Tom Bailey

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Yeovil Town lost their final game of the season in a frantic opening 45 minutes, with Solihull Moors winning 4-1 at Huish Park. A brace from Jacob Wakeling, Scott High and Joe Sbarra were punctuated by a consolation from Terrell Works, leaving the Glovers shell-shocked going into half-time.

Yeovil came out in the second half and huffed and puffed, but the visitors sat deep and held firm, leaving the half-time decimation as the full-time result.

First half

Both sides came flying out the blocks from kickoff, as Ryan Jones drove centrally from the right hand side, firing off a shot in space from outside the box that stung the palms of Laurie Walker. The resulting corner didn’t come to much, and from the counter-attack, Solihull Moors took the lead just 90 seconds courtesy of Jacob WAKELING striking from outside the box.

Solihull almost made it two following the goal, forcing a good stop down low from Jed Ward just six minutes into the game, before Yeovil started to settle into the game after a frantic opening 10 minutes.

13 minutes in, and it was two, as Scott HIGH burst through the defensive line to strike from the right hand side – despite the best efforts of Jed Ward, who got a hand to the shot, it left Yeovil with a mountain to climb.

Three minutes later, it was three. Solihull carved through the makeshift Yeovil defence with ease, as Jacob WAKELING bagged his second, and Solihull’s third of the game, with a low strike into the bottom right hand corner.

Finally, Yeovil managed to make themselves a couple of chances, with shots from Will Merry and Terrell Works being saved and blocked respectively.

25 minutes in, and Yeovil forced another corner out of Laurie Walker, as Will Merry drove inside from the left hand side and fired a shot towards the bottom left hand corner. Page and Works almost linked up following the corner being cleared, but a foul was called and a drink’s break took place.

Following the break, Yeovil got one back, as a long ball down the right hand side found Terrell WORKS – he cut past two Solihull defenders and stuck the ball in the left side of the goal to pick up his fourth goal in green and white.

Solihull almost restored their three goal lead soon after kickoff, as a brilliant cross from Oscar Rutherford found the head of a Solihull man, but their header went just wide of the post.

36 minutes in, and it was four – a ball over the top of the Yeovil defence allowed Joe SBARRA through on goal in a one-on-one with Jonathon Page, his shot was well-taken, finding the bottom right corner to reset the lead to three.

Dakarai Mafico was then forced off with an injury, being replaced by Harvey Greenslade, marking the end of his loan spell with Yeovil – best of luck with whatever you do next Dakarai!

Just after the six additional minutes had been announced, Ryan Jones hit another fierce shot from the edge of the box, but the knuckle on the ball caused it to lift and whizz over the bar. Half-time finally arrived, with a smattering of boos met the players as they left the field.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Solihull Moors 4

Second half

Right from kickoff, Yeovil looked to press high, and were almost rewarded for doing so as Terrell Works closed down a clearance from Cox; he got the ball to James Daly who got the ball to Page. Nobody looked willing to take the shot but Perrett let fly from the edge of the box, being blocked.
Moments later, Solihull Moors made a triple substitution, including an unforced goalkeeper swap. Will Merry then drove hard from the left hand side shortly after, his shot being closed down and put behind for a corner.
Around the hour mark, both Terrell Works and Dan Ellison found their way into the referee’s book for preventing counter-attacks for Solihull, as well as Brett McGavin unleashing a shot from distance; however it landed comfortably at the feet of sub ‘keeper Will O’Sullivan.
Harvey Greenslade had the next chance for Yeovil, as a good high ball found him on the edge of the box, but his shot blazed over the Thatchers Terrace – not one for the highlight reel.
A couple of minutes later, and it was Terrell Works once more on the run, dancing through the defence and firing from the left side of the six yard box, but O’Sullivan got down well and saved with his legs. Yeovil’s momentum was disrupted soon after, as Scott High limped off with injury, being replaced by Solihull stalwart Jamey Osborne.
Another shot for Greenslade was closer, but still high over the bar from the left side of the box, as Yeovil were unable to get that extra yard of space they needed to shoot centrally.
Further chances came for Yeovil, as Solihull were quite happy to sit deep and let the Glovers attack. Harvey Greenslade cut inside with a nice heel chop, leaving Oli Tipton in a heap on the floor but his shot was blocked for a corner, and Will Merry drove into the box soon after, but his shot trickled just wide of the right post.
The end-of-school feeling was in true force at Huish Park, as Matt Gould made his league debut for Yeovil as the 90 minute mark hit; Alex Whittle also made a late appearance from the bench.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Solihull Moors 4

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 25th April, 12.30pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Jacob Wakeling 2, 16 (0-1, 0-3), Scott High 13 (0-2), Terrell Works 30 (1-3), Joe Sbarra 36 (1-4)

Pitch: Beautiful!
Conditions: Brilliant blue skies and a light breeze

Attendance: 3043 (80 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Terrell Works 58, Dan Ellison 61, Brett McGavin 90+3
Solihull Moors: Fin Howell 86

Referee: Andrew Humphries

Yeovil Town

Substitutes: Matt Gould (for Jed Ward, 90), Joy Mukena, Alex Whittle (for Dan Ellison, 90), Jake Wannell (for Terrell Works, 79), Harvey Greenslade (for Dakarai Mafico, 41), Ollie Hughes, Jaydon Biss

