Five Conclusions (Page 14)

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That’s that then! As Yeovil Town made it 20 defeats – to surpass their total of draws by one – with a 1-0 defeat at Boreham Wood on the final day of the National League season.

Coatesie was among the 226 supporters in the away end trying desperately to avoid getting sun stroke on the terraces of Meadow Lane, here he desperately tries (and fails) to come up with an original conclusion.

 

Thank God that’s over. My overriding emotion at the final whistle was one of relief. Relief that for at least another three months I will not have to wait for the inevitable “moment we switched off” or hear my fellow supporters shouting “just f***ing shoot” as we enjoy possession and fail to have a meaningful effort on goal. Forget the off-the-pitch stuff (for now, see Conclusion #5), on-the-field this is one of the worst Yeovil Town teams I have seen in a long while and many supporters have told me they feel it is the worst they have ever seen. I’m not knocking the effort of some and the quality of others is undoubtedly there, there’s off-the-field issues which have played a part, but the stats don’t lie – those who have turned out for us this season have failed to deliver too many times. They have a relegation on their playing records now and (by and large) they deserve one.

Story of the season klaxon. It’s right up there with the ‘we know our problem is scoring’ and ‘things happening off the pitch aren’t helping’ in the list of Yeovil Town’s lines which are trotted out in every interview going – this performance was the story of our season. Concede a goal through failing to do the defensive basics, fail to turn up for a 45 minutes (the only question is whether it is the first or the second 45 minutes), and then spend the other 45 minutes dominating possession, huffing and puffing and failing to blow anyone’s house down. I lost count of the amount of times we got the ball, played it around and failed to test Nathan Ashmore in goal for Boreham Wood. When the club’s official Twitter account is talking about one of their own players and “fluffing their lines” to summarise Reo Griffiths’ 68th minute ‘chance’, it tells you everything. Though if it were a player with ‘less back story’ then perhaps the tweet would have been different.

Ollie Haste is some player. Let’s try and inject a positive in to these conclusions, Ollie Haste looks some player. He was obviously highly rated in our Under-18s set up and I seem to remember him looking a bit gangly, but a season on loan at Truro City has done him wonders. Against some very good centre forwards in Tyrone Marsh and Lee Ndlovu, he was brave in the tackle, powerful with his head and looked every inch the one who would throw himself in front of anything-type defender we have needed. I don’t think it’s true to say that him playing more would have changed anything this season, but I hope that we see a lot more of him next season. An honourable mention also to Benjani Junior, who it was great to see come off the bench for his first senior appearance.

Ollie Haste.

Do-do-dooooo, relegation party. Allow me to throw a few statistics at you.

Boreham Wood: 226
Wrexham: 217
Solihull Moors: 176
Aldershot Town: 526
Gateshead: 191
FC Halifax Town: 103

Those are the number of away supporters who attended our last half-a-dozen matches this season. At Meadow Park on Saturday there were inflatables being chucked around, singing, chanting ‘Yeovil til I die’ and even doing The Worm (Hi, Pete!). I’ve said it before and I will say it again, but this club has betrayed the unblinking loyalty of these people in recent years. I just hope they can begin to repay the huge debt they owe them – and soon!

Owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla (blue shirt) was joined on the terraces by Paul Sackey and Sky Andrew.

 

We’ve done our part (again), over to you. Which brings me neatly on to my final conclusion. Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey – accompanied by Reo Griffiths’ agent Sky Andrew – were in the away end until about a minute before the final whistle and telling people to “ask <INSERT NAME OTHER THAN THEIR OWN>” what was going on. Stuart Robins and Martyn Starnes turned up to glad hand people at the final whistle and were quick to say they couldn’t say anything about the cliff edge our club is at. No surprise whatsoever that Scott Priestnall (the biggest villain of this pantomime out of them all) was nowhere to be seen. The players have failed (honourable mentions, as standard) on the pitch, the supporters (see Conclusion #4) have played their part – and now it’s time to deliver. Enough of the ‘there’s something happening we can’t talk about’ and ‘if you only knew about….’, enough of the ‘it will be next week’, do something. In the same way the history books will reflect the failure of this squad this season, it is these people who will be judged by what happens next and history is unkind to losers. We’re judging you on what you do, time’s up – now do something.

Conclusion 5a. I promised him that if I got the chance, I would add in a conclusion which London Green, Mark Green, gives to me every match. That was sh*t. Mark, I could not agree more. Season over.

