Gloversblog (Page 5)

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It was a night to forget as Yeovil Town huffed and puffed without ever blowing down the house of bottom-of-the-table Ebbsfleet United in Kent last night. Dave was among the 150 who made the journey and here are his thoughts from the away end.

An absolute stinker: There’s no sugar-coating this one. Against a team which bottom of the league and playing with ten men for half-an-hour, to get 0 shots on target in the second half is unforgivable. Ebbsfleet were playing for a point from the first minute, but we showed no attacking intent for large parts of that game. The fact we’ve finished a game and no-one is saying a word about the referee for once tells you that he was favourable to us and he absolutely was. Truth is, we have no-one to blame but ourselves.
 
Rover The Dog’s expression summing up the feelings of those in the away end.
 
The moments came when we went direct: I feel like I have written this half-a-dozen times this season. I’m the wrong Pleb for nuanced tactical analysis, tune in to Friday’s podcast for that, but the moments a threatened were when we ditched the patient passing. I get that you need to be in control to find the moments to go direct but it just did not happen often enough. In ‘The 3 Loanees’ (Ciaran McGuckin, Kofi Shaw and Sean McGurk) we should have the quality to unlock the leakiest defence in the division. Another cross, another block, and rinse/repeat. It screamed of the need to try something else.
 
What has happened to our defence?: Another defensive error has cost us. We didn’t say that much last season, did we? But I will bet everything I have that Ebbsfleet are playing in National League South next season, and we gifted them one. The goal was a difficult one to see from my vantage point in the away end, but it looked like Jake Wannell got done. There’s so much quality in our defensive players, but their mistakes are killing us right now. See above for how our attacking play is also killing us right now.
 
Sean McGurk. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
 
Sean McGurk, take a bow: Thank goodness for McGurk’s goal. Even from the distance of the away end, it looked an absolute beauty. The skill to spin away from the midfielder from a ball dropping from some distance was just mouth-watering, little nutmeg and then a superb strike in off the post. It was going to take something to threaten Brett McGavin (either the free-kick at Boston or the rocket at Woking) in the Goal of the Season contest, but that’s put the cat right among the pigeons. 
 
We’re still mid-table: Yes, yes, I hear you shouting at me. Hear me out. We go to football to be entertained and (McGurk’s goal aside) nothing entertained me about Yeovil’s performance last night. But I could say that about so many Yeovil sides down the years. I’ve wasted days of my life, spent thousands of pounds and burned thousands more miles for the pleasure and that is something I accept as a lower league football fan. I come to matches hoping to be entertained, but never expecting it. The reality is that this style of play has us where we should be this season, in mid-table. That is a statistic you cannot argue, the concern for me is we have got there getting results against other mid/lower table sides and last night was a golden opportunity to get one. Ebbsfleet are battling against almost inevitable relegation and yet they showed character, we need to summon some of that and show the undoubted quality we have – the players, the manager, everyone. Okay, you can carry on shouting at me again now.
 
I didn’t even get to talk about the heartbreak of finding out The Rose has shut.

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Morgan Alexander puts Yeovil Town Under-18s ahead. Picture courtesy of Matt Partridge.

Last week saw the news that Yeovil Town Under 18s have withdrawn from the Western Counties Floodlight League in order to protect the Huish Park pitch, which has been blasted with severe weather over the last few months. The club’s statement said that the league rejected our proposed change of venue for home fixtures forcing Yeovil’s hand to drop out of the competition. I understand that we’d agreed to use a local non-league club for the fixtures. The club has reiterated its commitment to development and is ‘working to arrange high-quality matches against top local league clubs’.

It’s a shame for the club, the kids and the league itself, that surely benefits from having Yeovil in the division, and for whatever political reason the decision has been made, it potentially impacts the future careers of some talented kids. Many of us clamour for that “Green Machine” that produced Chris Weale, Andy Lindegaard, Chris Giles, Craig Alcock and others who came through the academy and part of the first team. As we’ve seen down the road at Exeter, a thriving academy can prove lucrative and create the holy grail; a self-sustaining football club.

Could anyone else not help but get a bit jealous of our National League comrades in FA Cup 3rd Round action? Seeing Dagenham at Millwall and Tamworth take Tottenham (what do we think of Tottenham?) to the limit really hit home. The power of the FA Cup and what it can means for small clubs was very evident.

