Tom Bailey

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Football, National League, Vanatama

We’re one step closer to finding out the rest of Yeovil’s opponents in next season’s National League. Below is a list of remaining participants, those struck through have been eliminated from contention – if you want to see how the quarter finals played out, click here.

Participants

Final PositionNational LeagueNational League NorthNational League South
1st (Champions)ChesterfieldTamworthYeovil Town
2ndBarnetScunthorpe UnitedChelmsford City
3rdBromleyBrackley TownWorthing
4thAltrinchamChorleyMaidstone United
5thSolihull MoorsAlfreton TownBraintree Town
6thGatesheadBoston UnitedBath City
7thFC Halifax TownCurzon AshtonAveley

We learned the fate of the second relegated side from League Two on Saturday; Forest Green Rovers were confirmed as relegated on 16th April, and have since been confirmed as finishing in 24th. The second relegation spot was contested between Colchester United and Sutton United, and it was Sutton who were relegated, despite a 4-4 thriller vs MK Dons. Let’s see how the rest of the playoff sides have fared, and who is off to Wembley!

Results

Heading into the semi finals, the fixtures were as follows:

National League
Barnet vs Solihull Moors
Bromley vs Altrincham

National League North
Scunthorpe United vs Boston United
Brackley Town vs Chorley

National League South
Chelmsford City vs Braintree Town
Worthing vs Maidstone United

The first set of games were played on Saturday, with two 3pm kickoffs for the Tier 2 sides. There have been no goals in open play for any of the National League North teams, and it stayed that way as Scunthorpe United and Boston United went to extra time, and then penalties in front of a crowd of over 8,000! It was Boston’s for the taking, but they missed their 5th penalty, forcing sudden death. A scuffed penalty from Liam McAlinden meant Boston United went through to the final, and condemning Scunthorpe to another season of regional football.

The National League South game provided much more entertainment, as a local derby took place between Chelmsford City and Braintree Town. The odds were stacked against the visitors, having not beaten Chelmsford since 2010, but looked to have ended the duck after taking a two goal lead thanks to Leon Davies and Freddie Sears, with half an hour to play. Chelmsford fought back though, with two very late goals in the 90th minute from Jermaine Francis, and 92nd minute from George Alexander to force extra time! It would be Braintree who would have the last laugh, as a Jayden Davis winner meant Chelmsford would be sticking around in the National League South for another season.

The first National League semi final was a much more one-sided affair, as Barnet were swept aside by Solihull Moors in a 4-0 drubbing at The Hive. James Clarke got proceedings underway in the 6th minute with a leaping header, before Jack Stevens made it 2-0 before the half-hour mark with a tidy finish into the bottom corner. Things didn’t get any better for the hosts after half-time, with former Glover Tahvon Campbell burying a third, before Joe Sbarra sealed the Moors’ second trip to Wembley for the season. Another year of playoff hurt for the Bees, who will hope to come back stronger next season.

Sunday saw plenty of goal action, including the first goal outside of a penalty shootout in the National League North! 3rd placed Brackley Town toppled Chorley to reach their second playoff final in as many years, thanks to a Riccardo Calder strike in the 76th minute. As the higher seeded side, Brackley will host Boston on Saturday 4th May, with the winner becoming the newest addition to the National League for next season!

The National League South tie was similarly tense, in another 3rd vs 4th tie, this time between Worthing and Maidstone United. The hosts took the lead in the 24th minute through an Ollie Pearce penalty (shock), before Matt Bentley stuffed home a scruffy equaliser for the visitors five minutes before the break. Both sides continued to go at each other, before an 89th minute winner from, you guessed it, Ollie Pearce handed Worthing a 2-1 win and a spot in the playoff final; they will host Braintree on Monday 6th May, where again, the winner will join Yeovil in the National League next season.

Following Solihull’s win over Barnet, we now know that there will be a brand new team in the EFL next season – and it’s Bromley that have stepped up to face Solihull Moors in the final, following their 3-1 win at home to Altrincham. The visitors actually took the lead just after the half hour mark, as Regan Linney knocked a wayward shot in, wrong-footing former Glover Grant Smith. Bromley came back in a second half blitz, with three goals in nine minutes shared between Myles Weston (2) and Jude Arthurs booking the Ravens’ spot at Wembley.

Final Scores

Barnet 0-4 Solihull Moors
Bromley 3-1 Altrincham
Scunthorpe United 0-0 Boston United (Boston win 5-4 on pens)
Brackley Town 1-0 Chorley
Chelmsford City 2-3 Braintree Town
Worthing 2-1 Maidstone United

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Yeovil Town fortunately don’t have to face the dreaded playoffs, as they finished 11 points clear of 2nd-placed Chelmsford City. Of course, there is only the one automatic spot for promotion from the National League South, and it’s the same for the North, as well as the National League itself. A lot of you will be familiar with how this playoff system works, but for those of you who may not be, here’s a quick explanation of who’s qualified in which league, and how they work!

