David Coates (Page 12)

By:
On:
In: Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

After an eight-hour round trip to Essex and back, Dave gives his thoughts on the Yeovil Town performance at Braintree Town yesterday. Now all eyes turn to Huish Park tomorrow…


We could still be there now and not score: There were opportunities and you cannot fault the attacking intent there was at times, but the finishing was abysmal. Aaron Jarvis, Tahvon Campbell, Josh Sims, Junior Morias, Ben Wodskou, Harvey Greenslade, they all tried and they all failed. 12 shots (five on target, seven off target) and some of those off target ones were woeful. “We have to be more clinical,” says Mark Cooper – but how many times have we heard that? Alex Fisher, Reo Griffiths, Jordan Young, Malachi Linton, Ollie Hulbert, Jake Scrimshaw, Louis Britton, Seb Palmer-Houlden, Jake Hyde, Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jahmari Clarke, Sonny Cox, Olly Thomas, Ciaran McGuckin, Harvey Greenslade, Aaron Jarvis. I think that’s all the strikers we have had under this manager and how many have got in to double figures? Murphy, Young, Nouble in the 2023-24 season in National League South, I think. Yes, some were loans. Yes, there has been injuries. Yes, there’s a couple of duffers in there. But can it ALL be down to the fact that they are ALL really not clinical? I have my doubts. I’ve not even mentioned quite a few others who could have been on the ‘someone who can get goals’ list.

Why did we wait until injury time to have a go in the second half?

It was an improvement: My frame of reference this is only small with the opening day draw against Hartlepool (via the DAZN stream) the only other match I have seen in full, but many on the terrace at Braintree assured me that was the best we have looked. The stats back up that it was a game we just about dominated, except the most important stat, of course. The first 13 minutes were great, I was wondering what all the complaining was about, but after that Braintree started to get a foothold in the game. We were definitely better in the first half, but we started lacking control towards the end of it and when the goal arrived, it had been coming. So, an improvement from a low base, for sure. 

Plant and Sims a plus: For probably the first 20 minutes, James Plant looked electric and gave hope  he can bring a much needed creative spark. He tired as the game wore on, not surprising for a player who’s played 30 minutes of competitive football all season. Monday will almost certainly be too soon to put him in from the start again, but there’s reasons to be hopeful there. And, a more than honourable mention to Josh Sims. Who had him coming in to form on their 2025-26 season bingo card? I certainly didn’t, but he looked like the player we saw in flashes last season. Let’s hope he carries on that way.

Green shoots of hope from James Plant’s return to Huish Park? Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

A big miss which piles the pressure on: Accepting the cliches of their being no easy games at this level, Braintree is a side we have to be getting points from if we have any hope of improving on last season. When you factor in the amount of chances we had to put this game beyond doubt – and, yes, they had plenty of chances as well – this was a big missed opportunity to build on that win against Brackley. That puts even greater emphasis on Monday’s home match against Gateshead – Frank Nouble and all.

An uncomfortable sleep: Wake me up when September ends, right? Mark Cooper doesn’t even give himself that long, he’s said ten games is the time to make an assessment. Mark up Tamworth away on September 20th on the calendar. I had a couple of conversations in the away end yesterday with people saying it was too soon to be talking about him being under pressure, but this is not about four matches this season. To borrow a phrase from the manager himself, I’ve been consistent. 2022/23 basket case relegation = write it off as too much to deal with.  2023/24 promotion = success. 2024/25 18th place finish = failure. This is the season that Mark Cooper has to show he can improve us and, four games in, I don’t see or hear anything different to last season. There’s time to turn it around, but I have dwindling confidence he can do it. 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News
Mark Cooper speaks to the media.

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper believes the return of winger James Plant will bring added depth to his squad as they prepare for a busy Bank Holiday weekend.

The Port Vale youngster made his second return to Huish Park this week and was unavailable for the 2-1 home win over Brackley Town on Wednesday night, but will be available for the trip to Braintree Town tomorrow and the visit of Gateshead on Monday.