Distant Glover’s FA Cup commentary

It’s a disgrace that Tamworth’s reward for keeping Tottenham at bay for more than 90 minutes doesn’t see them earn a lucrative replay. That money would be club-changing for Tamworth and while they’ll get some attention, splitting the gate at Spurs would have been the real jackpot. The top teams have got their way though. While they have their multi-million pound training centres with every recovery remedy at their fingertips, Yeovil Town play their second match of three in the space of seven days tonight.

Assistant referee. Picture by Gary Brown

Once again, the officiating was up for discussion following the draw at Woking. There’ve been so many flash points this season, moments in games where you can’t quite believe what your seeing. It would be fascinating to know how other clubs feel about the officiating. Since Hartlepool on the opening day and Tom Parkes’ tackle on Jordan Young, referees have drawn the ire of Mark Cooper. After Gateshead, Boston, Solihull, Sutton United, Oldham, Tamworth, Southend, Halifax, York City, Forest Green Rovers, Woking there have been questions asked about key decisions in matches and comments around the officials. Is there a conspiracy against Yeovil? Are officials going into Yeovil matches with their backs up because of comments made about officials following previous matches? I’m not convinced there is a conspiracy against the Glovers but we certainly see some questionable decisions in our matches.

The ESPN National League Fair Play table from the past six seasons shows there was an increase in yellows per game last season with an average of 1.89 per match in 2023/24 compared to 1.59 in 2022/23. So far this season there’s an average of 2.08 yellows per match. So, either players are getting naughtier or they’re falling foul as the laws of the game change. I’m sure we all long for a fixture where the referee isn’t the topic and it’s all about the performance. However, based on the season so far, I’m sure we’re in for plenty more refereeing conversations.

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I’m rule one-ing this one. What more is there to say about officials that hasn’t already been said? I’m not convinced they were penalties, though. Here are my Five Conclusions from the 1-1 draw with Woking.

We didn’t impose our game in the second half. I thought the first half was even, and we deserved to go in ahead. Everything was in our favour, 1-0, shooting towards the home end (which had been in good voice during the first half) I thought we’d push on and get those three points. But, we never got going. Woking controlled the second half and imposed their game on us. They’re a good well-organised team and far from the side we faced a few weeks ago, but, so are we. As the game wore, to me, it felt like it was more a case of trying not to lose, rather than trying to win until the dying stages of the game.

Sean McGurk. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

What a header from Jarvis. In the first half I thought we looked more likely to create something, especially from the wide areas with Nouble and Sims getting those “bits and pieces’ around the box. Aaron Jarvis had plenty to do with Charlie Cooper’s looping cross into the box from deep in stoppage time. There was only one way that header was finding the back of the net and it was perfectly executed by Yeovil’s number nine.

Dale Gorman, man. We know Gorman’s game well. He did it for us for a season and I think he was generally under appreciated. Now when he returns to Huish Park he gives the shithouse performance of a lifetime and keeps his teams ticking. Somehow he wasn’t booked and his antics saw Cooper carded in less than three minutes. He was at the heart of everything for Woking (alongside former Glover Jamie Andrews) constantly probing and once again left Huish Park being booed.

Dale Gorman. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

We left it late to make attacking changes. At 1-0, with 20 minutes left and a Woking side that were gaining momentum and made a couple of attacking substitutes we opted to take out Nouble and bring in Michael Smith. Four minutes later O’Brien equalise. It wasn’t until the 83rd minute that we changes things further up the pitch and brought Maddox on for McGurk (my MOTM) and then 90+4 we bring on Greenslade. The tactical change didn’t pay dividends and I’m not sure it had enough time to. 

What is it about the home form? Yeovil have won just four out of the 14 home matches (including W*ymouth) this season, which after the form last season is surprising. I know we didn’t win, but on New Years Day we went to Forest Green and played brilliantly for 75 minutes against a top team. The ability to reproduce that consistently is why we’re in the middle. Last season ‘Fortress Huish’ was a big part of our success and for whatever we’ve not been able to reproduce that. With Gateshead coming to town on Friday, there’s a unique opportunity to give people an entertaining night out at the football and put on a show!

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The return of Ciaran McGuckin will provide some much-needed firepower up front for Yeovil. His recall back to Rotherham in October left us short on support for Aaron Jarvis – and with Harvey Greenslade not fully fit and then loaned out to Weston-super-Mare – the attacking combinations have quite clicked like they did with McGuckin in the forward line.

