David Coates (Page 14)

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Trialist Luke McCormick runs past a Bristol Rovers player in a pre-season friendly match.

Midfielder Luke McCormick has become Yeovil Town’s second signing of the day as Yeovil Town following the arrival of on-loan striker Ben Wodskou.

The former Bristol Rovers’ man, who was released by The Gas at the end of last season, is not a new face to Glovers fans have been a regular appearance as ‘trialist’ during the pre-season campaign.

An hour after the Wodskou announcement on Monday morning, the Glovers confirmed the 26-year-old has signed a one-year contract to be at Huish Park for the upcoming National League Premier Division season.

In a statement, manager Mark Cooper said: “Luke is a really intelligent footballer who brings a lot of quality in possession. He’s got great energy and a good understanding of the game at this level. We’re delighted to have him on board.”

McCormick played 25 times, scoring three times, for Bristol Rovers in the 2024-25 before being loaned out to National League promotion chasers Forest Green Rovers in January where he made five appearances and just one start before being recalled by Rovers.

He arrived at The Memorial Ground in August 2022 from AFC Wimbledon having had a loan spell with The Gas in the 2020-21 season whilst in the academy at Premier League giants Chelsea. 

McCormick’s signing leaves only fellow former Rovers’ striker Jevani Brown‘s future uncertain. The 30-year-old has been another regular face named ‘Trialist’ on the Yeovil team-sheets during pre-season, but no announcement has been made about him.

The absence of fellow trialist Teo Kurtaran in the final two friendlies of the campaign, against Bath City and Weston-super-Mare, suggest he is no longer in Cooper’s plans.

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Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou being interviewed by the Blues' social media team.

Young Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou has been the latest product of the Championship side’s academy to join Yeovil Town on a season-long loan.

The 18-year-old, who was a trialist in the 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat at Weston-super-Mare last Saturday, joins fellow Blues’ Under-21s team-mate, defender Byron Pendleton, at Huish Park for the upcoming campaign.

He came off the bench on the hour mark in north Somerset at the weekend, replacing Josh Sims.

Wodskou spent the second half of last season on loan at Rushall Olympic in National League North, scoring twice in six appearances as the Midlands side were relegated to the Northern League.

In a statement on Monday morning, Yeovil manager Mark Cooper said:“Ben is a young striker with huge potential. He’s already shown he can handle the physicality of men’s football and has the hunger to make an impact. We’re excited to work with him this season.”

Wodskou signed a two-year professional contract at St Andrews in the summer of 2024. He joins a Yeovil forward line which includes Aaron Jarvis and Tavhon Campbell as recognised strikers with Harvey Greenslade another contender for the forward line, albeit often played in a wide position.

Speaking after the defeat at Weston, Cooper said he hoped to bring more “ammunition” in to his attack before the opening game of the National League season against Hartlepool United on Saturday. The Glovers were finished last season as the joint third lowest scorers in the Premier Division with 51 goals in their 46 matches.

The manager said: “We always said we were going to be late in our recruitment, we were not able to start recruiting until the middle of June (following the takeover). We have recruited a few (in Tahvon Campbell, James Daly and Kyle Ferguson) and hopefully next week we will have some more ammunition coming in and some players at the top of the pitch which can really effect the goal.”

In pre-season, Greenslade has two goals to his name, a brace in the 3-2 win at Chippenham Town, whilst Jarvis and Campbell have one goal each. 

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said he expects to bring more “ammunition” in to bolster his shot-shy frontline with just seven days to go until the start of the new season.

The Glovers went down 1-0 at National League South side Weston-super-Mare in their final friendly of the pre-season campaign with little offered in front of goal from the visitors.

Cooper pointed to the delay in starting his recruitment whilst new owner Prabhu Srinivasan completed his takeover of the club at the end of May, but said that attacking players were among his top targets.

Speaking to the club’s social media, the manager said: “We always said we were going to be late in our recruitment, we were not able to start recruiting until the middle of June (following the takeover). We have recruited a few (in Tahvon Campbell, James Daly and Kyle Ferguson) and hopefully next week we will have some more ammunition coming in and some players at the top of the pitch which can really effect the goal.”

Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou being interviewed by the Blues' social media team.
Birmingham City Under-21s striker Ben Wodskou appeared in the second half at Weston.

