Five Conclusions (Page 19)

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Yeovil whimpered out of the FA Trophy at the hands of Needham Market yesterday. I soaked it all in and fortuitously managed to condense it in five conclusions.

Well, that wasn’t very good was it? It goes without saying that losing to a team in the Southern League Premier Division is unacceptable for Yeovil Town Football Club. The game should not have reached a penalty shootout and we should have had enough about us to put them away. But, as everyone knows and Darren Sarll said, on the day it’s 11 men vs 11 men and Needham Market’s 11 men earned victory. Too many players performed far below the level expected and we were the ‘giants’ that were killed on this occasion.

It’s blindingly obvious but we’re horribly out of form. We’ve gone through this pattern before. A good run of form followed by a rough patch of form. We need to get out of this patch sooner rather than later if we’re going to keep within touching distance of the play offs. How we get it back, who knows? Darren Sarll didn’t seem hopeful of any additions any time soon, which we obviously need. Once again, we’re round to talking correlation between what happens off the pitch and how important it is to what happens on it. We’ve gone from nine subs to four in seven days and the manager needs reinforcements.

Oh, Reuben. This wasn’t a performance of the rejuvenated Reuben Reid we’ve been anticipating. This match was Reid’s return to Yeovil in a nutshell. Loose touches, misplaced passes, a lot effort but a lack of quality. His penalty was disappointing and summed up his afternoon. This isn’t the Reid who was training almost immediately after the 2020/21 season finished. This is an experienced pro, at the latter stages of his career recovering from a serious hamstring injury having to start from square one again and get himself match fit in a side which is on a bad run. And instead of being able to be eased back into it, we’re reliant on him to come back into the team and drag us out of a mess.

There was a feeling of deflation around Huish Park. Perhaps it was the contrast of 8,000 last Saturday versus 1600 yesterday, but the rumours circulating before kick-off about Terry Skiverton’s departure (coupled with his notable absence during the warm up) certainly took the wind out of my sails. To lose a legend like Skivo in the middle of the season, without a proper send off is really sad. It’s not how I thought it would happen and I daresay it’s probably not how he thought it would happen. His departure is sad for supporters and also the players he works with on a daily basis and the staff he’s worked with since joining Yeovil in 1998.

Darren Sarll cut a frustrated figure. It felt like Darren was on the cusp of saying what he really felt about the situation after the match yesterday. That’s not to say he doesn’t normally, he clearly does. But, what must have been a highly emotional week for him has ended in, probably, his worst defeat as Yeovil manager. He’s lost his assistant (and friend), he’s lost his captain to injury and the team he’s worked miracles with so far appear to be in a rut. Next weekend we welcome Wrexham to town which will undoubtedly demonstrate the gulf in resource, but we did ‘em last time didn’t we?!

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It was another defeat for Yeovil Town on Tuesday night as we went down to our fourth loss in a row at Southend United.

Here one-time Gloverscast quiz champion and Glovers’ supporter Ed Turnbull was among the 80 hardy souls in the North Stand at Roots Hall, and here are his five conclusions:

Unfortunately, the most obvious takeaway is the performance level was substantially lower (at least for the first hour) than what we were treated to during our stunning 12-match unbeaten run. The first half in particular, we had very little fluidity in attack and invited Southend onto us, struggling to get anything resembling a foothold in the game. To make matters worse, our defence seemed nowhere near as solid as the backline that stood firm to bombardments from the likes of Solihull, Bromley and Wrexham in previous away games this season – Southend could easily have scored more than two. Various wise heads including Darren Sarll and Ian Perkins have referred to the team looking tired of late, and this was further proof. Mind you, it must be said that Southend seemed a lot better than a team that has spent most of the season battling it out with W*ymuff for 20th place.