Aaron Jarvis has toiled so far this season, dropping deep to bring other players into the game and generally warring with defenders to keep the shirt on his back. McGuckin’s return will take the pressure off Jarvis somewhat, and add another dynamic to an attack that has struggled to break down teams higher in the table.

Ciaran McGuckin scores his first Yeovil goal. Pic by Gary Brown.

Speaking of the top of the table, over the weekend York City completed the permanent signing of Josh Stones from League One side Wigan Athletic. The 21-year-old hasn’t played a lot of football but scored seven goals in 10 appearances over two loan spells for Oldham and the rumours are that the Minstermen have spent six-figures on the striker.

The signing adds to the mountain of evidence that it takes big money to get out of the National League. Stockport, Wrexham, Notts County, Chesterfield have all spent fortunes to get back to the EFL and with York City not afraid to splash the cash and Forest Green Rovers bankrolled by Dale Vince, who in 2022 had a net worth of more than £100m, it’s going to take something special to lay a glove on the top of the table.


It’s not like we’ve not been here before though. Think back to that 2012/13 season and Gary’s heroes. On paper we had no right to be in the conversation with Doncaster, Bournemouth, Brentford and Sheffield United at the top end of the table – half of those four have become Premier League stalwarts since. But, we managed it with a brilliant team spirit and a togetherness with the supporters that has the potential to be the difference-maker on the day. If the January reinforcements arrive and this run of home games returns some performances and points, I believe we can keep the pace with the play off chasers.

FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE BILL

In the broader picture of the game, the Football Governance Bill has passed its second reading in the House of Lords, with some phases still to go, but an email from the Fair Game organisation popped into my inbox on the 30th of December and they think there’s further to go still. If you fancy settling in for a read they have plenty of suggestions about adding more teeth to the bill here. We’re an associate member of the Football Supporters Association and they’ve provided five suggested amendments too. Two of which are specifically around engagement with supporters. One thing is for sure; robust supporter organisations and representatives will be crucial when the bill comes into effect.

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2025 didn’t quite kick off how Yeovil would have hoped with defeat at Forest Green Rovers. Here are my Five Conclusions from the 2-1 loss at The New Lawn.

I hate talking about the officials. At this point it feels like an inevitability that there will be contentious decisions at the heart of a Yeovil game. Interestingly, Steve Cotterill said after the match that Forest Green were due a penalty having had none all season, although I’m not sure that justifies it. Kofi Shaw’s first yellow card, a classic case of six of one, half a dozen of the other was harsh in my opinion. The penalty decision is a close call too, and it’s hard to say with the angles I’ve seen whether it’s inside the box or not. However, once again we’re left complaining about the officiating in a match and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s bored of it. 

Ref, Referee, Match Official
Pic Gary Brown

I thought we were excellent. The first half performance from the Glovers was what you’d have wanted away at one of the top sides in the division. Only once did the defence get really stretched and Yeovil stuck to their principles and moved the ball calmly and patiently. The opening goal from Kofi Shaw shows some real bravery from Ollie Wright to throw it out to Shaw over the Forest Green midfield and the 18-year-old took it from there. We had a couple of overloads where, on another day, we could have taken advantage of.

The nippy fellas are key. I thought Josh Sims had the best match of his time at Yeovil so far. There was a lot to do on our left both defensively and offensively and but for a couple of misplaced passes in the final third, he did really well. Kofi Shaw continued doing Kofi Shaw things – the kid’s a maverick and we should celebrate and encourage that in football. I was also impressed with Sean McGurk – nippy, technical and not afraid to shoot – it’s early days but he appears to be an upgrade on Dylan Morgan in that part of the pitch. We know we need to do more in the final third and with some help for Aaron Jarvis, I think we can find it.

We are so close. The first half performance showed me that this group are so close to being a team that flirting with the top end of the table. We’ve clearly got the quality in the team and when it clicks we look comfortable defensively and really assured on the ball. Forest Green were always going to be a bit more open than sides we’d play at home as they’re gunning to get out of the league straight away, but until they brought on two giants in Cardwell and Quigley we handled everything they threw at us. Once again though, it was the attacking moments that we didn’t take advantage of.

