David Coates (Page 140)

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It has been a hit and miss start to the National League season for Woking who are ten games in without a draw.

Having picked up three impressive victories over Chesterfield, Notts County and Dagenham & Redbridge, the Cards have lost their last three matches.

That includes an exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Isthmian League Premier Division side Horsham, who played two divisions and 54 places below them.

At the weekend, the dismissal of centre-half Joe McNerney after 58 minutes of the televised match at Maidenhead United led to leaking two late goals to go down to a 3-2 defeat.

The first defeat of the three-match losing run came with a 1-0 defeat at home to league leaders, Grimsby Town.

Former Yeovil Town loanee Tahvon Campbell has been a major part of Woking’s good form.

The 24-year-old made Woking his 11th club having had two loan spells at Huish Park in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, scoring twice.

But, he has managed eight goals in his first ten matches for the Cards including doubles against Eastleigh, Chesterfield and Notts County in back-to-back matches.

He’s not scored his side last brace at Notts earlier in the month and has been paired alongside the powerful Inih Effiong, who signed from Notts County in the summer.

FROM THE MANAGER

It is fair to say Woking manager Alan Dowson is a man of few words and speaking to BT Sport after the final whistle of the 3-2 defeat at Maidenhead United last weekend, he was not giving much away.

He said: “You are not going to win games if you concede three goals and we have got a bit of a problem in that area.

“So I was disappointed with us defensively, but apart from that I thought we were in control for most of the game.

“It was an improvement (from the FA Cup exit at Horsham) but if you want to be involved you have to win these games.

“But they were well organised and they put the ball in the net, so fair play to them.

“You’ve just got to put every game behind you.”

 

TEAM NEWS

Central defender Joe McNerney, who has been an ever-present since rejoining the club in the summer after six years away at Crawley Town, will be missing on Tuesday night.

He was red-carded for denying a goal-scoring opportunity just before the hour mark in the 3-2 defeat at Maidenhead United at the weekend.

The televised fixture was an eventful one for the 31-year-old who deflected a ball in to his own net for Maidenhead’s first, then equalised when he popped up at the back post and finally saw red having collided with Kane Ferdinand who was through on goal.

Striker George Oakley will also be missing having suffered a broken leg in the win over Chesterfield earlier in the month and will be out for the rest of the season.

The summer signing from Scottish football had struck an impressive partnership alongside ex-Glover Tahvon Campbell up until that point.

A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

Tahvon Campbell has already been mentioned in this preview.

The then-West Brom youngster had two fairly forgettable spells at the club in 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

He managed a goal in each spell and that was about it to be honest.

Fellow frontman Jamar Loza is another link between the clubs. He played five times on loan from Norwich City in 2015 and returned for his third spell at Woking last season.

Rohan Ince, who made two Yeovil Town appearances in a two-month stint on loan from Chelsea in 2012, arrived from Maidenhead in the summer and is a regular in the Cards’ midfield.

In the Glovers’ squad, top-scorer Joe Quigley had two loan spells at Kingfield whilst an AFC Bournemouth player in the 2015-16 season.

However, these three are far from the only players with a foot in both camps, a few others include:

  • Josh Neufville
  • Jake Gray
  • Kieran Murtagh
  • Nathan Ralph
  • Kevin Betsy
  • Steve Thompson
  • Matt Hayfield
  • Chris Giles
  • Warren Patmore
  • Colin Fielder
  • Kevan Brown
  • Robbie Carroll
  • Richard Nugent
  • Andy Clement
  • Dave Piper
  • Steve Stott
  • Tom White
  • Shaun Donnellan
  • Jamie Pitman
  • Luke Oliver

There are probably more. If you think of any, let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

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Two national bookmakers have Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll among the favourites at League Two side Carlisle United.

SkyBet have the Glovers’ boss as a 2/1 favourite to replace Chris Beech who was sacked with the club in the division’s relegation zone.

BetVictor are also offering 6/4 on Sarll to take over at Brunton Park, although other outlets do not have him anywhere near the running.

BetVictor are offering odds of 6/4 on Darren Sarll to be the next manager at Carlisle United.

‘Next Permanent Manager’ markets are notoriously volatile and it isn’t always based on the most reliable sources.

Other betting companies, including William Hill, don’t have Sarll listed at all with Keith Hill listed as their odds-on favourite.

A little investigative work with some of our northern contacts would suggest that this is probably little more than a couple of speculative punts from bookmakers.

What we can confirm is that manager took charge of training at Huish Park on Monday ahead of tomorrow night’s National League fixture at home to Woking.

Odds quoted in the article are correct at time of writing and subject to change.

The Gloverscast supports responsible gambling. Visit gambleaware.co.uk for the facts.

