Gloversblog (Page 28)

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Since Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall announced three weeks ago that he had received “40 or 50 applications” for the vacant manager’s job at Huish Park, the rumour mill has been spinning over the identity of the new boss.

The unceremonious exit of caretaker boss Charlie Lee – who was confirmed as having left with immediate effect on Friday afternoon – was accompanied with confirmation that an appointment will be announced next week.

With only a couple of days left for wild speculation, Coatesie takes a look at some of the names in the frame, make sure you read until the end and cast your vote on which of this contenders you’d most like to see.

Chris Hargreaves

The former Torquay United manager’s name has been doing the rounds on the Huish Park rumour mill for the past few weeks.

His last job was as Academy Manager at League Two (soon to be League One) side Bristol Rovers which he quit in February after 18 months in the role, having been involved in coaching in the youth set-up at The Memorial Ground since summer 2019.

During that time he oversaw the development of a number of players who progressed on to the club’s first-team including  Kyrie Pierre and Brad Burrows, who both signed for Aston Villa last year, and Luca Hoole and Jed Ward.

His last (and only) managerial experience came at Torquay United, the club he represented as a player more than 100 times, where he took over in January 2014 with the club in serious risk of relegation out of the Football League.

Hargreaves was unable to stop the rot and the Gulls were relegated that summer and he was placed on gardening leave after rejecting a pay cut and eventually left.

More recently, he is a familiar face with National League supporters as a matchday summariser with BT Sport which you assume would give him some understanding of the division, at least.


Jamie McAllister

Jamie McAllister in action for Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

A name who needs little introduction to Yeovil Town fans as the only Glovers’ captain to lift silverware for the club at Wembley Stadium when he captained the 2013 play-off winning side.

It is believed that McAllister has been interviewed for the job in recent weeks, putting his name in the frame.

Most recently, the former left-back was assistant to another Yeovil favourite, Lee Johnson, at Sunderland and left the Black Cats when the pair were sacked at the end of January.

Earlier this year, McAllister told the Gloverscast that he had considered the manager’s job at National League South side Gloucester City before moving to Wearside and when asked whether he was a future Yeovil manager, he replied: “No comment.” He was still employed at the Stadium of Light back then though – you can listen again – here.

McAllister would be a favourite with Huish Park supporters who fondly remember his two seasons as a player.


Michael Jolley

A bit of a curveball as someone with no connection to the club or even the South West, Jolley’s managerial outing saw him last just seven matches at League Two Barrow.

The former Cambridge University graduate, who has no professional playing record to speak of, spent around two months in charge in Cumbria before exiting with the Bluebirds’ chairman saying they had “differing visions for how the team should play.”

Prior to that he was in charge at Grimsby Town, then a League club, between March 2018 and November 2019, securing the club’s position in the League upon his arrival and then enjoying a moderately successful campaign in 2018-19.

Despite a strong start to the next campaign, he departed within three months by mutual consent and it was later revealed he had an “expletive laden” exchange with a BBC reporter over negative coverage of the Mariners. Something to keep in mind…..

Terry Skiverton

A bit of an outsider, however, following his departure from a first-team coaching role at League One Charlton Athletic, the Glovers’ legend has to be one for discussion.

Skivo’s two decades-long association with Yeovil came to an end back in January when he quit to take up a role in the Addicks’ coaching staff alongside Johnnie Jackson, but departed just over a week ago following the sacking of Jackson.

Speaking following his exit, the former captain, manager, and assistant manager said: “ I need to move on with my career, I have got all my qualifications – my B, A and my Pro Licence – and with all of those things, I really want to give this a crack and it’s time to move away from Yeovil.”

Given that, you would expect that a return seems unlikely, but chairman Scott Priestnall has said he is still in touch with “Tel” and spoke to him about appointing Charlie Lee as interim manager – so stranger things have happened.

Skiverton is certain to be back at Huish Park this weekend, albeit lining up for the Yeovil Town Legends against a South West Legends XI in the charity match in aid of the Adam Stansfield Foundation.