Kofi Shaw. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Reinforcements are much-needed. It was reassuring to hear Mark Cooper talk about freshening up the squad in the next ten days. With two youth players on the bench (and two goalkeepers) the depth is sorely lacking at the moment. I thought Aaron Jarvis had another tough task in the second half, especially after the red and substitution of McGurk. The energy that Sims and Worthington brought in the first half wasn’t there in the second, naturally. I actually thought the game could of have done with Frank Nouble from the bench, just to see if something stuck and took the pressure of the back line as Forest Green bombarded the Yeovil box. 

 

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It was late, late heartbreak for Yeovil Town as a 90+3 minute goal saw Eastleigh share the spoils in what turned out to be a Boxing Day goal bonanza at Huish Park yesterday.

Dave was in the Thatcher’s Stand to watch it all and here are his conclusions on it all….

Two sloppy mistakes cost us: At the time of writing, I have not seen the highlights of this one, but on first viewing that is such a frustrating result. Eastleigh are a side only one point below us in the National League Premier table and yet at times we looked far the better team and the biggest annoyance is that it is our own defensive sloppiness that cost us three points we deserved. How a player who is the same height as me (5’7″ish) wins a header against our defence for the first is annoying and the second equaliser looked like it might be offside on first viewing which would be irritating, but not as irritating as I suspect it will be on the highlights.

Two goals, but it should have been more: The statistics (courtesy of a well-known gambling firm which Gloverscast Ben works for) show we had seven shots on target and three off target and yet only managed two goals. The story of our season, I know, we’ve heard it all before, I get it. It’s not a revolutionary thought to say we are desperately crying out for a partner for Aaron Jarvis……but, my goodness, we are crying out for a partner for Aaron Jarvis.

Kofi Shaw. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Chip in for a cup of Kofi?: Kofi Shaw again looked unplayable at times. You could tell Eastleigh knew who he was by the way they had three defenders on him from the off and it is a massive compliment to him that he did not let that put him off. Never afraid to try something, never afraid to have a shot, I love that about it. The biggest concern is that his initial loan spell, advertised as “until January” when he joined in October, from Bristol Rovers may be about to come to an end. There’s a new manager in charge at the Memorial Ground, ex-Brighton & Hove Albion coach Indigo Calderon, and he might want to have a look at this teenage talisman. 

The (not so) green, green grass of home: The one group of people I felt the most for on Boxing Day was the Huish Park ground staff, at half-time they could only do the most minor of running repairs to a heavily-sanded surface. They are the victims of some horrendous bad weather in recent weeks (months?) and it is impossible to think when it was not rainy and lacking in sun in Somerset. That team are doing their best to do what they can, all they (and we) can do is pray for more merciful conditions in 2025.

2024 – you’ve been a blast: Boxing Day 2023 was a great day with a 4-1 home win over Taunton Town and if you had told me the 12 months which followed would have panned out like it did, there’s not much would change. Maybe this season’s FA Cup and FA Trophy results, but if we’re honest, who would not have taken tenth in the National League Premier at this stage? It’s the start of a long road back to where we should be and there will be more ups and downs along the way – but 2024, you’ve been great. 2025? Let’s see what you’ve got!

Champions, every one of you
📸 Gary Brown

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It was cold, windy and hardly one for the football purists, but with three play-off pushing points on the line, it was Hartlepool United that got the better of the first ‘local’ festive fixture.

Ben was there for BBC Somerset, here’s how he saw it.

The conditions played their part

It was ‘blowing a hoolie’ for the full 90 minutes and the temperature really plummeted in the second half, the on-off rain showers and all round tough conditions made it less of a game of football and more of a battle to see who could make fewer errors.

I believe it was the right call to go with a more experienced line-up and for the most part the Glovers’ senior men did their best to mitigate the weather and situation, but there were so many misplaced, misjudged, mistimed moments in the game from both sides that it was a really difficult game to judge.

Anyone got a ladder?

Another referee fiasco

I’m bored of talking about them, you’re bored of hearing about them, it’s boring that once again they’re the centre of attention.

For me, it’s never a penalty, never in a million years is it a penalty.

Hartlepool defender Tom Parkes feels a finger tip on his back and hits the deck because the ball is going to fly way above his head and the official falls for it.

But all game, Aaron Jackson was desperate to make it an even greater stop-start fest.

Not everything is a foul, not everything needs an interference.

At one point he stopped Pools from taking a free-kick from the wrong place, only to have them move it… maybe a foot? 

We created Rule 1 of the Gloverscast (All refs are rubbish at this level, get on with it, don’t moan about it and don’t let them be a defining factor) and I want to stick to it. But please, just one good one. Just one.