Solihull Moors: Laurie Walker (for Will O’Sullivan, 46), Alex Whitmore, Tobi Sho-Silva (for Fin Howell, 75), Ben Worman (for Callum McFarlane, 46), Darius Lipsiuc, Dan Cox, Scott High (for Jamey Osborne, 71), Oli Tipton, Jacob Wakeling, Oscar Rutherford, Joe Sbarra (for Kian Ryley, 46)

Substitutes (not used): Charlie Watts

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Yeovil Town played out a 0-0 draw against play-off hopefuls FC Halifax Town on Saturday. Green and White Radio’s Tom Bailey was there, here’s what he took from the game…

It wasn’t one for the neutrals: That was a tough watch, if we’re being totally honest. Neither side threatened much in the first half, and while the game kicked into second gear in the second half, it never really felt like either side were truly going to take the game by the scruff of the neck. However…

A good result: While not the most entertaining game, from a result perspective this was a solid showing and a good result for us! Halifax have shown throughout the season that they’re a good footballing side, capable of taking complete control of games. We saw glimpses of that play today, but a steady Yeovil defence did a good job of keeping the likes of Adam Hmami and Will Harris at bay in challenging conditions.

James Daly vs Halifax
Pic C/O Gary Brown

Finn Cousin-Dawson: Now Finn is a player who will always prompt discussion among Yeovil fans (myself included). He’s good in defence, then he isn’t, then he’s rubbish in midfield and then he isn’t, then he gets hot-headed and sent off and then… you get the idea.

Called straight back into the starting XI today, originally as a midfielder before Kyle Ferguson’s injury in the warm-up forced him into the back three, Finn did a good job of helping lead the backline at such short notice. Big thumbs up from me, Finn.

Finn Cousin-Dawson
Pic C/O Gary Brown

Clean sheet: The defence has taken on many different forms this season, with yet another new partnership taking shape today with FC-D, Mukena and Ellison starting and finishing the game. Along with the usual heroics from Jed Ward, they very much earned their crust today.

Will Harris has a great scoring record in the league, but he barely had a sniff today, and other threats from deep really didn’t cause much concern for the backline either. They may well be asking more questions for Billy Rowley to answer about their futures at Huish Park, with just the two games to go.

On to York: One more away day, and I’d argue it’s one of my favourites – the opposition have stacks upon stacks of talent, and with the *ahem* history between these two sides in recent years, it’s sure to be an intriguing game. Let’s take the positivity from this game, alongside the return of the likes of Dakarai Mafico and try and cause a stir on the big stage next weekend.

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A slow-burning Yeovil Town worked hard against play-off outsiders FC Halifax Town in what ultimately finished as a goalless draw at Huish Park.

There were no goals in a dull first half, with Jed Ward being called upon just the once to make a good save from Jay Turner-Cooke in an otherwise uninspiring display from both sides.

The second half brought more joy for the Glovers, as narrow misses from James Daly, Brett McGavin and Ryan Jones couldn’t quite get that important breakthrough for the home side. Halifax had good moments themselves, in a pretty even contest that Yeovil will be the happier of the two sides after the full time whistle.

First half

Before the teams had even walked out, there was a change to the starting XI for Billy Rowley, as Kyle Ferguson went down during the warm-up with an injury; his absence paved the way for Harvey Greenslade to retain his starting spot from the defeat at Eastleigh on Easter Monday.

Goalmouth action from Halifax. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

It was Halifax who took kickoff, headed towards the Thatchers Terrace to begin proceedings. The Shaymen had the better of the opening minutes as well, but Yeovil stood firm before settling into the game themselves.

It was a slow start, with the first shot of the game coming 14 minutes into the game. Jay Turner-Cooke took the ball on the turn, found himself in space and let fly from all of 25 yards out, but his shot sailed into the Thatchers terrace.

A few minutes later, following a succession of soft fouls called against Yeovil, the visitors showed what they could do if Yeovil’s attention dropped off – an incisive ball from Turner-Cooke found the on-running Crowe, but his cross was cleared by Dan Ellison before a Halifax boot could find it. Soon after, an Adam Hmami shot was blocked and landed safely in the arms of Jed Ward.

Yeovil’s first real chance of the game came 25 minutes in, as a steady passage of play helped Yeovil creep towards the Halifax box; a delightful ball from Delano McCoy-Splatt found the run of Harvey Greenslade, who played the ball across the box to James Daly, his shot was blocked but the linesman had raised his flag for an offside anyways…

Ten minutes later, another chance came, as Terrell Works successfully pick-pocketed Jevon Mills, charged towards goal and curled a shot just wide of the top corner from the edge of the box.

From the resulting goal-kick, Halifax went down the other end and won themselves a corner thanks to a solid effort from Adam Hmami; his shot took a deflection off of Finn Cousin-Dawson. The corner was taken short, finding Jay Turner-Cooke on the edge of the box, his curling effort was destined for the top right hand corner if not for the strong hand of Jed Ward.

Aside from a dangerous looking cross from Dylan Crowe being cleared, there was little to mention from the rest of the half following two additional minutes, with both sides going into half-time goalless and looking toothless.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 FC Halifax Town 0

Second half

No changes for either side following the resumption of play, with Yeovil coming out the better of the two teams in the opening minutes.

A good bit of linkup between James Daly and Will Merry forced Halifax midfielder Cody Johnson to stick a foot in to trip the Southampton loanee, earning the Glovers a free kick and Johnson a spot in the referee’s book. The free-kick was just about dealt with by Halifax, forcing a corner which eventually fizzled into nothing of note.

