David Coates (Page 6)

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Match Reports

Yeovil Town were humbled at the hands of league leaders Rochdale as they capitulated to a 3-0 defeat which could have been by a far greater margin in Greater Manchester.

The Glovers looked rudderless as they fell behind to a goal from the division’s top scorer Emmanuel Dieseruvwe after just five minutes, the big striker added a second after half-an-hour and with two minutes of the half remaining Ryan East added a third.

In fairness, the scoreline at the break could have been far higher and the second half was no better with the visitors spending much of the game defending wave after wave of attacks.

First half

Imagine a terrible start and you could not have imagined one much worse than this. With just five minutes on the clock, Rochdale walked through the Yeovil midfield Ryan East played in wing-back Kyron Gordon and his low cross found top scorer Emmanuel DIESERUVWE who was there to poke home his tenth goal of the season. The big striker will not score many easier this season as he was able to find his way past the Yeovil defence with ease.

Five minutes, Luke McCormick robbed Harvey Gilmour in midfield and fed Aaron Jarvis who drilled a shot just wide of the post and then three minutes Josh Sims whipped a ball in from the right which beat Dale keeper Ollie Whatmuff, but could not beat the Gordon on the line or the offside flag.

In between the two Yeovil chances, defender Kyle Ferguson, who arrived at Huish Park in the summer following his release by Rochdale, endeared himself to his former supporters after a tangle with Dieseruvwe, who got a booking for his troubles. Ferguson was booed at every touch from that point for his theatrics.

The home side were happy to let Yeovil have the ball where it would not hurt them, but when they attacked they did so at will. First East put one over the bar before Allarakhia was denied by a save from Jed Ward and from the resulting corner Dieseruvwe flashed a chance wide.

A second goal was coming and it arrived with half-an-hour played. Devante Rooney was the creator as he was allowed to run unchallenged through the Yeovil midfield before picking out Emmanuel DIESERUVWE whose composed finish saw him double his tally.

Rodney was at the heart of everything playing a one two with Gordon and then seeing his effort tipped on to the crossbar by Ward and then four minutes before half-time Rodney was denied by the keeper again.

But, with 43 minutes gone it was 3-0. A ball in to the box found Dieseruvwe who bundled his way past several half-hearted Yeovil challenges and eventually it dropped to Ryan EAST who struck home a third.

Half time: Rochdale 3 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

Harvey Greenslade and replaced Andrew Oluwabori at half time, but the second half continued as the first had finished with Rochdale in complete control.

With 56 minutes gone, Ward’s punched landed at the feet of Rodney who fed Allarakhia whose effort was deflected before both Dieseruvwe and Allarakhia had efforts on goal. It is complete and utter one-way traffic.

With 65 minutes gone, Rochdale manager Jim McNulty decided to take pity on his opposite number Richard Dryden and made some substitutions with both Allarakhia and Barlow replaced. Then on 72 minutes, the hosts withdrew another three including Dieseruvwe and the impressive Rodney.

Dryden made changes with new signing Michee Efete coming on for his first minutes in a green-and-white shirt and Alex Whittle replacing Sims with 12 minutes remaining.  

Ward made an impressive low stop to keep out a shot of Connor McBride with a minute remaining and then in the third minute of four minutes added on at the end of the game, Yeovil finally created an opportunity. McCormick’s shot coming back off the crossbar.

Full time: Rochdale 3 Yeovil Town 0

Match Details

Venue: Spotland
Date: Saturday 18th October, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Emmanuel Dieseruvwe 5 (0-1), Emmanuel Dieseruvwe 30 (0-2), Ryan East 43 (0-3)

Pitch: Having previously been patchy, the Spotland surface looked pretty good.
Conditions: Cool and dry

Attendance: 2,716 (107 away supporters)

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Byron Pendleton 45+2, Luke McCormick 50, Aaron Jarvis 86, Morgan Williams 86
Rochdale: Emmanuel Dieseruvwe 12

Referee: Jamie O’Connor

Yeovil Town (3-4-1-2)

Substitutes: Harvey Greenslade (for Andrew Oluwabori, 46), Michee Efete (for Kyle Ferguson, 71), Alex Whittle (for Josh Sims, 78), Brett McGavin (not used), Junior Morias (not used), Ben Wodskou (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Rochdale: Ollie Whatmuff, Kyron Gordon, Ryan East (for Casey Pettit, 72), Liam Hogan, Tarryn Allarakhia (for Dan Moss, 64), Harvey Gilmour, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe (for Levi Amantchi, 72), Devante Rodney (for Connor McBride, 72), Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Aidan Barlow (for Tyler Smith, 65), Sam Beckwith.

