David Coates (Page 2)

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Yeovil Town started 2026 with a comfortable win at home to Braintree Town on a freezing night at Huish Park.

After a non-event of a first half, the Glovers took the lead when midfielder Luke McCormick stabbed home just after the hour and James Daly headed a second after Jake Wannell’s initial header had been superbly kept out by the visitors’ goalkeeper Mason Terry.

Braintree pulled one back through striker Lewis Walker with 20 minutes remaining, but an 86th minute superb Brett McGavin free-kick restored the two-goal advantage.

First half

The changes which Glovers’ boss Billy Rowley alluded to following Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Eastleigh did not come as soon as the 5.30pm kick-off time with the only change being Finn Cousin-Dawson coming in for loanee Max Jolliffe. On the bench, Jacob Maddox made his first appearance in a squad since February 2025. In a similar way that Jolliffe did four days earlier, FC-D started on the right side of defence. It looks like 4-4-2 when we are in possession and 3-5-2 when we are out of it.

With eight minutes gone, James Plant had a press down the left and fired in a shot which went wide, but was not seriously troubling Mason Terry in the Braintree goal. A shot at goal even if it wasn’t on target.

The first meaningful effort came in the 20th minute with a nice bit of football from Yeovil. Jarvis lifted a ball across which was touched down by Luke McCormick to Josh Sims whose effort was pushed away by Terry. Moments later Brett McGavin linked up with Jarvis and Sims and McGavin did not quite have the pace to get on the end of it and then Daly had an effort in to the midriff of Terry soon after. Daly showing what his left foot can do when he cuts in from the right side.

Yeovil were the in the ascendancy and thought they had taken the lead when McGavin’s corner was met by the head of Kyle Ferguson. But the assistant referee had his flag up seemingly against McCormick on the line. Was he interfering with play? Referee Zack Kennard (son of) Kettle sided with his official.

Luke McCormick on the line adjudged to have blocked the view of Braintree keeper Mason Terry as Ferguson’s header arrows in.

Just before the half-hour mark, Terry was called in to action again to deny McCormick’s effort from the edge of the box before Chay Cooper fired one high in to the Thatcher’s Stand at the other end.

Both teams are playing the same tactics here and therefore trying to break each other down in the same way. We have had more shots on target which I assume means we are doing it better, and we had some nice patterns of play to create decent changes. But the most important statistic remains level at half-time.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Braintree Town 0

Second half

Neither side came out of the blocks at the start of the second half with Yeovil attacking the Thatcher’s Stand after the break. You can see the frustration in Billy Rowley’s body language on the sidelines when his side have possession and are not moving it forward and in the opening 15 minutes of this half, there’s plenty of frustrated body language.

But with 61 minutes, Plant had a low shot from the edge of the box which Terry could not hold on to and who was there? You guessed it, Luke McCORMICK was the fox in the box there to pick up the rebound and stab it home for his eighth of the season.

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It might not have been the best start to the second half, but Yeovil definitely had the better of the chances in the first and four minutes later they doubled it. McGavin’s free kick in to the box was met by the head of Jake Wannell who was denied by a fantastic save by Terry who could only push it as far as James DALY who headed it in to the net.

Well, Billy Rowley said after the game against Eastleigh that he wanted us to look to get more goals and his side have done that. But, four minutes later, Braintree got one back and it was another sloppy goal for Yeovil to concede. The visitors brought the ball forward as the Yeovil defence stood off and let them work it out to Lewis WALKER on the right of the box and his shot took a nick off Ferguson and over the head of Jed Ward.

Rowley responded by bringing on Andrew Oluwabori and Harvey Greenslade in place of Josh Sims and James Plant, but it is another disappointing goal to concede.

There was almost another self-inflicted wound in the 82nd minute when Wannell gifted the ball to substitute Elliot Thorpe who played in fellow sub John Akinde and were fortunate to the big striker dragged his shot wide.

But three minutes later the Glovers added a third – yes, THREE goals! A great free-kick from Brett McGavin was hit hard in to the near post and it looks like it has come off Braintree’s James Vennings on its way in to the net. Definitely NOT an Own goal, but a 3-1 lead regardless.