Another free kick followed soon after, as Daly battled off three or four visiting players before eventually winning the free kick in Brett McGavin territory. His hit whizzed narrowly past the left post, punctuating a solid opening to the second half for the Glovers.

Terrell Works goes close. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Just before the hour mark, Halifax had a free kick on their left hand side that was headed away by Joy Mukena, marking their first proper adventure into the Yeovil half since the second half began. Soon after, there were more chances for Halifax, shots from Billy Waters and Jay Turner-Cooke not threatening Jed Ward but certainly asking questions of the Yeovil defence.

Both sides looked to threaten each other’s boxes, with limited success before a stoppage in play was called following an injury to Halifax defender Jevon Mills, with both managers taking the opportunity to make changes to their side.

Halifax had arguably the best chance of the game 76 minutes in, as a misplaced pass from Dan Ellison allowed the visitors to push forwards; important defensive work from Ellison himself, and Jonathon Page did just enough to stop the visitors from a clean effort, sparing the blushes of the young number 15.

Yeovil then went down the other end themselves, with Terrell Works almost through on goal – he went to fire off his shot inside the box, but an excellent block from a Halifax defender saved the day for the visitors.

A well-taken free kick at just before the 80 minute mark from Jay Turner-Cooke from 25 yards out almost gave the Shaymen the lead, but it floated just past the post.

Yeovil fought back, with a shot from Harvey Greenslade floating over the bar, and Ryan Jones and Brett McGavin’s shots were blocked. Shortly after, James Daly went down the right hand side on the counter attack, slipped inside the box but recovered in time to get a shot off – he wrong footed Halifax ‘keeper Sam Johnson, but his effort curled just past the post. 

87 minutes in, a long distance effort from Jay Turner-Cooke almost caught Jed Ward off guard, his speculative shot pinging off the top of the bar, piling pressure upon Yeovil’s defence. More solid defensive work went in, as Ellison and McGavin put in good blocks before eventually getting the ball away. James Daly was released by Troy Perrett down the other end, but his shot went narrowly over the bar from inside the box.

Just after the 90 minute mark, Ryan Jones was unleashed on the right hand side, ignoring the calls for a pass into the box, driving to the 18 yard area himself, dancing past his man and curling a low driven shot… wide. Every single person inside Huish Park couldn’t believe it had gone wide, by the narrowest of margins…

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 FC Halifax Town 0

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 11th April, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: None

Pitch: Green as always
Conditions: Challenging; sunny but very blustery

Attendance: 2,647 (60 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Harvey Greenslade 87
FC Halifax Town: Cody Johnson 53, Will Smith 80

Referee: Rob Massey-Ellis

Yeovil Town

Substitutes: Troy Perrett (for Will Merry, 72), Jonathon Page (for Delano McCoy-Splatt, 72), Jaydon Biss (not used), Liam Nardiello (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

FC Halifax Town: Sam Johnson, Will Hugill (for Billy Waters, 56), Josh Hmami, Will Harris (for Kieron Morris, 82), Will Smith, Jevon Mills (for David Kawa, 72), AJ Warburton (for Owen Bray, 82), Dylan Crowe (for Tom Lavery, 73), Ash Palmer, Jay Turner-Cooke, Cody Johnson

Substitutes (not used): Nathaniel Ford, Florent Hoti

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A resurgent Yeovil Town ran out as 2-0 winners at Wealdstone on a bitter Wednesday night; Tom Bailey was there for Green and White Radio, here’s what he made of it…

What a great team performance! There were concerns post-Woking that the team looked unmotivated, that there was a lack of fight, togetherness and desire… well that did a complete 180! Every single player looked like they would run through a wall for each other, FCD and McGavin put their bodies on the line in a powerful midfield display, variations of Sims, Jones, Daly and Works all pressing as duos, and an organised backline showed that these guys can be a team, as they outworked and outsmarted a rotated Wealdstone side.

Before I call out my man of the match, I want to give an honourable mention to Ryan Jones for pulling off a roulette inside his own half under pressure from multiple Wealdstone players, nerves of steel on that man in a fantastic individual display.

James. Daly (again). Can I just use last Saturday’s thoughts for this bit? Once again, an electric performance while in the central striker role – have we had our missing striker at the club the whole time?? His turn of pace is elite for the level, causing defences headaches all game, and his linkup with both wings was exceptional. Take a bow son, take a bow!

He’s done it again. James Daly celebrates his sixth goal of the season.

The pressure has been eased tremendously now. There were concerns among fans headed into this trio of games (Morecambe, Wealdstone, Gateshead) that they could define our season. Two wins from the first two of those games have made that gap to the bottom four look like a chasm in comparison to a week or so ago.

The fans, the staff and the players should all give themselves a pat on the back for stepping up when it’s mattered most, as we look increasingly like a National League side for next season!

The red. Yes I’m afraid I’m going to mention it, we can’t have all five points be positive can we?! Troy Perrett has come in for criticism at times this season, with a bright start to life in green and white dying off pretty quickly. In absence of Dakarai Mafico, he’s started the last two games and while there were sparks of brilliance, it’s not quite come together for him yet.

However, having slept on it (important here on Gloverscast) – that’s really poor for me. I came in for stick when I said Jarvis shouldn’t have been dismissed against Rochdale (I WAS VERY WRONG), and this incident felt weirdly similar to me. In the moment, I didn’t quite understand how it was even a booking, never mind a red, but upon seeing the replay, he’s earned every bit of that red. Hopefully this is a learning experience that he can take forward in his career, marking a low point of an uninspiring loan spell.