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Yeovil finished their home campaign with a whimper yesterday, losing 3-0 to Oldham. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

 

It started badly and didn’t get any better. If this was a ‘pressure off, express yourself’ kind of day, it really didn’t feel it. After just 8 minutes a cross into the box found Devarn Green who was given the freedom on the six yard box to give Oldham the lead. Oldham looked organised, drilled and a team that could do something in the National League next season.

We just couldn’t get any attacking rhythm. Passes were either too short, too hard, impossible to control and wildly misplaced. There was no cohesion and it was a performance that was symptomatic of a relegated team that just want the season to finish. There were flashes of play, pockets of neatness but Oldham’s keeper was only really troubled by crosses into the box.

Reo Griffiths. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There won’t be fond memories of this season at Huish Park. In 23 games at home this season, supporters have seen 6 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats and celebrated just 18 goals. Last season wasn’t much better, 7 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats and 20 goals. There was more than 4000 at Huish yesterday, and they weren’t sent away with a great deal to look forward to next season. The manager described relegation as death by a thousand cuts but in the last 108 league matches at home, the town has seen just 36 wins. Now that’s a tough sell…

That will be the last Huish Park sees of some of these players. Given our destination its a safe bet that many if these players won’t be around next season. Grant Smith, the standout player who kept teams at bay for so long this season will surely see his sights higher. Matt Worthington, who despite our dreadful season, has kind of had a breakout season of his own. He won’t be short of suitors in the National League and after his years in green and white who can begrudge him that. Lawson D’Ath’s heartfelt message last night feels like a goodbye. There will be a huge loss of character in the changing room if you take those three out and there will need to be a huge rebuild. That is why…

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Someone needs to grab this club by the scruff of its neck and restore some pride. The owner has control of the destiny of Huish Park, facilitated by SSDC. He’s got what he wanted from before day one and has gone. SU Glovers, after ushering in a new era in March, weren’t at Huish Park yesterday. There has been discontent within the club about how SU have operated since there stewardship was announced more than 50 days ago. When Mark Cooper says it: ‘stirring the pot’. When Josh Staunton says it: ‘what a leader’. There is a universal truth at the club that the takeover has totally derailed the season. It’s difficult to comprehend just how badly the wheels have come off after such positivity. I know there are people still rooting for them and if it goes through everyone will be behind them, as wholesale change is inevitable. Right now though, I don’t see how this deal gets completed. Clearly, there is another plan underway and a search for an alternative trying to preserve the long term future of the club. After the debacle over the last couple of months, it’s difficult to have faith that the right person can be found when time is of the essence. From May, we’ll start paying the landlords for their ‘rescue package’ last Summer but the club feels anything but rescued. Administration is a massive risk but it would bring to light what’s been going on behind the scenes at the club over the past couple of seasons.

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An abject first half followed by a stirring comeback and even two goals to see Yeovil Town take a point from a 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors should be enough to cheer up that miserable curmudgeon Coatesie – right? Well, it kind of did, here’s his conclusions from his day out in the Midlands…..

 

The first half was pathetic: Let’s do this chronologically and start with the biggest negative. Charlie Cooper spoke after the game about playing for personal pride and, on the basis of the performance in the first half, that was completely lacking from every single player in a Yeovil Town shirt. Yes, I know there’s some who are playing with injuries, yes, there are some who really do care, but the way a Solihull side with nothing left to play for carved us apart at will was embarrassing. If any player thinks that type of performance will make them appealing to a club at this level or above, I want some of whatever they’re having. The half-time whistle was met with complete apathy, it was a performance so weak it sucked even the anger out of those who remained on the terrace when it sounded. Those with any sense had departed to the bar long before.

What a difference three subs makes: The arrival of Zanda Siziba and Reo Griffiths changed the game. From the first minute of the second half, Siziba was a constant menace down the left side and, though he was not so in the thick of it, Griffiths’ quality inside the box created both goals. With the two of them on the pitch, we looked a different side. None of us know what exactly has (and has not) gone on with them and the manager and some of their team-mates have not exactly hidden their distaste for it, but they brought exactly what we were crying out for over those crucial fixtures against Gateshead, Aldershot and Dorking. If they’d been given the chance, would it have made a difference? Truth is we will never know, but given how well what we tried worked, I will say it seems a mistake not to have even given it a go.

Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba applaud supporters after the match.