The perfect tens

The difference between the sides were the players playing in the bank behind the front man.

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe had so much support from Adam Campbell, Joe Grey, Anthony Mancini and Luke Charman interchanging at will and linking together so well.

Aaron Jarvis did not have that same support.

Aaron Jarvis thinks he’s scored….but looks across to see the linesman’s flag raised.

So many times he fought for the ball in the air and either won the header or caused enough hassle for the ball to break free. It all too rarely found a supporting Glover within touching distance of the former Torquay man.

That was the difference for me.

Frank Nouble is playing like a man low on confidence in desperate need of a goal.

Josh Sims came on and stuck to his flank just fine but never really bridged that gap, and Brett McGavin and Matt Worthington couldn’t fill the gap because they got dragged into a midfield battle with the ball just coming back at us time after time.

I am desperate for Jarvis to find a partner up there and it wasn’t until Kofi Shaw came on that he managed to find that space, fill it and do something with it. 

Our record against the top half sides stinks

…and actually, as a newly-promoted side, that’s probably OK. But as a side with genuine ambitions to make that top seven now or in the future, it’s the only way to secure progression.

The side that came up last year is slowly being evolved, and I’ll be honest, I don’t mind what I’m seeing in terms of player departures, so long as there’s incomings. So long as it is with the aim of turning a squad of players who are good enough to not get relegated from the National League into a squad of players who are good enough to not get relegated from League Two.

85 heroes in the away end.

We can’t avoid this hardy bunch can we? Yeovil fans are a really special group of people.

I don’t always agree with their opinions, I don’t enjoy some stuff on social media, but I am continually impressed by the desire to follow their team, no matter what.

85 of you bonkers lot put Christmases on hold to travel 700 miles and support their team.

You’re a real credit to your team, to your club and whilst the result might not have gone our way, I think 85 of you have a rightful claim to ‘Player of the Match’.

 

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Yeovil picked up an important three points to keep pace with the playoff pack yesterday. Here are five conclusions from my view from the Huish Park press box.

Matt Worthington and the team celebrate Aaron Jarvis’ goal.
(Pic C/O Gary Brown)

It was the result we needed after Tuesday. It was important that Yeovil reacted off the back of the disappointment of W*ymouth and pick up three points. While the performance over the entire 90 minutes wasn’t rip-roaring, three goals after lots of change before and during the match (on and off the the pitch) shows the resilience in this group of players. 

The initial changes didn’t quite work. It was quite a radical adjustment following W*ymouth with the five changes, albeit enforced with injuries to Plant and Whittle, and it didn’t properly click. Yeovil didn’t enjoy the usual control of the game that we’ve become accustomed to. I thought we were quite compact centrally with Cooper, Worthington and McGavin all treading on eachothers’ toes and Braintree were able to control the first half.

The second half changes worked. The switch to the more familiar 3-4-3 was more comfortable for the players and they gained more of a foothold in the match. Ed James header forced Braintree to chase the game and when we switched to a 4-2-3-1 we were able to make the most of the space. Sims, Nouble and Morgan all made a difference from the bench, with Morgan being absolutely pivotal for Brett McGavin’s clincher. 

Kofi Shaw (Pic C/O Gary Brown)

Keep mavericks in football. Kofi Shaw enjoyed another afternoon at Huish Park (much like against Maidenhead) where he had a free role and covered every blade of grass. He’s brave on the ball and is happy to put himself about against bigger lads too. He’s the kind of player who thrives when given license to roam and pull strings. Consistency is the challenge here. Can he do it week in week out and will he get the opportunity to do it?

We’re keeping pace and in the playoffs. The reaction from Tuesday was justified and warranted. It should never have happened. But, in the league we are in the playoff positions again and I think we’re absolutely punching above our weight right now. I understand that the style isn’t to everyone’s taste and there is a split among supporters, but to be 7th with this group at this stage of the season is an achievement. Keep the faith!

It’s mine! Ed James celebrates his first Yeovil goal! Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

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It was a night to forget at Huish Park as Yeovil’s old rivals came to town and knocked them out of the FA Trophy. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from a dreadful night under the lights.

It was not good enough. What more can you say? Early goals in each half from Brandon Goodship caught Yeovil off guard and left us chasing both halves but for a team that was looking to get back into the match in a fierce local rivalry, the quality in the final third was sorely lacking. At times it was ponderous and W*ymouth were able to prevent the Glovers playing through the lines. There were crosses a-plenty into the box in the second half but no one willing to take ownership and finish them.

