Five Conclusions (Page 2)

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Where to start with that? It was an unbelievable afternoon at Huish Park in a match that had it all. Here are Ian’s five conclusions from emotional rollercoaster that was Yeovil Town 3 Gateshead 4.

The first half was scintillating. I cannot recall us blowing away a team in that fashion in years. Everyone was in sync, the football was flowing and the chances were taken. The players were much more comfortable in a 4-2-3-1 and the roles were clear. The energy of the forwards and the high press stopped Gateshead from getting any flow whatsoever and we forced them into mistakes which led to goals for Josh Sims and Junior Morais. Williams and Wannell looked their imperious best at the back, with Whittle and Pendleton on the overlap. Everything clicked and it was exhilarating.

Josh Sims celebrates his goal at Huish Park.
Josh Sims celebrates putting Yeovil Town in front against Gateshead. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

I was a big fan of our McMidfield. After the Brackley Town match I said that I didn’t think we were particularly mobile in midfield and dropping Luke McCormick deeper to partner Brett McGavin felt like the solution in the first half. He was energetic, ran with the ball, played forward and showed that he’s, perhaps, better suited to a role deeper rather than one of the number 10 positions. His mobility and McGavin’s passing set us up well in the first half and when we lost McGavin to injury we lost that composure in the middle of the pitch.

The second half was abysmal. Everything that was good in the first half seemed to just disappear when the players emerged for the second half. Gateshead matches us up and reverted to a back four (wingbacks 🚮) took control of the game and got an early goal which immediately put the spooks on the players and Huish Park. You could almost sense the “here we go” murmur around the stadium. And boy, did it go. What was said at half time? How can a team go from being so confident to so withdrawn? The high press disappeared and we showed that age-old trait of sitting back and inviting pressure. Taking off a winger and bringing on a centre back 3-3 spoke volumes. 

The players must take some responsibility. It’s unacceptable to be in such a position of dominance after 45 and to then crumble in such a manner. We were missing leadership on the pitch as the 2nd half progressed. Legs tired with the schedule (although Gateshead didn’t seem to have a problem?) Finn Cousin-Dawson came in for McGavin and did the battering ram role in midfield. Ben Wodskou had a huge chance after great work by Tahvon Campbell to get Yeovil a fourth but couldn’t finish like he did against Brackley. He should have scored. But, in that 2nd half we were crying out for some Sarll-esque characters to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and we don’t have them. Is that down to the players or the recruitment? The irony of Frank Nouble leading the front line and dragging his new team over the line, months after leaving under a cloud, was not lost. Credit to the players, they did go round to the supporters and front up to those who remained to applaud their efforts. The supporters have never not been behind the players.

I’m not sure what happens next, but we all know what needs to. The outrage was palpable from the equaliser. Huish Park was clapping along in unison to “we want Cooper out” from the Thatchers. As soon as the fourth went in the manager was down the tunnel as fury erupted from the stands. The decision makers were all in town for this one and just five games into their tenure they have a decision to make. The mood amongst supporters is clear, and it can’t just be brushed off as ‘people online’. No club wants to be seen as a sacking club and I understand that rationale, but the relationship with the majority of the fan base is irrevocable. Shortlists need drawing up and a plan needs to be made for change before Matt Uggla’s York City visit on the 6th September.

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After an eight-hour round trip to Essex and back, Dave gives his thoughts on the Yeovil Town performance at Braintree Town yesterday. Now all eyes turn to Huish Park tomorrow…


We could still be there now and not score: There were opportunities and you cannot fault the attacking intent there was at times, but the finishing was abysmal. Aaron Jarvis, Tahvon Campbell, Josh Sims, Junior Morias, Ben Wodskou, Harvey Greenslade, they all tried and they all failed. 12 shots (five on target, seven off target) and some of those off target ones were woeful. “We have to be more clinical,” says Mark Cooper – but how many times have we heard that? Alex Fisher, Reo Griffiths, Jordan Young, Malachi Linton, Ollie Hulbert, Jake Scrimshaw, Louis Britton, Seb Palmer-Houlden, Jake Hyde, Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jahmari Clarke, Sonny Cox, Olly Thomas, Ciaran McGuckin, Harvey Greenslade, Aaron Jarvis. I think that’s all the strikers we have had under this manager and how many have got in to double figures? Murphy, Young, Nouble in the 2023-24 season in National League South, I think. Yes, some were loans. Yes, there has been injuries. Yes, there’s a couple of duffers in there. But can it ALL be down to the fact that they are ALL really not clinical? I have my doubts. I’ve not even mentioned quite a few others who could have been on the ‘someone who can get goals’ list.