Braintree have brought on four changes including Akinde, Thorpe and ex-Bristol City striker Jay Emmanuel Thomas and both Thorpe and Emmanuel-Thomas forced good saves out of Jed Ward as normal time was running out.

One of Yeovil’s subs Oluwabori put one over the bar in the sixth minute of second half injury time, but we started 2026 with three points, three goals and three different goal scorers.

Real improvement in the passages of play which we did not see against Eastleigh on Tuesday night or Truro City on Boxing Day, hopefully this is the start of more to come.

Full time: Yeovil Town 3 Braintree Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 3rd January, 5.30pm kick-off

Competition: Enterprise National League Premier League

Scorers: Luke McCormick 61 (1-0), James Daly 65 (2-0), Lewis Walker 69 (2-1), Brett McGavin 84 (3-1)

Pitch: Slippy in places
Conditions: Absolute baltic

Attendance: 3,573 (53 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Braintree Town: Jacob Pinnington 77, Aidan Francis-Clarke 84

Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle

Yeovil Town (3-4-3)

Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Josh Sims, 70), Harvey Greenslade (for James Plant, 70), Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis, 87), Max Jolliffe (for Luke McCormick, 90+1), Jacob Maddox (not used), Josh Tobin (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Braintree Town: Mason Terry, Ben Drake, George Langston, Aidan Francis Clarke, Calum Logan (for Goran Babic, 65), Harrison Dudziak (for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 80), James Vennings, Jacob Pinnington, Chay Cooper, Lewis Walker (for Elliot Thorpe, 80), Aramide Oteh (for John Akinde, 73).

Substitutes (not used): Manny Omrore, Sahid Kamara, Freddie Hockey.

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Finn Cousin-Dawson returns to the Yeovil Town starting XI for this evening’s National League Premier Division match with Braintree Town at Huish Park (5.30pm kick-off).

The defender-turned-midfielder replaces on loan Max Jolliffe who is named among the Glovers’ substitutes alongside midfielder Jacob Maddox, who is in line to make this first appearance in 11 months.

Maddox has been sidelined since being substituted in the 1-1 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge on 8th February last year. He replaces Michee Efete, who is not in the squad.

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Former Yeovil Town captain Josh Staunton has returned to Huish Park to lead the club’s Under-19s side.

In an announcement on Friday, the club confirmed the return of the 30-year-old, who retired from playing last month.

The defender/midfielder, who had one game in temporary charge of the first team at the end of the 2021-22 season, has been appointed as Under-19s Operations Lead – which we assume is a managerial role.

In an announcement, the club added: “In his new role, Staunton will work closely with the Academy Manager and coaching staff, supporting the day-to-day operation of the Under 19s programme and helping to drive the academy’s long-term development plans, ensuring young players are given the best possible environment to progress.”

Staunton said:

“I’m incredibly proud and excited to be returning to Yeovil Town and to be working with the Under 19s programme. I’ve seen the plans for the future and I’m really looking forward to helping produce local talent capable of stepping into first team environments. Yeovil has always meant a great deal to me, and I’m passionate about supporting young players both on and off the pitch. I’m excited to work closely with the academy manager and coaching staff to help players reach their potential.”

The Under-19s have enjoyed a decent start to this season in the National League Under-19s Alliance. Read all about it in our review of their season so far – here.

Staunton has also been appointed a trustee at the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust. The Trust currently lists Executive Chairman Stuart Robins, former Glovers’ CEO Martyn Starnes, ex-Commercial Manager Danny Linney and Johanna Harris, a teacher at Bucklers Mead Academy, as its other trustees.

A statement posted on the Trust’s social media adds…..

In addition to his Trustee role, Josh will also take up the position of U19/Post-16 Operations Lead. In this capacity, he will work closely with the Academy Manager to oversee the strategic and operational delivery of the post-16 pathway, ensuring high standards across football, education, and player welfare. He will also play a key role in supporting coaching staff, embedding best practice, and helping young players transition successfully both within football and into wider career opportunities.