Participants

Final PositionNational LeagueNational League NorthNational League South
1st (Champions)ChesterfieldTamworthYeovil Town
2ndBarnetScunthorpe UnitedChelmsford City
3rdBromleyBrackley TownWorthing
4thAltrinchamChorleyMaidstone United
5thSolihull MoorsAlfreton TownBraintree Town
6thGatesheadBoston UnitedBath City
7thFC Halifax TownCurzon AshtonAveley

In the National League, there has been some confusion as to who is taking part in the playoffs. In a perfect world, it would actually be Southend United in the playoffs, with Gateshead dropping to 7th and Halifax missing out entirely, however their 10-point deduction means that is not the case. Gateshead are another team who should be partaking, yet aren’t. Their well publicised banishment from the playoffs, thanks to the EFL and their council, means they can’t compete this season. They will not be replaced by 8th placed Aldershot Town. Barnet and Bromley took the two ‘bye’ positions, with Altrincham receiving a ‘bye’ by virtue of being the highest placed side to take part in the first round – Solihull Moors will face Halifax Town on Wednesday night instead.

How the National League teams got to their final spots.

Up in the National League North, and it’s Tamworth who will be joining Yeovil in the National League next season, as they won their division in similarly impressive fashion, finishing 8 points clear. The two teams receiving ‘byes’ are fellow fallen giants Scunthorpe United, and perennial playoff contenders Brackley Town, who have made the playoffs in each of the last 6 seasons (make of that what you will). Following rumoured financial troubles, Chorley have powered through for a playoff spot, while Alfreton Town added a playoff finish to their joint-longest FA Cup run this season. Boston United are hoping to end a 14 year absence from the National League, and Curzon Ashton registered their first top half finish in the National League North to snag the final playoff spot.

How the National League North teams got to their final spots.

Finally in the National League South, the most familiar to us this season, we are fairly up-to-date on the contenders to join us in the National League next season. Chelmsford City emerged as late title contenders before falling away, finishing ahead of earlier title chasers Worthing. Maidstone United are looking to make a quick return via the playoffs, having been relegated alongside the Glovers last season; Braintree Town improved on their 7th place last season with their 5th place spot, Bath City looked pretty competitive all season long, and secured their spot in the last week of the season, and Aveley proved to be the shock of the season, as they secured their highest finish in the club’s history, in their first season at this level – having been favourites to go straight back down pre-season.

How the National League South teams got to their final spots.

How does it work?

These aren’t your standard EFL playoffs, where 2nd plays 6th home and away, 4th plays 5th home away, and then the winners go to Wembley and have a one-off game to win promotion.

2nd and 3rd will receive a ‘bye’ to the semi-finals, leaving 4th to host 7th, and 5th to host 6th. These are one-off, 90 minute games, that go to extra-time and then penalties if the two contenders can’t be separated.

In the semi-finals, 2nd will host the winner of 4th vs 7th, and 3rd will host the winner of 5th vs 6th. In the National League, the two winners will go to Wembley to duke it out, but in the National League North and South, the highest remaining team will host the final (if 3rd and 4th make the final, 3rd will host the game).

Results

In the quarter finals, we have the following fixtures:

National League
Solihull Moors vs FC Halifax Town
(Altrincham received a bye, and Gateshead are eliminated)

National League North
Alfreton Town vs Boston United
Chorley vs Curzon Ashton

National League South
Braintree Town vs Bath City
Maidstone United vs Aveley

On Tuesday night, both second-tier ties went to extra time, with only one going to penalties – it was Boston United who proved triumphant during penalties; Harry Perritt’s spot kick was saved by Boston ‘keeper Cameron Gregory, before Michael Gyasi converted the winner to set up a clash with Scunthorpe United.

In the other game on Tuesday, Braintree Town and Bath City played out a tense thriller, however it was the hosts who ultimately took the win, with Tom Blackwell scoring a 118th minute winner to ensure one last Essex derby between Chelmsford City and themselves.

On Wednesday night, there were three games, all taking very different turns! In the National League, Solihull Moors raced into a 3-0 lead within the first half, before Jack Evans grabbed a goal for visiting FC Halifax Town just before the half-time whistle. They pulled a second back to make it interesting, before Jamey Osborne put the hosts out of sight to book their spot in the semi-finals against Barnet.

