Match Previews (Page 4)

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The fixtures are coming thick and fast for Yeovil Town, as they head to the Midlands for Tuesday night game against Solihull Moors.

FORM…

Yeovil Town

It hasn’t been a good start to the season for the Glovers. With six games under their belts, Yeovil have struggled to find their groove and manager Mark Cooper has paid the price.

On Saturday at FC Halifax Town, it was more of the same from a team lacking in confidence. Interim manager Richard Dryden put out a strong side to face the Yorkshire-men, and it looked positive for most of the first-half. That was until Owen Bray popped up to score the opening goal of the game for the home team.

Yeovil equalised through a Junior Morias penalty, before Harvey Greenslade put the visitors into the lead. However, for a second consecutive game, the Glovers squandered their lead, as Bray got his second. With 10 minutes left of the game, and Dryden’s men looking to get back on the road with a point, substitute Will Harris gave FC Halifax the lead and all three points.

The manager may have changed, but the results have not.

Yeovil Town's players jump on striker Harvey Greenslade after his 58th minute goal.
Yeovil Town celebrate Harvey Greenslade’s goal at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.

Solihull Moors

Believe it or not, Solihull have made an even worse start than Yeovil, they currently sit rock bottom of the Enterprise National League Premier Division. The season started off with draws in their first three fixtures, which included a 2-2 draw against Forest Green Rovers on the opening day, when they were down to ten men. However, since a 1-1 draw with Carlisle it has been a bit of a horror show for Moors conceding nine and scoring only two in the proceeding three games.

In their last match, at home to Southend, they lost 2-1 thanks to a brace from old boy Andrew Dallas with Solihull’s only goal coming through Dan Creaney.

KEY PLAYERS…

Yeovil Town –Junior Morias

There is a reason why players who score earn the big money and Morias is definitely one of them. The well-travelled striker has shown throughout his career he knows where the goal is, and it hasn’t been any different here in Somerset. Before joining the Glovers in the summer, the 30-year-old was on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge from Notts County, where he contributed to a goal 14 times in 30 games, scoring 11 goals.

Junior Morias on the run.
Junior Morias. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Having joined up with Yeovil part-way through pre-season, Morias needing to to get up to speed, playing just 29 minutes in the first two games. It has been in the previous two fixtures though that former Peterborough man quality has really shone through, with two goals and an assist.

So far this term, Morias is playing in an attacking midfielder role, a position he has rarely played throughout his career. Normally in the role as centre-forward the Kingston man has found himself playing behind Harvey Greenslade, but the change in position seems to have helped both him and Greenslade to date.

Solihull Moors – Dan Creaney

The striker has so far been the main man in a rather disappointing Solihull Moors side, with two goal and an assist to his name. Creaney joined The Moors from Tamworth in the summer after an impressive scoring season last term. The striker bagged 19 goals to help keep Tamworth in the league and even played a part in his sides unforgettable FA Cup run.

As mentioned with Morias a man who can find the back of the net  consistently is a worth their weight in gold in any league, and especially in the National League and Creaney’s record shows how invaluable he will be to manager Matt Taylor.

THE GAFFER…

The man in the dug-out in the Solihull Moors is a familiar face in the shape of former Portsmouth player, Matt Taylor. As a player, he was known for scoring what can only be described as ‘belters’, he was a peak Barclaysman. Taylor, played predominantly as a left sided midfielder for Portsmouth, Bolton, West Ham and Burnley making over 300 appearances in the Premier League.

Now as manager, the 43-year-old hasn’t had the same longevity at clubs as did as player, with his longest stint at coming at Shrewsbury Town where lasted 35 games. Taylor, first step into management came at Walsall in 2021 where he managed for just under a year. After some time out of the game, he returned to management at Shrewsbury, lasting half a season. He then joined Wealdstone a couple of months later, where he again got the chop before becoming manager at Solihull in the summer.

During his career as a manager, Taylor has faced Yeovil twice, losing both games – most recently last March when the Glovers ran out 3-0 winners at Damson Park.

LAST TIME WE MET…

The sides last met in March when Yeovil ran out 3-0 winners at Damson Park. The Glovers took the lead that day through Josh Sims in the 28th minute. It was then in the second half where Yeovil went through the gears, doubling their lead when Sims found Ciaran McGuckin on 50 minutes. The win was sealed six minutes later when Alex Whittle popped up with a spectacular finish from outside the box to make it 0-3.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates Yeovil’s second goal.