Speaking on the appointment, Martyn Starnes, Chariman of the Board of Trustees, said:
“Josh embodies everything we stand for as an organisation. He has been an exceptional servant to Yeovil Town Football Club and an outstanding advocate for the community. His experience, leadership, and values will be invaluable as we continue to grow our provision and strengthen our pathways for young people.”

Welcome back, Staunts!

Former Yeovil Town captain Josh Staunton.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

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Yeovil Town get 2026 underway with a home game against Braintree Town in Saturday’s televised late kick-off with both sides needing points to pull them away from the foot of the National League Premier Division table.

FORM…

YEOVIL TOWN

A 1-1 draw at home to Eastleigh on Tuesday night ended a run of back-to-back defeats for The Glovers with midfielder Luke McCormick scoring his seventh goal since arriving at Huish Park.

The goal came with a stroke of good fortune for Yeovil who capitalised on a slip at the back from visiting defender Temi Eweka having failed to do too much which looked like it might lead to a goal.

Manager Billy Rowley spoke after the game after how there was “going to be some changes in the near future” and pointed to how recruitment at Huish Park before he arrived was not aligned with his style of play. There is no doubt he was talking about The Glovers’ struggles in front of goal, we have managed just 23 goals in our opening 25 league matches.

The futures of loanees James Plant and Andrew Oluwabori, who both joined on deals until the turn of the year, are unclear with no announcements about whether their stays will be extended announced at the time of writing. Defender Dan Ellison has been sent out on loan to Weston-super-Mare, where he put a Man of the Match performance in on his debut.

Yeovil Town celebrate Luke McCormick’s opener against Eastleigh.

Braintree Town

Braintree Town are the only side in the National League Premier Division which have scored fewer goals than Yeovil. The Iron have managed just 18 goals in their opening 25 league matches, making them the division’s lowest scorers.

That has resulted in them starting 2026 two places and one point above the relegation places, but they did finish 2025 with a 1-0 win at Woking. New signing striker Aramide Oteh, who joined on Boxing Day following his departure from Welsh side The New Saints, got their only goal in that game.

Before that win, Braintree had failed to win in their previous four matches in all competitions including exiting the FA Trophy at the hands of lower league Ebbsfleet United. They were also put out of the FA Cup by local rivals Chelmsford City in the first round of the FA Cup.

The departure of last season’s top scorer Kyrell Lisbie in the summer and the exit of influential midfielder Marley Marshall-Miranda, who joined Boreham Wood last month, have clearly had an impact on the Iron.

KEY PLAYERS…

YEOVIL TOWN – LUKE McCORMICK

It was either going to be him or Jed Ward, wasn’t it? Midfielder McCormick has undoubtedly been one of the stars of a difficult start to the 2025-26 season with seven goals and a string of Man of the Match performances this season.

Both managers in this game will say their sides have been creating chances in the first five months of the season – even if they have not been taking them – and McCormick is the most likely candidate to find the net for Yeovil.

Glovers fans will be hoping that someone else in the squad will turn in a performance which makes them worthy of their vote in the Man of the Match poll on Saturday.

Luke McCormick fires in his second goal in the 2-1 home win over Boston United | Photo by Gary Brown

BRAINTREE TOWN – CHAY COOPER

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Braintree goalkeeper Mason Terry has been the visitors’ most important player this season, but I am going for midfielder Chay Cooper.

Following the exit of Marley Marshall-Miranda who joined Boreham Wood just before Christmas, Cooper is a player the Iron will be looking to create something going forward having turned in a number of good performances in a difficult start to the season.

The former Colchester United player is the Iron’s top assist maker, albeit only with three, this season and has managed two goals in all competitions.

THE GAFFER…

When Braintree sacked Angelo Harrop last December, just four-and-a-half months after winning them promotion to the National League Premier Division, they turned to the experienced head of Steve Pitt, who took his first managerial role in 14 years.