It had to be those two, didn’t it? Whilst I was delighted with the performances from both Siziba and Griffith, their performances gave the petty, childlish side show which continues to play out an opportunity to raise its head again. It’s obvious to everyone these two players were recruited by the owners-in-waiting and even if he’s kept his promise to stay off Twitter so far, Matt Uggla could not resist posting on his Instagram. And, yes Wattsy, you did call it on the last podcast – keep your eyes on Vinted and Strava, folks! I don’t know what’s gone on, but I hate the fact the thousands of good people who support and work for this football club they love are being treated with such contempt by people who claim they love it as well. And, yes, I mean Matt Uggla. Yes, I mean Mark Cooper who can’t resist a petty comment. And, yes, I mean everyone involved in the embarrassing sh*tshow which our club has descended in to. You know who you are and you should be utterly ashamed of what you have ‘achieved’ with your antics. Will you be ashamed? I have my doubts, why not prove me wrong?

I can’t wait for it to be over. Tuesday night at Wrexham will (barring some kind of miracle) see our relegation confirmed and what a strange situation it will be for it to happen whilst our opponents put a foot in to the Football League. The optimist in me (believe it or not, there is one) says that we have to look to the Welsh side to see what can be possible with investment and people with a genuine plan (yes, spending millions of pounds does count as ‘a plan’) can achieve. Let’s not forget (as if we could be allowed to forget) that the ‘fairytale’ in the Hollywood hills of North Wales follows decades of mismanagement, more than a brush with extinction and plenty of suffering for their supporters. Do I sound bitter? Probably because I am. Whilst I do detest how it’s come about and the fairytale fantasy, I am also deeply jealous of what those in the home end at the Racecourse Ground have. We had something like that once and we could have it again…….couldn’t we?

I did enjoy myself. If you have got to this stage of this hissy fit, then kudos to you for that. I feel I owe it to our last conclude-r, Marcus Duncomb, to try and end on a positive because I did enjoy (the second half) of this game. We were all any Yeovil Town supporter wants us to be – committed, attacking, fearless and playing with some pride. We scored a good first goal and an absolutely sumptuous second – a lot to be said for just leathering it, eh? Hats off to Owen Bevan for that strike. Yes, it was too little too late as I’ve said, but I did enjoy it.

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In keeping with the entire season (and probably the one before), rock bottom fell even lower for Yeovil Town with defeat at home to Dorking Wanderers putting another nail in the coffin of their National League status.

Marcus Duncomb was on co-commentary duties for BBC Radio Somerset at Huish Park on Easter Monday and here are his conclusions on what he saw….

Everything about that game summed what’s been wrong with us this season. We played some nice football, had more of the ball and were trying to do the right thing. But as soon as we got anywhere near the final third there was no-one in there making a lung-busting run or screaming for the ball. It’s as if we have no idea what to do when we get near the opposition goal. Then Chiori Johnson decided to get sent off by making a stupid and needless decision which ultimately doomed us. Self-capitulation seems to be a theme in Yeovil’s recent history. Finally Dorking rubbed salt into the wounds to win the game, showing us just what we were missing. A decent pot-shot from range was parried and first to react was Jason Prior who showed predatory striker’s instinct. Just what we’ve been missing. He was signed in February and has scored six in 11 to rocket Dorking towards safety…

We’re not achieving by unity and ultimately that has relegated us. Managers, players, owners and directors all come and go but they all occasionally manage to mention the club’s motto of ‘Achieve by Unity’. Never has it been so far from the truth. Alex Fisher hobbled out just before kick off to give a heartwarming message of thanks to the Huish Park faithful and he ended his speech with the club motto which roused the crowd. The match and the aftermath showed how little that phrase is being followed though. The problem isn’t wholly that we didn’t sign striker X who could have saved us (although it definitely could have helped). It’s that we’re in a farcical situation where our manager is telling fans through interviews that he plainly doesn’t agree with how the club has been run in the past few months. And then our not-yet-but-probably-soon-to-be owner bites back with a Twitter rampage (which later got deleted, but we’ve all got the screenshots), listing half the players in the National League and whose idea it was not to sign them or sign them. This petty civil war has completely derailed our season and once again Yeovil Town has been the master of its own downfall. We’re the laughing stock for rival fans and I don’t know how any player would want to be at this club in its current state. We may be a full-time club but we’re certainly not professional in any way.