Why did we wait until injury time to have a go in the second half?

It was an improvement: My frame of reference this is only small with the opening day draw against Hartlepool (via the DAZN stream) the only other match I have seen in full, but many on the terrace at Braintree assured me that was the best we have looked. The stats back up that it was a game we just about dominated, except the most important stat, of course. The first 13 minutes were great, I was wondering what all the complaining was about, but after that Braintree started to get a foothold in the game. We were definitely better in the first half, but we started lacking control towards the end of it and when the goal arrived, it had been coming. So, an improvement from a low base, for sure. 

Plant and Sims a plus: For probably the first 20 minutes, James Plant looked electric and gave hope  he can bring a much needed creative spark. He tired as the game wore on, not surprising for a player who’s played 30 minutes of competitive football all season. Monday will almost certainly be too soon to put him in from the start again, but there’s reasons to be hopeful there. And, a more than honourable mention to Josh Sims. Who had him coming in to form on their 2025-26 season bingo card? I certainly didn’t, but he looked like the player we saw in flashes last season. Let’s hope he carries on that way.

Green shoots of hope from James Plant’s return to Huish Park? Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

A big miss which piles the pressure on: Accepting the cliches of their being no easy games at this level, Braintree is a side we have to be getting points from if we have any hope of improving on last season. When you factor in the amount of chances we had to put this game beyond doubt – and, yes, they had plenty of chances as well – this was a big missed opportunity to build on that win against Brackley. That puts even greater emphasis on Monday’s home match against Gateshead – Frank Nouble and all.

An uncomfortable sleep: Wake me up when September ends, right? Mark Cooper doesn’t even give himself that long, he’s said ten games is the time to make an assessment. Mark up Tamworth away on September 20th on the calendar. I had a couple of conversations in the away end yesterday with people saying it was too soon to be talking about him being under pressure, but this is not about four matches this season. To borrow a phrase from the manager himself, I’ve been consistent. 2022/23 basket case relegation = write it off as too much to deal with.  2023/24 promotion = success. 2024/25 18th place finish = failure. This is the season that Mark Cooper has to show he can improve us and, four games in, I don’t see or hear anything different to last season. There’s time to turn it around, but I have dwindling confidence he can do it. 

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The Glovers got their first three points of the season with the 2-1 victory over Brackley Town at Huish Park last night. Ian was back at Huish Park and here are his first five conclusions of the season.

It was important to get off the mark. The pressure was really on last night following the opening two matches and ultimately, the Glovers responded. A confidence-boosting goal for Josh Sims and a memorable first for Ben Wodskou in-front of the Thatchers was exactly what the supporters, players and manager needed to ease the pressure. With a weekend trip to Braintree, who got an impressive 3-0 win over Halifax at home on the opening day, but have since lost two on the bounce with red cards in both of those defeats, Yeovil have a chance to build a bit of momentum now.

Jed Ward during his pre-match warm up.
Jed Ward. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

We have Jed Ward to thank. The goalkeeper was certainly the busier of the two over the course of the evening, making a series of saves as Brackley Town peppered the glovers goal. Three matches in and Ward is proving to be an impressive bit of recruitment. Aside from the ropey short goal kicks, he didn’t put a foot wrong in between the sticks last night and without him, it probably would have been a different story.

Credit to Brackley. Pre-match, I wondered if we’d see the visitors dig in and frustrate but the opposite was true. They got on the ball and played some nice football, carving Yeovil apart at times. In the first half in particular, we struggled to deal with their direct running. I was really impressed with Morgan Roberts (their number 10) in the attacking midfield. He only had one thing on his mind every time he picked up the ball, get forward and cause problems, and he did from the first minute. Maybe it was the pressure, but in that first half, they looked like the team playing at home.