In his career the 64-year-old hasn’t left Essex with a spells as manager of Clacton and then Leighton before moving into the role of Director of Football at Heybridge Swift in 2016. Then in 2020, he joined Chelmsford in the same role before leaving Billericay’s Director of Football a year later.

He moved on again after just a year in that role to become Angelo Harrop‘s number two at Braintree, where he enjoyed early success with Harrop. But, following the young manager’s sacking, Pitt took over and guided the Iron to safety last season.

Braintree manager Steve Pitt even looks like a wise old owl – and he is.

LAST TIME WE MET…

The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-0 defeat for Yeovil in Essex at the end of August, the penultimate match of Mark Cooper’s reign as manager.

Braintree substitute Sahid Kamara scored the 77th minute winner in that game after The Glovers huffed and puffed in front of goal, but could not blow anyone’s house down. Sounds familiar, right?

The last time the Iron visited Somerset is a slightly happier tale to tell with Yeovil running out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Aaron Jarvis, Ed James and Brett McGavin – oh to have three players scoring goals.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

There is a C.Cooper in the Braintree side, but don’t worry, it’s not Charlie, it’s Chay. So, no, no former Glovers in the visitors’ squad.
Former Glovers’ loanee, defender Frankie Terry, had been a regular fixture in the Essex side’s defence, but he was recalled by his parent club Colchester City in December.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Zac Kennard-Kettle is the referee for Saturday’s late kick-off at Huish Park and if you are wondering if he’s any relation to that refereeing Kettle, check out Ben’s article – here.

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Gloverscast Fans' Quiz #6

Happy New Year, you Glovers — and welcome to month six of the Gloverscast Fans’ Quiz, where the football trivia is sharp, the memories are questionable, and the bragging rights are very real.

As ever, we’re mixing a little nostalgia with a healthy dose of recent history. You’ll kick things off with Golden Oldies, a loving (and occasionally cruel) trawl through the Yeovil Town archives that will separate the true historians from those who swear they were there. Then we shift gears into questions on more modern favourites, covering the players, moments and matches that still feel fresh enough to argue about in the pub.

And because no Gloverscast quiz is complete without a bit of focus, this month’s spotlight is firmly on Michael Smith — a player who gave us plenty to cheer, plenty to debate, and more than enough material to trip you up if you weren’t paying attention.

Same rules. Same nerves. Same inevitable complaint that “that was before my time.”
Let’s have it.

1 / 12

Our football club began life as Yeovil & Petters United following the amalgamation of two clubs, Yeovil Casuals and Petters United. What was the nickname of Petters United?

2 / 12

Which player did Yeovil Town sell to West Ham United for a fee of £30,000, potentially rising to £200,000, in December 1993?

3 / 12

How many founder members of the National League (then called Alliance Premier) in 1979/80 season are currently playing in the National League Premier today?

4 / 12

What do former Glovers Max Hunt, Ben Seymour and Owen Bevan all have in common?

5 / 12

Between 7th April 1979 and 18th April 1979, Yeovil Town played five matches in Southern League Cup, Southern League Premier Division and Somerset Premier Cup. What was unusual about this block of five matches?

6 / 12

In the 2013-14 season, Yeovil Town finished in their highest ever league position in the Championship. What position did we finish?

7 / 12

When Yeovil Town were relegated to National League South in the 2022/23 season, we managed just one win away from home. Which team did that win come against?

8 / 12

Andrew OIuwabori is in his second spell on loan at Yeovil Town, but which club did he join us from in November 2022?

9 / 12

In November 2021, Yeovil Town became the only away side to win at Wrexham in the regular season after pulling off a sensational 2-0 win. Who scored the opening goal that night?

10 / 12

Michael Smith joined Yeovil Town for the 2023-24 season when the Glovers won the National League South title, but which other Westcountry club did he turn out for before joining us?

11 / 12

Michael Smith was capped 19 times for Northern Ireland, but against which nation did he score his only international goal?

12 / 12

Against which side did Michael Smith score his first Yeovil Town goal?

Your score is

The average score is 58%

0%

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Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley said he expects there to be changes to the squad after the Glovers ended 2025 with a 1-1 draw at home to Eastleigh.