If there was any hope, it is gone. I know we’ve been saying that every result since the Southend home defeat has doomed us, but this really does feel like the final nail in the coffin. I don’t know how I had any hope after the Gateshead mauling – but looking at the table it wasn’t impossible. Torquay, Gateshead and Dorking have shown that, no matter how down and out you look, you just need to pull together a string of three or four wins and it completely saves your season. That’s all it takes. Unfortunately for Yeovil fans, we have seen absolutely nothing to show that we can go on a run of victories. We’ve won one game in 16 and haven’t had back-to-back victories since Darren Sarll. The squad look completely dejected and disjointed and sadly it would be better for everyone’s sake for our inevitable fate to be sealed sooner rather than cruelly dragging it out like this.

This squad is a complete mish mash. It’s similar to the previous point but as I watched us limp to defeat against Dorking Wanderers, you could see a complete mix of players. You had three from the Darren Sarll era in Smith, Worthington and Staunton, who all happen to be our three top performers this season. There were four carrying on from Chris Hargreaves’ short and, let’s be honest, forgettable 17 games at the helm – Johnson, Reckord, Bevan and Linton. C. Cooper and Maguire-Drew were from Cooper’s early recruitment and then Pollock and Freckleton as the two from Uggla’s recruitment. Thanks to Matt’s handy Twitter thread, we know exactly which players were whose signings! There are four different people, all with completely different ideas, beliefs and styles who have assembled this squad. It’s no wonder it looks so disjointed on the pitch and that there’s an unsettled dressing room. When our club captain says it’s ridiculous that we’ve used so many players in a season, you know something has gone wrong. Yes, part of this is down to summer recruitment being off and ultimately failing, but the lack of alignment since then has not helped.

Alex Fisher is the nicest man in football. I had to try and find one positive, and believe me it wasn’t easy. But the Fish coming out beforehand really did lift the spirits of a nervy Huish Park before kick off. This was something entirely of his own accord and to be quite honest I’m really not sure he was in any fit state to be parading around the pitch. However, he did it because he cares and that’s been a lot of what’s been missing this season. Our number nine has come under a lot of stick this season, and much of it unnecessarily in my opinion. It’s not his fault that he’s been burdened with the pressure of scoring the goals to fire us to safety when he’s never really been that type of striker. He’s scored more goals this season than he had in his past three seasons combined. Whatever happens to us next season, Fisher is someone that you want around the club even if he’s injured until the new year. Thanks for caring, Alex.

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At 4.45am on Wednesday morning, a supporters’ club coach pulled in to Huish Park filled with 50-odd of the Yeovil Town supporters who were part of a travelling contingent of 141 at Tuesday night’s 4-0 defeat at Gateshead, a warped trick of the fixture machine that they had to do that midweek.

Here’s the morning after the night before thoughts of Dave, who made it back to his (northern) home at 1.30am, on what he saw from the other side of the athletics track….

That’s it then. We’re down. “We’ve been to Elland Road and Bramall Lane, Coventry away……now we’re off to Taunton, Taunton awaaaaaay…….Taunton awaaaay!” echoed (to the tune of Rotterdam by The Beautiful South) from away end at the International Athletics Stadium in the second half. A bit of humour in response to what we were seeing unfold in front of us. If I have seen a worse Yeovil Town performance than that (and I remember the last time we played in regional football) then I cannot recall it. That was a team* without commitment (sorry, Mark, you might not be able to question it but after that you must be blind), without quality or at least not showing it, and without any pride to play for the badge or themselves. It’s National League South next season, I just don’t see how it is anything but. Please just put us out of our misery now.
*- as ever, Josh Staunton and Grant Smith came out of it with some credit.

Even the defence has lost it. The blunt attack has been there all season, heck it was there last season as well. It doesn’t even count as a conclusion to say that we’re rubbish at scoring goals – but the defence was the one thing we had to hang on to. Just watch the goals that Gateshead scored on Tuesday night and tell me if you have seen worse defending? Owen Bevan (who I still believe has a very bright future ahead of him) was targeted and turned inside out playing at right back (I mean, he’s not a right back) but Gateshead were literally taking the mick by the end of it. Playing little one-twos inside the box whilst we floundered around trying to stop them.

Can it get any worse if Cooper goes? Mark Cooper looked like a beaten man after that. I get he’s not a particularly smiley guy when the cameras roll, that he feels he’s been let down by the wrong recruitment and (even if he won’t say it himself) by many of his players. It’s hard to argue with ‘if we had a decent striker, we’d not be in this mess’ argument and that comes down to recruitment which he obviously feels it is not of his doing. But, can it get any worse if he was to be given his P45 today? We have been poor all season (just look at the results) but now we have a team and a management utterly demoralised. Chris Todd stayed after Chris Hargreaves left and looked to be the only one trying to direct proceedings on the touchline at Gateshead – why not put him in charge for the rest of the season? Honestly, can it get any worse?