Joe Quigley battles for the ball.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Things improved significantly with the introduction of Joe Quigley and Reuben Reid (if you ignore for a second the fact Southend made it 2-0 right after they came on!). Adi Yussuf very rarely, if ever, got the ball to stick to him, and nobody was surprised when the fourth official’s board went up with a red 23 next to a green 10. I think getting the ball under control back-to-goal isn’t one of Quigley’s strengths either, but he’s negated that possible weakness by instead looking to win flick-ons for team-mates to run onto (take his assist for Yussuf’s goal against Eastleigh as a perfect example). Last night I was very impressed how he seemed to win every header against big centre-halfs, and it gave us (often Reuben Reid to be precise) a platform to work off, that saw us become a lot more threatening and gave us a fighting chance of getting something from the game. Quigley was also unlucky not to score himself when he did brilliantly to make space for a shot, which was excellently saved. I’ll be picking Joe ahead of Adi in my next FanHub line-up predictions in the future, for sure (unless Quigley get’s injured, I suppose). 

Luke Wilkinson. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Ordinarily, you’d probably say that the phase of play which ended with us scoring our only goal was the best 15 seconds of the match from a Yeovil point of view. But on this occasion I would argue it was the worst, and that’s because Luke Wilkinson went down innocuously immediately before we scored. I didn’t see whose shot it was from the edge of the box (sounds as though it was Wakefield’s) that wasn’t gathered by Southend keeper Steve Arnold, and Reid nudging in the rebound was only in my peripheral vision, because I was more focused on our captain clutching his leg in obviously severe discomfort. If you look at our record in National League games this season, I make it now W7 D1 L2 when Wilkinson has played the whole match, compared to W2 D3 L6 when he hasn’t – I think that’s enough said about how big a miss he’ll be. If anything, I was relieved to hear Sarll’s prognosis of “a good six weeks“, because I feared it could have been even worse.

Rhys Murphy did not get a welcoming reception from the Yeovil fans, it’s fair to say. Perhaps it’s understandable after his absence at the end of last season which did leave a sour taste in the mouth. Murphy later stated this was “due to some personal issues“, and given we’ll probably never know what he meant by that, one could argue he should be given the benefit of the doubt. Personally, I’d rather remember Rhys for his incredible return of 34 goals in 65 games, and for memories such as Torquay away (the 2-0, not the 6-1, if that wasn’t clear). The bloke literally scored a hattrick against W*ymuff, after all! He certainly showed enough quality last night to remind us what we’re missing.

Lastly, and most importantly, I think it should go without saying we need to stick by these players. Yes, it’s four defeats in a row, but it’s also four defeats in our last 16. I fully agree with Darren Sarll when he says this young group needs to be positively supported rather than have fans on their backs if we want them to perform to the really high bar they’ve set in November and December as frequently as possible. These players seriously care about Yeovil Town FC, and that was shown again last night in the way we kept trying our socks off for an equaliser despite being visibly shattered and ending the game with 10 men after Wilkinson went off. On another day, the ref might not have penalised Max Hunt for a hand ball, Reid’s goal would have been an equaliser rather than a consolation, and the lads would have secured a heroic comeback for which we’d be singing their praises.

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It wasn’t quite a magic night at Huish Park, but there is always something about Yeovil Town in the FA Cup. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from the 3-1 defeat.

It was fantastic to see a crowd. Not since Manchester United’s visit in 2018 have we had such a turnout. Despite Bournemouth not being a ‘superclub’, Huish Park was packed and full of anticipation of more FA Cup history. While the result wasn’t what we’d have wanted, seeing supporters in their volume to watch the match was a pleasant remind of what Yeovil Town FC can be on its day. Let’s just hope the mud bath surround the stadium didn’t put people off attending less glamourous matches in the future.

Bournemouth’s quality was clear to see. But for the keeper’s mishap, we didn’t cause them any major issues. Their technical prowess allowed them to totally control the game and keep us at arm’s length. Emiliano Marcondes was everywhere for the Cherries and he earned his hattrick with his clever runs and positioning. Jamal Lowe showed what a talent he is with his dizzying runs and electric pace. We performed admirably, but Bournemouth showed why they are three points clear at the top of the Championship.

Max Evans should have got his chance. Dillon Barnes has had two disappointing performances in his loan spell for us. The corner at Torquay was bad and I felt he had another poor game in the FA Cup. He pushed the ball back into the middle of the goal for Bournemouth’s third goal and he seemed to struggle with crosses and corners again. There’s a lesson to be learned for Grant Smith, don’t mouth off at officials again. He’s missed two big games for Yeovil and we’ve really suffered for it. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I think giving Max Evans an opportunity in these two games would have been a good thing. It couldn’t have gone much worse.

