Five Conclusions (Page 7)

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Well, I guess someone had to do the negative one.

Gloverscast Ben was watching on National League TV – with a Camera Operator who couldn’t keep track of the football – and watched the Yeovil Town produce a… flat… performance against Solihull Moors. Conclusions, five of them, incoming.

Are we unfit or just a bit knackered?

Post match, Matt Worthington called the performance, ‘leggy’ and ‘lethargic’ and it was absolutely evident from very early on we had some players really feeling it.

As early as the latter stages of the first half, some players were running in custard whilst our opponents were gliding across the pitch, making closing down and pressuring look really easy.

This staggers me, I cannot believe that a Mark Cooper side would ever not be fit, but I don’t quite know what else to think?

Is it the many, MANY motorway miles? The quick turnarounds? The sheer effort that as been exerted against Boston and Fylde or something else that it catching up with a few players? I don’t know, but it’s a long old season and on the face of it, we already look like we could use some time to rest.

For what it’s worth, only Olly Wright has played every minute so far this season, (820), with Nouble (669), Smith (649) and Matt Worthington (651) next on the minutes played list. 

We were done by the dark arts again.

Just like against Hartlepool, we not only gave our opponents something to hold onto, to defend, but we also… let them defend it.

Our very own Ian Perkins made a great point on commentary that when Laurie Walker, the Moors’ keeper was booked for time wasting on 79 minutes, it was really only the crowd who got on the official’s back to do something… are we being too nice?

Where was the oomph we saw at Boston? the Ability to give a bit back to let the referee know about every pulled shirt, every kick out of sight, every second delayed?

I don’t get it, make a song and dance about it lads, there were times that Frank Nouble literally had the shirt lifted off his back and it was just… let to pass by.

A couple of times Solihull players felt the whiff of a nearby passing of wind and decided to have a roll about and really take their time to get back going – I’m not knocking it, I’m wanting us to play those games too, or at very least put up a bit of a fuss that it’s happening.

A physical encounter on the opening game of the season against Hartlepool United. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Right, breathe, let’s do a positive one.

Jarvis is the real deal up top – let’s get with him

Aaron Jarvis chased back over 50 yards in the 94th minute to snuff out one final Solihull counter attack. He and Sonny – who had just been brought on – found more in their legs than just about anyone to get back and prevent a second goal.

Ok, that’s great, but Jarvis again was doing so much up front but really felt lonely at times.

We’ve chopped and changed the trio of attacking talent in behind the front man, but he’s been a fairly constant figure and for the most part and has put his body on the line and played really well for annoyingly little return.

Mark Cooper said he was underwhelmed with his attacking players, I say let’s give Jarvis a partner. He’s got all the attributes to either do the back to goal stuff or get himself into the box, but all too often there’s not enough bodies around him to either pick up the pieces or be a second body in the box for a cross, or even provide the cross for Jarvis to get on the end of.

Is it Sims, maybe a big-man-little-man? Could it have been Greenslade if it wasn’t for the injury? Is there a Sonny Cox-style striker out there? I’m not going to go full Mike Bassett here, but would 4-4…2… be worth a go?

…and actually maybe that’s the point.

What is our best team line up?

We’re heading to Oldham next week for the tenth game of the season, and even if the next two go badly, we’ll be sitting on 12 points from 10 games, not bad at all.

But there’s still this rumbling debate on the terrace (and on the pod… and in the WhatsApp chats)… “Is that a four at the back? Have we gone to wingbacks? Surprised to see him starting, I thought he’d be on the bench. Isn’t he more of an impact player?”

You’ve had those conversations haven’t you?

What is our preferred way of setting up? Because last year you could rattle the eleven off in seconds, you know where each of them are going to be and how well they’re going to do it.

This season, through injury, suspension and new faces and new opposition, I don’t think we do know.

We’ve now made the Half-Time double sub Hail Mary on each of the last two games, suggesting the first eleven probably wasn’t right, we’ve seen the defence chop and change more times in eight games than we did in 48 last year. 