If you claim you love this club – show it! Our absent owner Scott Priestnall told us he was a fan, Matt Uggla speaks with passion about how he’s fallen in love with the club – but whatever glacially slow process is holding up the transfer of power from one to the other is killing the thing they both claim to love. There’s blame everywhere for that – with those two, the owners prior to them, South Somerset District Council, players, managers, directors, you name it. But the time for pointing fingers and saying “it’s their fault” has passed. Supporters will (barring a miracle) be watching regional football next season, there’s staff at Huish Park (on and off the pitch) who will be wondering where their futures lie next season and a very public civil war breaking out all over the place. It’s time for people to grow up, put their differences aside and show their allegiance to the only thing we all care about – Yeovil Town Football Club.

Spare a thought for JG-W. In a few weeks time we will mark the 20th anniversary of the club’s promotion to the Football League. It took 108 years to get there and now things have never felt bleaker. I thought back the other day to Jon Goddard-Watts, the founder of Screwfix Direct whose generosity created all of that. He invested to take us from part-time to full-time football, he invested to get us in to the Football League – he had no desire for minor celebrity status in fact I am not even sure how in to football he was. He wanted to do a good thing for the community which had served his business and when he resigned from the board in 2005, he wrote off a £1m loan to the club. I imagine he’d roll in his grave to see what those who followed him have allowed to happen.

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Yeovil Town suffered a damaging defeat at the hands of Southend United on the telly last night and find themselves in huge trouble in the relegation battle in the National League. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions (although there could have been more!) from Huish Park…

It couldn’t have gone much worse. A devastating injury to Alex Fisher will inevitably see him out of action for a long time. It was horrible to see the reaction of players and supporters in the immediate aftermath of the incident and I hope he makes a strong recovery. Miguel Freckleton picked up a red card, albeit a harsh one, which put to bed any hope of a comeback. It feels like a damaging defeat mentally as much as anything. Social media is sapped of belief, Huish Park was sapped of belief and rebuilding that belief will not be easy.

I thought we started well. We came out quickly and Scott Pollock should have put us ahead in the first five minutes. If he scores there it totally changes the complexion of the evening. As it was, Southend handled pressure and as we’ve seen so many times this season, they kept our attackers at arms length. Jake Hyde took the Shrimpers first chance when it came to them and once they were ahead it Southend could be confident that they were heading back to Essex with three points. So many times this season we’ve talked about how we’ve played well in spells, or for a half, but rarely for the full 90 minutes. Is it any wonder that we are where we are?

Scott Pollock in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

How we miss Matt Worthington. The yellow card at Halifax looks absolutely pivotal now. We tried Freckleton in there last week and it didn’t work and yesterday with Pollock in there it didn’t work either. Pollock is still finding match fitness and it showed. The energy Worthy gives us in midfield is irreplaceable. Charlie Cooper tried to take on some of that role but it’s clear how much Worthington’s energy is missed in the team. 

We never looked like scoring, whereas Southend had two chances and took them both. [Insert story of the season line]. We look a better team with Jordan Young in the side but we could have been there until next week and Southend’s keeper would have claimed everything comfortably. The injury to Fisher scuppered our plans to change anything. The tactical response was to bring on Max Hunt, which I understand. Knock it long and bring others into it, but no one got near him and we struggled to get the ball to him in good areas. Malachi Linton came on after but there was no pattern to rhythm to our attacking play for him to make a difference. The script was written for Rhys Murphy to settle matters with a typical poachers effort on his return.

I don’t know how we get out of this. It’s hard not to be defeatist in this position were in, so I apologise for that. The next three matches are huge and right now it feels an impossibility that we come away with anything from Gateshead, Aldershot or Dorking. The inquest of this season will come (probably on this website) but my overriding feeling yesterday was that we’re facing the abyss. Conspicuous by their absences yesterday were the players we’ve signed to get us out of this predicament, it’s clear they are either unfit or not good enough. When the time came to make signings that could help us, we’ve got it absolutely wrong. Mark Cooper cut a dejected figure yesterday after the match and I’m not sure even he can save us.

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In what might have been one of the worst footballing spectacles the National League has ever seen, FC Halifax Town and Yeovil Town played out a 1-1 draw at The Shay on Saturday.

Gloverscast Ben was on co-commentary duty for BBC Somerset in the press box and explores the reasons for this, of which plenty were out of Yeovil’s (or anyone’s) control for that matter.