In the North, it once again went to penalties, this time between Chorley and Curzon Ashton. Both sides missed their opening kicks, but the hosts kicked on (no pun intended) to put their remaining four spot kicks away, whereas the visiting debutants had Hayden Campbell’s attempt saved by the keeper; Brackley Town await them in the semi-finals.

In the South, it was Maidstone who confirmed themselves as the final semi-finalists with a dramatic 2-1 win over Aveley at the Gallagher Stadium. Aveley took the lead in the 27th minute via a header from Manny Ogurinde, and the visitors took that lead into half-time. Following the restart, Maidstone continued to probe, and got their reward in the 63rd minute when former Aveley man Matt Rush bundled home the equaliser. And in the 92nd minute, replicating the Yeovil scorers (and scoreline), Mo Faal buried his shot to send the home fans delirious, and ensuring they face Worthing in the semi-finals.

Final Scores

Solihull Moors 4-2 FC Halifax Town
Alfreton Town 0-0 Boston United (Boston win 5-4 on pens)
Chorley 0-0 Curzon Ashton (Chorley win 4-2 on pens)
Braintree Town 1-0 Bath City
Maidstone United 2-1 Aveley

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Yeovil Town have announced their retained and released list for the end of the 2023/24 season and confirmed the departures of eight contracted players including Alex Fisher, Jake Hyde and Jordan Stevens.

Rhys Murphy and Sam Pearson have been offered new deals for next season and Michael Smith, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Charlie Cooper have all had 12-month extensions triggered.

Jordan Maguire-Drew, listed as under contract for next season, is currently on-loan at Barnet, who declared that they had the option to sign the play maker on a ‘free permanent’ deal at the end of this current season. 

The loanees, including Joe Day, have returned to their parent clubs. Jay Foulston has returned to Taunton, but Foulston’s deal was described as being “with a view to a permanent move” upon his arrival. Whether he has done enough to earn a permanent is unclear at the moment.

Below is who have been announced as having contracts into next season, as well as the released, and options being activated.

Under contract for next season

  • Will Buse
  • Jordan Maguire-Drew
  • Dylan Morgan
  • Frank Nouble
  • Jake Wannell
  • Alex Whittle
  • Morgan Williams
  • Matt Worthington
  • Jordan Young

12-month extensions triggered (staying)

  • Sonny Blu Lo-Everton
  • Charlie Cooper
  • Michael Smith
Michael Smith has been extended!

Offered new contracts, in talks with the club

  • Rhys Murphy
  • Sam Pearson

Not been offered new deals/released

  • Benjani Jr
  • Will Dawes
  • Ollie Haste
  • Jake Hyde
  • Alex Fisher
  • Malachi Linton
  • Josh Owers
  • Jordan Stevens
Jordan Stevens has been released.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Loanees returning to parent clubs

  • Jahmari Clarke
  • Joe Day
  • Jay Foulston
  • Brooklyn Genesini
  • Olly Thomas

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A final day to remember for Yeovil fans, as a 3-1 win away in Dover meant the Glovers finished on 95 points, their highest points tally since the infamous 2002-03 season! Let’s see how the rest of the league got on in their final day clashes, with the final playoff spot up for grabs!

One team that came out poorly in that playoff clash was Hampton & Richmond Borough. They started the day inside the playoff spots, but a thumping 5-1 defeat away at an already-confirmed playoff side, Maidstone, meant they would have to wait another year to compete for a spot in the National League. Another team that were already confirmed for the playoffs were Worthing, who booked their spot in the playoff semi-finals with a 4-2 win at home to Weston-super-mare, ending their regular season on 104 goals.

Two more fixtures involving playoff sides, with one coming on the south coast – W*ymouth had their final day of the season spoiled by playoff-chasing Farnborough, who found themselves down to 10-men shortly after half-time, but that wouldn’t stop them from coming from behind to win 2-1. Ultimately, their win wasn’t enough, as Aveley defeated Bath City in front of a club-record crowd to confirm their place in the post-season. A 2-3 classic was played out at Braintree Town, who were defeated by 9-man Eastbourne Borough with a 91st minute winner by Imran Uche, while the final playoff side to feature saw Chelmsford City and Chippenham Town play out a 1-1 draw.

Torquay United celebrated their survival with a stonking 5-0 win over relegated side Havant & Waterlooville, with Austen Booth’s 35 yard screamer helping cap off a turbulent season for the Gulls. Tonbridge Angels and St Albans City played out a 2-2 draw to close out their seasons, while Truro’s busy end to the season finished with a 2-1 defeat away to Dartford. It was a good end to the season, including the preservation of their fantastic home form, for Slough Town, as they drew 1-1 with a resurgent Welling United, and in the final game of the season, and what proved to be Rob Dray’s final game as Taunton Town manager, they drew 0-0 with Hemel Hempstead in Bobby Wilkinson’s first game in charge.