Is it time to nail down a team, a style, a formation, a way of playing and sticking to it?

Picture Courtesy of Gary Brown

Let’s get Huish Park back to the fortress it can be.

In the National League South, Huish Park was essentially every team’s Wembley final, some loved it and pushed us all the way, some wilted under the pressure of playing in a stadium with more than three stands in it.

This year, it isn’t the same, teams have been to us before, it’s not the big day out for them. So, what we have now is an expectant home crowd, who’s heard our last two away games, watched on streams and heard the Gloverscast wax lyrical about them… now they want to see some of that for themselves.

Matt Worthington is right, it’s a two way street, the players need the fans behind them (booing in September, by the way, have a word… it was poor, but come on) but also, you need something to cheer.

How about this, on Saturday, Glovers fans promise to give you everything, the drum will beat, the ‘Everywhere we go…’ chat will fill the Thatchers stand..

But as the lyric says… ‘watching super Yeovil putting on a show’.

Glovers fans will do their bit, the team will do theirs… deal? Good.

You know what to do next weekend, people.

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It was another three points on the road for Yeovil Town (that’s three for the season, by the way) this weekend with a win in a chaotic, see-saw match at AFC Fylde yesterday.

It took a while for Dave to get his heart-rate down long enough to pen some conclusions on the match, but these are them.

What have I just seen? That was absolutely bonkers. If anyone doubted the Spirit of 2023/24 had departed, think again. In the second half, we just went for it and it was a performance built on fearlessness to attack, character to get back up after Fylde pulled it back to 3-3, and a healthy dose of quality.  That said, for context, in the first half we looked well off it. I know both Mark Cooper and Dom Bernard said afterwards that they thought we were okay, but I felt our defence was rocking every time Fylde (or Nick Haughton, more to the point) pressed forward, our midfield was anonymous, and I  don’t think their keeper Ben Winterbottom had anything to do. In the second half, he had plenty to do and we did that magic thing of taking our chances when we created them. These boys have got some cast-iron balls and deserved everything they got yesterday.

Dom Bernard celebrates his winner – and kudos to the wearer of the 1995-96 shirt featured. Picture courtesy of Bekah Harper.

Take a bow: Aaron Jarvis quite rightly got the plaudits from his manager post-match. Yeovil have had plenty of players who just ‘run around a lot’ in the past, but everything Jarvis does has a purpose. If you don’t believe me, look at his role in Sam Pearson’s first goal and the way he brings the ball down and is then in the right place at the right time to score the equaliser. He did that a lot and gave as good as he got from the Fylde defence as well.
But can I also give a shout out to Ollie Wright? He made some important saves, none more so than from Taelor O’Kane in injury time. And, if praising opposition players is allowed, Fylde’s Nick Haughton. He could have had four or five goals alone and must surely be interesting some EFL clubs. All that said, Sam Pearson was my Man of the Match.

The importance of substitutions: Mark Cooper spoke before the season about how the increase to five changes from seven substitutions would be key. He got his changes right and Fylde’s Chris Beech got his wrong. Now, Cooper only had five to pick from today – those magical empty benches made up the other two (Hey, Gloverscast Ben!) – and the changes he made all paid off. Sam Pearson and Jordan Young both caused problems, Pearson especially was at the heart of a lot that we did well in the second half, and then that strike from Sonny – it looked even better from behind the goal than it does on the highlights. 

Another one of ‘those’ ticked off: It’s far too early to be looking at league tables, but if you were to do that you’d see Yeovil Town in seventh place, the final spot for the National League play-off places. Now, I’m definitely not saying we’ll be there come May, but if we’re going to finish nearer the top than the bottom, Fylde away is where you need to get points. Given the injuries and suspensions, I would have happily taken a point from this one, so to take three is a big bonus. That is three wins from four away from home, now let’s get our home form going. It’s Solihull Moors under the lights at Huish Park on Tuesday, another tough test but one we should not be fearful of. Jake Wannell will return from suspension, Dom Bernard has an impressive debut under his belt, so we can go in to it with confidence. Pack the Park, ladies and gents, Pack the Park.

