Yeovil Town have named an unchanged starting XI for today’s trip to FC Halifax Town (3pm kick-off).
The first side selected by interim manager Richard Dryden looks as if it features the same defensive (back four?) which raced in to a 3-0 lead at home to Gateshead, a match which the Glovers lost 4-3.
Yeovil Town interim manager Richard Dryden has said getting belief back in to the club’s players has been in the key following the impact of their Bank Holiday disaster and the sacking of former boss Mark Cooper.
The Glovers’ coach has been given responsibility for first team affairs following the dismissal of the man who brought him to Huish Park which followed a dramatic 4-3 home defeat to Gateshead, a match which Yeovil led 3-0 at half-time.
He and assistant manager Chris Todd will now be charged with guiding the side whilst the search for a new permanent boss continues and it begins with a trip to FC Halifax Town on Saturday.
Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset’s Josh Perkins on Thursday ahead of the trip to West Yorkshire, Dryden said: “Five games in to the season does not really reflect (the quality of the side) because if we had won on Monday (against Gateshead) we are in the top seven.
“Everyone wants to look at the top half of the table and see their name there, but it is early days and I am confident with the players we have got, we will be fine. There was nothing but positives for the first 45 minutes, but the second half was like chalk and cheese.
“Not many teams will play well for 90 minutes, but if we can try and turn that first 45 minutes in to 70 minutes we are going to cause a lot of teams a lot of problems. It is just a case of getting enough belief in the players to believe we can do it, that is the only problem we can try and solve.”
He admitted it had been a busy few days since the exit of Cooper and paid tribute to the former boss who oversaw a relegation in to the National League South in the 2022-23 season, followed by an immediate return winning the division the following season. Dryden arrived at the club in the summer to reunite with Cooper who he had previously worked with at five clubs including Forest Green Rovers and Notts County.
The 53-year-old said: “It is never great when the manager leaves, my phone has not stopped and it has been meetings after meetings trying to sort things out and it is sad when a manager goes. You have to remember what Mark (Cooper) did not the club has been immense, you cannot forget he got the club promoted (out of the National League South) and stabilised the club in a very good league last year, that should not be forgotten. And there are other things he has done which people will never find out about, he has been a credit to a club.
“(Mark and I) have known each other since we were teenagers, he was at Bristol City and I was at Rovers, his dad (Terry Cooper) took me to Exeter, so it is a long relationship and that friendship will definitely stay.”
He confirmed that winger James Daly, who Cooper revealed on Monday will be missing for “six to eight weeks“ through injury, will not feature at Halifax, but said that midfielder Charlie Cooper, who has not featured in his father’s final two matches in charge, had returned to light training.
Dryden said: “It is the first day of training (on Thursday) and we have had a couple of meetings, gone through a couple of sessions regarding Halifax and the good and the bad bits about Monday and there were a lot of good bits. You have got to remember that they are all in their 20s apart from one – I have t-shirts older than most of them! So, it is tough for them when you play so well for 45 minutes and then (you are beaten in the last minute) and it happens for reasons – we went low, they went high with nothing to lose and we have to counter that if it happens again.
“Everybody who was involved on Monday has trained today. James (Daly) is going to be a bit longer, Charlie (Cooper) is going to do some light stuff (in training on Thursday) which is good because we have only got a small squad. (Midfielder Jacob) Maddox is hopefully coming out of his protective boot this week; I have not seen him even train let alone play, so it will be good to get him involved in the next few weeks.”
Asked for his message to Yeovil fans making the trip to Halifax, he said: “Just ‘keep the faith in the young players we have got’. We are trying to pull together as a group and the blame when we do not score or we concede goals, so the blame goes on everybody – from the dug-out to the player who comes on in the 90th minute.“
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said he had to take calls for his sacking “on the chin” after watching his side capitulate to a 4-3 defeat at home to Gateshead on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Glovers raced in to a 3-0 half-time lead with a display which the boss described as “electric“, but they crumbled after the visitors scored a minute after the restart and the final indignity came when Heed substitute Kain Adom scored the winner deep in to injury time.
