young was causing problems down the right and Pearson on the left.

With 62 minutes gone, a Charlie Cooper corner found Matt Worthington at the back post which looked to be looping in to the corner of the net only for Owen Evans to nod it off the line, before at the other end Haughton had another effort which forced Wright to get down smartly to deny.

Then the fightback began. Jarvis showed superb unselfish running to collect a ball forward from Michael Smith and play it in to Sam PEARSON, who brought the ball down and fired home (with a bit of a deflection off a Fylde defender) to reduce the deficit. But, this attacking business has its downside and almost immediately after pulling one back, Yeovil were carved apart again and again it was Haughton driving forward to play in Mitchell whose side was superbly saved by the feet of Wright.

The Glovers’ equalised on 69 minutes was all about superb forward play from Aaron JARVIS. It was his sheer determination and ability which controlled a nodded ball forward from Nouble, to find his strike-partner, who fed Pearson on the left and fired an effort across the face of goal where Jarvis was on hand to bundle it home. 

Aaron Jarvis celebrates his equaliser – as did the away end!

Disclaimer: This is where I totally lost track of the match, you can excuse my excitement, I am sure. The rest of the report is written entirely from memory.

With 77 minutes gone, Sonny Blu LO-EVERTON replaced Brett McGavin and no-one could have guessed the impact the midfielder would have. With what I think was his first touch of the ball, he collected a pass from Nouble, moved to the edge of the area and smashed a beautiful effort past Fylde keeper Ben Winterbottom. Bedlam in the away end, absolute bedlam.

Remember how I said this attacking thing wasn’t all one way? On 84 minutes, Fylde winger Tyler ROBERTS, signed on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers this week, levelled the game again. Haughton (yes, him again) crossed to the back post, substitute Taelor O’Kane headed it back in to the danger area and Roberts was on home to bundle it in.

You’d take a point at that point, right? Not this second half Yeovil team, no a bit of it. They kept coming and an 88th minute corner was won in the air by Nouble, acrobatically helped back in to the danger area by Pearson and Dom BERNARD was on hand to smash it home.

There was still time for more action and step forward Ollie Wright. In injury time, Owen Evans lofted a high ball up to the back post where O’Kane met it with a header and the on-loan Southampton keeper did superbly to turn it aside.

A crazy, chaotic game which had served up one of the worst 45 minutes of football I have seen from us in a long time in the first half, but that was followed by second half performance built on determination, fearlessness and a character which at times took your breath away. Football, eh?

Note: At the end of the match, one Yeovil supporter required medical assistance from staff at the ground on the terraces at Mill Farm. We believe he was responsive following treatment and has been taken to hospital. We are sure we join with all Glovers’ fans in wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Full time: AFC Fylde 3 Yeovil Town 4

Match Details

Venue: Mill Farm
Date: Saturday 7th September – 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier

Pitch:  Very flat
Conditions: Very welcoming on the Lancashire coast.

Attendance: 1,305 (144 away supporters)

Scorers: Nick Haughton 3 (0-1), Nick Haughton 34 (0-2), Sam Pearson 66 (1-2), Aaron Jarvis 69 (2-2), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 78 (3-2), Tyler Roberts 84 (3-3), Dom Bernard (87 (4-3).

Bookings:
AFC Fylde: Gavin Massey 73.
Yeovil Town: Dom Bernard 41.

Referee: James Bancroft

Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)

Substitutes: Jordan Young (for Finn Cousin-Dawson, 46), Sam Pearson (for Josh Sims, 46), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Brett McGavin, 78), Corey Koerner (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

AFC Fylde: Ben Winterbottom, Owen Evans, Harry Davis (for Patrick Gamble, 73), Adam Long, Ethan Mitchell (for Taelor O’Kane, 77), Offrande Zanzala (for Danny Ormerod, 62), Nick Haughton, Jonathan Ustabasi (for Tyler Roberts, 77), Corey Whelan, Bryce Hosannah, Joe Riley (for Gavin Massey, 62).

Substitutes (not used): Theo Richardson, Charlie Jolley.

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New signing Dom Bernard is in the Yeovil Town starting XI for today’s match at AFC Fylde (3pm kick-off).

The former Forest Green Rovers man, who was announced yesterday, is expected to line up in defence alongside Finn Cousin-Dawson, Michael Smith and Alex Whittle, who returns having missed the last three games with a hamstring injury.

The Glovers only name five of a possible seven substitutes with youngster Corey Koerner, who has been playing at Plymouth Parkway in recent weeks, on the bench.

For the home side, former Yeovil loanee forward Gavin Massey, who also arrived on Friday having been released by Port Vale at the end of last season, is among the substitutes.

 

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Yeovil Town striker Aaron Jarvis has said he is confident he will continue to score goals for the club.

The 26-year-old has scored just once in six National League Premier Division appearances since arriving from Torquay United in the summer.

He says he is continuing to work to fit in to the patient style of play which has become the Glovers’ hallmark under manager Mark Cooper, which sees his play as a lone frontman supported by three attacking players.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s trip to AFC Fylde, Jarvis said: “I know what the Gaffer wants from me and I have some good players around me to help me get the ball in the net and bring others in to play as well. I am looking to bring a lot more to the team than I have and hopefully notching a few goals in the coming games.