Sometimes it’s more than a game: As everyone enjoyed the post-match celebrations, some quick-thinking supporters and, more importantly, the Yeovil Town medic Tony Boreham and physio Joe Storey, raced to the aid of a fan who had been taken ill on the terraces. We learnt afterwards the fan in question was the grandfather of Corey Koerner, the young full-back who was named amongst our substitutes, and there were some worrying moments as he was ‘worked on’ as fans filed out of the ground. It is with much relief we learnt soon after that he was responsive thanks to the treatment he received and was taken to hospital. It’s often said that a football ground is sometimes the best place to be taken ill, and the quick-thinking and undoubted skills of the Glovers’ team to spring in to action underlines this fact. Well done to them and everyone who supported, and we obviously wish Corey’s grandfather a full and speedy recovery.

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Yeovil Town picked up three points on the road with a 3-1 win at Boston United yesterday and Gloverscast Ben was back behind the mic for BBC Somerset.

Here are his five key takeaways from the game in Lincolnshire……

Red Cards Change Games.

Both Jordan Richards and Jake Wannell can have little-to-no complaints about their red cards. Wannell had a rush of blood to the head, made a silly decision and will now sit out next weekend’s game at AFC Fylde.

I won’t be throwing him under a bus for it, the reigning Glovies’ Player of the Year has got us out of far more sticky situations than the ones he’s got us in during a season and a bit. Don’t do it again, Jake. 

I was amazed that so many people in the Boston crowd (which I was sat amongst) did not think the Richards challenge warranted a red. It’s a bog standard reckless challenge for me and it’s a red card all day long. The amount of contact is almost irrelevant, if Charlie Cooper’s foot is planted in the ground at point of impact you’re looking at a leg breaker. The Boston manager said they’ll consider appealing the three-match ban. I’m fairly confident in saying he’ll sit those games out. 

Red cards do change games, and both of Saturday’s certainly did, it was a chaotic affair which was only exaggerated by a couple of crazy moments.

Jake Wannell sees Red

Anyone got any defenders?

Raphael Araoye has a dead leg and went off yesterday, Morgan Williams has a concussion from Monday, and now Jake Wannell has next weekend off.

Alex Whittle was in Boston, in kit, but not named on the bench, Finn Cousin-Dawson looked good for the most part and Michael Smith was.….well, he’s Michael Smith, of course he’s spectacular.

But we had, at different points in the game, Matt Worthington, Charlie Cooper, Sam Pearson (!) and from the bench, Jordan Thomas as part of the defensive unit. It might just be one game were we look eye-catchingly short, but I don’t fancy going to Fylde with a Thomas-Smith-FCD-Pearson back four.

We have seven days to find a defender or two, maybe just for a month. We need some bodies at the back, preferably someone who can play left back too in case Whittle isn’t quite ready to do a full 90 twice in a couple of days. 

Does it end up being ex-Glover and now Cheltenham Town defender Tom Bradbury who was linked with us this week? I don’t know, but I do know, we need some depth in there and it needs to come from someone with some experience and quality.

We played the game, not the atmosphere.

I really liked the fact that – aside from Jake Wannell’s “moment” – we didn’t fold under pressure against a physical and riled up Boston.

Charlie Cooper was the perfect player to play pantomime villain in the game. He took the shocker of the challenge which led to the red card and then proceeded to walk around with a target on his back where the number 24 once was.

Cooper was cool headed throughout, he took the kicks and knocks and play acting from those who he so much as breathed too heavily in the vicinity of and let it all brush past him and I really think we’re going to need more of that as the season goes on.

He has the nous, experience and je ne sais quoi in the tough moments and he led the way with that yesterday. Cooper was my Man of the Match, we’ve spoken about needing a bruiser in the middle of the park to compliment McGavin and Worthington, and Cooper can do that.