Throughout the second half and after the game, there were calls of “We want Cooper out” coming from the Huish Park stands and the manager was asked for his reaction to them after the game.
He told BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins: “If you do not win games, that is what happens. I am a big boy and you have to take it on the chin. The biggest frustration is that we played so well (in the first half) and as a manager, a coach and as a staff, we set the team up to do what we did in the first half.
“That makes it even more frustrating what happened in the second half and you have to take it on the chin and move on to Saturday and make sure we put in a really good performance (at FC Halifax Town) on Saturday. If play like we did in the first half and we get to 60 minutes (playing like that) then I think we will get some big results and that is what we have to hold on to, the way we played in the first half.”
Having failed to convert any of their chances in the 1-0 defeat at Braintree Town just 48 hours earlier, Cooper had called on his side to be more ruthless in front of goal and in the first 45 minutes they responded in style. An opener from Josh Sims was followed by goals from forwards Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade to leave the home crowd on their feet at half-time.
But, when Kyle Hurst pulled a goal back for Gateshead after 46 minutes, the visitors smelt blood and a double from substitute Adom and an inevitable strike from Glovers’ old boy Frank Nouble on his first return to his old stomping ground sealed the win.
On the first half performance, Cooper said: “We spoke after the game at Braintree and said we have to score (our chances) and I thought we were electric in the first half, scored three great goals, should have scored more, possibly should have had a penalty. The message at half-time was ‘let’s go again’, we needed to replicate the energy, the desire, the press and let’s go and score five or six.”
On the second half performance, he added: “When you concede the first one by not being aggressive and sinking in with safety in numbers, it effects the players’ mindset, they want to drop and defend and that is not the way to do it. We have to be on the front foot, we can’t sit in and defend, we have to get at them and we didn’t. All the goals were individual mistakes, people not doing what they are supposed to do. It is a tough one to take, I do not think you will see two more contrasting halves of football anywhere in the country.
“The fall out will all be about the second half and rightly so because it is about professionalism and making sure we do our jobs professionally and diligently and second half it went out of the window. We did not do our job. We are going to talk about the second half, for sure.
“Our message all season has been ‘let’s be aggressive and front foot’, we want to get up to the teams we are playing against and that was the message today. Players shrank in to their shells in the second half and we have to as a club, a squad and a staff, we have to feel that and make sure that never happens again.”
The manager disappeared down the tunnel at the final whistle and BBC Somerset were reporting he was “in a meeting upstairs” at Huish Park which presumably ended when he appeared in front of the microphone.
Yeovil’s first opportunity to respond to the defeat comes on Saturday when they travel to FC Halifax Town, who were held to a 1-1 draw at ten man Scunthorpe United in their Bank Holiday fixture.
Asked what he expects from that game, Cooper said: “They will see (the second half performance) and think if they put the ball in the box they will score. Again, we have to be on the front foot, we have to make sure we put it right on the pitch. If you are a professional footballer, you have to do your job. If that is heading the ball out of the six yard box, that is what you have to do, if that is staying with your man, you have to do it, but not just for 45 minutes.
“The atmosphere (inside the ground today) was electric in the first half and we gave them really good entertainment in the first 45 minutes, but we have to do that for longer, be braver and go and press and not hold on to what we have.“
Yeovil Town striker Junior Morias struggled to find the words to explain a second half capitulation which ended with a 4-3 defeat to Gateshead at Huish Park on Bank Holiday Monday.
The frontman laid on the assist for Yeovil’s opening goal scored by Josh Sims and added a second as a scintillating performance saw the Glovers race in to a 3-0 lead at half-time.
But, a second half horror show ended with substitute Kain Adom firing home the winner deep in to injury time as manager Mark Cooper disappeared down the tunnel.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the final whistle, Morias said: “I don’t even know where to start, I am just gutted, all of us as a team are gutted, I don’t even know what to tell you. I am a positive person and I always look for the positives even in a situation like today, if we can just fix those one or two things, it could have been different.”