We looked tired. Playing against Bournemouth is totally draining, obviously. But we looked like a side which hadn’t had a proper week of preparation. Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield aren’t at the energetic levels they were, Matt Worthington isn’t getting forward like he was and our threat was diminished. I’m not sure having Worthington and Dale Gorman on yellow cards for the majority of the match made it trickier for us to take any risks. On the plus side, we had nine substitutes and seem to have some genuine depth in positions. Without downplaying Needham Market, we could do with playing Needham Market after these last three games. Instead, we’ve got a quick turnaround and a trip to Southend having not left the South West since November.

Scott Priestnall decided to grace us with his presence, albeit under the radar. That there’s even speculation about whether or not the owner of the football club will attend a match is appalling enough in itself. We can only guess as to the reason why this match was worth a visit, perhaps it was to see what a proper occasion at Huish Park can look like. Perhaps it was to sort out some contracts for players and the manager. Maybe we’re days away from seeing his long-term plan. Hopefully he was there to clear out his desk. Plenty on the terraces let him know their feelings last night.

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It wasn’t the best afternoon at Huish Park yesterday, but there were positives sprinkled amongst the defeat. Here’s Ian’s Five Conclusions…

Darren Sarll has some decisions to make up front. Adi Yussuf started yesterday, and it was one of those games where nothing lands right for him. He never really got hold of the ball, didn’t win many headers and was out muscled on most occasions. Joe Quigley returned from the bench after his injury and caused issues for Torquay and was an instant upgrade. The arrival of Reuben Reid was also promising, he got the ball under control and held off Torquay defenders well too. For the first time this season, Sarll has three out-and-out striking options and decisions to make.

Morgan Williams is becoming Mr Dependable. When we signed Williams in the summer after two decent loan spells, I though we were getting a good centre back option. A young player who would improve with us and either progress with us or move on for a nice fee. Not only is he all of those things, but he’s also becoming a trusted, versatile member of the squad who’s filling in at both left and right back. I think there is a question to ask about Alex Bradley’s absence, and what he gives us going forward compared to Williams. But, defensively Williams is proving that he’s dependable across the back four.

I think that’s enough of Dale Gorman’s speculative shots from distance. When Gorman lined up a freekick from forty yards yesterday, I thought he it was just a decoy run up. I anticipated a delicate lob or a disguised pass to a sneaky full back on the run. Instead, Gorman opted to attempt the unlikely spectacular and belted the ball into a two man wall allowed Torquay to break and force the corner from which they equalised. Now, we should have dealt with the corner, but we shouldn’t have gone from that position with an attacking free kick, to an exposed defensive situation in under a minute. He had another attempt later in the match, where he was tackled cleanly and tried to claim a foul as Torquay broke and but for a shirt pull, could have scored again on the counter. Gorman is great at breaking up play and keeping our possession ticking over, but the frequent attempts at worldies are letting him down.

I felt we lost our width. It may have been (and probably was) a tactical plan to get narrow, but as we chased the game we didn’t seem to get players in the wide areas to make a difference. We didn’t see Charlie Wakefield didn’t get to areas where we’ve seen him cause teams problems, Knowles didn’t get wide to cut back inside. With Quigley and Reid on the pitch, we could have got more crosses in the box and caused Torquay more problems.

We don’t need to panic. Two losses on the bounce isn’t great, but it’s not the end of the world. The late withdrawal of Luke Wilkinson meant we had to shuffle the pack even more than we thought we’d have to with Dan Moss and Grant Smith suspended. A back five that might have just had a couple of changes had four. This group has plenty of credit in the bank and this is part of the journey.

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The run had to come to an end at some point – but yesterday’s Boxing Day match unravelled following a crazy five-minute period. Here five conclusions from a Boxing Day to forget from BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins.

It had been an even game up until the 65th minute but at that point our inexperience finally told. Throughout the good run of form, things have gone Yeovil’s way and they have stood firm well and except for the Woking game, they have avoided too much frustration on the pitch. But tempers were flaring early doors in this match and Torquay were street smart – while Yeovil lost their heads. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton can feel aggrieved he wasn’t given a yellow – but he gave the linesman and referee a decision to make and with how things were going, a red card at some point was inevitable – and it was against Yeovil. It was clearly not with intent to hurt his opponent – but it was reckless and silly none the less.