Troy Perrett
Pic c/o Gary Brown

Let’s end the season with a flourish! I was keen to just stay up, even if it was close, I just wanted to stay up. Maybe I’m giddy from seeing us sit in the dizzying heights of 15th, but I feel weirdly relaxed about the rest of the season now. Let’s enjoy ourselves, keep up the impressive performances and end the season with a high. Wins against the likes of Gateshead, Truro, Eastleigh and Solihull would see us very comfortably into mid-table, let’s manifest a few more wins!

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Yeovil Town’s topsy-turvy season continued on Saturday, as they defeated Morecambe at Huish Park in what had been billed as a six-pointer. Tom Bailey was there for Green and White Radio, here’s what he thought.

Well that was great fun… What an entertaining game of football! Entertainment value has often been criticised at Huish Park this season, with Cooper-ball and Copper-lite-ball under Richard Dryden leading to some turgid performances. If this is what we should expect under Billy Rowley next season, then sign me up! It was a game of high quality, but it didn’t disappoint in the entertainment department!

James. Daly. Boy am I glad we have James Daly in this team. A slow start to the season, followed by injury saw Daly’s stock fall as Christmas approached. But after finding fitness, and a regular run of games allowing him to build momentum, he’s come into his own, particularly following the absence of Luke McCormick.

His pressing and relentless energy makes him a joy to watch, and his goal was well taken today, taking his league tally to five for the season. Even his 99th minute press of the Morecambe ‘keeper was the perfect example of why we need to play to Daly’s strengths next season.

James Daly reflecting the mood inside Huish Park.

The players showed a bit of something today. I mentioned above that while entertaining, the quality of the game wasn’t necessarily great. Both teams were desperate to win this game, which was a stark contrast to the drab midweek defeat at Woking for the Glovers. Everyone put in a hell of a shift to earn those three points today, and even if they aren’t staying beyond the end of the season, that is a performance that Yeovil fans should be proud of.

Delano McCoy-Splatt, welcome to Yeovil! When McCoy-Splatt’s signing was announced midweek, there were mixed responses, with some relief that we had more midfield depth, but some concern over his age and lack of game time. Thankfully, he made a brilliant start to life in green and white, coming on as a substitution on the right hand side. His linkup play with Josh Sims and Finn Cousin-Dawson was excellent, and his vision for the pass to Terrell Works for Daly’s goal was awesome. More of that please and thank you!

Onto Wealdstone. Let’s take the positive feeling following a hard-earned victory and carry that momentum into the midweek game at Wealdstone. A lot of people earmarked these three fixtures (plus Gateshead next Saturday) as our three biggest games of the season, and with three points on the board already, let’s carry on this good work into Wednesday’s game.

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Yeovil fell victim to a professional performance against Scunthorpe United. Here are Tom’s Five Conclusions from Huish Park.

We definitely weren’t bad! This sounds like I’m scrabbling for positives, but genuinely we performed really well in the first half. We looked like a team hunting for a win, not just accepting a 0-0 like we may have in previous years. Sure, things unravelled towards the end of the 90 minutes for us, but I don’t think I could sit there and say we didn’t give it a damn good go, we just need that final finish… speaking of which…

Goodness me, we need a striker. The majority of Yeovil fans can see that Billy Rowley is having to make do with the sum of the parts available to him, but one glaringly obvious gap in the recruitment this season has been the lack of a competent striker.

Aaron Jarvis looked better today, but I don’t think it’s hard to look better than he has in recent performances (looking at you Rochdale…), meanwhile Tahvon Campbell continued to look lackadaisical at best, and lazy at worst. Both players have had opportunities across their last few performances to take the striker spot as their own, but neither have done so. Put it this way, if we had someone like Danny Whitehall in our side today, I think we’d have stood an even better chance…

The lads looked tired. It’s easy to say something like that considering the scoreline and the run of fixtures in recent weeks, but it’s unfortunately true. Right from the off, even in our better periods during the game, we looked somewhat leggy, unable to get that extra yard of space we may have found with rested legs.

The second goal completely sucked the life out of the squad, which was telling for the third goal, so hopefully this week of rest will help us come back against Boston all guns blazing.

Let’s not panic. Yes, we’re still eight points above the drop, and yes the team’s behind are picking up points. But, teams are also sinking; look at Sutton and Braintree from just today as an example. We’ve proven we’re capable of picking up points too. Looking at the table with the glass half full, if results go our way next weekend, we’re 12th again. Suddenly, we can look up again, rather than behind.

Today will hurt, but let’s stay calm, back the squad and the staff, and they’ll get us over the line, one way or another.

Billy Rowley
Pic c/o Gary Brown

Roll on the summer. As mentioned above with the striker situation, we need to get some holes filled in this squad in the summer. A heavy reliance on the loan market has had mixed results, and while a lot of the recruitment has been alright, we’ve built a squad for FOUR different managers.

We can see the foundations being laid for the next season, but we’ve just got to get through these last 11 games and look forward to next season; some strikers, some proper wing-backs, and a replenishment of contracted (and preferably good) midfielders, and then we can really begin to judge the Billy Rowley era. Up the Yeo, and all that!

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A spirited first half performance was cancelled out by a professional opposition on Saturday, as Yeovil Town were defeated at home by Scunthorpe United. The Glovers had the better performance going into half-time, with chances for Aaron Jarvis and James Daly going amiss.