Harvey Greenslade. Picture by Gary Brown

Rotation paid off. There were four changes from Saturday’s dismal day at Forest Green and it showed. Harvey Greenslade was given the nod up front and his relentless running meant he was constantly putting pressure on the Brackley defenders. It was a shame he put his one chance over the bar when it fell to him, but I’d love to see more of Harvey. Kyle Ferguson stepped in for Jake Wannell and put in the type of performance we saw from him last season. The return of Brett McGavin from the start also meant we had a progressive midfielder with the ability to get us forward rather than the defensively-minded pairing of Charlie Cooper and Finn Cousin-Dawson. With games on Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday, we’re sure to see most of the squad this weekend.

We have to talk about the style. As brilliant as it was to get the three points (and stop talking about those cursed potatoes), it wasn’t the most inspiring night of football. That opening thirty minutes or so was dire. That is not a criticism of the players either, and clearly when Jed Ward realised it was working, he took responsibility on the pitch and sacked off the short goal kicks to cheers from the supporters. I don’t think we’re particularly dynamic in midfield and find it so frustrating when a visiting team comes to town and plays through us easily while we knock it about and struggle to make any meaningful openings. We’ve gone through change and brought in new players so some of that lack of cohesion is understandable, but we’re not an anomaly for that in the league. After all, what is pre-season for? I struggle to see an identity or attractive style of play, but hopefully the win will give us that confidence boost to play with a bit more freedom.

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The second game of the National League Premier Division season ended in a 2-0 defeat for Yeovil Town at the hands of Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn. The scoreline belied the dominance of the home side who spurned numerous chances to make it a more emphatic defeat for the Glovers. Ed Turnbull was among the 486 fans who made the trip to Gloucestershire and here are his conclusions.

The better team won. Probably stating the obvious when you look at the statistics, but it felt like only a matter of time before Forest Green were going to score. Five shots (2 on target, 3 off target) to our zero at half time and more than double that come full time highlights how dominant they were. We just got deeper and deeper and it felt like we were playing with ten men at times, when they scored their first it was game over. 
 
Super Jed Ward in goal. We said before the game that with the all out attack which Robbie Savage has spoken about bringing, Jed Ward was going to need to have a solid return to the club he started last season at. Thankfully he did. It could have been far more without him, some good last ditch blocks from his defence and wayward shooting from Forest Green. It was a decent rearguard action for 75 minutes and against lesser opposition (and there will be plenty lesser than Forest Green this season) hopefully that will stand us in good stead.
 
Jed Ward during his pre-match warm up.
Jed Ward. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
 

Two up top, but I’m not sure it worked. I was excited to see Aaron Jarvis get some company in the forward line in Tahvon Campbell, but surprised we tried it away to one of the strongest sides in the division. Forest Green found it too easy to get the ball forwards around us, with a lot of space behind the front two. For two big strikers, neither particularly held the ball up well which meant we struggled to keep the ball. I was not too surprised to see Campbell substituted at half-time. Mind you, it certainly was not any better when we switched to playing one up top in the second half. We talk a lot about shape, but for me it’s 11 players on the pitch either way, and it’s about how good they are more than the formation they play in.

Who wants that sack of spuds? If anyone wants the sack of potatoes being offered to our first goalscorer of the season, a good first step would be to find a way of getting possession in the attacking half. We managed it in second half against Hartlepool on the opening day, but in the other three 45 minutes of competitive football so far this season we’ve failed. I’d hoped Luke McCormick would be that player to put his foot on the ball higher up the pitch and provide that vital connection between defence and attack, but he hasn’t managed that so far. I would like to see if Brett McGavin can do any better from the start of a match. For me, as solid as they can be defensively, a midfield pair of Charlie Cooper and Finn Cousin-Dawson lacks that attacking quality and leaves our strikers looking so disjointed from the rest of the team.

There’s no need to panic. I hope this one goes without saying, but we are only two games in to the season. So far we’ve played two teams we’d expect to be up and around the promotion places come the end of the season. Yes, we’ve only got one point but that’s one more point than we got from these same two fixtures last season. The upcoming run of fixtures looks much kinder starting at home to Brackley Town at Huish Park on Wednesday night. It is a great opportunity to kick-start our season. Keep the faith!