Tony Pennock celebrates the ICIS League title win in 1997. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

Tony Pennock

A former Glovers’ goalkeeper who turned out for the club more than 200 times in a six-year period left Championship side Hull City after eight years in the coaching set-up last weekend.

Speaking on his departure he revealed he wanted to “try and become a manager myself” having been part of the Tigers’ coaching set up which won their first title in more than half-a-century when they were promoted back to the second tier last season.

The Welshman was well respected in East Yorkshire having initially joined as academy manager in February 2014 before being promoted to the senior set-up in November 2016.

He had a short spell in charge at Welsh Premier League side Aberystwyth Town after Marco Silva was appointed at Hull in April 2017, only to leave and return to Humberside two months later when Silva departed.

Prior to that he had been a coach of the Wales semi-professional side and at Swansea City, but is best remembered for his time between the posts at Huish Park between 1995 and 2001.

He was part of Graham Roberts’ side which won promotion in to the Conference in 1997, and left to join Rushden & Diamonds after they beat the Glovers’ to promotion to the League.

Jerry Gill

The only member of this list of ‘maybe’ men who is actually currently employed by a football team.

Jerry Gill turning out for Yeovil Town in 1996-97. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

Gill is under contract with National League South side and defeated Somerset Premier Cup finalists Bath City (sorry, Jerry!) until next summer and therefore it would presumably cost money to release him – which naturally makes him an outsider.

Yet another former Yeovil player, he was a flying full-back in the team which won promotion back to the Conference in 1997 before joining on to join Birmingham City, he was rumoured to be in the running for the job when Darren Sarll took the job in the summer of 2019.

His managerial record saw him have a 44-day spell in charge of then-Conference South bottom club W*ymouth only to quit the cash-strapped seagull botherers before having roles in the Bristol Rovers youth team and then in the academy at Kidderminster Harriers.

Having spent two years he departed for a role in the youth set ups at first Norwich City and then Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he was Under-18s head coach. Having left Molineux in March 2017, he took up the first-team job at another of his former clubs, Bath City, in October of that year.

He extended his contract at Twerton Park by signing a two-year deal last summer having guided them to the play-off finals last season.

This year, the Romans had a disappointing campaign finishing fourth from bottom of the National League South.

So there’s some of the runners and riders, but who would you like to see next in the Huish Park hot-seat? Vote for your favourite……

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

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Somerset Premier Cup Winners 2022 ? SomersetFA

Remember where you were on the night Yeovil Town’s first team won their first silverware since 2013. Ian was at Huish Park to witness the 3-0 victory over Bath City, and here are his Five Conclusions…

We won a trophy!! Firstly, congratulations to Charlie Lee and his team. As the professional side, they had to get the job done against Jerry Gill’s Bath City. Morgan Williams early goal showed the gulf between the two sides early on, but as the first half wore on, Bath City certainly showed they were no pushovers. Lee’s side had work to do in that first half, with Tom Smith getting a lot of the ball and Bath had three decent chances to hit back. The early second half goal from Knowles really put the game beyond doubt, as the Glovers eventually clinched their 25th Somerset Premier Cup in comfort.

It was a shame to not see some of youngsters last night. Our younger players have had a lot of minutes in the SPC and have played a huge part in getting us to the final. I understand the desire to treat it as a first team game and make sure of the trophy, but it would have been nice to have seen Toby Stephens, Ollie Haste (who has signed professional terms), Max Evans get their chance. It was great to see them front and centre of the celebrations at the end as they played an important role in getting us to the final.

It wasn’t the best night for Reuben Reid. The halcyon days of March and Reid’s signs of ‘what could be’ in green and white seem to have long gone. At points in March he was unplayable but last night was one of those frustrating evenings which can give the impression of lack of effort and lack of quality. He didn’t win many (if any) headers, he was out of sync with his teammates, passes were misplaced and nothing seemed to work for the striker.

