The Glovers drew 2-2 with Southend United on Saturday, was it a point gained or two-dropped? Ian, Ben and Dave are back to discuss the result, performance and look ahead to Barnet too.
Yeovil were so close to picking up the three points against Southend United at Huish Park yesterday. Ian was at Huish Park for it and here are his conclusions.
It couldn’t have been a worse start. Folks were barely in their seats before Southend opened the scoring. A move down the left and a simple cross in the box found Charley Kendall who had freedom of Huish Park to pick his spot. The visitors continued to press forward and could have scored two or three in the opening 12 minutes and you’d have been forgiven for thinking you were in for a long afternoon and Huish Park.
We showed tremendous character to turn it around so quickly. Many would have been fearing the worst after conceding so early, but this isn’t the Yeovil Town of January, this is the Yeovil Town of late February. The first was a bit of a gift after a raking forward pass from Charlie Cooper wasn’t dealt with by the Shrimpers’ defence. Kyrell Wilson showed composure to beat the goalkeeper and bring Yeovil level. Not long after the game had turned on its head with Ciaran McGuckin setting up Frank Nouble with the easiest of finishes to make it 2-1. The Guvnor clearly enjoyed scoring against his former club’s Essex rivals.
Charlie Cooper earned his man of the match award. He marshalled the central defensive three for an entire half yesterday. To perform at that level in a position he’s unfamiliar with was impressive. Like him or not, he’s vital to this team on the pitch and since the departure of Worthington, he has to step in as a standard-setter in the heart of the midfield…and in defence?
We couldn’t hang on. We shifted to a back five before half time and spent the entire second half repelling Southend. For all Southend’s possession, they barely tested Aidan Stone in the Yeovil goal and that was down to the hard work of Yeovil’s outfield players. The body language of those players when the equaliser goes in painted the picture of devastation. For a depleted group to work so hard to hang on to three points to only get one with barely a kick left must have been a real kicker. Clearly there’s an argument that when you sit back for half of a game you get what you deserve, but…
Injuries are taking their toll. There’s no Wannell, Williams, Jarvis, Maddox available and Ciaran McGuckin hobbled off with “tight calves”, to the annoyance of Mark Cooper. Cooper said he needs two in before Tuesday’s visit to Barnet and if someone can get them in, it’s him. It’s clear how important depth in the National League, and I feel like we had more depth last season than this. Clearly it costs more to maintain a squad that is capable of the National League rigours than in National League South, but with a mid-table finish looking likely, the promise of building on that next season will require greater depth in the squad.
Yeovil Town suffered late heartbreak as they were forced to settle for a draw by a late Southend United equaliser at Huish Park.
The Glovers had the worst start when poor defending gifted the visitors Charley Kendall the lead with around 30 seconds – yes, seconds – on the clock, but they roared back with Kyrell Wilson’s composed finish drawing them level on 13 minutes before Frank Nouble put them in front with his third goal in as many games.
The second half was all about the hard work of the home side, led by an outstanding Charlie Cooper who dropped in to a back three for the second period, as Southend struggled to break them down – but defender James Golding’s stunning strike with four minutes of five added on at the end game saw the game finish even.
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 1st March, 3pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Charlie Kendall 1 (0-1), Kyrrell Wilson 13 (1-1), Frank Nouble 17 (2-1), James Golding 90+4 (2-2)
Pitch: Looking better than it has in recent weeks, a bit bobbly
Conditions: A glorious Spring day
Attendance: 3,508 (354 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Southend United: Oli Coker 50
Referee: William Davies
Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Harvey Greenslade (for Ciaran McGuckin, 43), Josh Sims (for Kyrrel Wilson, 74), Corey Koerner, Lewys Twamley, Sean McGurk, Matt Gould.
Southend United: Nick Hayes, Guss Scott-Moriss, Jack Bridge, James Golding, Leon Parillon (for Josh Walker, 78), Ben Goodliffe, Tom Hopper (for Macauley Bonne, 84), James Morton, Charley Kendall, Oli Coker (for Keenan Appiah-Forson, 52).
Substuitutes (not used): Anssi Jaakkola, George Wind, Daniel Waldron, Joe Gubbins.
Jake Wannell is missing from the Yeovil Town squad for today’s match with Southend United at Huish Park (3pm kick-off).
The defender is replaced by Dom Bernard who was an unused substitute in last weekend’s 2-0 win at Maidenhead United.
Under-18s’ captain Corey Koerner is one of just six substitutes named by the Glovers.
Chris Phillips is back on the Gloverscast to talk to Ben about today’s visitors, Southend United.
Can Yeovil make it three? Ian, Ben and Dave chat ahead of the Southend game on the 400th episode.
Midfielder Charlie Cooper has said his Yeovil Town team-mates are in “a really positive place” having picked up two wins following more than two months without a win.