We were found wanting in attack again. Ever since the Ciaran McGuckin returned to Rotherham, the attacking unit hasn’t clicked. Aaron Jarvis, Josh Sims, Frank Nouble, Kofi Shaw, Pedro Borges, James Plant, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Harvey Greenslade, Jordan Young and Sam Pearson have all had chances (albeit sparingly for some of those names) in the attacking end of the pitch this season and, for either through injury, suspension or lack of form, none of them have provided a consistent output in the form of goals and assists.

 

Picture courtesy of Tom Balch.

The derby feel off the pitch wasn’t matched on the pitch. Yeovil haven’t lost at home to W*ymouth since 1988. In that time we’ve moved to a new stadium, risen up the leagues and come back down find ourselves at the same level as our old rivals and last night the team that ended the night bottom of National League South were more up for it than Yeovil were. That’s a damning indicment on the players and the staff and a result they will have to live with. The celebrations at the end were painful to see but well-deserved. (He said begrudgingly.)

Our cup performances have been so disappointing. For a club that’s history is rooted in cup-exploits, it’s been a real frustration to see us whimper out of the FA Cup and FA Trophy at the first time of asking to clubs from the league below. We know better than anyone that you can’t take anything for granted in cup competitions but to miss out on a genuine chance of silverware (in the Trophy of course) leaves us hanging on to the hope of keeping pace with the play-off chasers and sneaking into that group come the end of the season.

We can expect more change. Speaking after the match, Mark Cooper said he needs to get ruthless and that means yet more changes on the pitch. Based on last night that could mean a number of players. But once again we’re looking the final third and wanting more from the attacking players. For all the combinations, the style and philosophy hasn’t altered so there’s an argument to make a change on that front in a bid to get the attack firing. Mark Cooper has already done his fair share of player trading and will know what’s out there to bring in, but moving players out to make room will be the challenge.

 

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Despite late drama at Huish Park again, it was another defeat for Yeovil. Here are my conclusions from a cold night in Somerset.

We took a while to get going again. It’s now two home matches in a row where Mark Cooper has had to make tactical tweaks to enable Yeovil to get a foothold in the game. Up until half an hour – when Yeovil switched to a 4-2-3-1 – it was all Barnet and they could have gone in two or three up. We saw similar when Halifax came to Huish. At times this season when we’ve matched other teams in a 3-4-3 we’ve come unstuck and the same happened last night. Once we changed shape though, I felt we nullified most of Barnet’s threat.

After our equaliser I thought we’d go on to win. We certainly had the momentum in the second half and James Plant’s hard work earned a well deserved equaliser. Instead, we allowed Barnet back into it and they could have gone back in front almost immediately with Stead and Kanu fluffing chances. That gave Barnet a bit of life and Collinge’s header really took the wind out of the green and white sails. Following the strife at York, I felt we gave Barnet a bloody nose and showed that we’re not a million miles away, but I saw the difference between a side that now sits top and a side that’s trying to keep pace with the playoff pack. That said…

I think it was a penalty. There’s been plenty of debate about the penalty decision right at the end of the match and I think the referee got it wrong. You can normally tell from the reaction of the defending team if they feel a player has gone down easily and the Barnet players didn’t react in an angry or aggressive way to debutant Ed James. Looking back at the highlights, replay and super-slowmo video, it looks like the kind of the decision that more often than not goes the way of the home team. Unfortunately we’re Yeovil Town, and it feels like we never really get those 50-50 decisions.

I felt we were missing the nippy fellas. In the first half, we were crying out for some pace and dynamism and only once we shifted shape did we see James Plant get his legs really pumping. I thought we could have introduced Josh Sims or Dylan Morgan earlier to get some runners in behind. We’ve gone from having the little technicians like Pearson, Morgan, Young, even Sonny to the taller lads, Nouble and Borges supporting Jarvis up top but, I thought it slowed us down.

This was the tricky run of fixtures. Some will be surprised that there’s not uproar around last three results, but I think the context of the matches and general expectations has left quite a balanced response. For all the hyperbole and expectation at the start of the season, most realistic supporters will see a mid-table finish as success. Despite the three losses on the bounce, we’re still two points outside the playoffs, and now with Woking and Braintree either side of W*ymouth, there’s a chance for the Glovers get back to winning ways ahead of the Christmas period.