Morgan Williams. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

We can do worse than signing Ben Barclay in the summer. If we are to lose Luke Wilkinson (if you believe the social media rumour mill) and sweat on Max Hunt’s fitness – he was helped off with what looked to be a bad injury – we have a ready-made signing who will slot in perfectly in Barclay. His poise on the ball and reliability have shone through since his loan from Stockport. With Stockport on course for promotion to the EFL, you would presume he will be deemed surplus to requirements. Hopefully his time at Yeovil has made enough of an impression for all parties to want to extend it.

I’ll have what Morgan Williams is having. I said on Monday’s Gloverscast that I expected Morgan Williams to start because he’s a machine, and he proved it again. His signing last summer was met with cautious optimism, which quickly faded when it was revealed he was suffering with an injury and having to wear a special boot. What a season he’s had, however. Another 90 minutes last night, a goal, a solid defensive performance and a trophy to boot. After the season he’s had, it’s actually a bit of relief to know we’ll have him next season.

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Here at the Gloverscast we write a weekly column for the Western Gazette and if you haven’t had chance to pick up the paper yet, you can read this week’s ramblings below.

Ben takes a look at this Tuesday’s Somerset Premier Cup final and thinks it should be taken seriously…

Tickets for the final on Tuesday night at Huish Park are still available – click HERE to buy one.

The Somerset Premier Cup was probably not the silverware Yeovil Town set out to get this season.

A play off final win would have been ideal. The FA Trophy would have been one for the romantics, 20 years on from when Terry Skiverton hoisted it aloft at Villa Park and kicked off a decade of success for the Glovers.

But here we are, sat in mid table mediocrity and looking at a final few games that are nothing more than dead rubbers.

With the exception of that Somerset Premier Cup final. 

It might only be the county Cup, but, surprisingly, we haven’t won it since 2005.

This past week, we heard ambitions of making Huish Park and Yeovil the number one sporting venue in the county…and as the only professional football club in Somerset, we should probably be winning the County Cup more than once every generation.

For some players, it might be the best chance they get to put on a show for those handing out contracts for next season.

Max Evans. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

It has the only source of first team football for young keeper Max Evans, Toby Stephens and a number of the Under-18s who will want to try and bridge the gap to mens’ football in the coming years.

And what of Bath City, managed by former Glover Jerry Gill. The’re the second biggest side in the competition and 16th in the National League South probably wasn’t what they were hoping for. They’ll take this game seriously and will fancy something of an upset against their old rivals from the league above.

The team selections throughout have been very respectful and as strong as reasonably could be, but as legs begin to tire and motivation begins to wane, I hope Charlie Lee can get his players up for one more go at winning something.

And who knows, maybe it’ll be a bit of a catalyst for success too. 

 

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Yeovil wrapped up their home campaign with a 2-2 draw against Boreham Wood at Huish Park yesterday. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

We stuck with the plan and deserved the point, if not more. At half time, I expected to see Charlie Lee make changes, given how early he made them against Wealdstone. At 2-0 down, it felt to me like we struggled to find our rhythm in the 5-3-2. But, no changes were forthcoming from Charlie Lee and his team battled back when it all looked pretty bleak at half time. Fair play to Charlie, he stuck with the system that they’d been working on through the week and his team performed for him.

Luke Wilkinson fires home the equaliser. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

It was a relief to finally get something from set pieces. Our poor return from set pieces is no secret this season, but we finally managed to convert not one, but two. It feels like we’ve been waiting for a long throw to pay off since Charlie Lee was hauling them into the box in 2019. Finally, Morgan Williams (or was it Mendy?) put one in the net. And not long after that, Luke Wilkinson got his first of the season with an excellent freekick, aided by Ashmore taking a huge step to his right and leaving the left side of his goal open.

Dale Gorman had a game to forget. I think Gorman has had a decent first season at Huish Park. When he plays well, we play well. He keeps the ball ticking over and he has an eye for pass – just look at his assist for Josh Neufville against Southend. Yesterday, though, was one of his bad days. Having missed a penalty, which would have brought us level, he then got caught in possession and tried to claim a freekick as Dennon Lewis raced away to double Wood’s lead. Gorman’s frustration boiled over 10 minutes later he was booked for dissent. He improved in the second half, but he has had his moments this season.