Cooper also confirmed that captain Jake Wannell will be available again for selection having served a one-match suspension for his red card in the defeat at Forest Green Rovers.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins from the club’s training facility in Bristol, the manager said he was not expecting to be without any other players for the weekend journey to Essex.

He said: “We do not know yet, we have got to train yet (on Friday). We have one or two bumps and bruises, but it will be the same squad as the other night with the additions of Jake Wannell and James Plant. We spoke in the summer that our recruitment would be late and maybe in to the season, we have to wait to get players like James Plant in, and it gives us a bit more depth to the squad. It is great to have (James) back and it is great to have Wanns available because he is a key part of what we do.”

James Plant has made his second return to Huish Park. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The midweek win pushed Yeovil up to tenth in the early season standings whilst their opponents at the weekend went down 2-1 at Boreham Wood, a match which saw former Glovers’ loan defender Frankie Terry sent off, meaning he will be unavailable to face his old team-mates.

The Iron picked up an impressive 3-0 win over FC Halifax Town in their only other match at home so far this season on the opening day, before losing 3-0 at Hartlepool United last weekend.

Cooper said: “It is a great feeling to wake up with three points and in the top ten, so we want to win another game but there is an opposition to think about who I watched and have some good players. They played really well the other night at Boreham Wood, they have some good players, so it will be a tough game but we are looking forward to.

“Frankie Terry, who was obviously here last season, got sent off, so he will not be able to play, they have the big man up front, John Akinde, who is always a handful, so they have got some really good players throughout their team. 

“Flippantly I am talking about being in the top ten, there are only three games gone. It is about keeping things in context, you have to wait until you have had ten games before you start to look too heavily at the league table. Braintree will be confident of having a good season because they have some good players, but so will we.”

The manager was also asked about the status of midfielder Jacob Maddox, who has barely featured since suffering a toe injury shortly after his arrival. It was pretty much the same update we got back in July when the manager was last asked. 

Cooper said: “He had an injury last season when he came and then he did not have an operation on it until the end of June, which was strange, a couple of days before pre-season started, so he is still in a boot. I don’t think we will be seeing him for a couple of months yet.“

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Loanee James Plant is looking forward to picking up where he left off at Yeovil Town having rejoined the club from Port Vale until January.

The 20-year-old starred during two previous loan spells at Huish Park last season scoring twice in 13 appearances before sustaining a hamstring injury in mid-February.

He has featured for Vale in pre-season and came off the bench for them in an EFL Cup win at Blackpool earlier this month.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins on Friday, he said: “I am really happy to be back and I am really excited to get started now. I had to get that injury sorted, I spent time working on at (Port) Vale with the physios which is the worst thing for a footballer, to be injured. But now I am back and feeling strong so I can’t wait to get back going.”

James Plant whips a ball in to the box.
James Plant in action for Yeovil Town last season. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The winger did not re-sign in time for Yeovil’s 2-1 win over newly-promoted Brackley Town at Huish Park on Wednesday, but will be available for Saturday’s trip to Braintree Town followed by the visit of Gateshead to Somerset on Bank Holiday Monday.

He provides much needed cover down the left side and is able to play as either a wing-back or winger,  a position currently only filled by Alex Whittle in the Glovers’ squad.

Plant added: “I spoke to the manager (Mark Cooper) on Monday and he spoke about getting me back in and I just said ‘let’s get it done’, it took a couple of days and I could not quite get it done before the game on Wednesday, but I am ready at the weekend.

“I want to play as many games as possible and help the team in any way I am called upon, wherever I am playing I will be aiming to help the team. I am usually out wide, but wherever I am playing I will do my best to help the team.”

Having picked up their first win of the National League Premier Division season in midweek, Yeovil make the trip to Braintree looking for more points ahead of a return to home soil when Gateshead – including ex-Glovers’ favourite Frank Nouble – make the long journey south 48 hours later.