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Josh Sims holds off a defender.

The first point is on the board, but finding the back of the net looks like it may still be an issue for Yeovil Town after the goalless opening day draw with Hartlepool United at Huish Park yesterday. Mike Hudson was among more than 3,000 Glovers’ fans who turn up for the stalemate and here are his conclusions on what he saw.

It was good to be back. After all the noise of pre-season, it was good to be back at Huish Park for a competitive fixture. The pitch looked stunning, if not a little small, as the sun shone down on the 3,239 Glovers fans (and the 199 away ones too). New owner Prabhu Srinivasan and Chief Strategy Advisor Nicholas Brayne could be seen walking around the stands and talking to fans before kick off, and the supporters were in good voice throughout the afternoon. As the ref got the opening day underway there was a sense of optimism in the Somerset air.

Josh Sims goes down under pressure from the goalkeeper.
Josh Sims takes a tumble during a difficult first half against Hartlepool. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The first half was a bit iffy. Throughout the game Yeovil looked defensively solid, but it was pretty hard to put to figure out what our game plan was going forward, particularly in the first forty five. In the first five minutes there were a few moments when James Daly and Luke McCormick linked up nicely, but then the game really passed them by. There was no fluidity in attack, and with all the talent and pace on the pitch, our tactics seemed to nullify the strengths I was looking forward to seeing. There was a lot of direct play to Aaron Jarvis who had his back to goal most of the game. While his hold up play was great as usual, no-one in green and white was ever near enough to our number nine to capitalise. We didn’t work their keeper at all in the first half, and in truth Hartlepool, who kept a lot of possession, had a few chances as the break approached and could really have been ahead.

The second half was better. We seemed to start the second half with more intent and looked dangerous. The changes were interesting. Removing McCormick and Daly for Tahvon Campbell and Junior Morias made it look like we would need to play even more directly. However, I thought both players made an impact and looked lively when they came on. You feel if the late chance that fell at the feet of Ben Wodsku had come to either Morias or Campbell we may have stolen all three points. Unfortunately the youngster rather panicked and snatched at his shot. It was far from a fluid second half, but it was an improvement on the first.

Jed Ward holds a shot during pre-match warm up.
Jed Ward looks a good addition. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Keep those potatoes on hold. After feeling before the game that he may have solved our goal-scoring issues, Mark Cooper may be reassessing. The sack of potatoes on offer to the first goal scorer of the season will remain the property of the greengrocer for now, as we try to figure out how to best utilise the players at our disposal. On a plus side, we did secure a clean sheet, and our back three looked mostly solid, with Jed Ward adding some calmness in goal. Our new keeper had one shaky moment in the first half, but was otherwise faultless and also showed his distribution quality when he launched a ‘fizzing’ kick for the pacy Byron Pendleton to run onto creating a dangerous moment for the home side. On balance, I’m not a fan of the training ground move, but it may just have secured us a real top quality keeper.

We’re off the mark. Yeovil are not known for their strong opening days, and coming up against a Hartlepool side managed by Simon Grayson, who we never seem to get the better off, was never going to be easy. We didn’t set the world ablaze, we didn’t quite put on a show at home, and on balance a point was probably a fair result. It did feel like a game that we would have lost last season, and there were moments on Saturday when we rode our luck against a team who may have similar ambitions to us this season. But overall, it’s not a bad start to proceedings. There are some reasons for positivity while also a number of things we will need to work on quickly. We have a point on the board, and a tricky first away trip to Forest Green to come. Onwards and upwards you Glovers.

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That’s that then? Yeovil Town’s season concluded with a 2-1 defeat at Aldershot Town on Bank Holiday Monday and Mike Hudson was among the 575 travelling supporters in the away end in Hampshire and here are his thoughts.

 We should have been ahead. If ever forty five minutes of football typified a season, then the first half was just that. How many times have we, or manager Mark Cooper, talked about the fact we should have been ahead in games this campaign? There were at least three glorious chances in the first half, one of them falling to Lewys Twamley and the other two to Ciaran McGuckin. At least one of those had to find the back of the net. We haven’t scored enough goals this season, and that cost us again on Monday.

