Ian Perkins (Page 107)

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Venue: Huish Park
Tuesday, October 5 2021, 7.45pm kick-off.

Conditions: Cold…..very cold.
Ground: Slick. Held up well despite the rain.

Scorers: None – to put it mildly!

Attendance: 2,031

Referee: Adrian Quelch

Bookings:
Yeovil: Staunton 24, Knowles 37
Maidenhead United: Mingi 28, 71, Massey 45, Kelly 81

Sendings off:
Yeovil Town: None
Maidenhead United: Mingi (second bookable offence), 71

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
Grant Smith
Dan Moss, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jack Robinson
Charlie Wakefield, Dale Gorman, Mitch Rose, Tom Knowles
Joe Quigley, Ben Seymour

Subs:  Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Seymour, 69),  Jordan Barnett (for Tom Knowles, 80), Alex Bradley (for Moss, 90), Max Evans (not used), Matt Worthington (not used).

Maidenhead United: Lovett, Massey, Wells, Parry, Clerima, Minigi, Ferdinand, Upward, Barratt (for Kelly, 69), Smith (for Beckwith,88), Blissett (for Acquah, 79). Subs: Adams (not used), Asonganyi (not used).

Summary

Yeovil Town were held to a dull and disappointing 0-0 draw by Maidenhead United at Huish Park this evening. A game of low quality with a lack of clear cut opportunities made for minimal entertainment in the cold for the 2031 spectators who fancied a Tuesday out.

Darren Sarll changed up his side for the clash with out of form Maidenhead United, who were without a win in six games going into the match. Loanees Jack Robinson and Ben Seymour came in for their full debuts alongside controversial new signing Mitchell Rose. The reception for Rose was considerably muted during the pre match team announcement. Jordan Barnett was sacrificed at left back for Robinson despite his decent start for the Glovers. Seymour came in for the suspended Adi Yussuf and Rose replaced Matty Worthington the central midfield to partner Dale Gorman.

Joe Quigley battles for the ball.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

A cautious opening five minutes saw both sides trying to gain a hold of possession with neither in the ascendancy. Ben Seymour forced Maidenhead’s keeper Rhys Lovett to deal with a fizzed left footed cross that was searching out top scorer Joe Quigley.

George Wells had the audacity to attempt lobbing Grant Smith after his clearance found the Maidenhead full back. His effort was speculative at best with Smith in a decent position and the execution poor.

Kane Ferdinand gave the Glovers defence a minor scare a few minutes later when he found himself with acres in the middle of the eighteen yard box. His weak headed effort was over the bar and he as adjudged to be in an offside position.

Tom Knowles had a shout for a ‘seen ’em given’ penalty in the 21st minute. A cross from the left hand side was sent in towards the penalty area and the winger hit the deck under a challenge from Wells but the referee wasn’t inclined to award anything.

Moments later there was a heart in mouth moment for Josh Staunton as he brought down Maidenhead’s centre forward Nathan Blissett on the edge of the penalty box, earning himself a fourth yellow card of the season. The referee, Adrian Quelch, deemed the challenge took place outside the box so awarded a freekick inches outside the box. Maidenhead attempted to work a fancy opening and Charlee Adams effort was laughably average.

Knowles gave Maidenhead a scare shortly after, cutting inside from the right a firing a rasping left footed effort into the side netting from outside the box.

Knowles was victim of a pretty reckless tackle just before the half hour mark. Jay Mingi, on loan from Portsmouth, went in forcefully on Knowles prompting calls for a red card from the supporters at Huish Park. Quelch gave Mingi a yellow but it probably fell into the ‘seen ’em given’ category.

Mitchell Rose in action for Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Quigley came close to grabbing the first goal of the game in the 34th minute after a cross from the left wing by Mitch Rose. The strikers diving header flew wide of the post but certainly warmed the vocal chords on this chilly evening.

Blissett hit the side netting himself shortly after. Dale Gorman headed the ball over the backline towards Smith who decided not to come and claim the ball allowing Blissett a decent effort at goal. Any striker worth his salt would have forced a save but on this occasion he put wide.