Plant said: “I have heard (Braintree) is always a tough game, as every team is in this league, they will be up for it and their fans will be – but so will we and our fans, so we will be going there to get three points. I can’t wait for Saturday, but even more I can’t wait to be back at Huish Park on Monday, it should be a good weekend.“

By:
On:
In: Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

The second game of the National League Premier Division season ended in a 2-0 defeat for Yeovil Town at the hands of Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn. The scoreline belied the dominance of the home side who spurned numerous chances to make it a more emphatic defeat for the Glovers. Ed Turnbull was among the 486 fans who made the trip to Gloucestershire and here are his conclusions.

The better team won. Probably stating the obvious when you look at the statistics, but it felt like only a matter of time before Forest Green were going to score. Five shots (2 on target, 3 off target) to our zero at half time and more than double that come full time highlights how dominant they were. We just got deeper and deeper and it felt like we were playing with ten men at times, when they scored their first it was game over. 
 
Super Jed Ward in goal. We said before the game that with the all out attack which Robbie Savage has spoken about bringing, Jed Ward was going to need to have a solid return to the club he started last season at. Thankfully he did. It could have been far more without him, some good last ditch blocks from his defence and wayward shooting from Forest Green. It was a decent rearguard action for 75 minutes and against lesser opposition (and there will be plenty lesser than Forest Green this season) hopefully that will stand us in good stead.
 
Jed Ward during his pre-match warm up.
Jed Ward. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
 

Two up top, but I’m not sure it worked. I was excited to see Aaron Jarvis get some company in the forward line in Tahvon Campbell, but surprised we tried it away to one of the strongest sides in the division. Forest Green found it too easy to get the ball forwards around us, with a lot of space behind the front two. For two big strikers, neither particularly held the ball up well which meant we struggled to keep the ball. I was not too surprised to see Campbell substituted at half-time. Mind you, it certainly was not any better when we switched to playing one up top in the second half. We talk a lot about shape, but for me it’s 11 players on the pitch either way, and it’s about how good they are more than the formation they play in.

Who wants that sack of spuds? If anyone wants the sack of potatoes being offered to our first goalscorer of the season, a good first step would be to find a way of getting possession in the attacking half. We managed it in second half against Hartlepool on the opening day, but in the other three 45 minutes of competitive football so far this season we’ve failed. I’d hoped Luke McCormick would be that player to put his foot on the ball higher up the pitch and provide that vital connection between defence and attack, but he hasn’t managed that so far. I would like to see if Brett McGavin can do any better from the start of a match. For me, as solid as they can be defensively, a midfield pair of Charlie Cooper and Finn Cousin-Dawson lacks that attacking quality and leaves our strikers looking so disjointed from the rest of the team.

There’s no need to panic. I hope this one goes without saying, but we are only two games in to the season. So far we’ve played two teams we’d expect to be up and around the promotion places come the end of the season. Yes, we’ve only got one point but that’s one more point than we got from these same two fixtures last season. The upcoming run of fixtures looks much kinder starting at home to Brackley Town at Huish Park on Wednesday night. It is a great opportunity to kick-start our season. Keep the faith!

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper admitted he got the game plan wrong after seeing his side taken apart by Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.

The Glovers went down 2-0 at the New Lawn, but in reality the scoreline should have been much higher with the home side hitting the woodwork twice, having four other shots on target and ten off target with the visitors having just one shot off target late in the game.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Cooper said: “It is not tough to take, it is just disappointment. I got the game plan wrong today, we decided to sit in a little bit and try to draw them on to us and hit them on the counter attack but we cannot do that. I will take the blame today, we played against a good team and tried to counter attack because they put a lot of bodies forward and, if you try and play too much at the back, they try to press you in so it was a poor day. Forest Green deserved to win the game and apologies to a brilliant band of supporters, we have to take our medicine.”

The Glovers started the game with strikers Aaron Jarvis and Tahvon Campbell playing as a front two for the first time in a long time and the manager pointed to this as part of the reason for the one-sided affair.