With the return fixture, seeing Solihull win 1-0 at Huish Park thanks to a goal from Connor Wilkinson.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

Emmanuel Sonupe anyone? Remember him? No? The former Tottenham Hotspur academy midfielder who was going to be the next big thing when Darren Sarll brought him to Huish Park in November 2020. He played 15 matches, scored twice and left at the end of the season before going to play for Dartford and then had spells in the USA and UAE.

Well, he signed for Solihull last week and appeared as an 82nd minute substitute in their 2-1 defeat at home to Southend United on Saturday.

Emmanuel Sonupe, remember him now? Still no? Okay.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Saturday’s fixture will see Harrison Blair take charge of his first Gllovers’ game. For more information on the match officials, read Ben’s article here.

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Managerless Yeovil Town will travel up to West Yorkshire on Saturday to face FC Halifax Town, who sit one place below them in the league table

FORM…

Yeovil Town

It’s the first game for Yeovil in two-and-a-half seasons without Mark Cooper at the helm. Cooper’s sacking is directly linked to their form in the calendar which has seen them pick up just six wins. The poor run of form at the end of last season carried into the first five games of the current campaign and the new Glovers hierarchy disposed of him on Tuesday.

It comes after one win to begin the season and a real Jekyll and Hyde performance against Gateshead at Huish Parkon Monday. The Glovers stormed into a 3-0 going into the half-time against Gateshead, thanks to goals from Josh Sims, Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade.

Harvey Greenslade celebrates with Junior Morias.
It was all smiles for Yeovil Town after a scintallating first half display against Gateshead. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

But, the performance in the second half was every bit as bad as the first 45 minutes had been good. Gateshead got a foothold in the game as early as the 46th minute and an injury time winner sealed a dramatic comeback to win 4-3 and seal Cooper’s fate.

The club’s ownership is now actively looking for a new manager with coach Richard Dryden given responsibility for first team affairs starting with the trip to Halifax.

FC Halifax Town

The Shaymen are also in a little bit of a rut at the moment, with the exact same form as their opponents on Saturday, one win, three losses and a draw.

Last time out for the Yorkshire side saw them get respectable 1-1 draw away to Scunthorpe United. The first half of that match was a cagey affair with no team taking their chances. A red card for Scunthorpe however just before half-time did little to change the complexion of the game. It was seven minutes into the second 45 when Halifax conceded to go 1-0 down, however they responded three minutes later with a goal from David Kawa.

The have not scored more than a goal in a game this season, so if Yeovil can replicate their first-half performance against Gateshead, it could be difficult for the Halifax to respond.

KEY PLAYERS…

Yeovil Town – Harvey Greenslade

After Saturday’s dismal display, it is hard to pick anyone as the man to watch for the Glovers. But if one player does deserve to keep his place in the side, it is striker Harvey Greenslade.

Another player who has a turbulent start to life at Huish Park. Joining from Bristol Rovers in the summer of 2024, the 21-year-old only played a bit part for Cooper to begin the season. A loan spell at Weston-Super-Mare over the festive period looked to spell the end of Greenslade’s time at Yeovil. Before rejoining his parent club for the remainder of the campaign, again only playing a bit part role.

However, the season has look to have rejuvenated the strikers form, with him playing 203 minutes across the opening five fixtures, already a quarter of the minutes he amassed last term. A strong performance and a goal last time out will hopefully see Greenslade push on for this season where he can help lead the line for the Glovers.

Harvey Greenslade celebrates a goal.
Harvey Greenslade celebrates scoring his first goal of the season against Gateshead on Bank Holiday Monday. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Halifax Town – David Kawa

A summer signing from National League South side, striker David Kawa has already shown he is able to cut it at a higher level with two goals and an assist in his first five matches at Premier Division level.

Not only is a goal involvement every 162 minutes impressive, it’s the fact two of the contributions has led to his team getting crucial points. It also means he has been a part of 75% of his teams goals so far this term.

 

THE GAFFER…

Although he may only be 40 years old,new  Halifax boss Adam Lakeland has a lot of experience in management. He began his coaching career at Blackburn Rovers Women before gaining back-to-back promotions , where he stayed until 2011. It was as first-team coach of Curzon Ashton where Lakeland first made his foray into the men’s side of the game, gaining back-to-back promotions with them.