 

National League South results – in full

Aveley 2-0 Bath City
Braintree Town 2-3 Eastbourne Borough
Chippenham Town 1-1 Chelmsford City
Dartford 2-1 Truro City
Maidstone United 5-1 Hampton & Richmond Borough
Slough Town 1-1 Welling United
Taunton Town 0-0 Hemel Hempstead Town
Tonbridge Angels 2-2 St Albans City
Torquay United 5-0 Havant & Waterlooville
W*ymouth 1-2 Farnborough
Worthing 4-2 Weston-super-mare

National League South table (look at that gold!)

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We’ve jumped a few matchdays since our last roundup, and a lot has happened since then… one game was abandoned entirely, with Yeovil being “defeated” by W*ymouth, and something else happened… what was it? Oh yes, Yeovil won the damn league with their 2-0 win away at Truro (Gloucester)! Following the crowning of the champions on Saturday, after Yeovil relegated visitors Dartford with a 3-1 win, let’s see what else went down on a day to remember for the Glovers.

In what feels like a frequent feature with these round ups, we begin with Worthing as they ticked over to 100 goals scored in this league campaign. They sunk St Albans City at their own ground in a 4-2 cracker as they continued their hunt for a top 3 finish. Following Thursday’s defeat, Truro City bounced back with a 3-1 win at home to playoff side Maidstone to all but confirm their safety. There were two 3-0 wins in the east, as Chelmsford City hammered Tonbridge Angels, while Eastbourne Borough secured a vital three points at home to Chippenham Town.

Slough Town sunk Hemel Hempstead closer to the drop zone, as they secured the victory in a 3-2 thriller; Aveley kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 win away at Weston-super-mare, while a Shaquile Coulthirst double gave Braintree Town the three points on their travels to already-relegated Havant & Waterlooville in a 2-1 win. Torquay United’s relegation fears deepened in an uninspiring 1-0 defeat at Bath City, while 10-man Taunton Town claimed a huge three points with their 1-0 win away at Farnborough.

Hampton & Richmond continued their playoff charge with a 1-0 win over bottom side Dover Athletic, and in the final game of the weekend, Welling United and W*ymouth played out the only draw of the weekend in a drab 0-0 affair.

 

National League South results – in full

Bath City 1-0 Torquay United
Chelmsford City 3-0 Slough Town
Eastbourne Borough 3-0 Chippenham Town
Farnborough 0-1 Taunton Town
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-0 Dover Athletic
Havant & Waterlooville 1-2 Braintree Town
Hemel Hempstead Town 2-3 Slough Town
St Albans City 2-4 Worthing
Truro City 3-1 Maidstone United
Welling United 0-0 W*ymouth
Weston-super-mare 1-2 Aveley

National League South table (look at that gold!)

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Yeovil’s 19 year wait for a league title had to continue for just a little bit longer, as they were defeated 1-3 in controversial circumstances at Huish Park on Saturday. Let’s see what else happened across the division on a dramatic day…

It was not a day for goals, with Yeovil’s game being the highest scoring in the league (not a total surprise considering Worthing were involved), but we start with a relegation six pointer – it was Dartford who came out as winners in a 2-1 win away at Havant & Waterlooville, who could be relegated by next weekend if they don’t win their game on Wednesday against Welling United, who beat 10-man Torquay United 1-0 at home to further aid their relegation escape.

There were plenty of cagey affairs and 1-1 draws across the league, with Bath City and Tonbridge Angels cancelling each other out, Chelmsford City went down to 9 men but held on for a draw at home to Slough Town, who missed a penalty in a dramatic game; Taunton Town claimed a point away at playoff chasing Hampton & Richmond, while Hemel Hempstead conceded a 90th minute equaliser to already-relegated Dover Athletic.

There were also a few 1-0 wins too, with Eastbourne Borough claiming a vital win for their relegation battle, as they defeated W*ymouth at home. Both Maidstone and Braintree Town confirmed their playoff spots with their wins away to Farnborough and Weston-super-mare respectively, while St Albans City’s hopes took another dent as Chippenham Town left Clarence Park with all three points.

The final game of the day came in the evening kickoff in Gloucester, as Truro City kicked off a run of five games in eight days with a 1-1 draw against 10-man Aveley.