He said: “We played with two up front today and it did not work. We lost the ball a lot up front, we turned it over and we could not get out of our half. I blame myself for that and we have to get back to doing what we do best, getting hold of the ball and moving it around the pitch and creating overloads.”

Yeovil Town supporters look on at Forest Green Rovers.
Almost 500 travelling supporters made the trip to The New Lawn. Picture courtesy of Mark Kelly.

Having dominated the first half, Forest Green boss Robbie Savage brought on a number of heavyweight players from a star-studded bench including experienced striker Christian Doidge, summer signing playmaker Nick Haughton and former Yeovil favourite Tom Knowles.

Cooper said: “They have 26 players that could all play in the league above and we are playing against a team with four times what we have got, we have to build to get to that and they can change the whole XI, that is not making excuses, that is just the way it is.”

To add further insult, the Glovers were reduced to ten men with four minutes remaining when captain Jake Wannell was sent off for a second yellow card. He will now serve a one-match ban as Yeovil look to bounce back against National League Premier Division newcomers Brackley Town, who were without a game due to their opponents Morecambe being suspended from playing, at Huish Park on Wednesday night.

Cooper added: “We have to (get back to playing our way) against Brackley on Wednesday night, we are at home against a team which has had a day off today, I wanted to try and conserve a bit of energy today with our game plan of being a little more conservative because we only have 16 outfield players. We wanted to keep the game tight and stay in it, but it did not work.”

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Defender Finn Cousin-Dawson apologised to the Yeovil Town supporters after a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers and promised “a reaction” from the players.

The Glovers went down 2-0 to late goals from Jili Buyabu and Kairo Mitchell but were on the back foot for the entire 90 minutes against a side managed by former Wales international midfielder Robbie Savage.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game in Gloucestershire, FC-D said: “It was not good enough today and we are all really disappointed as a group. We had a game plan which has not come off, we did not keep the ball well enough when we won it back, the quality from back to front was not good enough and overall we were beaten by the better team. We apologise to the fans, they turned up in great numbers and we obviously were not good enough and there will be a reaction.”

Yeovil have an opportunity to deliver a reaction when they face newly-promoted Brackley Town at Huish Park on Wednesday night. Last season’s National League North champions were without a game today with their scheduled opponents, crisis club Morecambe, still suspended from playing due to their off-the-field difficulties.

Asked what the players could do to respond, the defender-turned-defensive midfielder added: “We have to recover as a group, stay together, keep positive and hopefully get right at them on Wednesday night. We have to be better right through the team to get goals and that comes from the lads at the back as well, today our set pieces were not good enough as well, we just have to keep going as a group every day in training.”

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Match Reports
One of the many Forest Green attacks on the Yeovil Town defence gets underway.

It tells you everything you need to know about this game when I say that Yeovil Town were very lucky to be walking away from Forest Green Rovers with a 2-0 defeat.

Here’s some full time statistics:

Shots on target: Forest Green Rovers 6 Yeovil Town 0
Shots off target: Forest Green Rovers 10 Yeovil Town 1

It took until the 75th minute for substitute Jili Buyabu to put the home side ahead before striker Kairo Mitchell doubled the advantage in the second minute of injury time, but in reality Forest Green could have won by a much, much higher number. To add insult to further insult, captain Jake Wannell was sent off with four minutes remaining.

First half

Within a minute of the kick-off, Forest Green had won two corners one of which led the hosts’ striker Yahaya Bamber curling one past the post. The pre-match predictions of Robbie Savage’s side going all out attack seem to be coming true.

Having weathered the early storm, Yeovil managed to take a bit of a sting out of their hosts’ attack and, in even more surprising news, it appeared that Tahvon Campbell, handed his first competitive start following an injury to James Daly, was partnering Aaron Jarvis.