A point on the road should be taken as a good thing on the whole.

I’ll get to the game itself in a moment, but I think it’s worth noting that we are at the stage of the season where we can’t really worry too much about style of play, or level of performance, but it’s now about getting as close to 50 points as possible.

As mentioned on previous podcasts, ten 1-1 draws between now and the end of the season might be enough. Although you’d rather get it wrapped up far sooner.

After the game Yeovil manager Mark Cooper told of his pride in the squad for coming back from 1-0 down and for putting their bodies on the line.

I’ve slept on it (Rule 2) and with some of the teams below us in the table dropping points – Torquay and Gateshead drawing and Dorking losing – it goes down as a ‘good away point’.

Now to the match… well, actually no, to the pitch now.

Manager Mark Cooper leads the applause for the away supporters at the end of the game.

The Shay stadium pitch was an utter disgrace.

Yes, I know it was the same for both teams, but I have to include something on the sandy surface.

I got the chance to stand on a little bit after the game, it was exactly like running across the beach when the tide had just gone out.

It was tough to get any grip if moving at speed, but in tight areas it was sticky and sludgy enough to get your foot stuck in it.

It was basically like playing on a non-Newtonian liquid. (Ask your science teachers, kids).

There’s no doubt in my mind it prevented any kind of a football match from breaking out and could well have contributed to one – or maybe both – of the serious injuries suffered by Lawson D’Ath and Edwin Agbaje.

Lawson D’Ath is lifted to his feet after suffering a hamstring strain.

Speaking of which, I’ve heard rumours that if you win the Golden Gamble next week, the prize has been changed from cash to a place on the bench for the second half. Bring your boots if you’re coming to the game on Saturday.

Edwin Agbaje looks set to be out for a considerable amount of time, Lawson D’Ath broke our hearts again by pulling up chasing to correct an error by Ryan Law, and Matt Worthington is out for two games after a tenth yellow card of the season after ‘taking one for the team’.

Goal-scorer Malachi Linton looked more like Malachi LIMPton as he came out of the tunnel to chat after and Charlie Cooper and Josh Staunton are bandaged up enough to represent an ancient Egyptian artefact.

Alex Fisher and Jordan Maguire-Dre both looked to be nursing something or other as well.

It’s a big week in the physio room as we patch a few bodies up and get them ready.

If Agbaje is out for a while, it would make sense to try and replace that loan spot, but my word do we need some bodies.

I still haven’t mentioned the football have I?

Let’s talk playing out from the back.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

I love the commitment to the cause, it’s clearly something Mark Cooper wants to see and maybe the personnel we have doesn’t suit long goal kicks, but oooof does it make me nervous.

The best keeper in the league, two centre backs in Josh Staunton and Owen Bevan you’d hang your hat on more often than not, but with the margins so fine and meaning so much, the risk-reward balance is right on the line and at times it was inviting more pressure than it drew on us.

Finally then. What happens now? A week off, but only for the players. 

Well, the assumption is that we need to bolster the ranks (see Matt Uggla’s tweets from Saturday night – here), which is far easier said than done, we’re already oversubscribed on loans but may need to roll that particular dice again.

We appear to have already earmarked targets for the summer (what is this forward thinking… and why do I like it?) but the suggestion is we might be in a position to move a bit earlier for those, which would be helpful.

Do we need to think about recalling some loans? We have two players in Will Dawes and Ollie Hulbert playing reasonably well in the division below, we have Ollie Haste, who is incredibly highly thought of, who can play as a back up to the left side.

But more than that, we have two home games in a row, the first of which falling on Non League Day. Is there time to try and do something to entice Bristol City fans, Southampton fans… any fans of Premier League/Championship clubs to spend their international break at Huish Park?

I’ve seen some clubs offer any season ticket holder of a Premier League or EFL side a £10 ticket, or similar, but having a bouncing Huish Park will only help the lads get through 90 more minutes against a very good team.

Nine more cup finals to go…

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Only one of the Gloverscast trio got eyes on the 2-1 defeat to Barnet.

Gloverscast Ben watched on the stream as Yeovil lost at the Hive and had to do so in silence as to not wake the youngest mini Barrett, here’s how he saw (but not heard) the game… he’s off to source some headphones.

Physically, it was a game too far.

The previous two results against Eastleigh and Chesterfield have been positive, four points from play-off contenders, who have gone on to put in good performances since.

Let’s not underestimate how good those outcomes were, but this one felt like we’d spent a lot of energy and had very little left.

The team news suggested as much, the slow nature of our counter attacks confirmed it.