Yeovil started with forward players Aaron Jarvis, James Daly and Josh Sims supported by trialist Luke McCormick and throughout the match trialists Jevani Brown and Birmingham City youngster Ben Wodskou and frontmen Harvey Greenslade and Campbell were all brought on to find a spark. 

Cooper said: “It is just about ruthlessness. If we can get the players in to the opposition’s six-yard box as many as times as we did in the first half, the last little bit is about ice cold ruthlessness in front of goal. That is the bit (the players) have to that ownership of, they have to go and finish the edges, they are clear cut chances. If I had been stood here 3-0 up at half-time, nobody would have complained and the game is totally different, but it focuses our minds on the week ahead even more on where we have to tune. You can see where we need to tune, it is in front of goal.

“I said to the players after the game, when you find yourself in those positions, you have to be a killer. Whether it is By(ron Pendleton), Simsy (Sims), Luke McCormick (presumably pronounced ‘unnamed trialist’), Jarv (Jarvis), whoever it is, you have to kill. That is what you get paid for and, if we get that bit right, the rest of it is fine.”

Wodskou was a new face to the trialists who have featured in the pre-season campaign with both McCormick and Brown featuring in the majority of friendlies so far. The 18-year-old is a team-mate of full-back Pendleton in the Under-21s set-up at St Andrews and showed some flashes of his physicality during his appearance. Outside of youth football, he had a spell on loan at Northern League side Rushall Olympic last season.

Despite the defeat, Cooper insisted he was pleased with the first hour his side put in against a Weston side which included full-back Michael Smith and midfielders Sam Pearson and Will Dawes, who were all part of Yeovil’s National League South title-winning side of 2023-24.

The manager said: “The first 60 minutes were really good, we should have been two or three goals up at half-time, we missed some brilliant chances. In the first half we got in behind them numerous times, Byron (Pendleton), Simsy, Luke McCormick (Trialist A) should be scoring and we don’t and that is the name of the game, we have to be better in both boxes. Our general play was pretty good, it is just the last little bit.

“We changed the shape to put two up front to try and get some minutes in to people which took away our fluency and (the game) gets a bit stretched then, but, if you take the result out of it, we dominated the game and played some good stuff. The disappointing bit is that we give away a penalty and lose the game, but there were some good bits.“

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A second half penalty saw Yeovil Town go down to defeat in their final pre-season friendly of the campaign in a feisty all-Somerset affair at Weston-super-Mare.

Seagulls’ midfielder Luke Coulson sent new loan goalkeeper Jed Ward the wrong way from the spot in the 67th minute after Jake Wannell fouled former Glovers’ striker Louis Britton inside the box.

In a game marked by a few feisty challenges by both sides, there was the worrying sight of full-back Alex Whittle going off in what appeared to be a precautionary move with a groin injury early in the first half and little else to write home about for the visitors.

Yeovil were largely nullified by the National League South side who took their opportunity from the spot when it came. Not a great way to sign off pre-season.

First half

Early chance for Yeovil saw Finn Cousin-Dawson plant a header straight in to the midriff of Weston keeper Max Harris after three minutes, and the keeper did well to punch clear after Charlie Cooper’s good free-kick in to the box.

The next action was more worrying for the visitors with Alex Whittle going down with an injury after 15 minutes. The left-back received treatment but played on for further five minutes before he was replaced by Brett McGavin. One assumes the substitution was precautionary just seven days before the opening National League fixture and Whittle appeared to be moving okay as he departed for the dressing room, albeit clutching an ice pack. Tight groin, apparently.

On the pitch, Wannell moved to the left side of defence with Cousin-Dawson shifting back in to defence from a deep lying midfield role which was filled by McGavin. On 22 minutes, James Daly had the ball in the net with a beautiful curling shot only denied by an offside flag before a great flick on from Aaron Jarvis  landed to the feet of trialist Luke McCormick who took his shot early but pulled it wide.

Picture courtesy of Rob Manley.

On the trialist front, former Bristol Rovers’ striker Jevani Brown was named on the bench continuing his seemingly endless role as a trialist, but there was a new face in the form of Birmingham Under-21s striker, Ben Wodskou. The St Andrews’ team-mate of signed loanee Byron Pendleton came through the Blues’ academy and had a spell on loan at Northern Premier League side Rushall Athletic last season. The 18-year-old signed his first professional contract, a two-year deal, in the summer of 2024.