 

National League South results – in full

Bath City 1-1 Tonbridge Angels
Chelmsford City 1-1 Slough Town
Eastbourne Borough 1-0 W*ymouth
Farnborough 0-1 Maidstone United
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-1 Taunton Town
Havant & Waterlooville 1-2 Dartford
Hemel Hempstead Town 1-1 Dover Athletic
St Albans City 0-1 Chippenham Town
Welling United 1-0 Torquay United
Weston-super-mare 0-1 Braintree Town
Truro City 1-1 Aveley

National League South table

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Yeovil’s wait for the National League South title continues until at least Thursday, as they were defeated at home by Worthing in a 1-3 result.

The hosts were the better side in the first half, with a littany of chances squandered, before Worthing capitalised on a questionable penalty decision to take the lead. Yeovil continued to probe, with no luck before an unfortunate mistake from Jay Fouslton left the Glovers with a hell of a task.

The second half didn’t fare any better, with even more mistakes from officials, and squandered chances from the Glovers making life hard for themselves. An Alex Fisher goal gave Huish Park hope, before it was so cruelly snatched away in controversial circumstances. Worthing nabbed a late goal with the last kick of the game to leave Huish Park with all three points.

First half

Yeovil kept it consistent with just two changes from Monday’s clash at W*ymouth, with Sam Pearson and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton replacing Olly Thomas and the injured Jordan Stevens.

Sam Pearson can’t believe it
📸 Gary Brown

The first couple of minutes were cagey, with Yeovil and Worthing exchanging long balls and patchy possession, but the first action of note came in the 4th minute, where a wayward pass from Joe Rye inside the Worthing box ended up straight in the path of Sam Pearson, the young Welshman couldn’t keep his shot down as it fired over the Dorset Vehicle Rentals Stand.

Yeovil had the next chance 7 minutes in, where a Frank Nouble run turned into a cross-come-shot, but Ollie Wright collected it comfortably. The wind continued to wreak havoc as a long ball from Joe Day fell just ahead of Pearson, Wright coming to collect and ending the attack, before another shot from Frank Nouble shortly afterwards bounced off his own boot and over.

The hosts continued to show why they were top of the league with another chance 10 minutes in – a nice ball forward from Charlie Cooper found Sam Pearson in space on the left wing, he cut inside and played a dangerous ball into the box, but Jordan Young couldn’t get it in the net. Another good chance for Yeovil, as Worthing struggled to assert themselves early on.

Worthing almost found themselves with a chance just afterwards though, as a Morgan Williams slip gave the visitors a half chance, but Wannell came across well and recovered the ball with ease.

After 14 minutes, Worthing had good fortune come their way, as a weak penalty was handed to the visitors by referee Gareth Thomas. Jake Wannell earned a booking for his protests, and Ollie Pearce tucked the ball into the bottom left corner from the spot to make it 37 league goals for the season.

Polite enquiries are made
📸 Gary Brown

Following the penalty, Worthing took some time to have the ball and get themselves settled into the game, Yeovil defended well and snuffed out any potential attacks they looked to make. Worthing’s high press prevented Yeovil from making any forays into the opposition half when they did have possession, causing concern in the crowd, but there was a vociferous roar 24 minutes into the game when Kane Wills brought Sonny Blu Lo-Everton down just outside the box, the Worthing man finding his way into the referee’s book.

The resulting free kick was a palm stinger from Charlie Cooper, but Worthing got away with it once again – an extremely weak foul was then given against Sonny on Brad Dolaghan, drawing the ire of the Yeovil crowd.

Worthing triggered a press on Yeovil, but the hosts played out of it well, getting the ball forwards – a header from Pearson was wayward, before a long ball from Worthington had just a little bit too much on it for Pearson to reach.

Yeovil came forwards once again, Pearson once again the danger man – coming inside from the left, he laid a ball off to seemingly nobody, and Worthing scampered away once again. The next chance was again, for Yeovil, as a nicely worked run from Lo-Everton made space for him to put a ball into the box for Nouble, but his shot was wayward once again.

The visitors almost bundled the ball into the back of their own net, as Pearson and Colbran battled into the box, but Ollie Wright reacted quickly to stop it trickling into his own net.

Worthing earned themselves a corner following a block from Charlie Cooper, it came to nothing however the ball stayed with Worthing – the passage of play finished with an audacious attempt at goal from all of 40 yards flying wat wide of goal.

Yeovil then found themselves with a corner, some sloppy play allowed Worthing to break down the left hand side with Danny Cashman. He played a ball across the box for Jo Felix, but his shot flew over the bar.

From the resulting goal kick, Yeovil went down the other end and won a free kick, Worthing defender Alfie Young being booked for his cynical foul on Frank Nouble. The free kick was wasted however, as the ball simply floated into the hands of Ollie Wright.