The second half saw Scunthorpe step their game up, with a fortunate penalty being tucked home by Danny Whitehall, before a double from his replacement Leo Farrell put the game out of reach for Yeovil. The defeat leaves Yeovil 17th in the table, still eight points above the bottom four.

First half

Billy Rowley named an unchanged lineup from Tuesday night’s win over Tamworth, with youth product Ollie Hughes once again making the bench.

The opening stages of the game saw Yeovil with more of the possession, forcing the visiting Scunthorpe into a series of fouls in the midfield, allowing the Glovers to further assert themselves on the game. Scunthorpe had the first real opportunity to score though, as a good run from Joe Rowley broke through the Yeovil defence, forcing a save from Jed Ward.

Just before the ten minute mark, Yeovil fired back though, as a tantalising cross from Josh Sims was missed by James Daly and Aaron Jarvis – the ball was recovered on the other end of the box by Troy Perrett, and after some pinball in the box, Jarvis couldn’t sneak a backheel past Scunthorpe ‘keeper Lewis Jones.

Another chance followed for Yeovil soon after, as they beat Scunthorpe’s press and attacked down the right hand side once again; Sims got the ball to Dakarai Mafico but his shot ballooned over from all of 30 yards out.

Scunthorpe then forced the Glovers into a mistake, as a mixup between Brett McGavin and Jake Wannell allowed attacker Callum Roberts to pounce; his shot was blocked, almost wrong-footing Jed Ward, but the Bristol Rovers loanee scrambled across his net to recover.

22 minutes in, and a pause in play was called for an “injury” to Danny Whitehall, who seemed to feel that Jed Ward had kneed him in the back as he moved past him following a Scunthorpe chance… after his treatment (and a yellow card to Jed Ward), play got back underway.

Neither side looked to threaten for a spell, with pantomime villain Danny Whitehall earning himself a spot in the referee’s book the only noteworthy moment. A few minutes later, Aaron Jarvis stormed down the left hand side for Yeovil, putting a lovely cross in for James Daly, but the in-form number 11 scooped his shot over the bar.

A few half-chances for Yeovil were the remaining events for the final ten minutes of the first half, but both sides went into half-time goalless. A positive first half performance from the Glovers, who went into the half-time break the better of the two sides.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Scunthorpe United 0

Second half

The Glovers took kickoff for the second half, kicking towards the Thatchers Terrace, and it was in front of the terrace where the first chance of the half came. A patient passage of play allowed Josh Sims to put a good ball in for Aaron Jarvis; his flick on was found by Troy Perrett, but the Cardiff youngster couldn’t control the ball and the move fell apart.

Scunthorpe went down the other end, and following a challenge from Joy Mukena, the Iron won themselves a penalty. Up stepped the pantomime villain, as Danny Whitehall sent Super Jed Ward the wrong way to give the visitors an arguably undeserved lead.

Not long after, the visitors were on the attack again, a stray boot following a shot from Whitehall left Brett McGavin on the floor needing treatment. Scunthorpe continued to push forward following the restart, with two chances being blocked, then sent over the bar.

Yeovil looked to respond, building momentum and introducing a fresh face in the shape of Tahvon Campbell. More chances came and went for Yeovil, with the biggest of the lot coming from a low-driven Ryan Jones cross; it was blocked and sent into the path of Tahvon Campbell, but his shot from five yards was saved by the ‘keeper.

Just before the 70 minute mark, Scunthorpe’s defence was scrambling once again, as another Campbell shot was blocked, forcing a corner, before a raft of subs were introduced, three for the visitors and one for Yeovil.

Soon after, Scunthorpe doubled their lead following a very tidy passage of passing, unlocking the Yeovil defence and leaving recently-introduced Leo Farrell with acres of space and an easy tap-in.

Yeovil huffed and puffed, but aside from a handful of hopeful forays into the opposition third, nothing of any quality was produced. It took until one of the nine (yes, nine) added minutes for Yeovil’s next chance to come, as Harvey Greenslade’s shot hit the side netting.

From the goal kick, Scunthorpe went down the other end and breezed through the Yeovil defence – there were calls for offside, but the flag stayed down as Leo Farrell tucked home his second, and Scunthorpe’s third. The visitors comfortably saw out the remainder of the game, heading home as 3-0 winners.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Scunthorpe United 3

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 7th March, 3:00pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Danny Whitehall 49 (0-1), Leo Farrell 74, 90+4 (0-2, 0-3)

Pitch: Green! Soft and slippery
Conditions: Fresh, mist hanging in the air

Attendance: 3,016 (147 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Jed Ward 23
Scunthorpe United: Danny Whitehall 34

Referee: Callum Walchester

Yeovil Town

Substitutes: Matt Gould, Alex Whittle, Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Brett McGavin, 83), Harvey Greenslade (for Josh Sims, 70), Kyle Ferguson, Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis, 60), Ollie Hughes

Scunthorpe United: Lewis Jones, Branden Horton, Andrew Boyce, Danny Whitehall (for Leo Farrell, 70), Callum Roberts (for Alfie Beestin, 90), Joe Rowley, Zain Tahir (for Tyler Denton, 70), Oli Ewing, Zain Westbrooke, Connor Smith (for Aidan Dausch, 64), Ross Barrows (for Joe Starbuck, 70)

Substitutes (not used): Rory Mahady, Carlton Ubaezuonu

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Yeovil Town secured a hard-earned point against top-of-the-table Rochdale, thanks to a first half equaliser from Finn Cousin-Dawson. The defender’s excellent header cancelled out an Aidan Barlow strike in a frantic first 15 minutes.