New goalkeeper Jed Ward, signed on a season-long loan from Bristol Rovers during the week, was called in to his first action in a Yeovil shirt to collect a header from James Dodd before two former Glovers, Sam Pearson and Louis Britton (remember him?), combined with the former crossing for the latter to head over the bar.

There was another slightly worrying moment when Morgan Williams ran in to a barrier at the side of the pitch, he seems okay to continue. Pearson’s deflected effort, tipped over the bar by Ward, in the 43rd minute was the final action of the half.

Half-time:  Weston-super-Mare 0 Yeovil Town 0

 

Second half

The half-time break saw a change for Yeovil with Kyle Ferguson replacing Charlie Cooper and six minutes after the restart a McGavin corner was headed away by Wood with a number of green-and-white shirts queuing up to turn home the looping ball.

With an hour gone and Yeovil seemingly out of ideas, strikers Tahvon Campbell and trialist Wodskou replaced Josh Sims and Aaron Jarvis before Ward had to be quick off his line to prevent Britton getting on the end of a good ball from Pearson.

On 67 minutes, Weston were awarded a penalty for a foul on Britton on the edge of the area. Luke COULSON stepped up and sent Ward the wrong way. The goal sparked a further Yeovil change with Harvey Greenslade coming on for trialist McCormick. There were four changes for the home side including another former Glover, Will Dawes, replacing Britton.

Trialist Jevani Brown replaced Byron Pendleton after 77 minutes before Tahvon Campbell got involved in an off-the-ball fracas after a shirt pull from Weston’s Emlyn Lewis. The majority of the on-the-field personnel from both sides got involved in the ‘afters’. Still not sure we can call this a ‘derby’, an all-Somerset match at best, but that was definitely not friendly.

Players from Yeovil Town and Weston-super-Mare get involved in a major fracas.
The not so friendly friendly. Picture courtesy of Michael Stone.

There were a few other snaps by both sides between that major melee and the final whistle but, with just seven days remaining until Hartlepool United visit Huish Park for the opening National League fixture, it ended with a poor performance and poor result.

At the final whistle, manager Mark Cooper gathered his players on the pitch for a ‘talking to’ and you have to wonder what was said by all those involved. Whatever it was, it needs to lift the level considerably in the next week.

Full time: Weston-super-Mare 1 Yeovil Town 0

Teams:

Yeovil Town: Jed Ward, Byron Pendleton (for Byron Pendleton, 77), Alex Whittle (for Brett McGavin, 20), Morgan Williams, Jake Wannell, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Charlie Cooper (for Kyle Ferguson, 46), Luke McCormick (Trialist) (for Harvey Greenslade, 69), Josh Sims (for Ben Wodskou, 60), James Daly, Aaron Jarvis (for Tahvon Campbell, 60).

Substitutes (not used): Matt Gould.

Weston-super-Mare: Max Harris, Michael Smith, Dylan Mitchell, Callum Wood, Sam Avery, Luke Coulson, James Dodd, Louis Britton, James Waite, Sam Pearson, Emlyn Lewis.

Substitutes: Jacob Jagger-Cane, Jakob Glover, Jason Pope, Jake Hicks, Josh Salmon, Oliver Jenkins, Daniel Martin.

Scorers: Luke Coulson 67 pen (0-1),

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To mark the 130th anniversary of Yeovil Town, the club is bringing one of its quirkier traditions back.

The first goalscorer of the upcoming 2025-26 National League Premier Division will be awarded a sack of potatoes, a tradition last seen at the club in the 1930s.

From the 1934-35 season, a local greengrocer awarded striker Tom McNeil with the ‘lucky spuds’ and went on to score 40 goals in one season – and he wasn’t even the top scorer with his team-mate Joe Taylor topping the charts with 66! That season, the Glovers went on to face Liverpool in the FA Cup third round, so not a bad year all in all!

Ninety years later, Glovers’ fan and greengrocer Alan Sheppard, who owns The Fruit & Veg Shop in South Petherton with his brother-in-law Nick Wakely, has rekindled the idea, the brainchild of the Yeovil Town Heritage Society’s Michael West.

Alan said: “It worked for the club all those years ago, so why not try it again. If these spuds can spark another league triumph of FA Cup run, I’ll be happy.”

Michael said: “It’s a brilliant idea, wonderfully quirky with real historical roots. We’re proud to keep the stories of our club alive in creative and memorable ways.”