Quigley had another header flash wide after Gorman’s delivery in the 44th and the first effort on target came moments after through Ben Seymour. The loanee from Exeter’s low strike was saved comfortably by Lovett.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Maidenhead United 0

A tepid opening to the second half saw neither side show much impetus from the break.

Lovett was forced into a goal-denying save just before the hour mark after his own defender flicked a Gorman freekick goalwards. Corner chaos ensued after but Maidenhead weathered the minor storm.

Some neat interplay on the edge of the Maidenhead box gave Quigley an opportunity to shoot but his effort dribbled into the palms of Lovett.

In attempt to bring some life to the attacking end of the pitch Sarll, Sarll made the first change of the game in the 68th minute. Sonny Blu-Lo Everton for Ben Seymour, slotted into the central attacking midfielder position behind Quigley.

Maidenhead found themselves down to ten men with 20 minutes left on the clock when Mingi was given a second yellow card.

Attacking vs defence ensued with the 11 players in green and white looking to force an opening, although Maidenhead weren’t dominated and employed a degree of time-wasting the opportunity allowed.

Charlie Wakefield in action for Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

A promising run from Charlie Wakefield, where he coasted past three men before releasing Knowles on the right of the penalty area. Knowles first touch was lacking and he couldn’t get a credible effort on goal.

Knowles was replaced by Jordan Barnett shortly after with Wakefield moving to the right and the recent signing slotting in higher up the pitch than we’ve seen him so far in left midfield.

With four minutes added on, the late addition of Alex Bradley for Dan Moss made little difference in the attacking end as Yeovil struggled to break down the resilient Magpies, who even caused problems despite the man disadvantage.

Josh Staunton, skipper on the night, was awarded man of the match by the match sponsors which was a telling statement about the performance of the Glovers.

There were boos on the full-time whistle with some fans less than happy with their evening out.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Maidenhead United 0

 

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It was a crazy day in the National League today with plenty of goals and even an abandoned match.

Hollywood’s Wrexham were 2-0 up at Aldershot through goals from Jake Hyde and Paul Mullin before the referee called a halt in the 51st minute. Wrexham players were even attempting to clear the pitch of water in order to get the game done.

There is goals galore in this paragraph. Altrincham scored two late goals to nick a 3-2 win on the road to Dagenham & Redbridge. Grimsby smashed Dover 6-0. Torquay beat Wealdstone 5-0, no he didn’t score. Ex-Glover Tahvon Campbell scored two as Woking upset Notts County 4-1 at the County Ground. Tuesday’s opponents Maidenhead lost 3-2 at home against King’s Lynn Town.

The tanned supremo, Phil Brown is teetering on the brink at Southend after their 2-0 loss at Solihull Moors. They find themselves in 21st position above Aldershot and Dover.

Stockport scored an 88th minute winner in a 2-1 at W*ymouth this afternoon. Madden scored their first.

Barnet and FC Halifax played out a 0-0 draw and the evening game between Eastleigh and Boreham Wood finished 1-1.

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When we speak to Albi Skendi, on a late summer’s evening in August, Yeovil Town are a day or two away from kicking off their National League campaign against Kings Lynn Town.

Sat in his car, in sunny Los Angeles with palm trees in the background, Albi tells the Gloverscast why he’s not about to line up at Huish Park, and why that’s been the plan for a while.

“I lived in America prior to coming out to England to play and by then I got my citizenship and that goes on for four or five years until you are granted permanent citizenship.

“Having done my two years at Yeovil, I had to make a decision whether to be out in America and finalise my Green Card which was coming up to its expiry date and I had to be there to file the process for renewing my citizenship.”

“I had to make a decision to stay out here or go back to England to play, that is the be all and end all.

“Everyone at the club knew my decision. Everyone knew I wanted to go back to America at a certain point and I only wanted to be in England for a certain amount of time to play.

“I thought my contract was a two-year contract, so at the end of two years my plan was to go back to America and then I found out there was an option,” Albi explains.

When he was not spotted at pre-season training at Huish Park, speculation began that he would not return which manager Darren Sarll and chairman Scott Priestnall confirmed.