The Glovers came out firing in the second half, before Aaron Jarvis was dismissed for a heavy challenge on Kyron Gordon; however the Green and Whites held on for a valuable point against tough opposition.

First half

The Glovers had to rotate thanks to injuries, suspensions and midweek action, as Billy Rowley made three changes ahead of Saturday’s game – Ryan Jones, the suspended Kyle Ferguson and Terrell Works all dropped out of the starting XI in favour of James Daly, Troy Perrett and Tahvon Campbell.
The first action of note came just four minutes in, as a very soft free kick was given against Finn Cousin-Dawson, however it was headed away well by captain Jake Wannell.
Twelve minutes in though, Rochdale took the lead, as an incisive through ball from Mani Dieseruvwe found Aidan BARLOW; the Yeovil defence all called for offside, but the flag stayed down as the Rochdale forward slotted home.
Just three minutes later, Yeovil found themselves level though – a free kick swung in from thirty yards out found the head of Finn COUSIN-DAWSON on the edge of the box – his header looped over the top of young Oliver Whatmuff, and nestled in the back of the net – 1-1 before quarter of an hour, game on!
The Glovers celebrate with Finn Cousin-Dawson.
This spurred the hosts on, with a flurry of activity inside the Rochdale half following, shots from Luke McCormick and Troy Perrett well blocked by the boys in blue. A lull in any meaningful action came, before incisive linkup play between the Cardiff contingency Dakarai Mafico and Troy Perrett almost led to another goal for the Green and Whites.
The rest of the half belonged to Rochdale, as they went from side to side, trying to find a way through the stubborn setup of Yeovil, the only real breakthrough they had was a curled shot whizzing past Jed Ward’s left post from Tarryn Allarakhia.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Rochdale 1

Second half

Before the action got underway, there were substitutions for both sides; Rochdale swapped Liam Hogan and Jake Burger for Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Devante Rodney, while Joy Mukena made way for Wycombe loanee Declan Skura to make his YTFC debut.

Right from the whistle, Yeovil were on the front foot – shots from Luke McCormick and Tahvon Campbell looked to threaten the Rochdale goal, but both were stopped well. James Daly quite literally put his foot through the ball moments later, with the referee halting play for a replacement.

Cries of MA-FI-CO-CO rang out from the Thatchers terrace just after the fifty minute mark, as he intercepted a Rochdale attack on the edge of his own box, then ran almost the length of the pitch, before being halted by Ebanks-Landell. While this didn’t result in a chance for Yeovil, I was so amazed that I had to include it!

A few heart-in-mouth moments followed around the Yeovil goal, with Mafico having a clearance blocked, and a few corners for Rochdale ultimately leading to nothing.

The next flashpoint came just ten minutes after Aaron Jarvis was introduced, and it involved… Aaron Jarvis. The former Torquay forward shoulder barged Kyron Gordon, and received a straight red card for it… down to 10 men, with twenty minutes to go, the Glovers had it all to do.

75 minutes in, and Rochdale had another chance, this time from a corner – the ball swung towards the back of the six yard box, Ethan Ebanks-Landell chested it down but couldn’t keep it under control, another sigh of relief swept across Huish Park.

A shot from distance from Casey Pettit stung the fingers of Jed Ward as he turned the ball past the post for another ‘Dale corner, before another shot a few minutes later cannoned into the visiting crowd. Pettit had another go soon after, but it was sliced wide for another goal kick.

If fingernails hadn’t been shredded enough already, the fourth official raised for six minutes of injury time; Devante Rodney had a free header from about eight yards out but it floated over the bar.

Another Casey Pettit shot was hit from the edge of the box, but Jed Ward dived to his right and caught it expertly as the minutes ticked down into seconds… and FINALLY, the full time whistle blew! Top of the league… you know the rest.

It’s Luke McCormick’s world, we’re just living in it.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Rochdale 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 14th February, 3pm kick-off

Competition: Enterprise National League

Scorers: Aidan Barlow, 12 (0-1); Finn Cousin-Dawson, 15 (1-1)

Pitch: Looking very green considering the rain we’ve had over the last few weeks!

Conditions: Dry and fresh

Attendance: 3,161 (272 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Aaron Jarvis (69 – OFF)
Rochdale: 

Referee: Niall Smith

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

Substitutes: Declan Skura (for Joy Mukena, 45), Aaron Jarvis (for Tahvon Campbell, 59), Harvey Greenslade (for Troy Perrett, 67)

Rochdale: Oliver Whatmuff, Kyron Gordon, Ryan East, Liam Hogan (for Ethan Ebanks-Landell, 45), Tarryn Allarakhia (for Dan Moss, 65), Mani Dieseruvwe (for Ian Henderson, 65), Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Casey Pettit, Aidan Barlow (for Joe Pritchard, 80), Jake Burger (for Devante Rodney, 45), Callum Perry

Substitutes (not used): Bryce Hosannah, Ed Francis

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Yeovil Town progressed into the Fifth Round of the FA Trophy following yet more penalty heroics from Jed Ward, as they won 3-1 on penalties over Southern Premier Division Central side Alvechurch.