Lewys Twamley drags his effort wide after 17 minutes – the first of three gilt-edged chances for Yeovil to pull ahead.

We were punished. Two Aldershot Town goals either side of the break made it a tall task for Yeovil at The EBB Stadium. They were both awful goals to concede in truth. The first came from us having the ball on the edge of Aldershot’s area, but after a host of players refused to cross the ball into the box or take a shot, eventually we ended up passing the ball to our opposition. From being in an attacking area, a few seconds later we found ourselves light at the back as Aldershot broke and scored. The second goal wasn’t much better either. We allowed Dejan Tetek to cut through the middle of our midfield relatively unchallenged, and a few passes later the ball ended up in the back of the net again.

Jack Barham opens the scoring for Aldershot.

The fans showed up in numbers. Considering Bank Holiday Monday was the definition of a dead rubber game, it was great that so many Yeovil fans made the trip to Aldershot (it’s just a shame one of them didn’t bring a lawn mower…). Those in the away end sung their hearts out throughout the ninety minutes. Even when the game wasn’t offering much to sing about, the noise was great. Watching Pete run from one side of the stand to the other to rouse supporters was like watching a great orchestral conductor at work! I’m not sure if the mystery third party bidders were at the game, but if they were, it was another reminder of the remarkable fanbase and potential this great club has.

On that note, all attention now turns off field. In recent years Huish Park has had more leaks than the Titanic when it comes to off field gossip. However, the rumour mill has been fairly subdued since Martin Hellier announced he would be selling the club. Most of us have assumed work has been going on in the background to make that change of ownership a reality, and it was good to get a short update from Stuart Robins telling us as much. Our chairman was understandably reluctant to offer any definitive timelines, but it’s clear that the sooner a sale can happen, and we can start planning for next season, the better. Of course until we know who the mystery third party is, and what their plans are for the club, we can only be cautiously optimistic.

Interim chairman Stuart Robins speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah.

It’s over for now. When the referee blew the final whistle to bring the game, and season, to an end, it gave us all an opportunity to look back and reflect on the season as we headed back to the South West. On paper, survival in our first attempt back at this level is good enough and in reality that still remains the case. There have been some good moments along the way too. However, I think the poor home form, some awful cup appearances, the high number of player turnover, and the off field shenanigans have left me feeling slightly subdued in my celebrations (losing the last three games probably doesn’t help!). Finishing four points above the safety line is a closer shave than I would have liked, although in truth we’ve been comfortable for a few weeks. Last season we finished fourteen points above Braintree, however this year we could only match their points tally. Tamworth ended up finishing as the highest newly promoted side, and Boston finished the season in staggering form having once looked doomed to relegation. We did what we needed to do this season, but we will need to do things differently next year to keep the club heading in the right direction. Hopefully, the ownership situation will be sorted before long and we can all start getting excited about having a real go of it when we kick things off in August. Enjoy the summer!

The Thatcher’s End. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

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Jake Wannell applauds the Yeovil Town supporters.

Behind the microphone this time, Tom Bailey is back with his Five Conclusions from Yeovil’s game against Sutton United.

Not the most enthralling game… it wasn’t a classic, was it? Yeovil were ok, Sutton were a bit better than ok, it was exactly what it was on the tin – two mid-table sides slugging it out, making sloppy mistakes and missing good chances. Sutton played it to perfection, two really well taken goals (the first admittedly was assisted by some shoddy defending, but still a solid header) were simply the difference in an otherwise average, but competitive encounter.

Harry Kite is some player. If we can somehow convince Harry Kite to stay with us next season, I think we’ll already be off to a great start, cos this guy is pretty good at this football malarkey! He controlled the midfield expertly, linking the defence to the attack effortlessly, and his vision is unrivalled in this team with Sonny Blu a very close second! A midfield of Kite alongside McGavin next season makes me excited to think of what may come next season!

Harry Kite celebrates with his teammates. Photo by Gary Brown.