 

I’d love Charlie Lee to still be with us next season. Considering he was brought in as Darren Sarll’s assistant until the end of the season at Skivo’s departure, Charlie Lee has had to make a hell of a step up in his short time back at the club. I think he’s been a breathe of fresh air as manager. We’ve played more adventurously since he’s taken the reins and I think the team look more relaxed – albeit with considerably less pressure. While I’m not sure he’s the right man to get us out of the National League, he’s a ready-made assistant whose relationship with the current crop (should a few remain) will be crucial to any incoming manager.

Huish Park hasn’t been a happy place this season, but yesterday had a different feel to it. The return of the Get Pedalling ride was a moment I won’t forget in a hurry. This group, who’ve shared their story of the week on our podcast feed, have been an inspiration with their efforts. To see them arrive at Huish Park led by Lee Collins’ partner Rachel, including club legend Terry Skiverton and cheered on by supporters, players and staff set a positive tone for the afternoon. Add to that, the more than 300 kids which the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust brought to Huish Park yesterday and there was a nice feel about the place. Let’s have more of those moments next season, with the community at the heart of their football club.

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Jack Robinson in action for Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil didn’t have enough to find their way through ten-man Wealdstone on Bank Holiday Monday. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from the John Lukins press box at Huish Park.

Up until the red card, Wealdstone looked in the mood. The North-London side took control of possession early on and carried themselves with purpose, zipping the ball around Huish Park. They looked comfortable in and out of possession and should have taken the lead in the first half after missing a flurry of chances in the six yard box. They showed that being part time can mean little in the National League and they played like a team well worth their spot in the division.

It was the same old story against a team below us. If Saturday was a similar story against a team towards the top, yesterday’s was the same against a team below us. Once again this Yeovil side couldn’t break down a resilient defence and failed to create anything meaningful. Half chances for Josh Neufville and Jack Robinson alongside pot-shots from distance never overly troubled Wealdstone and but for Grant Smith’s flying save from Jack Cook’s effort, the Stones could have taken all three points.

It was nice to see both fullbacks getting forward. Jack Robinson’s return from injury moved Morgan ‘Mr Versatile’ Williams to fullback and for what feels like the first time in a long time, we saw both Robinson and Williams get high up the pitch and give Wealdstone’s wingbacks something to think about. While we never found a winner, it felt like with fullbacks flying forward we caused more problems than we have in previous fixtures when we’ve been chasing a goal.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Despite throwing players forward, we never looked like we’d find a goal. After the red card, I felt like it was a perfect opportunity for Lawson D’Ath, Matty Worthington and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton to take control of that midfield battle and show what creativity they have to offer. Despite flashes of skill from Lo-Everton he wasn’t able to unlock the defence from his ‘number ten’ position. Sonny has definitely grown over his time at Yeovil and he’s come on leaps and bounds from his first outing and with experience he’ll find the right key in those positions. But for now, we’re left with the disappointment of ‘what could have been?’

Can we get this season over and done with? 2021/22 has dragged on and I couldn’t be more ready for it to end and the preparation for the next season to begin. There’s a hell of a lot to sort out in the boardroom, in the dugout and on the pitch and the sooner it’s sorted the better. The crowd at Huish Park was flat, the weather was dull and the football was about as mid-table as it gets. Let’s all get to the beach and figure it out over a Thatchers.

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With the Yeovil Town Legends game just under a couple of weeks away we thought it was nigh on time to dig out the old Ciderspace photo archives again, so we searched for an image of each of the Glovers legends from the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007 sides who will be back to represent the Green and White army once more against a select South West Legends side.

Tickets are stil available for the match on Saturday May 14th – Starting at £8 for adults, £4 for kids with family tickets on offer as well.
Click HERE to buy yours, now!