The Glovers appeared to be the dominant side in the first half, before a red card for Brett McGavin threatened to derail the Glovers’ hard work. Alvechurch grew into the game but both sides remained level at half-time.

The second half provided even more entertainment, but it remained goalless, with both sides  searching for a winner but unable to find that final bit of quality.

First half

Alvechurch took kickoff, but the first chance of the game came just three minutes into the game, as a good cross from James Daly found the head of Josh Sims; he connected well with the ball, but it landed safely in the arms of opposition ‘keeper Jenson Kilroy.

Moments later, a nice ball from Brett McGavin found Harvey Greenslade on the left wing, he cut past his man with ease before having a shot on goal blocked by Jessy Bavanganga. Positive signs from the Glovers as they looked to stamp their authority on the game early on.

Both sides looked to get themselves comfortable into the game, before a high boot from McGavin earned himself a spot in the referee’s book – Elliott Swallow had used his whistle with liberty within the first ten minutes, awarding the Glovers two soft free kicks, to set the scene for a stop-start affair.

11 minutes in, and it was another chance for Yeovil, as a Brett McGavin free kick floated towards the back of the six yard box; Aaron Jarvis won the header, nodding it towards Greenslade but his header went over the bar.

From the goal kick, Alvechurch enjoyed a rare foray into the Yeovil half, showing what they were capable of, their spell of possession ending with an offside flag against Kieran Wakefield. The Glovers made their way downfield from the free kick, earning a corner which tested the visiting ‘keeper once again via the head of Kyle Ferguson.

An incisive through ball from Obadeyi almost found an Alvechurch striker, but it trickled to Jed Ward who fumbled his collection. Wakefield almost pounced on the opportunity but Ward recovered to parry the shot for a corner.

As 20 minutes came and went, Yeovil had their first clear cut chance of the game as Luke McCormick fed a lovely ball through for Josh Sims, but an excellent recovering run from Bavanganga just about blocked the number 19’s shot on goal.

The Glovers continued to probe, as James Daly came down the right hand side and approached the touchline just inside the box, his cross across goal found the left boot of Luke McCormick but he was off balance, sending the ball out for a goal kick.

24 minutes in, and Brett McGavin stretched for a heavy touch and tackled the number 12 of Will Merrett; the referee felt it was grounds for dismissal, and the former Torquay man left the field shaking his head. The sending off led to Yeovil’s first substitution of the game, as Josh Tobin entered play to fill the gap in the middle of the field, replacing Harvey

Following the restart, Luke McCormick came down the right hand side and laid off a ball for Kyle Ferguson to cross in; the cross found an Alvechurch defender, who cleared back to the Scot and proceeded to receive a high boot from another visiting player inside the penalty box; the referee decided to wave play on…

37 minutes in, Joe Willis received Alvechurch’s first yellow card of the game for a heavy challenge on Josh Tobin; the Yeovil fans wanted more for later challenges committed by the opposition, but just the one yellow was dished out.

Lovely play from Kyle Ferguson and James Daly down the right hand side allowed debutant Dakarai Mafico to surge forwards; the 19 year old burst past three defenders into the box, before floating a cross into the six yard area. The ball was cleared and fell to Josh Tobin on the edge of the box, but his shot flew over the bar.

A strong challenge from Kieran Wakefield on Tobin followed a few minutes later, earning himself a spot in the referee’s notebook and Yeovil a free kick. Before the resulting kick was taken, Alvechurch manager Kyle Storer was also booked, assumedly for his reaction to the booking to his attacker.

The free kick floated towards the back of the box, then ping-ponged around the six yard area but Alvechurch lived to fight another day; the visitors then counter-attacked down the left, switching play to the right but the shot from Obadeyi was tame and easy enough for Jed Ward to stop.

Just as the 45th minute struck, Yeovil had yet another good chance, as Aaron Jarvis played a fantastic ball through for Luke McCormick, but in uncharacteristic fashion, the number 8’s shot whizzed past the post.

Alvechurch had a couple of half chances before Yeovil made their way down the other end for a couple of corners but neither resulted in anything for the Glovers.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Alvechurch 0

Second half

The first chance of the second half fell to Alvechurch, as they won a header at the back post from a corner, but the referee blew for a free kick to Yeovil.

Yeovil continued to grow into the game and show why they were the National League side, stopping any opposition attacks with ease, and Jarvis in particular demonstrated his physicality in an impressive battle with Bavanganga, however no clear cut chances were created.

55 minutes in, and Josh Sims chested down a great ball from the Yeovil defence, coming centrally and working his way to the edge of the box; he was then deemed to have fouled Will Merrett, much to the derision of the Thatchers terrace.

Alvechurch had a good chance from a poor free kick conceded by Jake Wannell, as Tope Obadeyi opted to blast a shot from 25 yards out, his shot stung the palms of Jed Ward and kept the Glovers in the game.

Another flashpoint came just outside the Alvechurch box, as McCormick and Bavanganga both went for a 50/50, and the referee waved it away; Alvechurch went on the counter and drew a foul from James Daly, who ended up in the referee’s notebook.

Following the introduction of Michee Efete, Alvechurch continued to impress and frustrate, but Yeovil made themselves another chance, as McCormick found Mafico in some space on the edge of the box, he cut onto his weaker foot and took the shot but it was deflected and saved by multiple yellow shirts, giving the Glovers a corner.

Yeovil felt they should’ve had a penalty 73 minutes in, as a ball rolled up the body and onto the arm of Josh Dugmore, but the referee didn’t see it and waved play on.