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The Under-11s side representing the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust were winners in their Junior Premier League fixture at the weekend.

They were in action at their counterparts from Saints Southwest.

The under-11s were the only age group representing the Trust in the JPL in action at the weekend.

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Yeovil Town Under-18s moved up to third place in the South West Counties Youth League after a 4-0 win at Paulton Rovers.

Benjani Junior, Pedro Borges, Jake Graziano and Ollie Haste were on target for the young Glovers.

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Yeovil Town went down to a 2-0 defeat at National League table-toppers Grimsby Town yesterday, stretching their run without a win to eight matches. 

Marcus Duncomb, who was on co-commentary duties for BBC Somerset at Blundell Park, gives us his Five Conclusions from the match……

Being 1-0 down away at the league leaders at half time isn’t terrible. But it was clear that change was needed in the Yeovil team. We never looked like creating any chances (which I’ll get onto later…) and with Simper, Knowles and Yussuf all on the bench, I think Darren Sarll needed to look to his bench earlier than he did. This has happened in a few games now and while I understand that we don’t have much squad depth at the moment, there were at least three players on the bench who could have influenced the game.

We were actually quite solid at the back and retained possession nicely in midfield. Yes, we conceded two goals, but one of them was a penalty and the other was in the 90th minute when we’d lumped Max Hunt up front to go all out for an equaliser. As much as Yeovil couldn’t get forward much, the team did very well to limit the chances that Grimsby created. We kept the league leaders quiet for the majority of the match which is a positive.

We never looked like scoring. I don’t know what our attacking plan is or, indeed, if there is one but we never threatened Grimsby’s defence. We had a lot of the ball in midfield but the final ball was just non-existent. We’re missing that Lawson D’Ath-esque playmaker in midfield and also midfielders who make runs into the box like Jimmy Smith and Albi Skendi. I’m aware I’m just listing previous players who we could do with now, but we really are crying out for goals and creativity from midfield.

Get him some tequila because Dale Gorman bloody loves a shot. Any time he gets the ball with in 40 yards of the goal and with some space ahead of him, the Irishman will be lining up to thump one from range. Don’t get me wrong, we need goals so please try anything! Sometimes however, we’ve worked the ball into a decent position deep in the opponent’s box and could create a clear-cut chance but he just gifts the opponent a goal kick from a pot shot.

As Sheridan said in the Five Conclusions from the W*ymouth replay – Sonny Blu Lo-Everton is a very talented footballer. He’s got great skill and frightening technique, but some games just don’t fit his style or maybe he doesn’t suit Yeovil’s style. I really want him to succeed, and I know he can, but unfortunately he got pushed off the ball a few too many times and the game just passed him by leaving him somewhat invisible.

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Venue: Blundell Park
Saturday, October 23 2021, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Dry with a slight breeze
Ground: Fine.

Scorers: John-Lewis 20 (0-1), McAtee (0-2)

Attendance: 6,470 (116 away supporters)

Referee: Andrew Miller

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Gorman 89
Grimsby Town: None


Yeovil Town : (4-3-3)
Grant Smith
Dan Moss, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jack Robinson
Matt Worthington, Dale Gorman, Jordan Barnett
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton Joe Quigley Charlie Wakefield

Substitutes: Adi Yussuf (for Quigley, 70), Tom Knowles (for Lo-Everton, 76), Lewis Simper (for Barnett, 84) Max Evans, Jordan Dyer.

Grimsby Town: McKeown, Sears, Waterfall, Towler, Crookes, Fox, Clifton (for Revan, 82), Hunt (for Coke, 64), Bapaga (for Sousa, 70), McAtee, John-Lewis
Substitutes: Pearson, Wright.

Match Report

A first half penalty and an injury time second was enough to send Yeovil Town home pointless and table-topping Grimsby Town kept their 100% record in front of their own fans.

The story was all too familiar for Yeovil with just one shot on target coming from a Dale Gorman free-kick late in the second half.

That said, the home side only had three on target themselves as the Glovers huffed, puffed but could simply not blow the house down.

Darren Sarll named an unchanged starting XI from the midweek FA Cup win over W*ymouth with seven players in the line-up having played 120 minutes plus penalties four days earlier.

For the home side, who had an outbreak of COVID-19 in the days leading up to the match, there were two changes with Will Bapaga and John-

The opening exchanges were relatively uneventful with neither side, the first chance of the game came after 20 minutes and led to an opener.

Speedy winger Will Bapaga broke free and got to the ball just ahead of visiting goalkeeper Grant Smith who caught him late and referee Andrew Miller gave the penalty.

After his midweek exploits from a shoot-out, Smith must have hoped his luck could continue, but Lennell JOHN-LEWIS‘ effort was too much despite the keeper guessing the right way.