Substitutes (not used): Jake Burger,  Bryce Hosannah.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Team News

Loan signing George Nurse is given a start as Yeovil Town take on table-topping Rochdale in Greater Manchester today (3pm kick-off).

Fellow new signing Michee Efete, who joined following his release from Scottish side Ross County during the week, is named on the substitutes’ bench.

Striker Aaron Jarvis is handed a start having missed the FA Cup exit at Hemel Hempstead Town last weekend.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town manager Richard Dryden has admitted his side will need to put the effort in if they are going to get anything from this weekend’s trip to leaders Rochdale.

The Greater Manchester side are a point clear at the top of the National League Premier Division, having played two games less than second-placed Forest Green Rovers, going in to the weekend.

The Glovers are looking to bounce back after their FA Cup exit at the hands of lower league Hemel Hempstead Town in last weekend’s fourth qualifying round tie.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins on Thursday, Dryden said: “Jim (McNulty, the Rochdale manager) has got the blueprint bang on, this has not been a one season wonder, he has built this squad up over the last three or four years and they have progressed.

“They are a top side and they are going to cause us problems, we have to defend well and run really hard to get a foothold in the game. If we don’t run hard and work hard, it is going to be a tough day for us.”

The boss was speaking ahead of the announcements of new signings full-backs George Nurse, on a one-month loan deal from Shrewsbury Town, and experienced right-back Michee Efete, who has been without a club since his release from Scottish side Ross County in the summer.

Dryden said that midfielder Brett McGavin “might struggle a little bit” to be ready to start at the weekend, but he expected the majority of the rest of his squad to be available for the match.

Yeovil are looking for a response after a 3-0 home defeat in their last league outing against Boreham Wood, but the manager said he believed they could recapture the form which saw them win three consecutive matches after the shock exit of manager Danny Webb.

He added: “The first three games (after I took over) were brilliant and those came in six days with a squad which was small but was eager to please and work hard and they did that. We blew up a bit against Boreham Wood, the FA Cup has come and gone which was a big blow. The highs and lows of football, there is probably 20% of real rubbish, 75% of alright stuff and 5% of great stuff, and we need more of that 5% at the moment. We had a great month last month, this is a tough one and we have to get in to it and get as many points on the board as we can.“

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town have signed their second full-back signing of the day with the arrival of Michee Efete on a deal until the end of the season.

The right-back follows the arrival of left-back George Nurse, who was signed on a one-month loan from Shrewsbury Town earlier in the day, and will be available for Saturday’s trip to National League Premier Division leaders Rochdale.

The 28-year-old most recently played for Ross County in the Scottish Premiership and made 28 appearances for the Highlands club last season. He was released in June.

Speaking about his arrival, Glovers’ boss Richard Dryden said: “Michee’s a player with great pedigree at this level. He’s athletic, reliable, and brings a fantastic attitude. He knows what it takes to succeed in this league, and he’ll be an excellent addition for us.“

He joined Ross County midway through the 2023-24 season which he started in League Two at Grimsby Town where he won promotion from the National League in 2022. He previously played for Wealdstone and had loan spells at Torquay United and Bath City whilst in the academy at Norwich City.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Left back George Nurse has joined Yeovil Town on a one-month loan deal League Two strugglers Shrewsbury Town.

The 26-year-old has made five appearances for his parent club this season and arrives as cover following a shoulder injury to loanee James Plant.

His deal is described as being “initially for one month” suggesting his stay may be extended.

Speaking following the arrival, Glovers’ manager Richard Dryden said: “George is a fantastic addition for us. He’s got real quality, great experience, and that bit of athleticism that can make a big difference at both ends of the pitch. This move gives us important cover while James Plant continues his recovery, and we’re delighted to have George with us initially for the month.”

The Bristol City academy product made more than 20 appearances as Shrewsbury were relegated from League One last season and previously had loan spells at Newport County and Walsall during his time at Ashton Gate before leaving in 2021.

He arrives with Yeovil preparing for a trip to National League Premier Division leaders Rochdale this weekend.

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

Yeovil Town’s FA Cup dream came to a premature end at the first hurdle for the second successive season yesterday. The Glovers were beaten by a Hemel Hempstead Town side which played for more than an hour with ten men. Dave was among the travelling contingent and here are his conclusions.

 

Out fought. Out thought. Out. We were simply second best in every department and I have to say right off the bat that Hemel deserved their win. From the opening whistle, they simply wanted it more and we never seemed to have a plan to counter them. You can put a misplaced pass or a scuffed shot down to the surface, but time and again we were pulled apart and gave them time and space to run. At the risk of sounding like the old man (I know, I am), but I miss us the Cup giving our players the hunger and desire I saw from Hemel. 

How it was not 2-0 at half-time I will never know!