The boss said he had highlighted areas he wanted to “build upon” and pointed to the recruitment at the club being different to his own philosophy for the game, suggesting there will be incomings at Huish Park in the coming weeks.

Loan deals for both James Plant and Andrew Oluwabori are both due to expire at the end of the year and it seems likely that attacking changes will be Rowley’s priority with Yeovil having managed just 23 goals in their 25 league games this season.

Reflecting on his time at the club so far to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman, the manager said: “The thing I have not enjoyed so much is putting as many points on the board as I would have liked to, so that is going to be the aim in 2026. I know we need to continue to help this group, whether that is with ideas or fresh players, there is going to be some changes in the near future. I have really enjoyed working with these lads, they are good pros and there are a lot of good characters in there, so it has been a good start.

“How I see football and how I want to attack teams is obviously slightly different to how recruit has gone in the past which is natural, so I think we are going to highlight some key areas that we want to build upon and that is going to be the work in the next couple of weeks.”

Yeovil Town celebrate Luke McCormick’s opener.

A first half goal from midfielder Luke McCormick, the summer signing’s seventh of the season, put Yeovil ahead after 28 minutes on a chilly night in Somerset, before a defensive lapse gifted Eastleigh a penalty in first half stoppage time which striker Aaron Blair dispatched.

The Glovers’ goal was their only effort on target in the first half, but Rowley said he felt his side controlled the opening 45 minutes.

He said: “When I watch it back I think there will be large parts I enjoyed and there will be parts we definitely need to improve on. I thought we had some good control in the first 20 minutes of the game and found ourselves 1-0 up, but then we went a bit against the game plan because we were not great in our positions in that spell leading up to half-time. The lads know that because a lot of them were nodding (in the dressing room), we turned the ball over too cheaply and it was just poor decision-making. No disrespect to Eastleigh when I say this, but that spell was comfortable for us and what we needed to do was double down and score two or three goals. We obviously didn’t, we took our foot off the gas and then you are dealing with the elements, it’s two degrees, slippery, the crowd are frustrated which I completely understand. The second half I thought the substitutes changed the game and we should score in that second half.”

Talking about his side’s lack of attacking threat, he added: “That is going to be the message to these players for the next few months. We do not want to be predictable when we attack, that was the message and for large parts of the game I thought we executed it well, we found space and we found space when we needed to, got on to second balls, so there were some really pleasing parts of the game. Obviously the scoreline is disappointing.”

Yeovil open 2026 with a home game against Braintree Town on Saturday. The Essex side picked up a valuable 1-0 win at Woking on Tuesday night, but sit just one point above the National League Premier Division relegation zone.

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Yeovil Town played out a draw at home to Eastleigh in their final fixture of 2025 on a cold night at Huish Park.

The Glovers took advantage of a slip by visiting defender Temi Eweka to open the scoring when Luke McCormick fired in his seventh goal of the season just before the half-hour mark, but it was sloppy defending which gifted Eastleigh an equaliser.

Having failed to clear the danger, Morgan Williams, returning to the side after three matches out through suspension, tripped a visiting player inside the area and Aaron Blair stepped up to fire home the resulting penalty.

First half

Defender Morgan Williams returned to the starting XI having missed the past three matches through suspension and was one of four changes for the Glovers. Striker Aaron Jarvis replaced Tahvon Campbell with Josh Sims and Max Jolliffe in for Josh Tobin and Michee Efete, whilst Finn Cousin-Dawson made way for Williams.
The game came to a standstill within just five minutes when Eastleigh defender Richard Brindley went down in a seemingly innocuous incident involving James Plant in the corner in front of the away end. The experienced full-back was replaced by James Waite, who is on loan from Weston-super-Mare, following a long delay.

The first opportunity fell to the visitors after 15 minutes when Sam Pearson, who was weirdly booed by some in the home support, was released by Waite down the right side and found Aaron Blair at the near post, who put his effort in to the Thatcher’s Stand. The striker will be disappointed with the finish and Yeovil manager Billy Rowley will be as upset with the defending.