Furthermore, I was impresssed with the way that some of the younger players handled those moments, not afraid to put their body on the line, in harms way and get it done a touch ugly. Harvey Greenslade, Jordan Young and Sam Pearson will all have bumps and bruises on Sunday morning, but they kept their heads and that, I think, was vital in seeing the game out.

Urgency, Urgency, Urgency.

Eurgh, I hate to do a negative one when we’ve won a game, but I have to mention something which I spotted against Gateshead and Rochdale… and then again against Boston.

Get. On. With. It.

I like the fact that we keep the ball so well, I don’t mind that sometimes the ball goes backwards, I don’t mind that it goes sideways.

What I do seem to mind, is that when the ball goes dead, it can take 30-40 seconds for someone to trundle over, pick the ball up and think about maybe throwing it to a friend.

In that same 30 seconds, every one of the opposition players have tracked back, got into position and immediately cut off the routes to goal which our players are more than capable of going through. That then leads to the ball going backwards or sideways as we look to find another way through.

I do wish we’d hurry up a bit when the ball stops. Free kicks, get it moving, get someone running down a line and be brave enough to get the ball up there. Throw ins, go and grab the ball and be ready to get going – ideally forward – quickly. I truly believe it will give us better positions to get that final ball right more often. 

We’ll end on a positive though.

Brett McGavin Saturdays.

When Yeovil were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, I proclaimed on air, it was “Charlie Cooper Territory”, I’m afraid there’s a new Territorial Kingpin in town.

Brett McGavin has a famed long shot on him as his YouTube reel will testify. We saw that with his second goal later on in the first half, but the free-kick goal was one of the purest strikes, I think I’ll ever see of a set piece.

It could not have been placed any better, any more fierce or any more pin point perfect.

Boston’s Cam Gregory is not a small goalkeeper, he had a large wall, and he got nowhere near it, on his side of the goal. Absolute “Top Bins” (that’s what the cool kids say, right?). I feel like we’ll watch that goal a few times this season, it’s probably already earned its spot in the Glovies’ Goal of the Season nominations.

My challenge to you Brett is… before the end of the season, score an even better one. I dare you.

We’ll be here watching this clip on loop until you do. Cheers.

 

 

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Football is back, Yeovil Town are back in the National League and Five Conclusions is back too. Ian was in the press box for BBC Somerset, and here’s how he saw it… 

We struggled to find a way through. There were familiar patterns to the game as Yeovil resumed with the possession-based style which served them so well last season and felt in control for most of the game. But, where there was control, there wasn’t that creative spark to cut through a dogged defence. Not until the end of the match, where an error at the back allowed Harvey Greenslade an opportunity at an open goal, did Yeovil create something clear cut. Mark Cooper said his ‘nippy’ players need to more. Morgan struggled to find a way into the game. Young, who was scythed down by Parkes early on, wasn’t allowed to find his rhythm on the ball. We brought Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Harvey Greenslade and Sam Pearson in to make something happen, but they couldn’t make the decisive impact.

A physical encounter on the opening game of the season against Hartlepool United. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

 

Hartlepool did exactly what you’d expect. I’m not sure it’s fair to tarnish Darren Sarll with the ‘typical Sarll’ brush, but every time we’ve played him since he left, we have lost 1-0 and it’s been a war. Yesterday was the same, it was physical, it was long ball and it was knock downs from the big man Dieseruvwe. I actually thought we coped well with it, but for a spell in the second half. Wannell and Williams handled the physicality, but in that second half patch Hartlepool found more space around Yeovil’s box, had the Glovers stretched and it was a well-struck finish from Jack Hunter that won the game in the end. The onus was then on the Glovers to break down a resilient side that often went into a back six and, as is their right, burned away the time by any means necessary.

Aaron Jarvis relished the battle. When Yeovil’s new number 9 lined up against a centre back pairing with nearly 900 games between then, I think he knew the afternoon he was in for. Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall were the nasty bastards you’d expect from a Darren Sarll defence, but I thought Jarvis gave as good as he got. He was physical with them, won some headers and also seemed to get under their skin too. He’s got that Murphy/Hyde-esque edge to him. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the service into him to make anything happen at goal, but it was a game where he had to show he was up for a fight, and I think he was.