On 17 minutes, the first warning sign came as Isaac Moore fizzed a shot past the post and then three minutes later Glovers’ keeper Jed Ward, who started last season on loan at The New Lawn, was called in to action to deny Kyle McAllister. Both McAllister and Laurent Mendy have got a lot of space in the last five minutes and it is no surprise that Forest Green are looking threatening.

Tahvon Campbell grapples with a Hartlepool United player.
Tahvon Campbell was handed his first competitive start at The New Lawn. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Jordan Taylor-Moore was the next to go close after a flurry of corners fell first to Kairo Mitchell who could not get an effort on target before Taylor-Moore’s effort was deflected wide for another corner. It has been a bit like the Alamo – and Yeovil Town are Davy Crockett and his mates fighting off an onslaught. Mendy fired over just after the half-hour mark and the signing who joined Savage from Macclesfield in the summer is running the show.

At half time, the only meaningful statistic which Yeovil Town lead on is yellow cards with Jake Wannell and Charlie Cooper both picking up one to Forest Green’s zero.

Possession: Forest Green Rovers 61% Yeovil Town 39%
Shots on target: Forest Green Rovers 2 Yeovil Town 0
Shots off target: Forest Green Rovers 3 Yeovil Town 0
Corners: Forest Green Rovers 6 Yeovil Town 1

The statistical definition of one-way traffic, but still goalless.

Half time: Forest Green Rovers 0 Yeovil Town 0

 

Second half

The start of the second half saw Yeovil undo the only change to their starting XI with James Daly, who started the opening day draw with Hartlepool United, replacing Campbell with Daly filling in alongside Sims behind Jarvis. Quite different to the wing back position 

It took Forest Green 30 seconds to get their first shot in on goal with Jayden Clarke fizzing one past the post, whilst at the other end Sims looked to have got away for Yeovil a few moments later – but he was denied by the offside flag.

On 53 minutes, great play from McAllister fed one through to Mitchell whose effort was well blocked by Morgan Williams. A minute later Brett McGavin replaced Luke McCormick, but more worryingly for the home side some heavy hitters came off the bench for Forest Green with striker Christian Doidge, playmaker Nick Haughton and wing-back Jili Buyabu. Doidge almost made an instant impact a minute after arriving as he was gifted a free header at the near post from a Forest Green corner, luckily for Yeovil he did not get it on target.

Just after the hour mark Trey Pemberton’s low cross from the right side just missed Mitchell before Haughton had two glorious opportunities to open the scoring with the second rattling Jed Ward’s woodwork after 65 minutes and then five minutes later Doidge put a header wide. How Forest Green are not ahead in this game is a complete mystery.

Buyabu is having a field day down the wing and, to add even more creativity, Savage introduced former Yeovil favourite Tom Knowles (#DFILWF) after 71 minutes. Another corner for the home side, their tenth of the game, came to Taylor-Moore whose effort was pushed away by Ward.

Eventually the pressure paid, you knew it was going to happen. Jili BUYABU got the better of Byron Pendleton and whipped a ball in to the near post, it might have come off a Yeovil player, but it doesn’t matter the dam has been breached. A minute later it could have been a second after another fantastic moving involving Pemberton who cut the ball back to McAllister, who lifted his shot over the bar.

Substitute Junior Morias collects the ball inside the Forest Green half. Picture courtesy of Andy Craig.

Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade replaced Charlie Cooper and Josh Sims and then on 83 minutes Knowles spotted Ward off his line and tried a chip from the halfway line – only the post denied him. Incredible.

As if it was not bad enough, Yeovil Town were reduced to ten men after 86 minutes. Wannell handled the ball and picked up his second yellow card. The inevitable second goal – it could have been far more – came as the game crept in to second half injury time after a short corner routine dropped to Kairo MITCHELL who fired home.

Third minute of second half injury time, Morias and McGavin combined and the latter shot wide. 93 minutes of football and that is our first shot and it is off target.