“All strikers want a quick start, but I am always going to give 100% and I am sure the fans have seen that in my performances. But it is a different style to the one I am used to and I have been speaking to the Gaffer about that this week, so I just have to adapt a few things and I am sure it will click soon.

“I am used to more crosses in to the box, but we play a more patient build-up, so it is especially different in my role. I just need to stay between the posts and take my chances when they come. I want to try and be involved as much as I can, but my role is to conserve my energy and put the ball in the net.

“I have got a lot of confidence in myself, I know I can put the ball in the net so I am just hoping for a few more chances to come my way and hopefully I can stick a few away.”

Aaron Jarvis has scored once in his six appearances this season. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Jarvis, who scored 15 league goals in his last season at National League level with Torquay in 2022/23, said he had not been surprised by anything he had seen since coming to Huish Park. In their opening six matches, Yeovil have picked up three wins and three defeats.

The striker said: “It was no surprise to us, most of the boys have been here before. A few games we felt like we could have got more results, but we know we have to snap out and we are looking forward to getting a few more points on the board in the next few games.

“We know the way we want to play, it is just a few little errors here and there that have cost us a few goals and points, but once those errors are stamped out and the frontmen start firing we will be looking good.”

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Manager Mark Cooper has said he is willing to wait for “a couple of bits of real quality” to become available in the transfer market as he looks to strengthen his Yeovil Town squad.

The Glovers’ boss will definitely be without suspended central defender Jake Wannell and injured forward Harvey Greenslade for this weekend’s trip to AFC Fylde, seems likely to be without Wannell’s defensive partner Morgan Williams who missed the last game with concussion.

He expects left-back Alex Whittle to be available to face one of his former clubs in Lancashire, but is waiting for on-loan Bristol City defender Raphael Araoye to have a scan on a dead leg picked up in the 3-1 win at Boston United last weekend.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the trip, Cooper said he had been looking at the transfer market this week but was said he did not want to bring in loan players for just one game.

He 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 will sit out the trip to AFC Fylde after his red card for two bookings at Boston United last weekend.

On his efforts in the transfer market, the boss added: “We are trying. I could probably have brought 100 players in on loan, but we will get Wannell back on Tuesday night (at home to Solihull Moors), we will probably get Raph (Araoye) back, so I do not want to go and bring the wrong person in for one game. If I do bring somebody in, they have to be the right type of person, the right character and the right fit for what we do.

“There are some players that are out of contract before the window shut, so they are still a free agent, and they are still exploring the Football League market because they can still sign for (League) clubs because they were out of contract before the window closed.

“So, we are waiting on a couple of those boys who we think we would get real value for money for and would really help and improve us, rather than going for quick loan fixes who have not played many games. We are prepared to wait in that market and hopefully in the next week there will be a couple of real bits of quality that come available.”

Whittle has missed the past two matches – the win at Boston and the 1-0 home defeat to Rochdale on August Bank Holiday Monday – but has trained this week. Cooper said: “We are confident Whitts will be there or thereabouts for Saturday. He’s had a good week’s training, I am sure knowing him he will put his hand up to play.”

Yeovil take on a Fylde side who did not play last weekend after Southend United were unable to fulfil the fixture after their train from the South East to the North West was cancelled last Saturday morning. Fylde have not won since the opening day of the season and suffered a 1-0 defeat at Wealdstone and a 0-0 draw at home to Maidenhead United in their Bank Holiday weekend schedule.

However, Cooper is expecting them to be a test, 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.

“So we will have to be really good at what we do. I have had a look at the weather forecast – the South is rain, the North is 23 degrees – so we are taking our buckets, spades and our money ready for the donkey rides, so we are looking forward to a Friday afternoon and a night in Blackpool and getting ready for the game on Saturday.”

The Glovers’ manager described his side’s opening six matches of the new season – which have yielded three wins and three defeats – as “solid, but frustrating“, adding that he was starting to see “a swagger” come back to the team’s play which served them well in National League South last season.

He said: “We could easily have conceded more (at Boston United) last weekend, but we managed to get blocks in at the right times. If we continue with our spirit and keep believing, I think we will be alright. We are happy with where we are, but we know we have an awful lot more to give.

“I am constantly trying to push the players in to a mentality that they deserve to be here. We are starting to get a bit of an arrogant swagger about us, which you have to have when you play the way we do on the pitch. I am starting to see that and the quicker we get that as a group, which we did last year, the better we will be.”

This week saw the departure of Jordan Maguire-Drew, who left the club after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

Asked about the departure, Cooper said: “Jordan made it clear towards the end of last season that he wanted to move back towards the South East. His wife had got a job towards Crawley way, he didn’t want to be travelling and be in Yeovil. So it was purely about location.”

The day after his departure, Maguire-Drew signed for National League South bottom club W*ymouth. Perhaps he needs to download Google Maps to figure out where they are located.

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One day after departing Huish Park, Jordan Maguire-Drew has appeared 30 miles south at the National League South’s bottom club W*ymouth.

The play-maker, who had not appeared in a Yeovil Town shirt since last December, terminated his contract by mutual consent on Monday having not been given a squad number for this season.

On Tuesday night, he was lining up for the seagull-bothering lot as they prepared to take on Hampton & Richmond at the Bob Lucas Stadium, lining up alongside another former Glover, Brooklyn Genesini.

They are looking to pick up their first point of the new season at the seventh attempt. 

We’d love to wish you all the best with your new employer, JM-D, but we really can’t.