Alex Whittle. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Alex Whittle was back to his reliable best. The left-back, who was missing for the run-in through injury last season, returned to the side and was every bit the player we low-key loved last season. He might not have that Michael Smith swagger, but he’s an absolute machine on the left. He dealt with the pace and strength of Joe Grey. He was tough in the tackle, perceptive in the moments where he needed to be in the right position and is just Mr Dependable. My man of the match.

It was nice to be back! There was a good atmosphere at Huish Park (and plenty of Bradfords bucket hats) and as always, the opening day expectations are high – despite having not won on the opening day since 2015/16. (Goals from Kevin Dawson and Otis Khan scored against Notts County). The pitch was great, the stadium was looking the part and the buzz was there. While the result didn’t match the mood, football is back and there’s a long way to go!

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The wait is finally over. Ian was at Huish Park to see Yeovil Town lift a league trophy for the first time since 2005. Here are his conclusions from a memorable afternoon in the sun…

Sam Pearson put his body on the line to equalise. 📸 Gary Brown

We needed a jolt to spark us into life. The party was in full flow at Huish Park but Luke Coulson’s early header was the wake up call that there was a game of football in the way of the trophy lift. Coulson’s free header silenced the bouncing Huish Park momentarily, but two minutes later Sam Pearson put his body on the line to get the equaliser and Yeovil never looked back.

Yeovil were dominant. Mark Cooper’s side, pressure free, controlled possession and played some excellent football. Short, sharp passing led to some good chances in both halves and Yeovil should have done more with the chances they had. After 45 games of high pressure, the Glovers enjoyed the occasion and put on the kind of performance we saw during The Run.

Alex Fisher scores. 📸 Gary Brown

Feed the Fish! A year ago Alex Fisher suffered an horrific injury in front of the Thatchers Stand and yesterday it went full circle as he scored Yeovil’s third and got to celebrate in front of those supporters. Say what you want about Alex Fisher, but he is a phenomenal representative of Yeovil Town and it was great to see him get that goal on the spot where his career almost came to an end. He’s scored some huge goals this season after returning from injury and played an important part in getting Yeovil back into the National League.

Pearson and Morgan took their chances. Pearson’s early miss last weekend was forgotten about with his goal yesterday and he and Brooklyn Genesini struck up an exciting, pacey partnership on the right hand side. Dylan Morgan’s appearances have been sporadic lately, but I thought he had a great game. He was all over the pitch, showed some brilliant bits of skill and his goal was well struck – albeit with a Dartford deflection.

Champions! 📸 Gary Brown

This title feels so sweet. There is a massive cohort of Glovers who’ve never seen a League win, who are probably sick of hearing about 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2013. They’ve finally witnessed it themselves and know what its like. The celebrations at Huish Park were fantastic to see after the last decade of disappointment. This club has been through the ringer since that historic Championship season. Four relegations, negligent ownership, three failed takeovers and nearly entering administration 12 months ago before Martin Hellier completed his takeover. All of that (and plenty more) has made this win feels so much sweeter. Congratulations to everyone at Huish Park who’s made this happen, let’s do it again next year…

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Worthing well and truly pooped the party at Huish Park in front of another 6000+ crowd. Yeovil weren’t at the races and fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat. Here are Ian’s five conclusions from the press box…

Polite enquiries are made. 📸 Gary Brown

Gareth Thomas had a shocker. Let’s get this one out of the way early doors. I can’t remember many referees who’ve gone through a game making no decisions in the middle of the pitch when they needed making, but being certain on decisions where there was doubt, in areas that make a difference. In truth, I couldn’t see the penalty decision, it looked like Pearce got the wrong side of Wannell and felt contact and went for it and looking at the highlights, there’s maybe a pull by Wannell. The offside is as tight as they get without taking 20 minutes to draw lines, but enough people (who would know and have access to see it again) told me it was on. Huish Park was denied a glorious moment which Thomas will always be remembered for now. The FA assessor was in attendance and in conversation with Yeovil’s coaching staff after the match. As woeful as he Thomas was, the scenes at the final whistle will surely see some form of punishment for the club.