Great work Michael, Alan and Nick and we cannot wait to see the confused look on that first scorer’s face!

Greengrocer Alan Sheppard clutches his sack of lucky potatoes.
Greengrocer Alan Sheppard with the sack of lucky spuds.

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Talks to extend an exclusivity agreement around the ownership of land at Huish Park are underway with Somerset Council and the new owners of Yeovil Town.

The current agreement which gives Yeovil Town Holdings, the company which Dubai-based businessman Prabhu Srinivasan bought from former chairman Martin Hellier in May, is due to expire in May 2026.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Gloverscast podcast, Chief Strategy Advisor Nicholas Brayne said the new owners are also talking with “quality partners” about how the land can generate long-term revenue in the future.

He said: “We have had a number of detailed conversations with officers from the council and I had a meeting this morning and I have further meetings next week.

“It is all geared towards two things – the extension of buy-back option on the land and reuniting the club with the stadium and the bigger question of what we do with it.

“The goal is to put revenue the way of the football club to make it a better business and more resilient. This is a unique opportunity which other clubs do not have to utilise the space with the explicit purpose of bringing revenue in to the club.

“That sounds quite a lofty vision because there are two issues. The first is it is a huge space which brings complications and the question of how much capital can we put in to it when we want to also put capital in to what is going on on the pitch.

“We are a bunch of investors from the Middle East, so we are not experts on the things we could do on that site, so we do need to find partners to do it with to deliver quality solutions for the club.”

However, Brayne said that supporters should not expect any buy-back or the long-term future of the land to be a quick fix.

He added: “Let me reassure you there are meaningful conversations with the right stakeholders, but I want to be really honest, this is not going to happen overnight. This is going to take time, so people asking when we are going to buy back the land, please be patient with us.

“The most important thing is that we do this the right way for the football club and that we stop with the quick fix solutions which actually have a negative, long-term impact.”

You can listen to the full interview with Nicholas Brayne wherever it is you pick up your podcasts or by clicking HERE.

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Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan at a fans' forum meeting at Huish Park.

Yeovil Town’s new ownership is backing manager Mark Cooper is his waiting game to bring transfer targets to Huish Park.

The club’s Chief Strategy Advisor Nicholas Brayne, who is an advisor to new owner Prabhu Srinivasan, told the latest episode of the Gloverscast podcast that he has no concerns about the manager’s strategy of waiting for players to come available.

He said: “If you look at Yeovil’s transfer policy over a few years, it has been quite consistent in doing business up front and I would argue that there has been a bit of a lack of thinking about why players were coming in and how they improve the squad.

“This strategy is led by Mark (Cooper), not (the ownership group) saying ‘this is how it should be done’, we made a collective decision to say we wanted to be sure the players would improve the team and that we wanted to take our time to get that right.

“We also identified the weaknesses of going early and leaving some finance in the tank to make some moves later if necessary. What you see in football is that teams higher in the pyramid may be chasing a striker and when they get their guy and then the guy we are chasing is able to move on. In previous seasons there has not been that (finance) in the tank to do that.

“Mark has done a brilliant job and I really back his strategy and you can see the logic behind why he has brought certain players in. I come from a privileged position of knowing what is going on behind-the-scenes and there is no worry on my face, I know what is coming around the corner and I am sure you will be pleased.”

Trialist striker Jevani Brown turns away during the pre-season friendly with Bristol Rovers.
Trialist striker Jevani Brown has been a regular fixture in the pre-season friendlies. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The Glovers released seven players at the end of last season – goalkeeper Will Buse, defenders Michael Smith, Dom Bernard and Marcel Lavinier, midfielders Harry Kite, Caleb Hughes and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton – at the end of last season with winger Lewys Twamley departing earlier this month.

Arriving at Huish Park have been young full-back Byron Pendleton, signed on a season-long loan from Birmingham City, and permanent signings defende Kyle Ferguson, winger James Daly and striker Tahvon Campbell. The club has also had three trialists who seem to have stuck around during pre-season, ex-Bristol Rovers’ pair midfielder Luke McCormick and striker Jevani Brown and midfielder Teo Kurtaran, albeit the latter was absent from the squad which won 3-1 at Bath City in the most recent friendly on Saturday.