Priestnall said: “To avoid conjecture and rumour, we can confirm that Albi Skendi is currently absent from Yeovil Town training.

“However, Skendi does remain under contract with the football club.”

Skendi explained that he believed the option was mutual and that it needed to be agreed by both him and the club.

He said: “They said ‘we understand, we know you have been doing this process for years now’.

“Then as the weeks went by I was not hearing anything and then as the season came to an end my contract got extended with no discussion.

“In my view it was an option, it had to be agreed mutually by us both. That is what I thought was going to happen, but it didn’t. 

“I was even up for paying out my own contract so I could leave because I just wanted to be out here (in America).

The perception could be that Skendi is on the lookout for a move, but the humble utility-man has clearly got his roots in America that he wants to commit to.

“In life you have to make decisions and this is my decision, I have family and ties out here and I cannot just leave. 

“I had to pick one or the other and I feel like America is the one, I have invested so much after being out here for years and years, so I can’t just let it go to waste.”

Earlier in the Summer, Skendi was spotted having a kick-about with global megastar, Justin Bieber. He explained to us that he and Bieber go back a little bit.

“He is alright. I have known him for a while, I became friends with his friends and we just started playing football and he loves football.

“It is just a little five or six-a-side, just messing about, nothing serious.

“It is always crazy when he is out there, there are so many people out there, I do not even know how they know he is there to be honest. There is like 20 (paparazzi) out there hiding in bushes.”

Albi clearly has a soft spot for Yeovil Town. After spending two seasons at the Glovers and playing 75 times there is a clear fondness for the supporters.

“I loved everyone there, everything at the club, they showed me so much love, it was overwhelming.

“Sometimes the game they would be shouting my name and chanting my name, that was emotional, I loved it,” he said.

Speaking about a certain chant, he added: “so many people know that song, I don’t know who made that song up but it is crazy.”

Albi Skendi celebrates with Charlie Lee.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

As for the future Stateside, it’s a blank slate.

“I am going back to the drawing board to see what I can figure out, I would love to carry on playing football, but if it’s not meant to be I will just go to a 9-5 like everyone else.”

The Gloverscast approached the club for an update on the situation and we were informed that the comments from the chairman and manager were the only update.

However, manager Darren Sarll did comment on his AWOL midfielder in his press conference ahead of the trip to Boreham Wood.

He said: “Like I have always said, I have nothing against Albi, it’s his life and he’s got to live it like he sees it, but he’s not here.

“If he wants to stay in America, he stays in America, Yeovil is not a slave trade.

“He still has a contract with us, there are certain elements of contracts that mean you have to be here, like in any employment contract.

“I have nothing against Albi, it’s his life and life’s too short for Albi to not make the decision he’s making but also for me not to worry about someone who is not here.

“He will always have a friend in me, I have no gripe with him but if he wants to stay out there, he can stay out there.

“But I am only concentrating on things that affect us and there are so many of these players who need our time and attention that are here, I think they deserve that attention than those whose aren’t here.”

 

 

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Yeovil Town suffered a 2-1 defeat on the road to Boreham Wood yesterday. Here are five conclusions from the match.

Adi Yussuf let his team-mates down with his sending off. Two moments of stupidity in the space of five minutes cost Yeovil yesterday. The first was a needless push as the ball was running out of play and the second was another needless foul. Yussuf jumped in for a 50-50 giving the referee no choice. The team gave it their all in the second half with ten-men but it was an entirely avoidable situation to be in. Yussuf has since apologised to fans, recognising it was careless on his part.

Yussuf’s sending off laid bare the lack of game-changing attacking depth we have at our disposal. With only Sonny Blu Lo Everton to bring on we couldn’t change much. Neither Matt Worthington nor Dale Gorman were particularly inclined to get the ball going forward and it’s left to Charlie Wakefield, Tom Knowles and Joe Quigley to produce. Which is challenging when you have ten men.

Knowles came to life in the second half and created a couple of good opportunities, but we need more from him. He was our talisman last season and he hasn’t quite grown on those impressive performances. If we’re to reach the play offs this season, the nearly misses have to turn into goals and assists. We need him to be a killer in the box.