We need to get Charlie Wakefield in the game more. We are most dangerous when he gets the ball, runs with it and creates space. In the first half, it was a defensive masterclass once again, but Wakefield did not get the service he needs. Early in the second half, it was clear Darren Sarll wanted to utilise the right-hand side, but then it was always going to be difficult with 10 men. He is our danger man, and we need to use him more.

Gary Johnson had a game plan – and it worked. Speaking to BBC Somerset pre-match, the former Yeovil manager spoke about ‘shenanigans’ and while I don’t think Yeovil were cynical, the way Torquay won their free kicks was much more impressive than us – and they frustrated us. They have some talented players, but so do we and their work in midfield to win the ball back was one of their strengths. We must be aware of that in the return fixture.

Following Dan Moss’ fifth yellow card, Lo Everton’s red and Smith’s post-match dismissal, there will be several changes for next Sunday, but we do have some strength in depth now. Don’t get me wrong, we cannot afford many more suspensions or injuries, but with Mark Little on his way back, Jack Robinson recovered, Joe Quigley working towards fitness, and Alex Bradley, Reuben Reid, Jaheim Headley and Max Evans all available, it might not be the unmitigated disaster it could have been a couple of months ago. It is a huge chance for the squad players to stake a claim on a team which has been in wonderful form.

Lastly, in true Yeovil Town fan style, there is no need to panic. The manner of the collapse was concerning, but this group have a huge amount of character and desire – and for spells they kept Torquay at bay, who are in decent nick in league. I have no doubt they will bounce back – and what better way than against the same opponents? I will mention that I had to wait a long time for the post-match interviews but – as ever – both Sarll and Staunton assessed the performance honestly. It may well be a blessing in disguise that there is a full week for next week’s new-look side to gel and get back to winning ways.

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Adi Yussuf. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Another Yeovil Town fixture, another win. What are these feelings we’re feeling? Here’s Ian’s take on a pleasant afternoon at a chilly Huish Park.

This one’s a bit obvious, but Adi Yussuf changed the game. His arrival just after the hour for Reuben Reid gave the Glovers an injection of ramshackle chaos at the top end of the pitch. He just bumps into to people and wreaks havoc and it’s brilliant to watch – when it ends in goals. He was in the right places and took his chances superbly, a brilliant finish with his left and then one with his right in stoppage time. Sleep well Adi – we need a lot more of them!

It wasn’t the return for Reuben Reid we all dreamed of, but people need to show patience. This was Reid’s first start since injuring his hamstring in pre-season and while Darren Sarll may not have helped manage expectations by hyping him as the ‘best back to goal striker’ in the National League and League Two, we do have to remember he’s a 33-year-old returning from a pretty serious injury. I don’t think we played to Reid’s strengths in our first half display yesterday. We know he’s better with the ball in at his feet and we just didn’t give him that service. We’ve been patient with Yussuf as he’s gained fitness and we need to do the same with Reid.

It was a decent debut for Jaheim Headley. The youngster was thrown straight into it on his debut and he grew into the game as it wore on. Yeovil did get exposed on the left in the first half but Headley gained confidence in the second half and showed real intent to get forward and influence the game. He looks to be a powerful runner with energy to spare. It’s early days in his Yeovil career but, once again, Darren Sarll seems to have done some good business in the loan market. Side note: Dan Moss was sensational again. What a tremendous player he is.

Yeovil Line Up vs Weymouth

We had to show character. It’s become a cliché and we do say it a bit tongue in cheek at times, but the first half performance wasn’t great – presumably down to the changes we made. But, after the break we were a different team. Woking resorted to slowing it down wherever they possibly could, but it felt like we were always likely to get something as the game progressed. We got back to doing what we’ve been good at this season, we got the ball down and we played and Woking didn’t have an answer to it.

Don’t Fall In Love With Footballers. Back along, I said this because players always break your heart when they eventually leave. I said it at the start of the 2021 when Tom Knowles was scoring for fun (Nice header Tom!) and just becoming our talisman. This mantra is becoming increasingly difficult with this team. Every single one of them is playing for the shirt and for the club and it’s brilliant to see. As we’ve said ad nauseum, the manager is working miracles with his stretched squad and these players look like they’ll run through walls for our club. It’s painful to see how many could leave at the end of the season. Time for someone to start drafting contracts up, or we’ll all end up with broken hearts.