Asked how the players can respond in the next match at FC Halifax Town on Saturday, he added: “On Saturday, it will be different because the boys are hurting and we want to fix that because we have embarrassed ourselves, embarrassed the manager, the coaching staff and we have embarrassed the fans. We want to make sure we fix that come Saturday.”
Speaking about his performance in the first half, Morias added: “It is bittersweet, I am grateful to score and assist. People will have said I should have shot with the first chance, but I am not that sort of player and Simsy was in a good position to score and he finished it well. We implement the Gaffer’s plan from minute one to 45, but we as players have to take accountability (for the second half).”
On his goal, he said: “When I am in the box, that is when I am happy. It is a dance floor and I always want to dance.“
New signing James Daly is out for six to eight weeks after a scan on an injury sustained early in his Yeovil Town career, according to manager Mark Cooper.
The winger, who moved to Somerset following his release by Harrogate Town in the summer, has been missing for the past two games having played the second half in the 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers.
Cooper has made four changes to the starting XI which lost 1-0 at Braintree Town on Saturday with a changed forward line featuring new recruit Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade as the Glovers look to be more ruthless in front of goal.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off, the Glovers’ boss said: “It is very hot and we have two teams who have played not very long ago, so I think the weather is going to play a big part, we are expecting a tough game today.
“It is not just the forwards, central midfield players are allowed to score, defenders are allowed to score, so we have just got to be more ruthless. As a team we are creating a lot of chances and that is what fans want to see, chances and goalmouth incidents, and we created a lot of those on Saturday, so if we do the same again and we are ruthless then we should be alright. We want to be on the front foot, get after them and take the ball off them in and around their penalty area and create chances.”
Yeovil Town have made four changes to their starting XI from the weekend’s defeat at Braintree Town as they take on Gateshead at Huish Park on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm kick-off).
Coming in to the side are Alex Whittle, Luke McCormick, Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade with Kyle Ferguson, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Aaron Jarvis and Tahvon Campbell all dropping to the substitutes’ bench.
According to BBC Somerset reporter Josh Perkins has said that “it is a back four” – we will wait to see how that transpires when we get underway.
Former Glovers’ forward Frank Nouble starts the game for the visitors, making his first return to Huish Park since departing for the North East in March.
After an eight-hour round trip to Essex and back, Dave gives his thoughts on the Yeovil Town performance at Braintree Town yesterday. Now all eyes turn to Huish Park tomorrow…
We could still be there now and not score: There were opportunities and you cannot fault the attacking intent there was at times, but the finishing was abysmal. Aaron Jarvis, Tahvon Campbell, Josh Sims, Junior Morias, Ben Wodskou, Harvey Greenslade, they all tried and they all failed. 12 shots (five on target, seven off target) and some of those off target ones were woeful. “We have to be more clinical,” says Mark Cooper – but how many times have we heard that? Alex Fisher, Reo Griffiths, Jordan Young, Malachi Linton, Ollie Hulbert, Jake Scrimshaw, Louis Britton, Seb Palmer-Houlden, Jake Hyde, Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jahmari Clarke, Sonny Cox, Olly Thomas, Ciaran McGuckin, Harvey Greenslade, Aaron Jarvis. I think that’s all the strikers we have had under this manager and how many have got in to double figures? Murphy, Young, Nouble in the 2023-24 season in National League South, I think. Yes, some were loans. Yes, there has been injuries. Yes, there’s a couple of duffers in there. But can it ALL be down to the fact that they are ALL really not clinical? I have my doubts. I’ve not even mentioned quite a few others who could have been on the ‘someone who can get goals’ list.