We’re clearly nursing a few players through some games.

I’m not going to fault effort, but you are left wondering if we’re paying the price for having no physio for as long as we did.

That being said, we did have moments, but…

If you’re going to only get a few chances, you simply have to take them.

It’s perfectly acceptable to soak up pressure away at good sides, it’s fine to try and get a stereotypically away performance and try and scrap a 1-0 win and call it a day.

But, we did make chances, and I’d argue we could have made more of them.

Ryan Law had a first half header, we had moments on the edge of the box where shots were snatched at rather than placed or forcefully put into the far corner, we made some silly decisions at times which were counter productive in the final third and we had more than one cross or melee in the box crying out for someone to take the moment by the scruff of the neck.

Let’s starting chucking our bodies in the line of crosses, be a bit ugly in attack, be forceful… be a bit nasty up top.

Malachi Linton fires in a shot. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

If in doubt… keep it simple.

I’ve really enjoyed the freedom Mark Cooper has brought to this side, we’ve added play makers, we’ve given midfielders licences to play and try and get involved.

We’ve got a defence, who for the most part, have been solid and want to get involved, but sometimes, we need to keep things a bit simple in tight, important games.

Ryan Law lost the ball twice trying a little pirouette in midfield, we played ourselves into trouble at the back when a pass to or from the keeper got a bit close for comfort and finally, the second goal came from Owen Bevan trying to morph into peak Rio Ferdinand and take the ball out from the back.

Owen, you’re good, very good and I think you’re destined for the top, but just launch that one please.

Maybe, we’re not just feeling the effects physically (see point 1) but also, mentally.

It’s a fine balance and quite how Mark Cooper finds that level of releasing the handbrake, but also keeping things simple is how he’ll earn his corn over these final 10 or so games.

The game changed with the addition of Nicke Kabamba, I mean, of course it did.

He got his 18th league goal of the season when pouncing on Bevan’s mistake and it goes to show exactly what we have been missing.

That depth in quality just hasn’t been there, bringing on Reo Griffiths was a nice little addition, but how Mark Cooper would have liked to have turned around to see a Charlie Wakefield or Scottt Pollock to try something a little different or add a little star quality.

Matt Worthington ran himself into the ground (again), there’s no way he can be fully fit all the time – he’s only one yellow card from a two match ban, with an England call up to squeeze in next midweek too, you can see why M Cooper wanted to keep C Cooper out of the firing line for as a long as possible. This side is going to be squeezed for every sinue before the season is up.

Charlie Wakefield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

and finally, The season may hang on those all important games against Gateshead and Dorking.

There was a point last night where we were one goal away from being in 17th, leaping above York and Aldershot and putting seven(!) points between ourselves and the drop zone, we are instead wondering about Gateshead’s games in hand and if they’ll start catching us up.

Fine margins don’t just decide games, they decide entire campaigns.

Scunthorpe and York both came unstuck on Tuesday night, it’s impossible not to look at other results as we play, but after a run against three play off contenders we face the teams currently in 16th, 17th, 20th and 21st before the season is out… they will define our season.

 

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Huish Park was rocking last night as Yeovil Town picked up a crucial win in the battle to stay in the National League. Here are Ian’s conclusions from the 1-0 victory over Eastleigh.

A great leap (definitely not a push, ref!) by Matt Worthington for the opener.

The atmosphere at Huish Park was incredible last night. I can’t remember a night like that in a long long time. More than 2900 were at Huish Park last night, an increase of 700ish (minus the Eastleigh travelling supporters) versus last Tuesday. The reduced ticket offer brought people back and helped create an electric atmosphere. The crowd were vocal from the off, and in the second half they roared Mark Cooper’s side home. The celebrations at the end we reminiscent of the old days – I could get used to this feeling. 

We played for the whole game. It was a night where the Yeovil players put in a performance across the pitch for the whole 90 minutes. Cooper’s side were patient when they had to be, and forced the issue when the opportunity arose. Play off hopefuls Eastleigh, who were unbeaten in seven, could not have begrudged going in 2-0 down at half time. Jordan Young came inches away from heading in and fingertips and the post kept Jordan Maguire-Drew from scoring a cracker. With 45 minutes towards the raucous Thatchers Stand, Yeovil got their goal, could have got more and lifted the gloom after the recent run of results.