We never felt in control. The praise in the aftermath of the Torquay win was how in control Yeovil were for the entire game, but it never felt like we had it against Worthing. We kept the ball at times, but it was a bit of a basketball match. We know Worthing score a lot of goals, and they can play some free-flowing stuff and they were effective in preventing us from playing out. The controlled possession we’ve enjoyed wasn’t there. Defensively we didn’t look comfortable and up front we snatched at chances when composure was needed and couldn’t get the final ball right.

📸 Gary Brown

We looked vulnerable at the back. I’ve not said that very many times at all this season, given how we’ve controlled games and how dominant we’ve been at the back. But, Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell didn’t look their best with the ball, and Cashman and Pearce seemed to pull them all over the pitch. Fage and Felix enjoyed plenty of space on the wings and Dolaghan caused problems from deep and got his rewards following Foulston’s error. The defence have barely put a foot wrong all season, and like Mark Cooper said, the forward players needed to take their chances.

We missed so many chances. I wanted an early nerve-settler and in the third minute, Sam Pearson has a 24 karat chance to settle the entire town. Clearly he didn’t expect a chance of that magnitude to fall to him in that fashion and he snatched at it and skied the ball. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has a chance too, that Worthing’s keeper somehow saves, but Lo-Everton should score from such close range. Frank Nouble has a couple of half chances on his left foot from the edge of the box that he can only put over the bar. Half time substitute Rhys Murphy earns a penalty that he doesn’t convert. Morgan Williams goes close with a header, too. Yeovil could, and probably should, have been 2-0 up before Pearce converts his penalty. 

Alex Fisher celebrates his goal. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

We’re nearly there. As disappointing and infuriating as it was to not have our moment at Huish Park, a point against Truro on Thursday is all it will take to clinch the league. The expectation, anticipation and hype around Worthing’s visit would have made victory at home so much sweeter and maybe it was too good to be true. We’re Yeovil Town, and if we’ve learn something over the last decade, it’s that we never make it easy. It was a big game, with a lot of attention on it and as much as Mark Cooper tried to play it down in the build up and keep the players grounded, the pressure of the occasion seemed to get to the players. They’ll recover, learn from it and after 11 long years, we’ll celebrate promotion on Thursday.

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Chippenham made it four points from a possible six against Yeovil this season, as they inflicted a double dose of home defeat on the Glovers. An uninspiring performance was witnessed by Tom, who has given us his Five Conclusions…

Alex Fisher celebrates his goal against Farnborough.

Classy from Fisher! There were some pretty dour performances out there tonight, but one player that did impress me was Alex Fisher. His header was taken expertly, meeting Olly Thomas’ wonderful cross to give Yeovil the lead. I think his determination alone earned him my Man of the Match (and the sponsor’s Man of the Match as well). His work rate, and success in aerial duels across his 90 minutes were great to see, and I think he’ll continue to play a part in Yeovil’s run-in. Credit must also go to Sonny-Blu Lo-Everton, and Alex Whittle, who also put in solid performances.

Credit to Chippenham. As much as Yeovil clearly weren’t up to the races tonight, credit to Chippenham for executing their gameplan to a tee. I spoke to Steve Rutter before the game, and he said we had to be careful of a potential banana skin here, as their away form, particularly against better teams, has been impressive this season – and we saw exactly that. Calm in defence, with Fisher’s goal the only real lapse in performance for the visitors, three well taken goals to give them three well earned points.

Jordan Young. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

It’s time to discuss Jordan Young. He started the season quietly, before setting fire following his opening goal against Tonbridge Angels, but since his contract extension at the start of 2024, I’ll be honest and say I’ve seen nothing from our number 11 at all. Tonight was no different, as we saw Young either trying too much at once and being dispossessed, or being pushed out of the game. I don’t know where the Jordan Young of 2023 has gone, but I’d desperately like him back for the end of the season please!