Speaking last Friday, Cooper made his own appeal for supporters to be patient. He said: “We might have to wait to get our first choice players, but we are only talking two or three. It is a waiting game now, there are probably about 25 players of real quality that still have not got a club and they all want to play in the EFL. Not all of them are going to be fixed up and I certainly want to explore one or two of those which would be above our level.

“We have got enough players at the minute to make sure we can get good minutes in to games. I would just appeal to the fan base to have a bit of reality and a bit of calmness.”

Listen to our interview with Nicholas Brayne in full wherever you pick up your podcasts or by clicking HERE.

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Byron Pendleton shoots for goal against Bristol Rovers.

Loan right-back Byron Pendleton has spoken of his excitement at his first taste of men’s football having joined Yeovil Town from the Under-21s’ set-up at Championship Birmingham City.

The 19-year-old joined on a season-long loan this week having impressed on trial in the pre-season friendly with Bristol Rovers last weekend and played the full 90 minutes of yesterday’s 3-1 win at Bath City, wearing the number two shirt vacated by Jordan Thomas.

He has been a regular in the Under-21s side at St Andrews for the past two seasons, captaining the team in the Professional Development League last season, and is contracted to Blues until the summer of 2027.

Speaking to Yeovil’s social media following the Bath win, he said: “It is a very exciting time for me, my first loan. I want to play for Yeovil because they have given me the opportunity to come and perform and show what I am about.

“The first game (against Bristol Rovers at Huish Park) was a great feeling with the noise levels and the fans all cheering. For me playing in men’s football, the whole adrenaline rush was just great.

“It is a big difference for me, I have been in the Under-21s at Birmingham for four or five years so I was getting too used to it and comfortable. Making the step up to men’s football is a lot more physical, the game is a lot faster and the game is a lot more tactical and there is a lot more on the games we are playing.”

Trialist Byron Pendleton, who captains Birmingham City's Under-21s, sinks to his knees after coming close.
Trialist Byron Pendleton sinks to his knees after hitting the side netting against Bristol Rovers. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The athleticism, speed and crossing ability of the right-back has been notable in his 180 minutes of friendly action and he came close to scoring during his outing as ‘Trialist B’ against Rovers.

He added: “I prefer playing in higher areas of the pitch because that allows me to make room in behind because I am quite quick, so that allows me to get higher up the pitch and put crosses in the box and contribute to goals and assists.

“The lads have been very welcoming, they are a good bunch of players and made me feel at home. I am really excited for the first game of the league season (at home to Hartlepool United on 9th August), I am looking to get out there and show what I am about, hopefully pick up some wins and get us as high up the table as we can.”

In his post-match comments at Twerton Park, manager Mark Cooper said Pendleton was an example of the type of loan signing he is hoping to bring to Huish Park to give strength in depth. The Glovers could only name 15 players at Bath with defender Jake Wannell, midfielder Brett McGavin and summer signing striker Tahvon Campbell all absent.

Cooper said: “I have been asked why there are so many loan players, but I have been consistent, the loan players are going to give us that depth to our squad. When you bring in loan players like Byron, who looks a really good acquisition for us, it helps us with our budget and he did really well.”

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Mark Cooper speaks to the club's social media following the 3-1 pre-season friendly win at Bath City.

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said he was content to name just four substitutes for today’s 3-1 pre-season friendly win at Bath City.

The Glovers were without defender Jake Wannell, who was missing for “personal reasons“, and midfielder Brett McGavin and striker Tahvon Campbell meaning they had just 15 players in the squad.

Trialist striker Jevani Brown, fellow forward Harvey Greenslade and Under-18s’ defender Ollie Hughes all appeared in the second half at Twerton Park with only goalkeeper Aidan Stone, who was a first-team regular at the end of last season, not being used.

Speaking to the club’s social media after the game, Cooper said: “Jake Wannell has got a personal issue with a family member that is seriously ill, Tahvon Campbell is still not quite right and we are hopeful he will be back training on Monday and Brett McGavin has had a tight Achilles, so we did not risk him, but he will be back on the grass on Monday as well. So we have got three big players to come back in to the group which would have given us seven on the bench, so I am okay with (only having four substitutes).”