I probably won’t go to Boreham Wood again. Parking’s good, the facilities are nice and an okay cheeseburger. The atmosphere: non-existent. A good travelling contingent in Green and White made an atmosphere, but the Boreham Wood faithful barely made a peep throughout the 90 minutes.

Yesterday we signed Mitchell Rose, a midfielder with a criminal conviction for an assault on a man and a woman, that left the woman with a fractured cheekbone. It’s a decision that cannot go unquestioned. Months after endorsing the #HerGameToo movement, we’ve signed a player with a questionable past. After the match, Darren Sarll praised Rose’s character. After talking about the quality of player we’re able to recruit, we have to question what pool we’re dipping our toes in if we’re pulling out this type of “character”.

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Venue: Meadow Park
Saturday September 25 2021, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Dry but dull
Ground: Perfect

Scorers: Dale Gorman 15 (1-0), Worthington o.g. 26 (1-1), Rees 60 (1-2)

Attendance: 658

Referee: Scott Simpson

Bookings:
Yeovil: Yussuf 33, 38
Boreham Wood: Evans 52, Smith 85

Sendings off
Yeovil: Yussuf 38
Boreham Wood: None

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
Grant Smith
Dan Moss, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton, Jordan Barnett
Charlie Wakefield, Dale Gorman, Matt Worthington, Tom Knowles
Joe Quigley, Adi Yussuf

Subs: Jack Robinson (for Barnett, 71), Lo-Everton (for Worthington, 78), Rose (for Wakefield, 84), Max Evans (not used), Alex Bradley (not used).

Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Mendy, Ilesanmi, Evans, Fyfield, Smith, Rees (for Stephens, 90), Ricketts,Raymond (for Smith, 75), Marsh (for Clifton, 86), Boden. Subs not used: Mafuta, Smith.

 

Summary

Ten man Yeovil Town fell to a 2-1 defeat on the road to Boreham Wood this afternoon.

The Glovers took the lead from a Dale Gorman free kick after quarter of an hour, but calamitous goalkeeping saw Boreham Wood equalise after Grant Smith punched the ball into the back of Matt Worthington.

Adi Yussuf saw red in the first half for two bookable offences.

Josh Rees‘ 60th minute header was enough for Boreham Wood as the Glovers chased an equaliser but couldn’t break the Hertfordshire side down.

Here’s how Ian saw it…..

The Glovers made two changes from last weekends match against Chesterfield. Josh Staunton dropped into defence for Luke Wilkinson with Matt Worthington coming in to the midfielder to partner Gorman. Adi Yussuf started up front in place of Sonny Blu Lo Everton.

Smith was called into action in the 12th minute making a good reaction save.

Moments later, Gorman struck a low free kick which snuck under the Boreham Wood wall and through Nathan Ashmore and into the goal.

In the 25th minute Boreham Wood equalised after hapless defending. Smith opted to punch a corner rather than catch it and his punch ricocheted off of Worthington into the goal.

Yussuf picked up a silly yellow card in the 33rd minute and five minutes later he was given his marching orders jumping in recklessly for a 50-50.

Half time: Boreham Wood 1 – 1 Yeovil Town

Smith was forced into a smart one-handed save early in the second half and came close to taking the lead in the 57th minute.

Tom Knowles rode a Boreham Wood challenge and made to the byline before cutting back leaving two defenders on the floor. He struck a decent right footed effort which flew wide of the post.

Moments later Rees put Boreham Wood ahead with a back post header giving the Glovers an uphill task with ten men.

Yeovil pressed on looking for an equaliser and they had their chances.

Knowles hit the post in the 64th minute and with 20 minutes left Joe Quigley drew a save from Ashmore and couldn’t find Knowles with his second bite of the cherry.

Yeovil thought they’d found their goal in the 90th through Quigley. Ashmore and a good stop from Gorman’s strike and reacted well to keep out the oncoming Quigley’s header.

Full time: Boreham Wood 2 – 1 Yeovil Town

 

See our Five Conclusions from Meadow Park – here.