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A 1-0 win over Barnet in miserable conditions with a referee who wanted to be centre of attention was far from a classic, but it did move Yeovil to within two points of the play-off places with a game in hand over many teams above them.

Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions on an eleventh match unbeaten….

Dale Gorman’s importance to this team is understated. I touched on this during last Monday’s

Dale Gorman is fouled
Credit: Weymouth Flickr

podcast. Like many of this team, Gorman has taken a bit of time to make his mark but he’s well and truly doing it now. His assist for Yussuf was a deliciously-flighted cross to the back post with his weaker foot and it invited the Tanzanian to head home. He played, in match where he really had to concentrate, on a yellow card from the 22nd minute. He moves the ball nicely, keeps the game flowing and he has the edge that Darren Sarll likes his players to have. We can’t afford to be without him, and I think if we were to lose him for a game or two, we’d really notice his absence.

That FA Cup atmosphere wasn’t there. What a difference seven days make. A gate of 2024 (with 98 away fans) meant there were less than 2000 Yeovil Town supporters in the ground. That electrifying atmosphere wasn’t there. There’s a new variant in town which might ruin Christmas, thus people could be taking extra precautions, but this is an in-form team without a loss in 11 matches who are on the verge of the playoff positions and in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. We all know what needs to happen, though.

As matches go, this wasn’t the most enthralling. It was pretty bleak conditions at Huish Park, with two teams looking to break each other down. Barnet were restricted by our ever-resilient defensive unit and our huff and puff attack didn’t create many clear cut chances. It made for a rather drab affair which was made entertaining (apologies for the Rule #1 break here) by a referee who insisted on being the centre of attention. Ephram Mason-Clark’s red card and the subsequent booking of four members of the Barnet coaching team was the pièce de resistance of refereeing performance art from Ryan Atkin.

We should have killed the game off. Yussuf’s opener was the perfect start, and our performance in the first

Adi Yussuf. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

part of the match suggested we might do something special. As it happened, things evened out and it was a tough game. While we didn’t create and clear cut opportunities at goal, there were moments when we could have put the game to bed. Worthington teed up Gorman centrally, on the edge of the box, but Gorman miscontrolled and couldn’t get a shot away. Knowles could have put Lo-Everton in on goal but didn’t get his pass right. Lo-Everton was put through by Yussuf and worked a decent effort into the side-netting. Those moments would make things a little less stressful if they resulted in goals.

We are unreal at defending. I don’t recall ever being comfortable with Yeovil Town defending a one goal advantage. Come to think of it, I don’t recall being comfortable with Yeovil Town defending a two goal advantage either. But, this lot can defend. Luke

Max Hunt, Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz

Wilkinson, Max Hunt, Dan Moss, Morgan Williams and Josh Staunton were the obvious standouts in their defensive duties yesterday. But the  way Yussuf, Wakefield, Lo-Everton, Worthington and Gorman press is a real difference maker. We know this team work hard for each other, but the confidence they’ve given supporters when we’re 1-0 up is remarkable.

 

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Well, what a night under the lights and on the Beeb that was. Here’s are Ian’s Five Conclusions from a special night at Huish Park…

That was a proper FA Cup match. Huish Park was bouncing from kick-off with the supporters right behind the boys in green and white. There’s something special about FA Cup ties at Huish Park and last night was no different. The atmosphere was electric throughout and when Charlie Wakefield smashed the ball home, the roof came off.

Can we keep Dan Moss forever? Another man of the match performance, a goal-saving tackle and a performance far beyond his years. Our history of developing loanees is continuing with Moss. He’s falling into the category of Steven Caulker, Connor Roberts, Shaun MacDonald and others as loanees who are ‘ours’. Moss has been impressive from his debut and he’s just growing in this team. If we can’t get his loan extended, there’s going to be a massive hole in our squad without him.