Are we sure they had ten men? An extension on Conclusion #1, but two occasions in the second half I had to count Hemel’s players to be sure. Aside from a few moments around the time we scored, they never looked like they were a man down. You can see why they are in the form they are in the National League South. Defensively they were outstanding and we simply could not find a way through. 

Where did our desire to attack go? If I had not seen highlights of the games at Aldershot and Sutton, I would have believed they were AI inventions. In the first half, it was only when Andrew Oluwabori got on the ball that we ever had any purpose going forward and in the second only when Byron Pendleton came on did we look to get balls in from wide positions. There is quality going forward in this team, but we simply did not show it.

What are we doing here? Hearing Richard Dryden say we had tried and failed to attract players to strengthen the squad is a major red flag. But should we be surprised? We’ve heard about ‘The 3 Cs’ from our owners -calmness, competitiveness, community, in case you forgot. But it’s not easy to stay calm with no obvious plan about how we’re going to be competitive. A manager who feels stop gap no matter how much we’re told he’s not, players signing on 12-month deals, what are we selling people here? It feels like we’re living hand to mouth waiting for……what? 

Rochdale next. Gulp. Next up, top of the league Rochdale away from home. That one speaks for itself. Another clear week, another chance to take a breath and I hope the pain we all feel – and yes I include the team, they must feel it – gets a reaction.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Match Reports

Yeovil Town were dumped out of the FA Cup at the hands of a Hemel Hempstead Town side which played more than an hour with ten men in today’s fourth qualifying round tie.

The National League South side were reduced to ten men after forward Isiah Noel-Williams clashed with Glovers’ defender Kyle Ferguson off the ball on 25 minutes, but The Tudors continued to show more desire than their higher division visitors and deservedly took the lead through captain Kyle Ajayi with six minutes of the half remaining.

The game continued in a similar fashion in the second half and it was only after a flurry of Yeovil substitutions that the visitors put up anything approaching a fight with striker Harvey Greenslade pulling them level after 71 minutes.

But, the day belonged to Hemel who got the winner with three minutes of normal time remaining when Finley Wilkinson’s looping header came back off the post, hit Yeovil keeper Jed Ward on the back and went in.

First half

The home side, who started with  former Yeovil trialist Jevani Brown on the right side of attack, looked the brighter without really testing Jed Ward, who was given permission to play in the FA Cup by Bristol Rovers. The desire definitely was with Hemel in the opening exchanges.

For the visitors, there were a few nervy misplaced passes and the occasional bit of overplaying (yes, Jake, I mean you) as we struggled to get to grips with the artificial surface. The impetus came from Andrew Oluwabori and he had the first effort on goal after 15 minutes following good play by Tahvon Campbell, but his effort sailed over the bar.

Jed Ward shepherds Isiah Noel-Williams away after his red card.

The real moment of the first half  came after 25 minutes. Whilst we all looked at Hemel taking a throw in, Isiah Noel-Williams, son of former Yeovil loanee Gifton, clashed with Kyle Ferguson off the ball and was immediately given a red card. I’ll be honest, I did not see it but it happened right in front of the linesman and the referee did not hesitate.

The one man disadvantage did not put Hemel off and the effort and desire they showed from the off was still evident. So, it was no surprise when the ten men took the lead after 39 minutes. Our defence failed  to deal with a Williams corner and captain Kyle AJAYI was there to sweep it home.

With a minute of first half stoppage time played, Hemel came within inches of doubling their advantage. George Williams stepped up to curl a free-kick over the defensive wall and it came rattling back off the post, it flew back across the face of goal with two Hemel players in close proximity. Fortunately, neither player could get to it and Ward dropped on it.

1-0 down at half-time massively flatters us. Where has the attacking flair which won three consecutive games gone?

Half time: Hemel Hempstead Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

The second half started in a similar fashion to the way the first ended with Hemel on top and it was no surprise when Yeovil manager Richard Dryden made changes. The first came within five minutes of the restart, Byron Pendleton replaced Alex Whittle with Josh Sims switching to the left side with the Birmingham City loanee taking up the right side. On 58 minutes Brett McGavin replaced Cousin-Dawson with the visitors desperately looking for some creative spark.

But it was the home side who created the next opening on the hour mark after a Hemel was allowed to run through the Yeovil midfield unchallenged and play in Joe White whose shot was weak and easily stopped by Ward. 

Next it was Harvey Greenslade who replaced Junior Morias on 65 minutes whilst Hemel keeper Michael Johnson needed at least three separate visits from the physio as the home side tried to slow the game down. Referee Richie Watkins fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Whilst it would be an exaggeration to say Yeovil started to make their one man advantage pay, there was more urgency after the changes with Pendleton getting some deliveries in from the left. On 71 minutes, Pendleton slid a ball through the Hemel defence and Harvey GREENSLADE was there to stroke a calm finish past Johnson from inside the area.