Trialist midfielder Teo Kurtaran runs down the wing in the pre-season friendly against Bristol Rovers.
Teo Kurtaran, who has featured in all Yeovil Town’s pre-season friendlies, has missing from the squad at Bath City. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Trialist midfielder Luke McCormick impressed with assists for all three of the Yeovil goals, but there was no sign of Teo Kurtaran, the midfielder who has appeared in all the previous friendly matches this summer, suggesting he is no longer in the manager’s plans.

Asked about the trialists, the boss said: “We are still monitoring the trialists and we want to get as much value as we can, but they are certainly not doing themselves any harm with their performances.”

Goals from defender Morgan Williams and midfielders James Daly and Josh Sims put Yeovil in to a 3-0 lead by half-time, but the manager said his side “lost a little bit of professionalism” after the break with Bath pulled a goal back late in the game.

The manager said: “The first half was outstanding, we looked powerful, energetic, really good on the counter attack and defended well, but when you are 3-0 up at half-time it is hard to replicate that again (in the second half) because the opposition half to change. (Bath) changed their shape, they made substitutions and it becomes difficult and we certainly did not replicate what we did in the first half and we got away from doing the things which had got us so much joy in the first half, we lost a little bit of professionalism and it ended up being a bit more of a game in the second half.

“The trialist (Luke McCormick) looked good in the first half and we looked powerful, quick and sharp around their penalty area, I was really pleased with that bit but, as always, there is loads to do. I have just said to the players there will be lots of National League teams which have lost to National League North and South clubs, and I said to them that today was about winning and make a statement with two weeks to go (until the first league game of the season).

“There was really good support here today, really big numbers and at least we gave them three goals to go away with.”

The ball runs out of play for Bath's Ewan Clark with Byron Pendleton and Morgan Williams in close attendance.
The ball runs out of play for Bath City’s Ewan Clark with Byron Pendleton and Morgan Williams in close attendance. Picture courtesy of Abby Carter.

On Friday, the manager called on supporters to “have a bit of patience” with summer recruitment and said he expected to bring in “two or three” permanent additions plus loan signings for the new campaign which gets underway on August 9th.

One player who impressed against Bath was young Birmingham City right-back Byron Pendleton, who joined on a season-long loan during the week. The manager said: “I have been asked why there are so many loan players, but I have been consistent, the loan players are going to give us that depth to our squad. When you bring in loan players like Byron, who looks a really good acquisition for us, it helps us with our budget and he did really well.”

The final match of the announced friendly fixtures takes Cooper’s men to Weston-super-Mare next weekend, but he revealed they will play a behind-closed-doors fixture against an unnamed Championship side on Tuesday night.

He said: “We are playing a behind-closed-doors game at a Championship club on Tuesday which will be a real tough one for us, so we need to get ready and recover for that.“

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The ball runs out of play for Bath's Ewan Clark with Byron Pendleton and Morgan Williams in close attendance.

Three first half goals from Yeovil Town saw them get their pre-season campaign back to winning ways with a victory at National League South side Bath City on Saturday.

The Glovers took the lead through defender Morgan Williams after 14 minutes before summer signing James Daly opened his goal-scoring account for his new side and then Josh Sims added a third with trialist Luke McCormick providing assists for all three goals.

A fairly uneventful second half saw Will Jenkins-Davies reduce the deficit for the hosts, managed by former Yeovil player and manager, Darren Way, with nine minutes remaining.

First half

The starting line-up gave the first talking point with just four substitutes, including youngster Ollie Hughes, named by manager Mark Cooper, who had told supporters concerned about the lack of transfer activity to “have a little patience” on Friday. There was no Jake Wannell, missing due to “personal reasons“, or Brett McGavin and Tahvon Campbell, both not being risked due to injuries. Campbell had looked to be struggling in the defeat to Bristol Rovers seven days earlier with a heavy strapping on his knee.

In the starting XI, goalkeeper/goalkeeping coach Matt Gould was named in goal with last season’s first choice, Aidan Stone, named on the bench. The visitors started with Finn Cousin-Dawson lined up in defensive midfield positions alongside Charlie Cooper and trialist Luke McCormick playing behind Aaron Jarvis.

James Daly had the first effort on goal with an effort from distance after just three minutes before former Glovers’ loanee Ewan Clark found Joe Raynes inside the box but his two efforts were blocked by Kyle Fergsuon. Clark forced Matt Gould in to the first save of the match after five minutes, the home side have dominated the opening exchanges.