The final five minutes of the first half were relatively uneventful, with the most notable event being a Worthing corner that was palmed away by Joe Day… until the clock just ticked over to the 45 minute mark, where Jay Foulston was pressed into a mistake by Jo Felix, his pass was soft and caught Joe Day off guard, allowing Felix to pounce, round Day and lay it off for Brad Dolaghan to finish into an empty net.

Yeovil went forwards once again but more wasteful work from the Yeovil forwards meant the hosts went into half time with a mountain to climb.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Worthing 2

Second half

Before the half got underway, Mark Cooper made a change, Sam Pearson being replaced by Rhys Murphy. Straight off of kickoff, Worthing fired a shot from distance at Joe Day but it drifted wide. Yeovil went on the counter from the goal kick, a Frank Nouble charge earning Yeovil a corner; the resulting corner floating over everybody, allowing Worthing back on the ball.

Yeovil almost found themselves through once again, but Young couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet and Felix covered enough ground to recover the ball for the visitors. Worthing tried playing out but Yeovil pressed well, the ball ending up with Young once again. He cut inside, fired off a shot that got blocked, before Lo-Everton fired a ball over the bar.

Murphy gets stuck in
📸 Gary Brown

Yeovil came forward once again, and on the 50 minute mark, Yeovil themselves were handed a penalty by referee Gareth Thomas, when Rhys Murphy was brought down. The number 39 stepped up, but it was a poor strike and Wright got down well to save it, knocking it over the bar for a corner.

Worthing came forward down the right hand side from a goal kick, but their final ball wasn’t there and Yeovil got away with it. The visitors continued to push, earning a corner shortly after, however their well worked header went over the bar, and out for a goal kick.

Worthing had the next chance too, as Ollie Pearce broke away, almost leaving Williams in a heap on the floor with his frightening pace. He laid a ball off for Felix, but Day did well to read the deflection from Williams and caught it well.

Yeovil countered from there and won a corner, however it was a heavy ball once again and Worthing gained possession. Worthing won themselves a corner when Worthington had to track back and blocked off Dolaghan, however it landed straight on Wannell’s head and was cleared away.

The next bit of action came in the 60th minute, where Matt Worthington worked his way into the referee’s book for a challenge on the halfway line on Danny Cashman. Yeovil tried coming forward again shortly after, with Nouble winning a free kick and Worthing player Joe Rye ending up in the book. What followed was possibly the worst free kick of the season, as Jordan Young launched the ball out of play.

Five or six sloppy clearances followed from Yeovil once Worthing worked the ball into their half, before a brief break in play allowed for Dylan Morgan to replace Brooklyn Genesini.

Jordan Yong pickpocketed the Worthing midfield and came forward, laying the ball off for Rhys Murphy but the ball was wide and caused the attack to lose momentum, the half chance was lost and Worthing got back into possession. Another half chance came shortly after, where more sloppy Worthing play allowed for Nouble to come forward, the ball being blocked and recycled back to Nouble, his cross however ended up straight in the hands of Ollie Wright.

Another Yeovil attack followed, as a ball forward ended up on the right wing with now-right back Matt Worthington, his ball for Nouble weighted well, the following cross blocked out for a corner.

Before the corner was taken, Jack Sprong was replacd by Finlay Chadwick for Worthing’s first substitution, the corner was wasted and allowed the visitors to regroup once again.

More Yeovil possession followed, with intricate play coming from Nouble and Foulston, but nothing came from it, a few more feeble attacks followed before Rhys Murphy was flagged for a foul for… having his shot blocked by Alfie Young. Shortly after, Gregory Luer took to the field to replace Brad Dolaghan for Worthing’s second sub.

Alex Fisher joined the action in the 77th minute, replacing Jordan Young, and his first involvement was good, carrying the ball in Nouble-esque style, before delivering a nice floated cross for Nouble himself, his header was straight at the keeper though.

More horrendous decisions followed, as Ollie Wright handled the ball outside his box under pressure from Rhys Murphy, the Yeovil striker tucked the ball home however Wright’s excellent “goalkeeping” inexplicably won Worthing a foul instead…

Worthing continued to dilly-dally, and they were finally punished, as Morgan took a shot and slipped, his shot being cleared high. Nouble headed the ball back into the danger zone, and Alex Fisher was there to tuck the ball home to make it 1-2.

Yeovil looked positive once again, but Worthing cleared the danger and won a couple of corners, none of which came to anything. The hosts attacked once more, with a nice ball from Foulston finding Dylan Morgan in space, his cross being put behind for a corner, Charlie Cooper’s corner was dangerous, but Wright pulled off some genuinely good goalkeeping this time, to clear the danger.