Reuben Reid. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Reuben Reid is going to improve us. Reid’s return from injury feels like it’s coming at a pivotal time. Adi Yussuf struggled to make an impact in the first half. He put himself about but didn’t really produce. He was key in for Charlie Wakefield’s goal though, keeping the ball away from Stevenage’s defenders and moving the ball to Sonny Blu Lo-Everton. Reid’s introduction, cheered by the Huish Park faithful, was welcome and in the short time he was on the pitch he showed what he was about. He held the ball up when we needed to kill time, he out-muscled defenders and he was always looking for the ball.

Clarity is needed. Prior to the match, social media was awash with rumour and speculation. Scott Priestnall has obviously checked out of Yeovil Town Football Club. He hasn’t been seen at a match since Chesterfield. The sooner he comes and out says he wants out the better. What this small squad of players and manager are doing with finite resources is nothing short of miraculous, but the lack of leadership from Priestnall is seeping it’s way into the manager’s press conferences now and that’s not right. Is he hanging on for a plum FA Cup tie? Is there a third group? Is Glenn Collis still at the table? What’s happening with Simul Sports? No one really knows except the people negotiating.

I think I was wrong. At the end of October, after our torrid run of results at Huish Park that culminated in the draw with Weymouth and I thought the writing was on the wall. We looked lost, we lacked identity and ideas. Since then, it’s been unbelievable. Darren Sarll has turned it around in a huge way and I’ll gladly eat humble pie. These players have struck form and are an infectious group. Well done Darren – and sorry!

 

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Yeovil Town completed an unbeaten November with a fantastic 2-0 win away at Wrexham, two thirds of the Gloverscast were there, with Ben Barrett keeping up his record this season of not seeing the Glovers even concede, let alone lose!

He was alongside Sheridan Robins in the commentary box and here are his five conclusions from a brilliant night in North Wales!

Five Conclusions: Wrexham 0 – 2 Yeovil

I think I’ve just about made it back down to earth following Yeovil’s 2-0 win over Wrexham, a night that I think will go down as a special night for the 103 Yeovil fans who made the journey.

When we first got the team sheet, there was a look of realisation that hadn’t maybe sunk in properly before, but we are down to the barest bones, and it’s not going to get any easier.

Sorry to start with a negative, I’ll get to the good stuff in a bit, but our bench had a Goalkeeper with nothing more than a couple Somerset Premier Cup games to his name, a 17-year old college student, an experienced pro who was touch and go for a game a couple days ago, was ill overnight and probably shouldn’t have been there and Mr Versatile – Alex Bradley.

Bradley, who has done nothing wrong in his minutes so far, was probably the ONLY option for Darren Sarll. He came on for Adi Yussuf which meant a reshuffle tactically, but we need some bodies in the squad… and quickly.

Right, OK, onto the good stuff.

Morgan Williams, a bit like Alex Bradley has had to wait for his chance, but he got it last night… albeit out of position at left back… and grabbed it with both hands.

Nothing phased him, with Reece Hall-Johnson a constant threat, the ever dangerous Paul Mullin drifting onto his side to avoid Josh Staunton’s back pocket he dealt with everything brilliantly.

Not just defensively either, he took chances to move forward, to play brave passes, to try and start attacks and get involved with Barnett and Wakefield further forward.

This was the best I’ve seen from him, and to have him pushing Wilko, Hunt and co for positions can only be a good thing. 

I think it’s time to add Paul Mullin to the long list of highly influential players Yeovil have kept quiet.

Let’s get this right, he’s a League One striker, he’s better than this division by at least 24 places, but arguably so is Paddy Madden, so is Jordan Slew, so is Matt Warbuton, so is Tavhon Campbell, so is Michael Cheek, so is Joe Sbarra, so is Paul McCallum, you get the picture.

What is it about the league’s best that just cannot get the job done against Yeovil?
The only common denominators are Messrs Wilkinson, Hunt, Staunton, Worthington and Gorman.

At this level, maybe teams have a few stars with everyone else at a similar level, maybe Darren Sarll has cottoned on to that it can be just as simple as keeping those players quiet.

Wrexham fans sung Paul Mullins’ name time and time again almost as if to ask when he was going to do what he ALWAYS does.

But that didn’t happen, and opposition players will know that.

It’s Elliot List of Stevenage on Saturday, Adam Marriott at Barnet followed by… someone… maybe… at W*ymouth. Bring ’em on.