The initiatives worked again! Kids for a Quid was in place once again today, and it’s continued to prove its worth – 3,566 were in attendance today, and since the K.F.A.Q. was put in place, attendances have risen above the season average, showing how important something like this is to a family-based, community driven club! The atmosphere was class once again, it’s just a shame the Thatchers Terrace didn’t get one more goal to enjoy, despite the Glovers’ best efforts. Maybe something for the new owners to consider putting in place more frequently…

Returns gave a flash of what could’ve been. We didn’t expect to see Jake Wannell or Aaron Jarvis again this season; these were the words of none other than Mark Cooper post-Eastleigh, however we got a glimpse of both this afternoon! While both clearly lacking match sharpness, their quality was starting to shine through, Jarvis demonstrating his excellent hold-up play, and Wannell continuing to demonstrate his exceptional passing and footwork. It makes you wonder what could’ve been this season, but hopefully a summer of rest and a full pre-season will give these boys the best preparation for a successful 2025/26 season!

Jake Wannell leads the full-time applause. Photo by Gary Brown.

Home season is done. And there have been plenty of highs and lows to take in – the Fylde and Oldham wins… the W*ymouth and Boston results, Huish Park has had its fair share of action this season. 7 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses in the league, while not a great record, is far from the worst – if we can re-capture that fortress feeling from the title season, and carry that into next season, the sky could well be the limit for this club. God I love Yeovil… onwards to Aldershot!

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In the stands for Monday’s game against Eastleigh was Yeovil Town Radio commentator Tom Bailey. Here are his conclusions.

We can be proud of the performance in the circumstances given. It was a fairly even first 35 minutes in my opinion, even with their goal coming in that timeframe; we looked really good going down the right hand side, and with eleven men on the field, I think we’d have stuck one of those chances away. The red card was absolutely warranted, no matter the provocation, you cannot react like that on a football pitch, particularly in the modern day. Eastleigh didn’t offer much else in the second half, sitting back and absorbing the attacks that Yeovil threw at them. 55 minutes being a man down away from home, I think we can be happy with the performance, despite the result.

Otis Khan heads down the tunnel after 36 minutes.

Yeovil are massive. The atmosphere generated by the travelling fans was awesome, my spot in the South Stand giving me the best of both worlds as I heard both seated and standing fans chanting and boosting the team. All season, the away support has been fantastic, and the 600+ in attendance on Monday was testament to that. I know that attendances aren’t everything, but they’re certainly something, and I’m sure the team feels that – keep it up you Glovers!

Fearlessness was a really welcome presence. We’ve heard Mark Cooper mention before about not wanting to turn games into basketball matches, which can lead to some safe football in order to effectively dominate teams and in turn beat them. However I want to give Mark and all the players some credit for the manner of the performance on Monday, and indeed over the last few weeks, where we have looked fearless. We were down a man, and could easily have retreated into ourselves and jumped to damage limitation, and instead we went for it. We brought on Josh Sims, Ciaran McGuckin, and later Lewys Twamley; all three gave us some width and pace up top, allowing us to pile the pressure onto the Eastleigh backline, and as mentioned in Conclusion 1, with 11 men I really do think we’d have left with a point at the bare minimum.

An estimated 800 Yeovil fans travelled to Eastleigh – these are just some of them.

Rule 1… this one won’t be a big one, due to said rule, but I don’t think he had a good game… sure, he let a lot go, but he also made many wrong calls, including a Sims shot being tipped over the bar by the ‘keeper for a… goal kick. While it didn’t directly cause our defeat, I think it certainly played a factor.

WE. ARE. STAYING. UP. SAY… I know that feels a bit “tinpot” to say, but I’m delighted that we’re staying up. A lot of us had mid table ambitions for the season, some even higher – a topsy turvy season has led to playoff hopes, and relegation fears, but in the end it all worked out ok – another season of National League football confirmed, the target has been achieved. Now the next step is to build, and grow, which I’m confident we can do with the right backing and recruitment. Let’s continue to back the boys, and get behind the club as a collective going into next season!

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Fresh from his debut on the Gloverscast podcast, Mike Hudson was back in the stands at Huish Park for the Good Friday visit from Forest Green Rovers. Here are his conclusions.