Some positives… It’s easy to be negative after a loss, but there were some positives to take from tonight. Josh Owers gave a good account of himself when he replaced the injured Charlie Cooper, that pairing with Sonny-Blu gave us a little bit of both defensive stability, and a little bit going forward with our special number 16. We looked a bit more fluid in the second half compared to the first, before the goals took the wind out of our sails, and the ideas were there from Nouble and Stevens, nothing was coming off for us though. It’s not all doom and gloom yet!

However… we got away with it tonight. Yes, I’ve listed off the positives above, but these are games we need to be clinching, and widening the gap at the top. We have got seriously lucky tonight, with Chelmsford and Worthing both losing too, there’s no need to panic but we have got to be careful that this doesn’t set a precedent for the end of the season. Up the Yeo!

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Welling United secured their second win over Yeovil Town this season, completing the double and ending the Glovers’ unbeaten record at home. It was not a pretty afternoon at Huish Park, and here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

Jay Foulston challenges for the ball. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

It all fell apart when Michael Smith went off. His quality is undeniable and we’re a significantly better team with him in it. But, surely he’s not THAT important. After Smith’s injury in the 15th minute, Yeovil lost all flow, rhythm and patterns of play. There was a very brief switch to a back three, with Jay Foulston left of the three, but that quickly shifted back to a back four with moved Foulston to right back. He really struggled. He didn’t look comfortable offensively or defensively and the part of Jordan Young’s game that depends on the overlapping and defensive security of Smith was lost too.

Our attackers are struggling. Mark Cooper said that the goals had ‘dried up’ following the match and it was a match where there was little flow from the forward players. Frank Nouble and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton swapped positions in the first half to try and make things happen. (I thought Nouble looked more effective through the middle.) Jordan Young had another game where nothing clicked. He had some sloppy moments in possession and didn’t make the impact we’ve come to expect. Sam Pearson wasn’t able to get into a full flow and show his pace and neither was Jordan Stevens. It was only when Olly Thomas came on and he had a couple of decent chances, that Yeovil really threatened.

Olly Thomas shoots at goal. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

You have to give credit to Welling. They’ve done us in league twice now, and with two very different teams. They weathered the early storm from Yeovil and managed to create a few half chances and shots from distance. Their goal came from a calamitous error from Charlie Cooper, but it was a great finish from Anthony Grant who rifled the ball into the top corner from a tight angle. With less than 20 minutes on the clock, it then became an exercise in seeing the game out and the Wings did it masterfully. Time taken in dead ball situations, patience in the corners keeping the ball away from Yeovil. 

We seemed to lose our composure. Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell have been a calming influence at the back all season, but there was a mad spell in the second half where they were caught out by Welling and conceded fouls. Wannell relished the first half battle with Reece Grant and largely controlled it, but in a second half where most players seemed to get shaky, it was noticeable when they struggled. Perhaps because their standards have been so high. Through the midfield we kept trying to go long, hitting hopeful balls towards Sam Pearson, who was on a hiding to nothing against Welling’s big back line. 

Morgan Williams rises highest. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Don’t panic! With Chelmsford’s win against Truro City yesterday evening, the gap at the top is nine points with a game in hand. There’s a chance to move on quickly against Chippenham and Tuesday and with a bright cameo from Olly Thomas, we could soon have a focal point at the top of the pitch. It was hard to stomach defeat at the final whistle, and there was almost a stunned silence when proceedings came to an end. So remarkable has the home form been, that defeat was hard to take. However, we have the buffer at the top and a chasing pack that’s inconsistent. On to Tuesday!

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Parkside, home of Aveley FC

When the 2023/24 end-of-season DVD is released, fans won’t be flocking to the club shop to relive their Monday night trip to Aveley. However, despite a drab affair, Ollie Marsh was just about able to muster some conclusions:

We didn’t really look like scoring… after seven minutes. When golden chances fell to Jordan Young and Alex Fisher in the opening ten, it looked like a long night was in store for Aveley. Both were played in on goal in similar fashion; Young fluffed his lines after taking way too long to pull the trigger, while Fisher put his laces through it and was thwarted by the keeper. But after that, we struggled to put together the free flowing moves we’re used to seeing. Fisher and Frank Nouble got a half each, and Young, Jordan Stevens and Dylan Morgan seemed to be chopping and changing behind them throughout, but to no avail. The combination to unlock the Millers defence couldn’t be found.