Loan signing Dan Moss in action
Pic: Mike Kunz.

A special word for Dan Moss.

With an elbow to his head, followed a target on his back, the 21-year old Millwall loanee had to play like a 31-year old YTFC veteran for 60 something minutes.

Not only was he in something of a makeshift defence, but he was an attacking outlet with Tom Knowles missing from that right hand side.

He was kicked, pushed, tackled late, shoved over and each and every time, he just got up and kept his cool.

That might have been a new experience for the young lad to be booed by nearly 8000 people and we’ve seen plenty crumble under that pressure.

On a yellow card himself, Darren Sarll could have pulled the trigger and taken him off, but he trusted his man to see the game out.

Dan Moss will have learned more in one night than maybe the rest of his short career combined, he passed every test with flying colours and is quickly rising up the loan-hero ranking at YTFC, he’s got Connor Roberts and Remeo Hutton ahead of him in that right back spot… but he’s closing fast.

Good luck to Mark Little who has to try and get him out the team.

Finally, a look at the table and maybe the future.

Darren Sarll said that as long as his Yeovil side were within touching distance of the play-offs come the turn of the year, we maybe have a chance.

Injuries permitting, we could give it a go in the second half of the season.

At the time of writing, we’re 10th on 28 points. Wrexham occupy the final play off spot in 7th on 30 points having played a game more.

We’ve played EVERY ONE of the top 14 sides so far this season, with Barnet (15th), Torquay twice (17th), Weymouth (19th) and Wealdstone (16th) coming up between now and the turn of the year…

This is an opportunity, none of those games are a guaranteed three points, but…

I’d say with a fair chunk of those next 15 points comes a great chance to be more than just within ‘touching distance’.

I enjoyed that one, I hope you did too.

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A point at home to bottom-of-the-table Dover Athletic was what Yeovil Town deserved, according to manager Darren Sarll.

But, the boss and midfielder Dale Gorman were also quick to point out that even two dropped points meant the Glovers had picked up seven points from a possible nine in the past week.

We asked supporter Adam Barrington to give the Gloverscast his view from his vantage point at Huish Park on Saturday – here are his five conclusions.

Wind was a major influence in the game. Both teams struggled to deal with it and within before the second minute was on the clock Dover scored from a cross assisted by whatever remained from Storm Arwen, Smith tried to claw the cross out but with no avail.
In the first half, we just never really got going and when you try long ball into the wind you never going to successful.
Second half with the wind behind us we didn’t really use it to our advantage kept over hitting the ball and only time we took advantage was with the goal which was cross from Jordan Barnett and Adi Yussuf (potentially) claiming the goal.

We need more options going forward. With the news of Quigley out until Christmas, Adi Yussuf is our only fit striker. Both Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield are midfield players and Sonny Blu

Adi Yussuf in action against Altrincham.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Lo-Everton is not an out an out striker.Against Dover, Yussuf struggled to have an influence but with no other option Sarll had to keep him on. I know Reuben Reid back in training, but he hasn’t played since pre-season and it will be a while until he match fit. There is no question need a new striker in as soon as possible but, with an apparently limited budget, Sarll may have to  beg, borrow or steal.

Can we sign Dan Moss and Jordan Barnett  for the next 10 years? These two are another level, always driving forward but don’t forget there defensive duties. Moss in the first half while 1-0 down made a

Dan Moss in action vs Grimsby. Pic Credit @leeblease

last ditch challenge to stop Dover from doubling their lead.
Barnett is always a threat down the left and never shies away from a challenge. He thoroughly deserved his man of the match award.

Is it time to panic after not beating a team bottom of the table? No, I don’t think so, this was just bad day at the office. We never dealt with the wind and having picked up wins against two of the league’s top teams in Dagenham and Bromley, I think there may have been a little complacency. But, we have got a point, we’re still unbeaten in our last eight first team matches and move on to Wrexham on Tuesday night. Perhaps we prefer being the underdog?

Was it a bad choice picking a Diet Coke rather than a hot drink? I know you thinking ‘hang a minute’, but seriously when is it too cold for a cold drink? Yes, this is probably not football related but this game was one to forget and this last conclusion is only thing left to say.

Bring on the Wrexham!