However, it was Yeovil who opened the scoring through Morgan WILLIAMS after 14 minutes. Good pressure from Byron Pendleton found Josh Sims who could not release anyone until he picked out McCormick whose cross was met by a flick from Williams to put the Glovers ahead against the run of play.

Byron Pendleton and Ewan Clark eye each other during a break in play.
Byron Pendleton keeps a close eye on Bath City’s Ewan Clark. Picture courtesy of Mike Hudson.

Bath continued to dominate with Clark, who failed to get much action during his time at Huish Park, but Yeovil found their composure and doubled their advantage on 27 minutes. Pendleton and Sims linked up well down the right-hand side to get the ball to McCormick whose sliced shot landed on a plate to James DALY who slid home his first goal since arriving in the summer.

Just before the half-hour mark, a great ball from Cousin-Dawson found Pendleton whose cross from the right was towards McCormick who could not quite get to the ball. Good move, but the trialist did not quite have the legs for it.

McCormick was involved again in Yeovil’s third goal with seven minutes of the first half remaining. Nicely worked by McCormick on the left, he found Josh SIMS who turned his man and finished coolly to extend the advantage for the visitors. Having had to weather an early storm, Yeovil have taken this game by the scruff of the neck with McCormick at the centre of it whilst Bath looking unsure what to do.

Bath keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards had to scramble back after a clearance deflected off the knee of Sims just after and from the resulting corner Williams forced the keeper in to a save. But at the interval, get the open top bus booked – we’re winning the lot!

Half-time:  Bath City 0 Yeovil Town 3

Second half

Yeovil Town's four substitutes warming up at half-time in the pre-season friendly at Bath City.
“The depth” warming up at half-time at Twerton Park. Picture courtesy of Mike Hudson.

There were two changes for Bath with last season’s top scorer Scott Wilson entering the fray at the interval, he replaced former W*ymouth frontman Brad Ash. Unsurprisingly given the lack of options, there were no changes for Yeovil.

Bath came out the brighter but the nearest either side got to adding to the scoreline saw Jenkins-Davies try to chip Matt Gould under pressure from the Yeovil defence after 56 minutes. Not much end product from the home side here.

There were a couple of half chances for Raynes and then substitute Wilson around the hour mark, but nothing in the way of meaningful opportunities for either side.

The first change for Yeovil came after 71 minutes with Harvey Greenslade replacing Aaron Jarvis followed six minutes later by trialist Jevani Brown who came on for Daly.

It took an error from Williams to add to the goal-scoring tally. The defender’s attempted clearing header landed at the feet of Will JENKINS-DAVIES who rifled past Gould to reduce the deficit.

Charlie Cooper tried a spectacular effort which did not trouble Wiles-Richards who then kept everyone entertained with a bicycle kick outside his box with three minutes remaining.

Under-18s’ defender Ollie Hughes replaced Kyle Fergsuson in the 88th minute and then, as the game ticked in to injury time, a dangerous cross by Jordan Alves picked out fellow substitute and officially the Nicest Man In Football, Alex Fisher, whose header forced a good save from Gould to touch it over the bar.

Another good ball in to the box from Alves in the flying moments of the game was turned aside by Whittle with Fisher lurking again, but it was Yeovil who ran out winners.

Full time: Bath City 1 Yeovil Town 3

Teams:

Yeovil Town: Matt Gould, Alex Whittle, Kyle Ferguson (for Ollie Hughes, 88), Morgan Williams, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Byron Pendleton, Charlie Cooper, James Daly (for Jevani Brown, Trialist, 77), Josh Sims, Luke McCormick (Trialist), Aaron Jarvis (for Harvey Greenslade, 71).

Substitutes (not used): Aidan Stone.

Bristol Rovers: Harvey Wiles-Richards, Joe Raynes, Danny Greenslade, Ollie Tomlinson, Kieron Parselle, Will Jenkins-Davies, Ewan Clark (for Jordan Alves, 77), Brad Ash (for Scott Wilson, 46), Jordan Tillson, Mitch Beardmore (for Jack Batten, 46), Luke Russe.

Substitutes (not used): Massimo Sardo, Louis Sweeten, Owen Pritchard, Alex Fisher, Trialist, Trialist.

Scorers: Morgan Williams 14 (1-0), James Daly 27 (2-0), Josh Sims 38 (3-0), Will Jenkins-Davies 81 (1-3)

Attendance: 853