It was the late, late show again for Forest Green Rovers. It was late drama yet again at Huish Park, and I was gutted for the lads that we were on the wrong end of it. This isn’t the first time we’ve let a lead slip at home this season, but this one stung that little bit more because it felt like we had the game under control. The boys in green gave everything. They were full of fight, energy and desire. Keeping a promotion chasing Forest Green side at bay and looking the better team for the majority of the game. However, in added time it was that man Ryan Innis (again, he did it to us on New Year’s Day as well) that shattered Yeovil hearts with the late equaliser. The goal came from a set piece – perhaps not a total shock given the sheer physical presence of some of their players – but until that point, we’d handled their aerial threat brilliantly. Unfortunately there was a momentary lapse of concentration/organisation and it cost us dearly. Looking back at both games against Forest Green Rovers this season, we can feel very hard done by to have come away with only a point.

Yeovil Town celebrate Sonny Blu Lo-Everton’s opener.

We came out swinging. Similarly to the Oldham game, we exploded into the fixture with energy, commitment, intensity and purpose. With Forest Green’s recent dip in form, and their players potentially keeping one eye on the playoffs, a fast start was exactly what we needed. In tough conditions we took the game to them, and asked the question; ‘are you up for this?’ Our great start meant that our goal was fully deserved when it came. Ciaran McGuckin was superb once more, as was Sonny Blu who celebrated hitting the back of the net again with a composed finish. I’d also like to give a shout out to Harry Kite who is continuing to show us just what a player he is. Unfortunately, the story of the day would turn out to be just as much about the chances we didn’t take. Harvey Greenslade, who got a much deserved start, narrowly missed the target, and also saw a goal-bound effort cleared off the line (he probably should have done better). Add to that being denied a stonewall penalty (from my perspective), as McGuckin was denied a certain tap home goal, and the game could and should have been put to bed. Unfortunately it wasn’t, and we were very much made to pay.

You can still vote for your Man of the Match from the Good Friday game against Forest Green Rovers – HERE.

The subs changed the game. You always want your substitutes to have an impact on a game, and ours did. Sadly, it wasn’t the kind of impact Mark Cooper would’ve hoped for. To be fair, the changes had to happen. Our starting eleven included players still returning to fitness, and after 70 minutes of relentless graft, it was clear legs were beginning to tire. But there’s no denying it — after the substitutions, the momentum swung, and the goal we conceded came from a rare moment of defensive disorganisation. On the flip side of this, as we were making our changes, Forest Green showed off the depth of their squad with the likes of Joe Quigley and Tom Knowles (DFILWF) coming onto the pitch. There’s levels to this game!

Don’t fall in love with footballers (DFILWF). Tom Knowles in green-and-white. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Control conundrum. Mark Cooper has been forced to change his starting line up of late, which has also led to a change in set up and tactics. The manager mentioned again that with the change in personnel, we’ve had to sacrifice some of the controlled, possession based football we have become accustomed to. The problem? These players and this new approach has arguably been far easier on the eye, and more effective, particularly at home. There have been times at Hush Park this season where it’s been hard to figure out what our game plan has been. It’s felt like we’ve been afraid to lose the ball, and haven’t been able to strike the right balance between control and speed. This new direct approach, and aggressive pressing off the ball, caused both Oldham and Forest Green Rovers all kinds of problems. With players returning from injury, and a tight turn around in games, changes will need to be made, but I’m sure these last few positive home outings will have raised some questions for Mark Cooper.

It was a good day out. While it was frustrating not to come away with all three points, it was another entertaining afternoon at Huish Park, and another performance that the fans could really get behind. Of course, results are all that matters when it comes to the league table, but entertainment value will have an impact on attendances. I am sure there will have been some casual fans that will have been inspired to buy another ticket for our final home game of the season against Sutton United. And with season ticket decisions looming, performances like this one, can absolutely help sway those who are still on the fence. Of course, alongside that, many fans will need more clarity about the future of the club, following Martin Hellier’s decision to resign as chairman and sell up. It’s been a couple of weeks since Stuart Robins initial interview with BBC Somerset, and Mark Cooper again mentioned the off field situation in his post-match interview. It would be nice to think an update might be on the way soon.

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In: Five Conclusions

A double from Sonny Blu Lo-Everton saw off fourth-placed Oldham Athletic to earn Yeovil Town a win over one of the division’s top seven in their penultimate match at Huish Park. Glovers’ fan Mike Hudson was in the stands for see it and here are his conclusions.