Joe Felix was replaced by Cameron Tutt as the 7 additional minutes were announced, and Yeovil almost had their equaliser shortly afterwards – Morgan Williams’ header flashed just wide of the post, firing up the Yeovil faithful. What followed was another hideous set of events… Rhys Murphy found his way through, and buried the ball this time, however Frank Nouble (who wasn’t involved in play) was flagged as offside… rule 1 of Gloverscast is about to be obliterated, what a horrific decision (and there were more awful decisions throughout the game, see Murphy’s first “goal”).

Yeovil came forward once again, and a throw in from Charlie Cooper was headed out of the danger zone. Another Yeovil attack followed, cleared away once more, before Worthing finished the game off with another goal to make Yeovil wait a game longer for their crowning moment.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Worthing 3

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 6th April, 15:00

Competition: National League South

Pitch: Good, slippery
Conditions: Blustery and grey

Attendance: 6,034 (143 away)

Scorers: Ollie Pearce 15 (0-1), Brad Dolaghan 45 (0-2); Alex Fisher 82 (1-2); Ollie Pearce 90+7 (1-3)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Jake Wannell 14, Matt Worthington 60
Worthing: Kane Wills 24, Alfie Young 38, Joe Rye 63, Ollie Pearce 89

Referee: Gareth Thomas

Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)

 

Substitutes: Rhys Murphy (for Sam Pearson, 45), Dylan Morgan (for Brooklyn Genesini, 66), Alex Fisher (for Jordan Young, 77)

Worthing: Ollie Wright, Joel Colbran, Kane Wills, Joe Rye, Ollie Pearce, Jack Sprong, Dylan Fage, Jo Felix, Bradley Dolaghan, Alfie Young, Danny Cashman
Substitutes: Will Tillman, Cameron Tutt (for Joe Felix, 90), Gregory Luer (for Brad Dolaghan, 75), Josh Chambers, Finlay Chadwick (for Jack Sprong, 70)

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Yeovil’s derby game at W*ymouth was called off due to unfortunate circumstances. Everyone at Gloverscast sends their love and best wishes to the Yeovil fan, and their family. Let’s see how the rest of the division got on.

There were certainly fewer goals than Friday’s fixture list, however one game didn’t get that memo – Torquay United and Weston-super-mare played out a 3-3 thriller at Plainmoor, as the visitors recovered from behind twice to leave Devon with a point. Another thrilling end came at Slough Town, as their unbeaten home run continued, albeit they had to settle for a point after a 92nd minute Shaun Jeffers’ penalty earned visiting St Albans City a point.

Plenty of 2-0 wins took place too, for those up and down the division, Eastbourne Borough got themselves out of the drop zone with their win away at Dartford; in Somerset, Taunton Town fell at home to Bath City, while two teams near the top end of the league faced off, Worthing getting the better of Hampton & Richmond. Braintree Town finished off the 2-0 results with their win at home to Hemel Hempstead, who don’t yet find themselves out of trouble near the bottom.

A big surprise came at Aveley, as Havant & Waterlooville continued to show signs of life with a 2-1 win to give themselves an outside shout of escaping the drop. Farnborough came from behind to beat Tonbridge Angels 2-1 to make it 7 wins in a row on their late charge to the playoffs, while there was a 1-1 draw played out at the Gallagher Stadium between Maidstone and Welling United.

The final two games only had one goal to speak of, but it was an incredibly important goal, particularly for Yeovil’s season. In the 14th minute, Henry Young scored for Dover Athletic, as they registered just their 4th win of the season to defeat 2nd placed Chelmsford City in one of the shocks of the season. The result means the Glovers need just 3 more points to mathematically win the National League South! The final game was a delayed 0-0 draw due to traffic, between Chippenham Town and Truro City, as the visitors began their run of 10 games in 20 days.

 

National League South results – in full

Aveley 1-2 Havant & Waterlooville
Braintree Town 2-0 Hemel Hempstead Town
Chippenham Town 0-0 Truro City
Dartford 0-2 Eastbourne Borough
Dover Athletic 1-0 Chelmsford City
Maidstone United 1-1 Welling United
Slough Town 2-2 St Albans City
Taunton Town 0-2 Bath City
Tonbridge Angels 1-2 Farnborough
Torquay United 3-3 Weston-super-mare
Worthing 2-0 Hampton & Richmond Borough

National League South table

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Yeovil kicked off the Easter weekend with a stonking 3-0 win over Torquay United on Friday! Let’s see how the rest of the division got on, with the fate of another team sealed.