Jarvis collapsed in the centre circle four minutes later following an off-the-ball clash with visiting defender Aaron Pierre. The pair continued their contest with some verbals after the incident and got a booking each from their troubles.

Josh Lundstram put one over the bar shortly after and Yeovil are looking either a bit rattled by a feisty start to the game or a little unsure as to their roles.  But, the first attack of the game for Yeovil led to an opening goal. A slip from the visitors Temi Eweka allowed Jolliffe’s ball to release Josh Sims, who burst in to the box and fired a pass in to Luke McCORMICK who side footed it in to the net.
Yeovil Town celebrate Luke McCormick’s opener.

But with eight minutes of first half injury time put up due to the earlier stoppage time, Yeovil conceded a penalty. A lack of ownership from anyone in the Glovers’ defence saw Jed Ward sprawl underneath Blair to clear the ball as far as Saunders who went down under a clumsy tackle from Williams. Aaron BLAIR stepped up and fired it home.

You can’t say Eastleigh do not deserve it, they have not had too many opportunities but they have certainly been in the ascendency since they went behind. There were two or three opportunities to clear the ball before it got in to the danger area. That’s another sloppy goal we have conceded. Ugh.

Hopefully attacking the Thatcher’s Stand can bring some of the energy going forward which Billy Rowley spoke about ahead of the game.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Eastleigh 1

Second half

The visitors started the second half as they finished the first in the ascendency. On 51 minutes, a corner was not dealt with by the Yeovil defence and Lloyd Humphries was given time to do keepy uppies inside the area before hooking a shot which fortunately went in to the hands of Jed Ward. We were so passive inside the box again which is what cost us at Truro on Boxing Day.

Shortly after Luke McCormick flashed an effort just past the post after good play by Jarvis and then Plant played a great pass to set McCormick free to fire a ball in to the box but Eastleigh were there to defend. That’s more like it, moving the ball quickly and the Thatcher’s is responding. Not rocket science, is it?

On 56 minutes, Michee Efete replaced Max Jolliffe and the defender, who played as part of a back three in the defeat at Truro, took a position on the right.

There was a heart in mouth moment when a terrible pass from Josh Sims went straight to Blair who thundered forward and Yeovil were grateful to some cool defending from Efete, who did not jump in with a tackle when he could have. Sims owes Efete a spud if he’s got any left!

Just after the hour there was another great opportunity when Pierre won a header at the back post from a corner, before Yeovil had two on one as McCormick thundered away down the left side, he squared it to James Daly whose shot was turned aside by Nick Townsend in the visitors’ goal.

With 73 minutes played, Yeovil made two changes with Josh Tobin and Andrew Oluwabori replacing Josh Sims and James Daly, and six minutes later Tahvon Campbell replaced Jarvis whilst Finn Cousin-Dawson coming on for Kyle Ferguson.

There was a minute of normal time remaining when an opportunity came Yeovil’s way with when Wannell’s ball in from the left went in to a crowded area when Tobin could only prod it wide.

We huffed and puffed in the second half but the quality in the final ball in the final third was still missing against an Eastleigh side which defended well. All in all, a draw was a fair result, but we are finishing 2025 the same way we started it – struggling to score.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Eastleigh 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 30th December, 7.45pm kick-off

Competition: Enterprise National League Premier League

Scorers: Luke McCormick 28 (1-0), Aaron Blair pen 45+2 (1-1)

Pitch: Looking okay, a few slippy spots.
Conditions: Cold. Very cold.