Chris Weale

Steve Collis

Adam Lockwood

Andy Lindegaard

Terry Skiverton

Colin Miles

Roy O’Brien

Nathan Jones

Abdou El Kholti

Paul Terry

Chris Cohen

Lee Johnson

Darren Way

Arron Davies

Gavin Williams

Nick Crittenden

Chris Giles

Phil Jevons

Kevin Gall

Kirk Jackson

Gary Johnson

Steve Thompson

A little trip down memory lane… and i’ve saved the best until last…

Just look at those fans…

Tickets are stil available for the match on Saturday May 14th – Starting at £8 for adults, £4 for kids with family tickets on offer as well.
Click HERE to buy yours, now!

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Ahead of Yeovil Town‘s 2-1 win over Stockport County last weekend, a number of the club’s supporters received an invitation to come to the Alec Stock Lounge at Huish Park to speak with chairman Scott Priestnall.

It was the first time the owner had been seen at the club on a matchday since the BBC television cameras were in town for the FA Cup third round tie with AFC Bournemouth in January, and he was providing an update on the on and off-the-field situation.

This followed a tumultuous 24 hours including the resignation of fellow director Glenn Collis and a statement from the club saying the chairman was seeking to assemble a new board including “local business people.”

Owner Scott Priestnall, flanked by Commercial Manager Mark Robinson, right, and matchday announcer Ian Welch, left, speaks to fans in the Alec Stock Lounge at Huish Park.
Picture: @YTFC Twitter

From Monday, the club has released a series of video clips showing the chairman speaking with matchday stadium announcer Ian Welch on a series of topics and, to try and summarise, we have put them together in to a Gloversblog – so here goes:

 

Video 1: Managerial Update: Priestnall updated around the long-term situation around the club’s vacant manager’s job, saying:

  • There have been “40 or 50 applications” submitted for the club’s vacant manager’s job and interviews are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
  • Charlie Lee will be spoken to as part of the club’s selection process for a new manager.
  • Darren Sarll was released from his contract following an offer from National League rivals, Woking.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.

 

Video 2: Player contracts and recruitment

In the second video, the chairman spoke about the situation with the club’s current crop of players and gave his thoughts on future recruitment, saying:

  • He has spoken with a number of the club’s current playing squad and made offers to some to extend their stays at Huish Park.
  • The club is targeting a play-off finish in the National League next season, and the chairman believes changes in the playing staff are required to achieve that.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.

 

Video 3 – Financial situation: With the club having lost almost £400,000 last year, the chairman spoke about the club’s financial situation and his plans to bring new investment in, saying:

  • He believes the club’s financial position is “pretty healthy” considering the challenges it has faced with COVID-19 in the past couple of years.
  • He has had conversations with a number of people about investment in the club, including people joining the board at Huish Park.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.

 

Video 4 – The long-term vision: Released on Tuesday morning, the chairman spoke about nearly £1m in loans the club has taken from Sport England and his plans to create a long-term vision for the club, saying:

  • He is still hoping that the Sports Minister will write off loans taken by non-League clubs which initially it was believed would be available in the form of non-repayable grants.
  • He is hoping that a long-term vision for the club will be in place over the summer.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.


Video 5 – Communication with supporters: In the last (gripping?) instalment of The Priestnall Tapes, the chairman spoke about his relationship with the Supporters’ Alliance, a group which represents the main fans’ groups at the club, saying:

  • He felt the club was “put up for sale without my knowledge” when the Glovers’ Trust activated its Asset of Community Value and backed a takeover offer from Simul Sports.
  • He hoped to be able to rejoin Alliance meetings but said he believed the group needed to set out some objectives.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.


Video 6 – Matchday experience: In this video, Commercial Manager Mark Robinson discusses the work which has been ongoing to improve the matchday experience, saying:

  • Work is ongoing with the Supporters’ Alliance to improve the matchday experience and plans for further improvements are “in the pipeline.”
  • Scott Priestnall adds that he continues to “run the club on a day-to-day basis” saying he speaks with Stadium Manager, James Hillier, “five or six times a day.

Find out more in our news article on this update – here.
Watch the video on the club’s Twitter feed – here.