There were goals aplenty today, making our win look average in comparison (it certainly wasn’t average!) – we begin with two relegation threatened sides being hammered at home by playoff challengers. 9-man Eastbourne Borough lost 5-1 to Maidstone, including a Lamar Reynolds hat trick; while Havant & Waterlooville fell to Worthing by the same score line, Ollie Pearce taking his league total to 36 goals with a double.

Three sides hit four goals today, one of them being Aveley, who played out a thriller with Hemel Hempstead, a Charlee Hughes hat trick giving the visitors a 4-3 win. Chelmsford City ensured the title celebrations would have to move until at least Saturday, as they easily dealt with a poor Dartford side, a double from both Charlie Ruff and George Alexander sealing a 4-1 win for the hosts. Elsewhere in Somerset, Weston-super-mare hit four without reply, as they dismantled Taunton at home, the game ending at 4-0.

The final game with “goals, goals, goals” came at… Gloucester, as Truro City recovered from Slough Town’s two late goals in two minutes to score a late winner themselves, the game finishing 3-2 to the “hosts”. Ahead of Monday’s clash, W*ymouth come into the game off the back of a solid 1-1 draw away to Bath City; a playoff battle ended in victory for Braintree Town, as they got back to winning ways against St Albans City, while Welling United finished as 1-0 winners at home to Dover Athletic, confirming the visitor’s relegation from the National League South with 5 games to go.

A 0-0 draw was played out between Hampton & Richmond and Tonbridge Angels, while Farnborough and Chippenham Town never got going, and will have to be rescheduled.

 

National League South results – in full

Bath City 1-1 W*ymouth
Chelmsford City 4-1 Dartford
Eastbourne Borough 1-5 Maidstone United
Farnborough P-P Chippenham Town
Hampton & Richmond Borough 0-0 Tonbridge Angels
Havant & Waterlooville 1-5 Worthing
Hemel Hempstead Town 3-4 Aveley
St Albans City 0-1 Braintree Town
Welling United 1-0 Dover Athletic
Weston-super-mare 4-0 Taunton Town
Truro City 3-2 Slough Town

National League South table

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Yeovil Town return to Huish Park in triumphant spirits, off the back of their 1-0 win at Braintree Town last weekend.

The Glovers put an end to their indifferent run of form with the win, and they take on a troubled Torquay United. The two South West sides have clashed around the Christmas period for the last four years, with varying degrees of success between the two outfits.

The last time these two sides met in the league, it was the mighty Yeovil who were successful, goals from Frank Nouble, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Jake Hyde handing us a 3-1 win.

Yeovil Town Team News

Mark Cooper insisted that Torquay will still be a tough challenge for us, speaking midweek he said: “We know if they are fit they (Dean Moxey, Asa Hall, Kevin Dawson, Tom Lapslie) will play and they will be desperate to come here and get something, so we have to fully respect that and make sure we give everything we have got and get the result.“

Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

There are no returns from injury for any of our injured stars, the gaffer also confirmed mid-week that the highly anticipated returns of Michael Smith and Rhys Murphy would have to wait until after Friday’s game at least, saying: “Murphy and Smith are back in training, but it will be too soon for them to come back in.”

Alex Whittle will not be seen again this season, with initial injury concerns having been eased somewhat, as Cooper confirmed the dynamic left back wouldn’t need surgery on his hamstring.

Torquay United Team News

Interim Gulls manager Aaron Downes spoke to the media ahead of tomorrow’s clash, labelling his side as “rare underdogs”, stating: “It’s very rare that Torquay United in the National League South goes to a team, and is sort of looked at as underdogs, as far as the league position is concerned, so for once we’ll relish the opportunity to do that, but we know that if we play well and if we perform the way we can perform, then we definitely know we can get a result there”.

Downes also confirmed that starting striker Aaron Jarvis would miss Friday’s clash, with other injuries in the squad being assessed right up to kickoff, saying: “Marsh (Ross Marshall) and Daws (Kevin Dawson) both touch and go really, not 100% certain on them. Jarvs (Aaron Jarvis) will be out, he’s still not right; he was ill last week but he also got the knock at Tonbridge on his knee, and then he had to come off later in the second half. So Jarvs (Jarvis) will be out, and Daws (Dawson) and Marsh (Marshall) are both tight”.

The Devon side come into Friday off the back of a 1-0 win themselves, an Asa Hall penalty proving the difference between them and Hampton & Richmond. Torquay have also found themselves in spotty form, although still an improvement under interim boss Downes, following his appointment after Gary Johnson’s departure. The Australian has a record of two wins, two draws and two losses since being appointed near the end of February.