It was an improvement: My frame of reference this is only small with the opening day draw against Hartlepool (via the DAZN stream) the only other match I have seen in full, but many on the terrace at Braintree assured me that was the best we have looked. The stats back up that it was a game we just about dominated, except the most important stat, of course. The first 13 minutes were great, I was wondering what all the complaining was about, but after that Braintree started to get a foothold in the game. We were definitely better in the first half, but we started lacking control towards the end of it and when the goal arrived, it had been coming. So, an improvement from a low base, for sure.
Plant and Sims a plus: For probably the first 20 minutes, James Plant looked electric and gave hope he can bring a much needed creative spark. He tired as the game wore on, not surprising for a player who’s played 30 minutes of competitive football all season. Monday will almost certainly be too soon to put him in from the start again, but there’s reasons to be hopeful there. And, a more than honourable mention to Josh Sims. Who had him coming in to form on their 2025-26 season bingo card? I certainly didn’t, but he looked like the player we saw in flashes last season. Let’s hope he carries on that way.
A big miss which piles the pressure on: Accepting the cliches of their being no easy games at this level, Braintree is a side we have to be getting points from if we have any hope of improving on last season. When you factor in the amount of chances we had to put this game beyond doubt – and, yes, they had plenty of chances as well – this was a big missed opportunity to build on that win against Brackley. That puts even greater emphasis on Monday’s home match against Gateshead – Frank Nouble and all.
An uncomfortable sleep: Wake me up when September ends, right? Mark Cooper doesn’t even give himself that long, he’s said ten games is the time to make an assessment. Mark up Tamworth away on September 20th on the calendar. I had a couple of conversations in the away end yesterday with people saying it was too soon to be talking about him being under pressure, but this is not about four matches this season. To borrow a phrase from the manager himself, I’ve been consistent. 2022/23 basket case relegation = write it off as too much to deal with. 2023/24 promotion = success. 2024/25 18th place finish = failure. This is the season that Mark Cooper has to show he can improve us and, four games in, I don’t see or hear anything different to last season. There’s time to turn it around, but I have dwindling confidence he can do it.
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper believes the return of winger James Plant will bring added depth to his squad as they prepare for a busy Bank Holiday weekend.
The Port Vale youngster made his second return to Huish Park this week and was unavailable for the 2-1 home win over Brackley Town on Wednesday night, but will be available for the trip to Braintree Town tomorrow and the visit of Gateshead on Monday.
Cooper also confirmed that captain Jake Wannell will be available again for selection having served a one-match suspension for his red card in the defeat at Forest Green Rovers.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins from the club’s training facility in Bristol, the manager said he was not expecting to be without any other players for the weekend journey to Essex.
He said: “We do not know yet, we have got to train yet (on Friday). We have one or two bumps and bruises, but it will be the same squad as the other night with the additions of Jake Wannell and James Plant. We spoke in the summer that our recruitment would be late and maybe in to the season, we have to wait to get players like James Plant in, and it gives us a bit more depth to the squad. It is great to have (James) back and it is great to have Wanns available because he is a key part of what we do.”
The midweek win pushed Yeovil up to tenth in the early season standings whilst their opponents at the weekend went down 2-1 at Boreham Wood, a match which saw former Glovers’ loan defender Frankie Terry sent off, meaning he will be unavailable to face his old team-mates.
The Iron picked up an impressive 3-0 win over FC Halifax Town in their only other match at home so far this season on the opening day, before losing 3-0 at Hartlepool United last weekend.
Cooper said: “It is a great feeling to wake up with three points and in the top ten, so we want to win another game but there is an opposition to think about who I watched and have some good players. They played really well the other night at Boreham Wood, they have some good players, so it will be a tough game but we are looking forward to.
“Frankie Terry, who was obviously here last season, got sent off, so he will not be able to play, they have the big man up front, John Akinde, who is always a handful, so they have got some really good players throughout their team.
“Flippantly I am talking about being in the top ten, there are only three games gone. It is about keeping things in context, you have to wait until you have had ten games before you start to look too heavily at the league table. Braintree will be confident of having a good season because they have some good players, but so will we.”