In 2016, he moved in to frontline management at to Northwich Victoria igetting them to the Northern Premier League One Division North play-off final, after being in charge for only six months and, following a break from the game, he achieved another play-off finish at Farsley Celtic before getting them promoted to National League North in 2019.

His job prior to joining Halifax was at King’s Lynn who he guided to the National League North play-offs last season before being appointed at The Shay following the departure of long-serving boss Chris Millington at the end of last season.

LAST TIME WE MET…

The Shay has not been a happy hunting ground for Yeovil in recent years. In our last visit there in March, an early goal from winger Angelo Capello was enough to give the home side three points on a beach of a surface. In fact, you have to go back to September 2019 to find out last win there with a brace from Gold Omotayo sealing the three points.

The surface at The Shay has been replaced by a semi-plastic surface over the summer, so hopefully a less dreadful surface will herald better luck for the Glovers.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

There are no former Glovers representing The Shaymen this season.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Saturday’s fixture will see Richard Aspinall take charge of his first Yeovil game. For more information on the match officials, read Ben’s article here.

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Yeovil Town will play their third game in a week, as they take on Gateshead on Monday afternoon in the league.

FORM…

Yeovil Town

Another match day, another reason to start to getting worried about the form of the Glovers. Yes, it’s only been four games but in those four games Yeovil have looked void of ideas up front. Mark Cooper’s wish of having a small squad looks like it could come back to bite him if his side succumb to a third defeat of the season.

In their last game, on Saturday, the Glovers were defensively solid for 77 minutes until Braintree forward Sahid Kamara bagged the only goal of the game to move his side above the Yeovil in the table. It was going forward where the Glovers lacked any real momentum, with the attacking players frustrating the travelling fans once again with very limited chances.

Yeovil look to attack against Braintree.

Gateshead FC

A long trip down from the Northeast for Gateshead await them as they look to put back-to-back wins together. In their first four games of the new campaign, The Tynesiders have looked shaky at best with two wins and two losses to their name. Two heavy defeats to promotion favourites, Southend and Rochdale, have shown the vulnerabilities that Yeovil could look to exploit. On the flip side, the Head have beaten Eastleigh and Tamworth respectively.

Last time out saw them bag the second of their two wins, coming in the form of a 2-0 win at home to Tamworth. William Richard Flint got a brace for Gateshead on Saturday to send his team home with all three points.

KEY PLAYERS…

Yeovil Town – Jake Wannell

Jake Wannell has been a bit of a stalwart at centre back for Yeovil since joining from Somerset rivals, Taunton, in 2023. It has been in the last nine months however that Wannell has really stepped up for his team. With long time club captain Matt Worthington leaving for pastures new, the 31-year-old defender took his place as captain for the remainder of the season. Over the summer Cooper has since made Wannell club captain on a permanent basis.

Jake Wannell leads Yeovil Town's players on to the pitch.
Captain Jake Wannell leads out Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

On the pitch, the defender has improved considerably since taking on more responsibility, not to say he wasn’t already a good player. As well as being a leader on the pitch, he has also been very dependable compared to his centre back partners in Finn Cousin-Dawson and Morgan Williams who have both shad injury problems and dips in form.

After Worthington left it look like we may miss his passion and leadership, but in Wannell the Glovers have definitely found a capable replacement.

Gateshead – Harry Chapman

Chapman has been a bit of a journeyman for someone of his spritely age of 27, playing for nine clubs in total. He can play on either wing or just behind the striker, making him a very useful utility man. Although the majority of his career has been spent in League One and below, Chapman had a strong youth career culminating in winning the Under 20s World Cup with England, a squad that included the likes of Dean Henderson, Ezri Konsa, Ademola Lookman and Dominic Solanke to name a few.

Chapman joined The Tynesiders this summer from last years champions Barnet. The attacking midfielder has started all four games under new manager Alun Armstrong, contributing to one goal so far. Last season, he didn’t have the best of luck getting into a strong squad making just 22 appearances for the Bees.

THE GAFFER…

Alun Armstrong will be the man taking on Mark Cooper and the two have a bit in common, with both bosses having managed Darlington although in there different incarnations.

