There were two departures from Huish Park this week. Ian, Ben and Dave are reunited to chat about both Sam Pearson and Raph Araoye’s exits and we look ahead to Wealdstone. Plus, your questions!
A stoppage time set piece saw Yeovil’s FA Cup campaign end at the first time of asking. Ian and Dave are joined by Chris Spittles to chat about the action and the fallout. Plus we take your GCQs.
This one was beset with internet connection issues so apologies if it’s a bit glitchy. If you don’t notice it, Ian’s available for all your audio editing needs.
Frustrating was the word of the day in the Yeovil Town camp following FA Cup defeat at Chesham United. Captain on the day, Frank Nouble, echoed the thoughts of his manager as the Glovers drew a blank for the sixth time this season.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Chris Spittles, Nouble said: “I think it does epitomise how our season has gone so far. I think we’ve played relatively well with the ball and controlled large spells. I don’t think they created too much. That’s not about being arrogant, either, it’s just just the facts of the game. But, they took their chance when it came in last minute of the game, or whenever it was. It’s hugely frustrating for us, particularly for our supporters and our players in there. We’re all disappointed. A few things were said in there, and rightly so. But the beauty about football is always enough opportunity to go out there and reclaim some form or some sort of happiness and bring back some joy, back to our supporters.”
Nouble, who is yet to find the back of the net this season, is still taking the ‘small positive’ of the side playing ‘relatively well’ and that the team will keep working.
“We’re not creating gilt edged chances where someone’s one v one and they’re missing them. [It’s] a lot of half chances, but it’s from good play. And you know, last year, you might say it’s a league below, but we we’re still taking them chances, even if they were half chances. So this year just got to keep working. You know, we’re not scored many goals in the league overall, but we still find ourselves, I don’t know, 10th or 11th in the league. So it shows that, if we do turn that form around, in terms of attacking, God knows where we could be? So it’s a small positive to take from today that we are playing relatively well, but need to take our chances.”
“I do a lot of things outside the box, but I also need to chip in and help out with the team”
Club Captain Matt Worthington has been on the sidelines in recent weeks, with Brett McGavin and Charlie Cooper the preferred midfield pairing. Nouble as a senior player in the team has taken the armband in his absence.
“Matthew Worthington is the club captain, when he’s not playing or he’s not been selected recently, I’ve stepped in. Results have been decent, and they will be decent when Worthy’s captain again. But, as a senior Pro, I do find it my duty to just voice the positive and constructive opinions, and particularly myself, I’ve got to lead by example, on the pitch as well. I’m an attacking player, I do a lot of things outside the box, but I also need to chip in and help out with the team.”
Despite the defeat, Nouble was proud of his teammates and said that they’d be ready for the next challenge: “I’m really proud of all the players in there, and lucky to play with them as well. I think it’s a pleasure to play and work with them every week, and we’re gonna have down days. Today is a real down day for us. But the beauty of it is, the rebound, always a reaction. We can’t rest on our laurels. [We’ve] got another tough game coming up. I think Wealdstone away, and then Tamworth and stuff like that. So just got to keep working. The players in there are good enough, if they choose to go get other players to come and do it, we support them, and we’ll now be ready for the next challenge.”
Mark Cooper’s frustration with his Yeovil Town side was clear in his post-match interview following this afternoon’s FA Cup defeat. The Glovers tripped at the first hurdle of this season’s competition, losing 1-0 to National League South side Chesham United.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Chris Spittles, Cooper bemoaned his side’s attacking play on the day and in previous weeks. It was another game of keep-ball from the Glovers, but no cutting-edge.
Cooper said: “Full credit Chesham, they hung in there, didn’t they? We had all the play – dominated the game. We had loads of play around the edge of their box, but we didn’t get opportunities to kill it off. We were really sloppy at the top of the pitch today. We didn’t take care in and around the penalty area. We should be scoring at least two or three today.”
Expanding on his side’s woes in front of goal, he added: “We haven’t scored enough goals for our play. That’s another game where we haven’t [scored]. We scored one last week and we dominated the game, we had loads of chances – we scored one. We scored one the week before, scored none the week before that, we scored none today, you know. So we can only do so much.
“We get the ball safely from the our goalkeeper, and we play nice, and we get the ball to the edge of their box and it breaks down, or we pick the wrong option, or we miss the target, or we smash it straight at the keeper. I think there’s one great bit of play where Josh Sims has got an open goal from five yards, and he hits it straight at the goalie, just roll it in the corner with a bit of composure. So, really frustrating.
“we are really nice to watch from tee to green, but once we get on the dance floor, not quite enough”
Yeovil started the day with Ciaran McGuckin, Josh Sims, Frank Nouble and Jordan Young as the attacking quartet, and were able to introduce Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Sam Pearson in the second half, but still couldn’t find a way through. Expanding yet further on his side’s woes in front of goals, Cooper really mixed his metaphors…
“If you look at our forward line, we’ve got Josh, Sims, who played 20-odd games on the Premier League, got Frank [Nouble], who’s played in the Premier League. We’ve got Ciaran McGuckin, who’s a young lad, scored two in two for us, and got we’ve Jordan Young, who was player of the year last year. So, you know, we expect. It’s not just the forwards, because we have set pieces, we had free kicks, shots from the edge of the box, but the forward boys have got to start scoring. I’ve said to them in there, I can’t keep defending you if we keep missing chances and keep taking the wrong shot or finding the goalkeeper. Your job in the team is to score great goals. And we are really nice to watch from tee to green, but once we get on the dance floor, not quite enough.”