We had to change things up. I must admit, I was gutted when I heard the news that Kyle Ferguson had been recalled by Rochdale. The central defender has been a rock for us since coming in, and has quickly built up a rapport with both the back four and the fans. His good form, mixed with a injury crisis, means you can’t blame Rochdale for taking their man back, however I can still be annoyed about it! Add that to Otis Khan being unavailable to play against his parent club, and Charlie Cooper being added to the injury list, and it was a much changed side facing the promotion chasing Latics. But credit to the team, and to Mark Cooper who got the tactics spot on. We nullified most of Oldham’s threat, while looking lively and dangerous going forward.

It felt like home. With the home form this season, and some of the off-the-field going ons, Huish Park has felt subdued at times since the turn of the year. But similarly to the AFC Fylde game I thought the home fans were fantastic. The team had plenty of energy on the pitch and the fans matched it in the stands. With the sun shining down on our council-owned home, there was a really positive feel in the air long before a ball had been kicked. With all the initiatives going on, Huish Park felt like a good and welcoming place to be. Long may that continue.

Two goal hero Sonny Blu Lo-Everton celebrates in front of the Thatchers Stand at the end. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Sonny, Sonny Blu. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has been great since returning to the team, and once again he impressed on Saturday afternoon. Everything in the first half was going through him. He was causing Oldham all kinds of problems, finding lots of space, and linking up well with Ciaran McGuckin. He was energetic, positive, and clinical. Some deft passing, and great desire to be in the right place at the right time, made him my man of the match. He deserved his goals, and he took them well. I was amazed when Mark Cooper revealed he was unwell in the post match interview. It didn’t show, and I think it’s fair to say it was the Oldham defence that were sick of him by the time he was taken off part way through the second half. He’s earned a new contract for me … however, see my fifth conclusion as to why it’s my not be quite so straight forward…

You can still vote for your Man of the Match against Oldham Athletic in our poll – click here to vote.

There was commitment in spades. ‘Committed’ was the manager’s buzzword in the post-match interview, and rightly so. With the team well and truly safe, some may have worried that players might already be dreaming of summer holidays to come. With everything else going on off the pitch, who could blame them either. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was a full blooded and fully committed display. The minimum we want as fans is commitment and effort from those wearing the famous green shirt, and we weren’t disappointed. There was Alex Whittle donning the Terry Butcher-esque head gear to be involved, multiple players putting their bodies on the line to keep the ball out at times, and some players probably having to play more minutes than they’re ready for as they return from injury. The team ran, and they didn’t stop running. It’s sometimes said you don’t get the same commitment from loanees (and we have a few of them!), yet even those who have little reason to risk too much for us at this stage of the season were outstanding. Perhaps this was typified by Ciaran McGuckin who looked for all the world to have taken a much too heavy touch in the build up to the second goal, only to quite literally throw himself into a brick wall to set Sonny Blu up for his second.

A Terry Butcher-esque Alex Whittle celebrates with Dom Bernard. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The park was packed… kinda. Okay, so perhaps we were never going to get a huge gate regardless of the ticket prices, and to be fair our attendance was boosted in part by a great away following – 3373 in total with 372 away supporters. But at least the club are doing something, and trying to entice people to Huish Park. My wife and daughter were able to take advantage of both the Blue Light Card discount and the Kids for a Quid, to join my son and I. Both kids enjoyed sitting on the blood bike, and practicing CPR (badly) outside Huish Park. Little things like that go along way for kids and families, so thanks to all involved. However, with a season ticket price freeze announced, if we want to ‘pack the park’ long term fans will need clarity over the future of the club. Clarity that those sponsors considering filling some of the many empty advertising hoardings around the pitch will soon need as well. Being comfortably mid-table, you’d hope thoughts were turning to plans for next season, but as Mark Cooper said pre-match, it’s hard to plan until the ownership situation is sorted. Likewise many fans and sponsors will want to see what the future holds, and what the vision will be, before committing their hard earned cash. Any takeover which drags too long into the summer is bound to start us off on the back foot next season. Hopefully there will be updates to come and a swift (but positive) resolution found.