As a player Armstrong started his career at Newcastle but it was his 160 appearances for Stockport County where made his name. After his four years in Greater Manchester, the Gateshead born forward moved back to the Northeast to play for Middlesborough, before travelling around for the last seven years of his career.

As a manager, this is only Armstrong’s third team having had long successful spells at Blyth Spartans, and Darlington. After a couple of years as Head of Elite Performance at Gateshead College, Armstrong became manager of the Head over the past summer.

This will be the first time Armstrong will have faced Yeovil.

LAST TIME WE MET…

When the two side last faced of in January, it was a goalless draw on cold Friday night. That night the Glovers didn’t have the rub of the green with two efforts hitting the woodwork and a Kofi Shaw shot blocked in the six-yard box.

Finn Cousin-Dawson goes close for Yeovil v Gateshead
Pic Gary Brown

The game earlier in the season was more of a an entertaining affair even if Yeovil came out second best, losing 3-1. The Glovers goal that day coming through Aaron Jarvis.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

Just the one player again for Glovers to look out for and that is former fan favourite, Frank Nouble.

Frank Nouble – Nouble played his part in the National League South winning season as he was the focal point in attack for Mark Cooper that season. It was halfway through last year when things started going south for Nouble at Huish Park so he decided to go North to Gateshead. It is unclear what happened between the striker and his former manager but if social media is anything to go off, there is no love lost between the two.

Frank Nouble was back in the starting line-up and wearing the captain’s armband again.

Nouble signed for Yeovil in 2023 fromTorquay before leaving in March in 2025. During his near two year stay at Yeovil, Nouble played 83 times scoring 14 goals.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Monday’s bank holiday fixture will see Harry Wager as the man in the middle. The last time he officiated a Yeovil match, he sent off Otis Khan in April. Read more about the officials for Gateshead here: Match Officials Gateshead (H).

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Yeovil Town kick off the August Bank Holiday double header on Saturday with a trip to Essex to face Braintree Town.

Form…

Yeovil Town

Three games into the season and teams are starting to see where they are in terms of quality against other teams in the league. For Yeovil it has been a mixed start to the National League Premier Division season, which is shown in the form as they have drawn, lost and won their opening three fixtures.

Last time out the Glovers faced newly-promoted Brackley Town beating the Saints 2-1 at Huish Park on Wednesday night. Goals from Josh Sims and Ben Wodskou secured the first three points of the season for the team. A late goal from Brackley’s Tyler Lyttle gave the Glovers a scare but they got to the final whistle.

On loan Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou was Yeovil’s hero on Wednesday night.

Braintree Town

The Iron start to the season hasn’t been to dissimilar to that of Yeovil’s. The Essex club have won one game and lost two and they sit just below the Glovers in the table.

Having started the campaign with an impressive 3-0 win at home to FC Halifax Town, followed by another win at the Rare Breeds Meat Company Stadium over Leicester City’s kids in the National League Cup, they have lost their last two matches.

A defeat at Hartlepool United last weekend was followed by a 2-1 loss at Boreham Wood in midweek. Probably more worryingly than the results is the fact they have had a player sent off in both fixtures. In their last game, it was former Glovers’ loanee Frankie Terry who was shown red, ruling him out from facing his former team-mates at the weekend.

The game will be big for both sides as each team could use it as a platform to kick on for the season.

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Josh Sims

Sims has had an odd start to life in Somerset. Joining around this time last year on free, the former Southampton man was seen as a big coup for the Glovers, however his performances last term led many to believe he would be leaving over the summer having seemingly fallen out of Yeovil boss Mark Cooper’s plans towards the end of the campaign.

Josh Sims breaks away.
Josh Sims breaks away. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

However, this season has seen a rejuvenated Sims. He has starting all three games and playing two full 90 minutes and one 81 minutes so far. Against Brackley, the 28-year-old found the net for Yeovil’s first goal of the season and bagging a sack of spuds in the process.

If Sims can maintain this form he could be just what Yeovil need to improve on last year’s position.

Braintree Town – John Akinde

The forward is very much a nomadic character in the lower echelons of English football, playing for no more than 17 clubs in his 19 year career. Playing the majority of his career as a centre forward Akinde has bagged 182 goals and set up 70 goals for his team mates.

Although he hasn’t found the net yet this season, the 36-year-old did captain his side last time out and will looking to break his duck this season. He scored ten for The Iron in the National League last season – including the opening goal at Huish Park back in December.