The Glovers have picked up six points with the 2-1 home win over Tamworth followed by last weekend’s 2-0 win away at Maidenhead United. They take on Southend United at Huish Park this weekend.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, Cooper said: “After the little dip we went on, that was all it was. I think most teams have a little bit of a rut and there was quite a bit of negativity. I missed two games and I watched the (2-1 defeat at home to) Wealdstone and there were boos (from the crowd) at half-time which I think was a bit uncalled for because after what we achieved last year and what we’re trying to build. That’s where we are at the minute, we’re trying to build and I think it was a bit uncalled for you. You have a lot of fans that are switched on and they’re positive and get behind the boys, and quite a few that just love being negative no matter what. I think the ones that really get behind the boys, that’s who we we we praise and we like that, and we are in a positive place now so we’re just going to kick on.”
Following Southend this weekend, Yeovil are on the road at league leaders Barnet next Tuesday night before travelling to promotion-chasing FC Halifax Town the following weekend. That starts a run of seven matches in March with fixtures against big-spending York City as well as relegation battlers Boston United and AFC Fylde.
The midfielder added: “I think we’re in a great position. We started off really well and we were in the top seven or eight, and then we had that little dip, and we went down the table a little bit, but nothing too worrying. Now we’re in a good position again. We have got some really good games coming up, tough games against top opposition. It is good to go into them sort of games with the two winds under our belt and now we can really go and attack those games.”
Yeovil go in to this weekend two points behind their opponents Southend in the National League table, seven points off the division’s play-off places with teams having played an uneven number of matches, but 12 points off the relegation zone.
Cooper added: “We just take each games as it comes. A few weeks ago (some people thought) we were going to get relegated, so there is no point in even thinking about it. We have been sound throughout the season, we know where we are at the minute. If you look at clubs like Barnet that have been in the league for quite a few years now and they’ve really built that club and obviously now they’re competing right at the top end of the table. Things do take time and we’ve been really competitive this year and I think that’s the main thing.”
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has admitted his squad is short on numbers due to injuries to key players going in to a run of seven matches during March.
The Glovers take on Southend United at Huish Park this weekend before travelling to National League Premier Division leaders Barnet on Tuesday night followed a run of matches against promotion-chasing FC Halifax Town and York City, Boston United and AFC Fylde who are both battling relegation, and Solihull Moors.
Cooper confirmed he expects to be without central defender Morgan Williams and striker Aaron Jarvis until towards the end of the season whilst midfielder Jacob Maddox is still unavailable with a foot injury.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, he said: “We are short on numbers and we have got a really busy schedule with seven games in March. Ideally we’d like to bolster the ranks (with new signings), but it’s really difficult trying to get anything that’s better than what we’ve got. That is the key to it, trying to bring in somebody better than what we’ve got. So yes, we are short numbers, but the players that have been involved in the last two games are pointing in the right direction altogether and having the right go.”
He added: “For Morgan Williams, he will not be back until towards the end of the season as will Jarvis. Jacob Maddox has declared himself still not fit, which is not ideal because we brought him into play. So nobody else will be available for Saturday. But the boys are available have two wins out two, so I’m sure they’re capable of going and doing it again.”
The Glovers’ second win in as many games came with a 2-0 victory at Maidenhead United last weekend, a match which saw strikers Harvey Greenslade and Frank Nouble on the scoresheet.
Nouble’s opening strike was his second in as many matches, having bagged the winner in the 2-1 home win over Tamworth in the previous match, whilst Greenslade’s stunning effort was his second of the season. The former Bristol Rovers academy product has endured a frustrating season having been out having featured in the opening six matches, scoring once, before picking up a shoulder injury which kept him out for two months and saw him go out on loan at Weston-super-Mare.
Cooper said: “It’s really tough to win a game at this level. When you get that win, it’s a great feeling for the group, but it is their job is to score goals. They’re forward players, and they’re paid to score goals. Harvey’s had a frustrating time being ill, being injured, being out on loan, and just worked hard in training and showed that he’s good character. That’s the most important thing for me with Harvey, is that he’s a real good character, he’s works his socks off every day, and his his aim now is to keep improving technically and keep putting himself in positions where he can scored. Frank as a number nine his work rate has been incredible and really difficult to play against and that’s what you want. You know when Jarvis been playing up there it’s hard to play against if the number nine does that, it then makes it easier for the rest of the team and Frank’s done that really well.”
Southend United are the next opponents for Yeovil at Huish Park this weekend. The Essex side arrive in a good run of form unbeaten in their last four matches having been held to a 1-1 draw at Tamworth last weekend.
As you would expect, the Glovers’ boss is expecting a tough match, he said: “They have got good players, they know what they’re doing, but it is always about what we do on the day. It’s about momentum. When you’re asking me these questions two weeks ago when we couldn’t win a game, I was telling you it’s about momentum and it’s about bad things come to an end. When you work really hard, good things can come to an end, but the only way it turns around is to keep working really hard, being humble, honest, and sticking to what you do. That’s what it will come down to on Saturday, to which team win the most individual duels.”