From the next attack, Jordan Barnett appeared to get away with one after seeming to control the ball with his arm inside the box.

There was a risk of the visitors, backed by a bumper home crowd and boasting a 100% record could sense blood, but the visitors did well to keep them at bay.

There was a suspicion of a penalty for Yeovil on 24 minutes when Dan Moss was pulled down and just after the half-hour mark, Charlie Wakefield had a strong shot blocked by hosts’ defender Luke Waterfall after good interplay with Matt Worthington.

A trademark off target 35-yard effort from Dale Gorman with three minutes of the half remaining was about all there was else to report before the break.

The story was an all too familiar one with the visitors having their opportunities but lacking a real attacking impetus. For the hosts, one attack of note, one goal.

Half time: Grimsby Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

 

Smith was called in to action four minutes the restart when good play from John-Lewis laid the ball down to Harry Clifton whose venomous effort was turned aside by the keeper.

A minute later John McAtee wriggled away down the right but he fired his shot wide.

Wakefield had a shot turned wide soon after and from the resulting corner Max Hunt missed an opportunity to head home the equaliser with more chances in the opening seven minutes of the second half than the entire opening 45.

John Lewis fired in to the side netting after 58 minutes and seven minutes later his strike-partner McAtee tried to catch Smith off his line, but his effort went wide.

Wonderful play by Clifton fed McAtee who was bearing down on goal and seemed certain to fire a second, but laid the ball off to John-Lewis who shot wide from three yards.

The chance was so good the score alerts messages all proclaimed a 2-0 lead for the Grimsby – but didn’t.

Joint top-scorer Ryan Taylor was missing from the starting line-up, presumably one of the Mariners’ COVID victims, but had he been in instead of John-Lewis it could have been a far more convincing scoreline.

In an effort to improve the visitors’ attacking impetus, Adi Yussuf and Tom Knowles were introduced in place of Joe Quigley and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, neither of whom really featured in their 70-odd minutes on the pitch.

Worthington had an effort wide with seven minutes remaining and then two minutes later Yeovil won a free-kick from 35 yards out, which obviously meant Gorman was taking it.

His effort was on target but James McKeown in the hosts’ goal was equal too it.

It was left to McATEE to wrap the game up for the home side when good play from substiute Erico Sousa set him up at the back post to fire home.

Game, set and match.

Full time: Grimsby Town 2 Yeovil Town 0

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Yeovil Town name an unchanged starting XI from the midweek FA Cup win over W*ymouth with what appears to be a 4-4-3 line-up.

Seven of those starting today played the full 120 minutes (plus penalties) of the pulsating FA Cup fourth qualifying round victory in midweek.

On loan striker Ben Seymour misses out having come off the bench in that match.

The home side start the game defending a 100% record at Blundell Park and make two changes from their last National League outing, a 1-0 win at Woking two weeks ago.

Lennell John-Lewis replaces joint top-scorer Ryan Taylor, who is not in the squad, and Will Bapaga replaces Erico Sousa who drops to the bench.

Bapaga, who is on loan from Coventry City, scored twice in last weekend’s 5-0 FA Cup mauling of Bromsgrove Sporting, when boss Paul Hurst took the opportunity to rest a number of his first-team regulars.

On Friday, Hurst confirmed a number of players were suffering from COVID-19 and one assumes the absence of Taylor from the matchday squad makes him one victim.

Yeovil Town: Grant Smith, Dan Moss,  Josh Staunton, Max Hunt Jack Robinson, Matt Worthington, Dale Gorman, Jordan Barnett, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Joe Quigley, Charlie Wakefield.
Substitutes: Max Evans, Jordan Dyer, Tom Knowles, Lewis Simper, Adi Yussuf.

Grimsby Town: McKeown, Sears, Waterfall, Towler, Crookes, Fox, Clifton, Hunt, Bapaga, McAtee, John-Lewis
Substitutes: Revan, Pearson, Coke, Wright, Sousa.

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The expectation being placed on Yeovil Town’s young squad is “far too high“, according to Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll.

He said it was “rubbish” to suggest that his side should be under pressure after a run of three draws and a defeat during a run of back-to-back matches at Huish Park.

Speaking ahead of the trip to table-topping Grimsby Town on Saturday, the manager said that the pressure of the media and social media was impacting his side (Editor – who’s he talking about?).

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll talks to BBC Radio Somerset

He said: “The expectation on this group is far too high and this is why we get to 88 and 89 minutes and they are under pressure.

“It’s because because social media and the media is all around us and (the players) know it because articles fly out.

“This team is exactly where they should be and the only team comparable to use is Aldershot (which have the youngest squad in the National League), so we are doing okay.