Tahvon Campbell shoots over the bar.

Eight minutes later, Campbell had a great opportunity to put Yeovil after he was found by a Josh Sims corner, but the striker was leaning back and his effort went over the bar.

Even after an hour of playing with a numerical disadvantage, Hemel continued to press for the win. White pulled an effort wide before substitute Devante Stanley had a shot from distance and then with three minutes of normal time remaining the breakthrough their efforts deserved came for the home side. Samuel Adenoa got away down the left and his deflected ball was met by the head of Finley WILKINSON, hit Ward on the back and found the net.

As the match officials indicated ten minutes of time added on, Yeovil pressed for an equaliser to take the tie to a replay at Huish Park. The best opening came four minutes in to stoppage time when Campbell’s ball found Oluwabori at the back post but the Exeter City loanee could not get anything on it to turn the ball home.

Vauxhall Road erupted at the final whistle and it was nothing less than Hemel deserved. We were out fought, out thought and just out of the FA Cup to lower league opponents for the second successive season. Simply not good enough.

Full time: Hemel Hempstead Town 2 Yeovil Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Vauxhall Road
Date: Saturday 10th October, 3pm kick-off

Competition: FA Cup fourth qualifying round

Scorers: Kyle Ajayi 39 (0-1), Harvey Greenslade 71 (1-1), Finley Wilkinson 87 (1-2).

Pitch: Plastic
Conditions: Dry and bright

Attendance: 1,751

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Finn Cousin-Dawson 31, Morgan Williams 44
Hemel Hempstead Town:

Sendings Off:

Hemel Hempstead Town: Isiah Noel-Williams 25

Referee: Richie Watkins

Yeovil Town (3-4-1-2)

Substitutes: Byron Pendleton (for Alex Whittle, 51), Brett McGavin (for Finn Cousin-Dawson, 58), Harvey Greenslade (for Junior Morias, 65), Ben Wodskou (for Jake Wannell, 81), Matt Gould (not used).

Hemel Hempstead Town: Michael Johnson, Samuel Adenola, Kyle Ajayi, Jordan Thompson, George Williams, Millar Matthews-Lewis, Joe White, Kyran Wiltshire, Isiah Noel-Williams, Jevani Brown, Devante Stanley.

Substitutes (not used): Darion Dowrich, Jake Gray, Finley Wilkinson, Mathew Achumba, Ade Azeez, Jermaine Anderson, Steve Arnold.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Team News

On loan goalkeeper Jed Ward and winger Andrew Oluwabori are named in Yeovil Town’s starting XI for today’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Hemel Hempstead Town (kick-off 3pm).

There is no place for James Plant, who went off with a shoulder injury in the 3-0 league defeat to Boreham Wood last weekend, but Josh Sims has recovered from an injury seven days ago to start.

Striker Aaron Jarvis is not in the squad at all with Tahvon Campbell, Junior Morias and Oluwabori expected to lead the attack.

For Hemel, striker Jevani Brown, who spent the summer on trial at Huish Park, starts.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Former Yeovil Town manager Danny Webb has spoken for the first time after his departure from Huish Park after just 11 days in charge.

He spoke to the Derbyshire Times and honestly he did not really say a great deal more than came out in the announcement which came out with his shock departure which was followed swiftly by a return to his old job as assistant manager at Chesterfield.

Webb said: “I think the statement said it all – personal reasons. Football, non-football, that is not my place to divulge. As the statement has gone out, it would not be fair on either party to say any more on that. But when the opportunity did arise after leaving to return to my previous role it would have been mad to turn it down. I wish them all the best as a football club. There are some really good people in charge down there.

“There will be things that I have learnt from my own development, whether personal or career, and that has got to be a positive what I take away from the experience.”

Danny Webb speaking to BBC Somerset after his only match in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Tamworth.

It took just ten days after the announcement of his departure from Yeovil on September 22nd for Webb to be reinstalled as number two to Paul Cook at Chesterfield, the club he had spent four-and-a-half years with before his brief spell away.

Asked whether he believed he would return to frontline management again, he told the Derbyshire Times: “You never rule it out. It was not something that I thought ‘I have to go and do this now’ before an opportunity came up. At the time it felt like the right thing to do. What I would say now I am back in my previous role is that my focus is solely on assisting Paul Cook and the staff to get us back up the right end of that league.”

That is probably as much as we are ever going to find out about the reasons behind Webb’s departure, so we wish Danny all the best with whatever happens next in his career. Good luck, Danny, and thanks for bringing Andrew Oluwabori!