And the one that wasn’t a video: The chairman spoke about the situation with a takeover of the club by the Simul Sports consortium and insisted he could not speak about South Somerset District Council’s proposed purchase and lease back of Huish Park and land around it, the headlines were:

  • He accepted an offer to takeover the club from Simul Sports, but said the consortium “never put money on the table.“
  • The deal to sell Huish Park and surrounding land to South Somerset District Council “remains an option.“
  • A new manager, players and a board of directors will be appointed by Priestnall before he releases details of season tickets.

You can read about this one – here

 

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Not many would have thought that Yeovil Town would complete the double over National League big-spenders Stockport County. But that’s exactly what Charlie Lee’s Glovers managed yesterday. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from an excellent game at Huish Park.

It was another match which showed how crazy our season has been. I said before the match that it wouldn’t have surprised me if we nicked the game given some of our results against the better sides this season. And boy did we. It felt like Stockport were banging the door down for the entire first half, but we held firm and after a slick bit of skill from Tom Knowles (#DFILWF) he finished brilliantly just before half time. His goal was the springboard which seemed to galvanise the Glovers and Charlie Lee’s side grew in confidence as the match progressed.

It was amazing to finally see a Josh Neufville goal at Huish Park. A quick break and our lockdown hero was in behind the Stockport defence. He showed

Josh Neufville wheels away after scoring Yeovil’s second.

the calmness of a seasoned striker and coolly sent Hinchcliffe the wrong way to send those that were at Huish Park wild. He’s had to play a different game than he did last season. Yesterday he was starved of the ball at points and really had to make the most of his own possession and when it mattered he made it count.

We didn’t let Stockport’s changes count. Dave Challinor made a double substitution at half time and before Crankshaw and Hippolyte has a chance to settle into the game and make a difference, we were 2-0 up. Another change followed swiftly and although Hippolyte scored against his old club, the red card of Will Collar two minutes later meant they had another on-pitch change to make. It felt like Stockport never managed to get going as cohesively in the second half as they did in the first, and we managed to deal with most of their threat comfortably.

Stockport’s own supporters took their side’s momentum. After Hippolyte’s goal a blue smoke bomb was thrown into Grant Smith’s six yard box. County players had swiftly grabbed the ball to force a quick restart, but their momentum was totally lost as a stewards had to wait for the smoke bomb to extinguish before they could safely remove it. Collar’s deserved red card for a dangerously high foot on Dale Gorman shortly after the delay just exacerbated things for County’s evidently frustrated players. Dave Challinor thought the same:

Central defender Max Hunt. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Max Hunt stepped back in supremely. You wouldn’t have known it was Hunt’s first game back after months out injured. The centre back was dominant against the National League’s lethal pairing of Paddy Madden and Scott Quigley. The deadly duo had moments of freedom in the first half, but Hunt was a man mountain, winning everything in the air and throwing himself in front of efforts at goal. His confidence shone through and was clear to see when he executed a textbook Cryuff turn on the halfway line before getting Yeovil on the attack. It was the kind of performance from Hunt which hammered home the urgent need to secure the futures of some of these players.

 

 

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After another draw against the seagull botherers, Ian reflects on an afternoon at The Bob Lucas Stadium…

The first half was a non-event. Weymouth definitely took the Derby Day feeling in their stride and it wasn’t until the second half that Yeovil found their rhythm. We kept bypassing out midfield with long balls up to Reuben Reid which always expose his weaknesses. For whatever reason we couldn’t get any passing game going and Weymouth had a comfortable first half from a defensive perspective and but for a couple of offside flags, they could have gone into half time with a lead.

This was our final big opportunity to get another moment out of the season and we couldn’t manage it. It was another game where we’ve not got a result against a side that everyone else seems to. Weymouth’s form has been dismal as of late and the 1300 expectant travelling Glovers anticipated a positive result. We conspired to not win, yet again, and we’ve failed to beat Weymouth in 90 minutes in four games this season.

It wasn’t quite the same old story. Yes we struggled going forward, especially in the first half, but I thought we looked vulnerable in defence where we haven’t previously. Barclay and Wilkinson were given a difficult afternoon by Weymouth’s harassing forwards. The wingbacks nullified the threat of Barnett and Knowles in the first half and put pressure on Williams and Little going forward too.