Full time: Forest Green Rovers 2 Yeovil Town 0

Match Details

Venue: The New Lawn
Date: Saturday 16th August, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Jili Buyabu 75 (0-1), Kairo Mitchell 90+2 (0-2)

Pitch: Stunning.
Conditions: Sweltering.

Attendance: 2,118 (486 away supporters)

Bookings: 
Yeovil Town: Jake Wannell 22, Charlie Cooper 35, Byron Pendleton 81, Finn Cousin-Dawson 90+5
Forest Green Rovers: Jili Buyabu 75

Sendings off:
Yeovil Town: Jake Wannell 86
Forest Green Rovers: None

Referee: Andrew Humphries

Yeovil Town (5-2-2-1)

Substitutes:  James Daly (for Tahvon Campbell, 46), Brett McGavin (for Luke McCormick, 54), Junior Morias (for Charlie Cooper, 81), Harvey Greenslade (for Josh Sims, 81), Kyle Ferguson (not used),  Ben Wodskou (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Forest Green Rovers: Luke McNicholas, Neil Kengni (for Jili Buyabu, 55), Laurent Mendy, Kyle McAllister (for Ryan Inniss, 87), Jayden Clarke (for Tom Knowles, 71), Jordan Moore-Taylor, Isaac Moore (for Nick Haughton, 55), Yahaya Bamba (for Christian Doidge, 55), Tre Pemberton, Kairo Mitchell, Abraham Kanu.

Substitutes (not used): Fiachra Pagel, Harry Whitwell.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Midfielder James Daly has been dropped to the substitutes’ bench for today’s trip to Forest Green Rovers after sustaining an injury, according to Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper.

The Glovers’ boss said the summer signing “took a really bad tackle” in the first half of the opening day draw with Hartlepool United which the boss did not want to aggravate.

Following today’s match, Yeovil host National League Premier Division new boys Brackley Town on Tuesday night followed by a visit to Braintree Town next weekend before facing Gateshead on August Bank Holiday Monday in Somerset.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off today, Cooper said: “James Daly took a really bad tackle in the first half last Saturday and is probably not quite 100%, so with the amount of games we have coming up in the next week to ten days we wanted to make sure we did not aggravate it too much today so we put him on the bench.”

The Glovers are expected to line-up with four defenders, Byron Pendleton, captain Jake Wannell, Morgan Williams and Alex Whittle, behind two holding midfielders in Finn Cousin-Dawson and Charlie Cooper. In front of them is Tahvon Campbell, who replaces Daly in the only change from the opening day, Luke McCormick and Josh Sims behind frontman Aaron Jarvis.

Asked whether there was a possibility of defender Kyle Ferguson, who is named among the substitutes starting today, Cooper added: “I feel the other three defenders have been pretty solid in pre-season and it is important that the back three and the two midfield players are really solid. They have not really done anything wrong, but we have four games in the next nine days so I am sure they are going to feature.

“We were always going to have a small squad because of what we are financially, if we have to we might have to get a couple of loans to bulk the squad out because that is where we are at the minute.“

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News
Jed Ward holds a shot during pre-match warm up.

New Yeovil Town goalkeeper Jed Ward has told the club’s supporters he is confident he will improve as he plays more matches having joined on a season-long loan.

The Bristol Rovers’ stopper only featured twice for his parent club in pre-season, playing the full 90 minutes against Chippenham Town before coming on as a second half substitute against Yeovil at Huish Park in a 2-1 win for the League Two outfit.

He looked assured keeping a clean sheet in the opening day 0-0 draw with Hartlepool United last weekend, earning the Gloverscast Man of the Match award with 31.4% of your votes.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins on Thursday, he said: “I feel like I know a lot of people here already, I have met a lot of the lads in my journey so far, I have felt really welcomed and got on board with all the things the manager is trying to give us. I am really excited for the rest of the season.

“Coming out at Huish Park in front of plenty of fans was a great feeling and, even though we did not win, it was a good performance to start the season.