Aveley did what they did very well. It became clear early on that Aveley had been set up to nullify. They were structured, organised, and disciplined, fearlessly pressing and applying pressure whenever Yeovil had the ball. They also packed a punch on the counter-attack and could perhaps be disappointed that they couldn’t find a way to nick it. There was also a pricklier side to their game which amounted to niggly fouls and slightly excessive physicality. One aerial dual between Will Dawes and Charlee Hughes – a pantomime villain in the reverse fixture earlier this season – led to Dawes having to limp off. But they played their gameplan to near-perfection, and the home fans seemed happy with both the method and result.

The Parkside pitch can get in the bin. There won’t be too many opportunities to break the Gloverscast rule on mentioning non-traditional playing surfaces, so I’ll take full advantage here. It probably would have been better to play the game on the car park outside the stadium, rather than the football-pitch shaped stretch of concrete painted green inside it.

I’m so happy Super Joe Day’s in goal. While it was as nothingy as nothing could get after the half time, the highlights package will at least feature one clip from the second period. The fact that Joe Day had an altogether quieter evening only makes his sublime fingertip stop from Ikechi Eze’s would-be worldie in the dying embers of the game more impressive.

Four points from two away games is good going. Yeovil managed to get through two tricky away ties with a tight turnaround between them, and did so unbeaten. The win at Farnborough was great fun and this was not, but there should be no disappointment with that return overall. Mark Cooper showed that his small but perfectly formed squad had enough depth to rotate efficiently, and the results – combined with Worthing doing the business against Chelmsford – keep us well on track.

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In: Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

Was it ever in doubt that Yeovil Town would bounce back from a knock on the road last weekend? Nah, not for anyone who has seen this team this season. Remarkably, Dave was at Farnborough to see us get back to winning ways and here are his conclusions.


Feed the Fish: This was a big win on the road. This maintained the 11-point lead. But this one was for Alex Fisher. He’s been very public in talking about how the road to recovery has been since that horrific injury last April and you could feel every person in that away end was genuinely delighted for him. He may not be the most prolific striker, but you cannot fault his effort and he deserved every minute of the adulation he got for a great performance. 

Can you feel the love? Fish celebrates his goal.

Bouncebackability: I wrote about it in my conclusions after the defeat at Chelmsford seven days earlier, but the most important thing was to bounce back with a performance and three points. It may not have been pretty at times, but do not underestimate the significance of these three points. If Chelmsford, Worthing or anyone else thought we were faltering – sorry, not sorry. Please mind the gap.

How good is Sonny?: Honestly, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton is such a joy to watch some times. He may get a lot of time on the ball in this division but what he does with it is sensational. With Charlie Cooper back alongside him doing the dirty work, Worthy the engine alongside him, you felt he was able to enjoy himself. Took his goal superbly and was my Man of the Match. Sorry, Fish.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown


48 hours later: At the risk of sounding like a football manager, the next game is the most important. Especially as Aveley choose (according to some of their fans at least) to play on a Monday night. The window for recovery is very short and bringing off a number of players who ran their proverbials off again (well done, Sam Pearson) was important. Hopefully a fresh Jordan Young is chomping at the bit to go again after his two-match ban.

Jinx? What jinx? Okay, I’ll bite and, okay, probably not for the first time. As someone who has seen their fair share of defeats in a season when defeats have not been that common place, seeing a win was fantastic. I’ll put it next to St Albans, Truro and Taunton at home, Hampton, Worthing, Eastbourne and Tonbridge away. Plus a couple of points at Chippenham and St Albans. See you all at Braintree!

I was definitely there! All that sun glinting off my blonde hair makes it look grey!🤣