“It is not a ready-made winning team, that group of players minus (the injured) Mark Little, Reuben Reid, Luke Wilkinson and Mitchell Rose, they have not ready to be doing it week in, week out and be top of the league. They are learning their trade.

“So I don’t really buy in to this ‘recent game/’ rubbish, because the expectation on this team is far too high and the pressure on these young men is too high.”

Yeovil’s 23-man squad has an average age of 24.5 years which accounts for the likes of injured defender Mark Little and striker Reuben Reid, both 33, and 31-year-old defender Luke Wilkinson, who is presently missing through injury.

Only second-from-bottom Aldershot have a younger squad age, 23.9 years,  with the average age of a National League squad being 26.1 years.

However, Sarll went on to say he thought his side were capable to challenging for the play-offs following the return of experienced heads such as Little and Reid.

Both are expected to return from long-term lay-offs in December having picked up injuries in pre-season.

He said: “If we can get them (Little and Reid) in our team (we can make the play-offs), we just have to make sure we keep ourselves in a competitive state.

“We need to be in a position when they return over the Christmas period that we can have a run and a jump at it.

“Once you get momentum with a team that is good enough, and it is unbelievable what can happen when you hit your stride with a team that is good enough.”

Speaking alongside the manager at the start of the season, chairman Scott Priestnall confirmed that the club’s ambition was to be challenging for promotion.

He said that his focus during the summer months had been ensuring the club could “be competitive” in the National League.

Priestnall added: “Our goal is to be fighting for those play-off positions, just as it has been for the past two seasons.

“Our goal remains the same, but the way we go about it is different.”

You can watch that interview HERE – and fast-forward to 10 minutes and 12 seconds in to hear the chairman’s set the club’s target.

Sarll tells podcast ‘I still want to be in the play-off picture’ – read more here.

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Grimsby Town will be without players for tomorrow’s visit from Yeovil Town after an outbreak of COVID-19 in the squad.

Boss Paul Hurst said he had “a couple of decisions” after cases came to light in his squad on Thursday, but he did not go as far as mentioning which players he could be without.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, he said: “We have some COVID in the camp, so that will impact the squad and maybe some selection. There’s an inevitability about it looking at the wider picture.

“Unfortunately the headlines we are seeing about figures going through the roof, we think we have done things to stop it spreading.

“We’ve still got a squad for the game, but it has had an impact on what happens in terms of selection.”

There is no suggestion from anything coming out of Grimsby (well, Cleethorpes) to suggest tomorrow’s match is at risk.

For more on the Mariners, check out our pre-match preview including the latest off-the-field happenings at Blundell Park – here.

If you are travelling to the East Coast, don’t forget to check out our Ciderspace Away Travel Guide to Grimsby Town – here.

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Dion Pereira will not be returning to Yeovil Town having returned to his parent club  Luton Town, according to Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll.

The winger played in the 2-0 defeat against Notts County earlier this month and was described as being “massively fatigued” to the extent he returned to Kenilworth Road for treatment.

Asked by Gloverscast roving reporter Ben Barrett ahead of the trip to Grimsby this weekend, Sarll said: “I’m not sure we’ll see Dion again, I think he will stay at Luton.”

Dion Pereira in action against Notts County.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Following the 22-year-old’s return, Luton manager and Yeovil old boy, Nathan Jones, said Pereira picked up “a slight injury” – whichever it was, that seems to be the last we’ll see of him.

The manager also updated on loan agreements for defender Dan Moss, who he sounded confident would be staying on when his current youth loan expires next month.

However, he said the deals for striker Ben Seymour and defender Jordan Dyer would depend on the needs of their parent club, Exeter City. The pair joined on a one-month loan at the end of September.

Sarll said: “I phoned Millwall for Dan Moss after one week of him starting with us, so there will be a strong possibility of him staying with us.

“That is a discussion we are having, but I would like to think he will stay with us. He can’t go in to the League before the window, so I would like to think he’ll be with us until January.

“Because of the nature of (Ben) Seymour and Jordan (Dyer)’s loan that will go right to the wire, and I think Matt Taylor (the Exeter City boss) will have that discussion about whether he needs them back.”

Going in to the match at top-of-the-table Grimsby on Saturday, the manager said he expected to be without defenders Luke Wilkinson, Morgan Williams and Alex Bradley.

He said Wilkinson and Bradley “could be okay” for next Tuesday’s home game with Woking, but said they were taking extra precautions with Williams.

The boss added: “Morgan is a weird one because his knee rocked when he landed so we are having to be careful with him.”

Former Grimsby midfielder Mitchell Rose is “still struggling with a hamstring” injury sustained in the 2-0 defeat against Notts County on September 9 .