Jordan Stevens. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The Jordans are stepping up. With no shortage of Jordans in the squad and all three starting last night, they all put in a performance of quality. Jordan Young continues to improve. He held the ball up well, was direct with his running and is getting closer to finding that all-important goal. Maguire-Drew looked the classy player who made things happen over Christmas. He threaded passes, got shots away and with 60 minutes in the tank, looks to be rebuilding fitness. And, our new signing Jordan Stevens, looked a totally different player from the one against Woking. Comfortable running with the ball and rapid when hunting down opponents, he looks like to be a real coup for the club.

The system suited the players. Look, I’ve been very clear I don’t like three at the back. I’m open to it working eventually, but we’ve not been able to get a consistent tune this group all season. So when I saw our defensive unit warming up as a four, there was a bit of relief on my part. It worked as well. It was a pretty fluid front five, with Stevens, JMD, Worthington, Young and Law making forward runs and getting into the final third. A shout out for Charlie Cooper, who’s discipline in centre midfield is so crucial to allow his teammates to get forward. Matt Worthington, who had one of his worst games on Saturday, was immeasurably improved and leapt highest to score the winner after a great run into the box.

We need to stay grounded. There’s been so much happen in the last week. After the turbulence of the last regime, we’re all understandably excited. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves after this win. The teams around us good results last night, and we needed to keep up. We’re three points ahead of the relegation zone, but we’ve got some tough away matches coming against Chesterfield, Barnet and Halifax. We’re not out of this battle yet, but with new ownership in the door (although the deal isn’t quite complete) we can be more hopeful of staying in the league than we were over a week ago.

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On the day when Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey were officially presented to supporters, our former manager returned to burst the bubble at Huish Park. Here’s Ian’s conclusions from our 1-0 defeat by Woking.

It was a familiar story up front. Woking’s centre back pairing of Cuthbert and McNerney dominated Alex Fisher and Jordan Young in the first half. While Young is still adapting to this level, I felt Fisher should have been more prepared for a physical battle and he really struggled against Woking’s duo. While both strikers improved in the second half and Young should have equalised when he was one-on-one with Jaaskelainen. We’ve been saying it since the start of 2021/22, but we need to find a solution in the final third. Jordan Stevens showed glimpses, our wingbacks struggled to get any joy in attacking areas and Matt Worthington struggled to get on the ball to make things happen.

Jordan Young heads at goal. Image courtesy of Mike Kunz

Woking’s goal was a sloppy one. The other trend in recent weeks is the conceding of soft goals and Woking’s ticked that box. A good cross into the box from Edwin Agbaje was met by the head of Jordan Young, who could only head it at Jaaskelainen. Thirty seconds later, the ball was in the back of Grant Smith’s net. Woking pushed forward and when the ball reached Owen Bevan at an awkward height, he couldn’t head it, knee it or kick it and the ball was bundled to Lofthouse who smashed it in. While goals are obviously the big concern in the attacking third, the issue isn’t going away in the defensive third.

Darren Sarll.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

We got Darren Sarlled. Woking’s goal came after a golden opportunity for Jordan Young and once the Cards were ahead we saw a familiar pattern emerge. Yeovil returned from the break with momentum and put the pressure on Woking for the first 10 minutes, until our opponents got to grips with the situation and became masters of disruption. Players went down needing treatment innocuously, took forever to collect the ball for set pieces and goal kicks and showed their penchant for the dark arts – all facilitated by a referee who took no control of the time-wasting tactics. Yeovil just couldn’t get any rhythm in the second half and Woking saw the game out.

We need to start playing for the full game. Yesterday really was a rinse and repeat of our season. We struggled in the first half and then started playing after the break, until we got Sarlled. Mark Cooper referenced it post-match, our inability to play towards the away end. It’s a growing pattern that we only play towards the Thatchers. It has to be a mentality thing, as we’ve had plenty of teams over the years who’ve been able to score at either end. Of our 13 remaining fixtures, we’ve only got five more at home to make Huish Park a fortress and keep this team above the line.

Matt Uggla, left, and Paul Sackey, right, meet with some guy who we assume is part of their group! Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

A cloud has lifted at Huish Park. Despite the result, there was a feeling of relief at Huish Park with the presentation of Paul Sackey and Matt Uggla of SU Glovers before kick-off. There’s a lot of work to do, on the pitch and off of it, but it feels like we’ve got something we can get behind. Our new custodians introduced themselves to supporters, signed autographs, took photos, and mingled after the match too. Plenty returned to Huish Park yesterday for the first time in a long time and I’m sure more will come. While the result wasn’t what we might have scripted, it finally feels like we’ve got an ownership group who are genuinely invested in the future of our club.