78 minutes on the clock, and Yeovil found themselves frustrated once again, as a great ball from Mafico found Josh Sims, he cut inside and drilled a low shot, but it was well saved by Kilroy, Jarvis collected the rebound but his shot was blocked for a corner.

More subs took place, including the seemingly unplanned introduction of Jacob Maddox for an injured Josh Sims; the former Forest Green man was last seen at Rochdale last January. Both sides looked to go for the win, as chances came at either end without success.

The full time whistle blew, and in familiar circumstances, it’s penalties once again.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Alvechurch 0

Here’s how the penalties went…..

  • Yeovil Town – Tahvon Campbell – SCORED (1-0)
  • Alvechurch – Tope Obadeyi – SAVED by Jed Ward (1-0)
  • Yeovil Town – Luke McCormick – SCORED (2-0)
  • Alvechurch – Joe Willis – SAVED by Jed Ward (2-0)
  • Yeovil Town – Dakarai Mafico – SCORED (3-0)
  • Alvechurch – Szhem Whyte-Hall –  SCORED (3-1)
  • Yeovil Town – Finn Cousin-Dawson – SAVED by Jenson Kilroy (3-1)
  • Alvechurch – Ethan Sephton – SAVED by Jed Ward (3-1)

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 3rd January, 3.00pm kick-off

Competition: Isuzu FA Trophy Fourth Round

Scorers: 

Pitch: Very soft and slippery
Conditions: Fresh… but dry

Attendance: 1,870 (80 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Brett McGavin 8, James Daly 64
Alvechurch: Joe Willis 37, Kieran Wakefield 41

Sendings Off:

Yeovil Town: Brett McGavin ’24

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Yeovil Town (3-4-1-2)

Substitutes: Josh Tobin (for Harvey Greenslade, 26), Michee Efete (for James Daly 68), Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis 81), Jacob Maddox (for Josh Sims 81)

Braintree Town: Jenson Kilroy, Josh Dugmore, Ethan Sephton, Sam Perry, Joe Willis, Jonny Ngandu, Tope Obadeyi, Will Merrett, Callum Sullivan (for Elliott Dugan 82), Kieran Wakefield (for Szhem Whyte-Hall 65), Jessy Bavanganga

Substitutes (not used): Redman Evans, Krystian Pearce, Dieter Schwarm, Nile Timson, Jack Sang

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Green and White Radio’s Tom Bailey was in the stands on Saturday, as Yeovil Town defeated Maidstone United on penalties to progress in the FA Trophy. Here are his conclusions from the victory.

Cup progression at last!

For the first time since the FA Cup journey to Wrexham during the title season in 2023/24, Yeovil Town have progressed in a cup competition!

Fans have been clamouring for a cup run of some kind, and while we have no idea where we may go on this run, it’s giving us all some further hope, and further reason to buy-in to the Rowley regime.

Billy Rowley watches on | Pic by Gary Brown

Substitutions were played to perfection

Okay, maybe not the Michee Efete introduction, as that was clearly unplanned following the injury to Alex Whittle (he still played very well) – but Tahvon Campbell being brought on for a booked Aaron Jarvis, who seemed on a collision course for a red card on Saturday, was the smart call to keep 11 men on the field.

Clearly bringing on Josh Tobin was a great move, given he scored the goal that almost put Yeovil in the hat within 90 minutes, while Andrew Oluwabori gave Maidstone defenders some extra problems to handle on the right hand side.

All in all, Rowley and Simpson read the game well, and responded accordingly; proactive subs to finish the stubborn opposition off is so refreshing to see, long may it continue!

Michee Efete | Pic by Gary Brown

Leo Ramirez-Espain is real… and he’s good!

I think I was among many in raising my eyebrows when I saw Leo Ramirez-Espain’s name in the starting XI for Saturday’s game.

None of us have had any idea on how good (or bad) he may be, considering he’s only made two benches since he joined on loan from Watford in November.

As it turns out, we have another talented midfield option to add to our rotation, as he moved the ball nicely throughout his hour on the field, linking up with McGavin effortlessly.

Knowing we have McGavin, McCormick, Cousin-Dawson, Jolliffe, Tobin and Ramirez-Espain, with Cousin-Dawson as another option if required, is a great sign of the strength in depth we possess in midfield now!

Leo Ramirez-Espain on his debut. Picture courtesy of Tom Bailey.

Penalty shootout? Never in doubt…

Okay, I say this in jest, of course when the final whistle blew, every Yeovil fan naturally feared the worst, considering our recent history with penalties – the Campbell miss at Morecambe, the losses to Taunton and Needham Market to name but a few… and yet, every single player stepped up when it mattered most.

Most plaudits deservedly went to Jed Ward, who made two fantastic stops to give Yeovil the advantage, but all four takers (Brett McGavin, Luke McCormick, Tahvon Campbell and Andrew Oluwabori) deserve their flowers too for their courage to step up, and coolly slot home four spot kicks.

Jed Ward saves | Pic by Gary Brown

Who do we want next?

It’s a great feeling to not dread whatever is next, isn’t it?!

Nearly half of the National League sides have already been knocked out, and I’d fancy us against most opposition with the way things are going thus far with Rowley and co.

With the draw taking place on Monday evening, Yeovil fans will be sat eagerly anticipating whoever is drawn against the Glovers!

Josh Tobin celebrates with the fans | Pic by Gary Brown