The manager was also asked about the status of midfielder Jacob Maddox, who has barely featured since suffering a toe injury shortly after his arrival. It was pretty much the same update we got back in July when the manager was last asked.
Cooper said: “He had an injury last season when he came and then he did not have an operation on it until the end of June, which was strange, a couple of days before pre-season started, so he is still in a boot. I don’t think we will be seeing him for a couple of months yet.“
Loanee James Plant is looking forward to picking up where he left off at Yeovil Town having rejoined the club from Port Vale until January.
The 20-year-old starred during two previous loan spells at Huish Park last season scoring twice in 13 appearances before sustaining a hamstring injury in mid-February.
He has featured for Vale in pre-season and came off the bench for them in an EFL Cup win at Blackpool earlier this month.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins on Friday, he said: “I am really happy to be back and I am really excited to get started now. I had to get that injury sorted, I spent time working on at (Port) Vale with the physios which is the worst thing for a footballer, to be injured. But now I am back and feeling strong so I can’t wait to get back going.”
The winger did not re-sign in time for Yeovil’s 2-1 win over newly-promoted Brackley Town at Huish Park on Wednesday, but will be available for Saturday’s trip to Braintree Town followed by the visit of Gateshead to Somerset on Bank Holiday Monday.
He provides much needed cover down the left side and is able to play as either a wing-back or winger, a position currently only filled by Alex Whittle in the Glovers’ squad.
Plant added: “I spoke to the manager (Mark Cooper) on Monday and he spoke about getting me back in and I just said ‘let’s get it done’, it took a couple of days and I could not quite get it done before the game on Wednesday, but I am ready at the weekend.
“I want to play as many games as possible and help the team in any way I am called upon, wherever I am playing I will be aiming to help the team. I am usually out wide, but wherever I am playing I will do my best to help the team.”
Having picked up their first win of the National League Premier Division season in midweek, Yeovil make the trip to Braintree looking for more points ahead of a return to home soil when Gateshead – including ex-Glovers’ favourite Frank Nouble – make the long journey south 48 hours later.
Plant said: “I have heard (Braintree) is always a tough game, as every team is in this league, they will be up for it and their fans will be – but so will we and our fans, so we will be going there to get three points. I can’t wait for Saturday, but even more I can’t wait to be back at Huish Park on Monday, it should be a good weekend.“
The second game of the National League Premier Division season ended in a 2-0 defeat for Yeovil Town at the hands of Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn. The scoreline belied the dominance of the home side who spurned numerous chances to make it a more emphatic defeat for the Glovers. Ed Turnbull was among the 486 fans who made the trip to Gloucestershire and here are his conclusions.
Two up top, but I’m not sure it worked. I was excited to see Aaron Jarvis get some company in the forward line in Tahvon Campbell, but surprised we tried it away to one of the strongest sides in the division. Forest Green found it too easy to get the ball forwards around us, with a lot of space behind the front two. For two big strikers, neither particularly held the ball up well which meant we struggled to keep the ball. I was not too surprised to see Campbell substituted at half-time. Mind you, it certainly was not any better when we switched to playing one up top in the second half. We talk a lot about shape, but for me it’s 11 players on the pitch either way, and it’s about how good they are more than the formation they play in.
Who wants that sack of spuds? If anyone wants the sack of potatoes being offered to our first goalscorer of the season, a good first step would be to find a way of getting possession in the attacking half. We managed it in second half against Hartlepool on the opening day, but in the other three 45 minutes of competitive football so far this season we’ve failed. I’d hoped Luke McCormick would be that player to put his foot on the ball higher up the pitch and provide that vital connection between defence and attack, but he hasn’t managed that so far. I would like to see if Brett McGavin can do any better from the start of a match. For me, as solid as they can be defensively, a midfield pair of Charlie Cooper and Finn Cousin-Dawson lacks that attacking quality and leaves our strikers looking so disjointed from the rest of the team.