Josh Staunton disagrees with Brad Ash of W*ymouth in the FA Cup replay at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

The YTFC faithful turned out in force. It was great to see such a strong following at The Bob Lucas Stadium. They were quietened by the performance of Weymouth in the first half but they found their voice again and helped create an electric atmosphere. If we can replicate that passion and that noise at home, our results at Huish Park might have been a bit different this season. But, we know what needs to happen there.

I won’t miss Weymouth. We’ve had a dull time against our old foes this season. While we have the stress of an awful penalty shootout in the eye of a storm in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, we’ve not been able to dispatch them over 90 minutes. As a supporter who hasn’t experienced that rivalry with Weymouth, I’ve found it difficult to haven strength of feeling about them, other than annoyance that we couldn’t beat them this season and begrudging acceptance of our plight.

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Charlie Lee’s debut in front of the Huish Park crowd ended in defeat as Yeovil Town failed to take their opportunities and gifted an Aldershot Town side battling against the drop two goals on a sunny Good Friday afternoon.

Coatesie travelled down from his northern home for the match between his hometown team and his adopted hometown team (no, he wasn’t the away fan who needed medical treatment), and here are his conclusions….

Even the glorious sunshine could not hide the cracks at Huish Park. I’m not just talking about on the pitch – although there were some of those, which I’ll come too – but this was my first home game in well over two years and it’s sad to see the state of the place. Even if you can look past the unloved, run down infrastructure, I heard at least half-a-dozen people complain at the lack of a printed programme (not a problem for me, but it clearly it is for some supporters), the tea bars were shut for away fans meaning big queues in the Screwfix Family Stand. Yet again, it’s the same relentlessly cheery volunteers and underappreciated staff who are fronting up, whilst the only sign of our absent owner, Scott Priestnall, were the chants calling for him to go. If I were him, I wouldn’t want to face up to what my lack of interest and investment was doing to more than 125 years of history either……but I’m not the one who bought a football club less than three years ago.

On the pitch, it wasn’t a great day either. We seemed to forget how to score goals again. The freedom we

Josh Neufville. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

been playing with in recent weeks deserted us and we were unable to find our way through an Aldershot team who had absolutely no reason to do anything more than keep it tight and hit us on the break. Josh Neufville was paired alongside Reuben Reid in a front two and ran tirelessly but too often in the first half there were aimless balls played up to him. At the start of the second half we got it down better and laid siege to the visitors’ goal but just could not find a way through, and when we gifted Giles Phillips the freedom of the area to head home the opener, it felt like game over. I think we could have stayed out there all Easter and not scored.

Our full-backs didn’t not look comfortable. When I saw Mark Little and Jordan Barnett on either side of defence, I was pleased that we had a recognised right and left back on the pitch. However, from the start, Mark Little did not seem to be running comfortably and had problems containing Aldershot down his side. Barnett looked rusty in his first start in almost a month and, although he can still put in a fantastic sliding tackle when he needs too, does seem more effective further up the pitch. I’d put Morgan Williams back in for W*ymouth on Easter Monday.

Dale Gorman. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Please can we get Dale Gorman off free-kicks with a shot on goal? I know he scored that one at Dover, but surely we have other players who have the potential to get a more meaningful effort on goal. There was one in the first half of this match about 25 yards out which I thought was crying out for a Luke Wilkinson pile driver to test the keeper, but no. Or, to quote my Thatcher’s Stand companion, Chris Fox: “Oh, f*** off, Gorman!” It was funny to start with (tequila and all that) but I’m now starting to see what the Glentoran supporters were telling us when we signed him – he shoots from literally everywhere.

Tom Knowles was a bright spot – again. I feel like I have done nothing but complain in my previous four conclusions….so let me end of at least one positive. There were some bright spots and, as is often the case, Tom Knowles was one of them with his relentless desire to attack. When we got the ball to him, Aldershot didn’t know what to do and when we repeated that with other players (especially early in the second half) the same occurred. You know what you need to do on Monday, boys.