The set piece winner came deep into stoppage time through Jack Cawley’s header after the Chesham man rose highest above Raphael Araoye to break Yeovil hearts.
“We give them a free header. Our centre-half young Raph [Araoye], he’s coming out of U21s football, you have to learn that you have to head that ball. You can’t let your man jump above you, because that one action means that we’re out the FA Cup and not going back to a replay. So it’s great for Raph, because he has to learn that that can’t happen. And I’m sure Bristol City will be delighted, because that’s part of his learning. But, it doesn’t help us at the moment.
“[I’ve got] no qualms about the overall performance. We looked comfortable, just not ruthless enough in front of goal, and that’s been the case all season,” he added.
When asked what the next steps are to find the goals and if he needs to find the ‘devilment’ in them, Cooper said: “We either do that, or we say to the chairman, right, we need to bring some more attacking players in, because the ones we’re not we’re not quite firing. But I’ve said to them, I’ll stick with them, we keep working with them and try and make them better. And that’s your job as a coach.”
On a positive, Cooper said he expected to have Aaron Jarvis back next weekend, but that he could have been back for today: “We missed out on the protocol by 12 hours. You know, [I’m] not sure we did everything properly. We should be having Jarv coming off the bench today and winning us the game, but we didn’t, and we’ll have to wait until next week.”
Cooper finished off by setting the bar for the next few games, and promised a hard week of training for his team.
“Now it’s going to be a tough week for the boys. They’ll be in all week, and we have three games now, Wealdstone, Tamworth and Maidenhead that I want to go and take a real big points haul to propel us up the table.”
It’s matchday morning!
Ben spoke to Terry from the Game of Headers and Volleys Podcast to preview today’s National League action.
Ian is back with Dave and Ben to preview Yeovil’s match with Dagenham and Redbridge, in what will be Mark Cooper’s 100th match in charge of the club. There’s some reflection, his first teamsheet plus we had an email that made us feel old.
Football Content Awards. Thanks to you, we are nominated in two categories! The Best in Non League – Editoral for this silly website and Best in Non League – Podcast for football chat and nonsense such as ranking roast lamb lower than pork. In spite of that, please do go and vote for us here.
We didn’t have to go too far back in the history books for this one. Signed by Darren Sarll in 2021, Charlie Wakefield spent two seasons at Huish Park and became a fan favourite in short order. Charlie spent a Friday evening in September chatting to Dave and Ben about his time in green and white including his goals, his departure, his ‘Man Up’ documentary and more. Sing it with us…Oooh baby do you know what it’s worth…
At the time of his departure, friend of the pod, Jake Gallagher wrote this Ode to our star man.
Yeovil came from behind to draw 1-1 with Aldershot in an exciting afternoon at Huish Park. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from the Press Box.
It was an open game. With both sides having struggled to find the back of the net in recent weeks, I wondered if this would be a cautious, cagey affair but it was far from that. Aldershot were open, we were open and both sides created plenty of chances. I think Jordan Young should have put Yeovil 1-0 up when he was through on goal and then from the resulting corner Aldershot break and open the scoring. The visitors rattled the bar from a corner, Charlie Cooper was denied by a save from Dewhurst and Frank Nouble should have done better when he was through on goal too. I thought it was an entertaining afternoon, with both teams going for it.
We were shaky at the back in the first half. The quest for goals left us susceptible to the counter attack and I was impressed by the running of Hady Ghandour and the string-pulling Josh Barrett. He seemed to always find space and be one step ahead of everyone and scored a wonderful opener. We’ve not found ourselves cut open very often this season but in the first half, Aldershot could have scored three or four. We seemed a behind in moments at the back, and shot ourselves in a foot a couple of times, but we rode our luck and did what we had to do to get a point.
That was Jordan Young’s best game in some time. I think we got to see a Jordan Young that looked more like last season’s player. He was picking up the ball facing goal and taking opponents on. He had a couple of his trademark efforts cutting in from the right onto his left foot. Although he should have put Yeovil ahead, you can see that he’s starting to gain confidence and re-discover a bit of form. As well all know, he can be a difference maker when it comes to those attacking areas and he had a big role in the equaliser…
Ciaran McGuckin was a handful. The loanee was preferred ahead of Aaron Jarvis for Aldershot and offered another dimension to Yeovil’s attack. McGuckin was less of a squabbler with defenders and more of a runner. He linked play well and his energy levels kept the pressure on the Shots back line. His goal was a good example of everything he’d been doing well. He gets on the ball – looking like he’s about to cramp up in a big way – knocks it to Young before getting beyond his teammate for the return and puts a great finish past Dewhurst. It’s a tricky angle, there’s Aldershot bodies getting back and there’s plenty to do to find the bottom corner.
The supporters stuck with the team. As always there’s been a lot of talk about the reaction of supporters at Huish Park. The home supporters, who have not been given a great deal to cheer about thus far in 2024/25, were on form yesterday and no doubt contributed to that second half performance. Frank Nouble won the toss, which meant the Glovers had their preferred second half attacking the Thatchers Stand, and you could feel that energy compared to previous matches this season. That energy was fuelled by some decisions by the match official, who decided there was no need to stop play when Sam Pearson nearly had his head kicked off, nor the repeated shirt pulling on Aaron Jarvis.
Well, defeat on the road for Mark Cooper’s Yeovil Town. Oldham took home the three points in a 1-0 defeat at Boundary Park. Dave was there, so Ian and Ben asked him about it.