Attendance: 3,102 (238 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Aaron Jarvis 19, James Plant 45+6, Morgan Williams 56, Jake Wannell 62
Eastleigh: Aaron Pierre 19, Aaron Blair 62, Josh Lundstram 83, Kieron Evans 90+5

Referee: Harrison Blair

Yeovil Town (3-4-3)

Substitutes: Michee Efete (for Max Jollifee, 57), Josh Tobin (for Josh Sims, 73), Andrew Oluwabori (for James Daly, 73), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Kyle Ferguson, 79), Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis, 79), Harvey Greenslade (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Eastleigh: Nick Townsend, Richard Brindley (for James Waite, 10, for Angel Wariuh, 88)), Lloyds Humphries, Temi Eweka, Kieron Evans, Aaron Blair (for Paul McCallum, 88), Harvey Saunders (for Tommy Whitehead, 90+2), Aaron Pierre, Josh Lundstram, Sam Pearson (for Luis Fernandez, 88), Archie Harris.

Substitutes (not used): Josh McNamara, Niall Maher.

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Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has said he has gone back to basics on the training ground ahead of tonight’s home match with Eastleigh.

The Glovers picked up three wins in the boss’s first three matches in charge, but have lost their last two National League Premier Division matches including a 1-0 defeat at bottom club Truro City on Boxing Day.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman ahead of the Eastleigh match, Rowley said: “I feel the messages against Boston and Hartlepool were really simple and we worked on some really clear ideas and patterns of how to make that happen and the boys executed it brilliantly. I think potentially me and Darren (Simpson, assistant manager), I’m not going to say we overcomplicated things in the last two or three games, but I am really mindful the players have had four managers this season and have heard multiple different ideas.

“We maybe should have slowed down a little bit because footballers are eager to impress a new manager and if you ask them to do one thing they will do that, so we should have stayed on course to be a bit more front foot and attack instead of slowing games down at certain moments, but I feel that is still going to be a massive part of how we attack teams. It is knowing what they are giving us and how we expose it, but we want to put Eastleigh on the back foot and play over them.”

Defender Morgan Williams, who has missed the last three games through suspension following his red card in the win at Hartlepool United, returns to the starting line-up against Eastleigh.

Rowley revealed he suffered an injury in training in the past 48 hours, but said he was pleased to have Williams available for selection again.

He said: “I was really worried he was not going to feature, but credit to him and the medical team, they have worked wonders in the last 48 hours not only with the injury but dealing with him mentally. He got a slight knock in training which he was worried about and it looks like he is going to play, so that is great.”

Morgan Williams has been missing for the past three matches through suspension. Picture courtesy of Frank Reid.

Williams is one of four changes from the side which started at Truro with striker Aaron Jarvis and midfielders Max Jolliffe and Josh Sims all returning. Defender Finn Cousin-Dawson and Michee Efete, midfielder Josh Tobin and striker Tahvon Campbell, all drop to the substitutes’ bench.

The boss said: “We have freshened things up, but it is all based on merit and how we think we can score and create, it is not just going to be someone’s turn to play. I think Max and Simsy will come in to the team and that is based on what we think they can bring to the game.

“I want us to be really united in getting after teams and I am going to urge all of us connected to Yeovil to support the players, there is going to be ups and downs along this road. The boys are learning new ideas every day and it is not always going to be a smooth process all the time, but if we show good character and determination we can score some goals.“

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Defender Morgan Williams makes an immediate return to the Yeovil Town starting XI following suspension to face Eastleigh at Huish Park (7.45pm kick-off).

The centre half has missed the last three games following his sending off after the final whistle in the 2-0 win at Hartlepool United earlier this month.

He is one of four changes from the 1-0 defeat at Truro City on Boxing Day with striker Aaron Jarvis and midfielders Josh Sims and Max Jolliffe, who is on loan from Colchester United, named from the start. Striker Tahvon Campbell, defender Finn Cousin-Dawson and midfielders Josh Tobin and Michee Efete, who all started in Cornwall, all drop to the substitutes’ bench.

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Defender Dan Ellison has joined National League South promotion hopefuls Weston-super-Mare on loan until the end of February.

The 20-year-old has made just two substitute appearances since joining from Bristol Rovers at the end of October, totaling less than an hour of football in a green-and-white shirt.

He could make his debut for the Seagulls against Salisbury on Tuesday night.

Dan Ellison seen here in a Bristol Rovers shirt during a pre-season friendly because there’s not been many opportunities to photograph him in a Yeovil Town one. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.