“I did not really have the pre-season that I would have wanted, but as I play more games I will get better and improve week on week. I feel like I am in a good place to crack on with the season.”

The 22-year-old’s second competitive game for his new club will be in familiar surroundings of Forest Green Rovers. He played 28 times for the Gloucestershire outfit last season, keeping ten clean sheets, before being recalled by Bristol Rovers in January and playing a further 18 times.

He added: “It was a great experience last season, but I am a Yeovil player now and I want to give everything for the club. I know a few of the players there, but it is no different to any other team in this league, it is all about how do we execute our plan and win on the day. I am sure they will be aggressive and want to play football at the same time, so we just have to match that on the day.”

Jed Ward holds a shot during pre-match warm up.
Jed Ward in the pre-match warm-up ahead of last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Hartlepool United. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper speaking to the media.

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said there should not be too many conclusions drawn after their opening day stalemate with Hartlepool United last weekend.

The Glovers travel to big-spending Forest Green Rovers, now managed by former Premier League midfielder and radio shock jock, Robbie Savage, for their first away match of the season this weekend.

Speaking on Thursday from the club’s training ground just 23 miles from The New Lawn, Cooper was asked by BBC Radio Somerset reporter Josh Perkins how he would respond to claims that his side’s failure to hit the net last weekend could be considered “same old Yeovil.” The Glovers were the division’s third lowest scorers in the 2024-25 season with 51 goals in 46 games.

Cooper said: “I think we would have taken a few goalless draws last year, but no. If you look at the first game of the season, there would have been a couple of teams in the National League that would have killed for a 0-0 draw against a team that I think will be competing for a top seven place.

“We missed some chances, we could have done better with the final pass, but if after ten games we are still getting 0-0 draws, maybe – but this was the first game. It is one game at a time, but I was pleased with the second half on Saturday.”

Charlie Cooper heads away as Hartlepool United are on the attack.
Charlie Cooper heads away against Hartlepool United last weekend. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The boss said his side had “a couple of bumps and bruises” following the game at Huish Park, but said he was expecting to have the same squad to select from that he did seven days ago.

Forest Green completed their 12th new signing of the summer with the arrival of wing-back Jili Buyabu on a season-long loan from Sheffield United on Thursday. The 21-year-old came off the bench for Rochdale in a 4-0 win over Yeovil in January and played 24 times at National League level last season.

He joins the likes of attacking midfielder Nick Haughton, who has starred for AFC Fylde at National League level in recent years, striker Kairo Mitchell, signed from Rochdale, and defender Laurent Mendy and midfielder Tre Pemberton, signed from Savage’s former club, Macclesfield.

In the former Wales international’s first competitive game in charge, the Gloucestershire side were held to a 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors on the opening day despite their hosts being reduced to ten men after six minutes.

Asked how he thought the latest wave of new recruits would work for this weekend’s opponents, Cooper said: “It can work both ways, they can come in and hit the ground running. There are some boys that are from a couple of leagues below, which can be a good thing, and some coming in on loan from higher up, so it is about putting it all in the mix. When you bring that many players in, you need time for it to gel, it will not happen overnight.”

Cooper led Forest Green to promotion to the Football League in the 2016-17 season and guided them to the League Two play-offs in the 2018-19 season, but was sacked in April 2021 with the side still sixth in the League Two table. They finished the campaign in the same position and lost to Newport County in the play-off semi-finals.

Asked about his time at the club, the Yeovil boss said: “I had a good time there, we got promoted in to the Football League in our first season, held our own in the second year and stayed in the league, then we got to the play-offs, COVID, and in my last year we were close to automatic promotion and still in the play-offs. It is a shame to see them have two relegations and get back to square one. They had a good season with Steve Cotterill in charge and narrowly missed out on getting to the play-off final on penalties and they have brought another new manager in, I think they have got through a fair few now and brought Robbie in, who did really well at Macclesfield, and I am sure Robbie and Mark Bowen have got their eyes on trying to get them promoted.“