John Akinde puts Braintree Town ahead. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The Gaffer….

Steve Pitt is the man faced with out witting Mark Cooper on Saturday as he takes charge of his second match against Yeovil.  Pitt’s only previous game against the Glovers, he lost 3-1 at Huish Park.

In his career the 64-year-old hasn’t left Essex with a spells as manager of Clacton and then Leighton before moving into the role of Director of Football at Heybridge Swift in 2016. Then in 2020, he joined Chelmsford in the same role before leaving Billericay’s Director of Football a year later.

He moved on again after just a year in that role to become Angelo Harrop‘s number two at Braintree, where he enjoyed early success with Harrop. After the young manager’s sacking in November last year, Pitt took over in the December for his first managerial role in 14 years and he did it with some success finishing 17th, one place about Yeovil and three points adrift of the relegation places.

Two of those wins came against eventual champions Barnet and promotion-chasing York City, so let’s put some respect on those.

Last Time We Met…

These two sides last faced each other just before Christmas last year. The game finished 3-1 to the Glovers, with goals from Aaron Jarvis, on loan defender Ed James, and a late strike from Brett McGavin.

When the two sides last met in Essex, it finished 0-1 to Yeovil with Morgan Williams bagging the only goal.

Morgan Williams wheels away as the ball nestles in to the Braintree net.

Don’t I Know You?

Just the one this week for ex-Glovers to look out for, in the shape of centre-back Frankie Terry – but you’ll need to look in the stands for him.

Frankie Terry – The Colchester United defender spent time on loan at Huish Park last season, making 10 appearances for the club. Terry is also the son of former Glovers midfielder, Paul. As mentioned above, he’ll be unavailable through suspension following his red card at Boreham Wood on Wednesday.

Man In The Middle…

The man in charge of the officials is Peter Wright who last took charge of a Yeovil game six years ago. Read here more information on the officials. 

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It’s back to Huish Park for Yeovil Town on Wednesday evening, as they take on Brackley Town in the league.

Form Guide…

Yeovil Town

It hasn’t been a great start to the season for the Glovers with no wins from their opening two games. Although only being two games in, which wouldn’t normally be a cause for concern, it has been the manner of performances that has worried some fans. A goalless draw against Hartlepool and a disappointing 2-0 loss to Forest Green isn’t the start many would have predicted.

Substitute Junior Morias collects the ball inside the Forest Green half. Picture courtesy of Andy Craig.

The performances have been a continuation from last seasons poor ending, with many now asking about whether Mark Cooper‘s position has become untenable.A game against a newly promoted Brackley Town could just be what the Somerset side need to kick-start the season.

                                                                                                                                          Brackley Town

The Saints have played only one league game this season, as their fixture against Morecambe was postponed. That match came on the opening weekend against Eastleigh which they won 1-0. Their National League Cup campaign got underway with a 2-0 win over Blackburn’s Under 21s. Outside of the league the Northampton side lost their last two friendlies to Stratford and Stourbridge.

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Morgan Williams

The centre back is a crucial cog in the team. Williams will likely lead the side out as captain in the absence of Jake Wannell, who misses the game through suspension.
A new central defensive partner in either Finn Cousin Dawson or Kyle Ferguson is likely, with the latter poised for his second Yeovil Town debut.

Williams will need to be the organiser of the defence and be a danger in the opposition box too.

Morgan Williams with a cast on his right hand.
Morgan Williams. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Brackley Town – Shane Byrne

The Irish man rejoined the Saints last summer after he left the club in 2021 for Boston United. During his first stint at Brackley, Byrne made over 150 appearances for the club.

It was the centre midfielder who got Brackley the win on the opening day, with goal in the 40th minute. Byrne has made over 330 games in the National League North, and has also represented Ireland at youth level.

The Gaffer….

Gavin Cowan is the man who will go up against Mark Cooper on the touchline on Wednesday evening. Born in Hanover, Germany, the 44 year old has been at Brackley since 2023.

Cowan had a long playing career in the lower divisions of the English pyramid starting at Braintree Town 2001 and hung up his boots at AFC Telford in 2018, whilst player coach. The Bucks was were Cowan played most of his career with two spells at The New Bucks Head.

After retiring fully from playing, the ex-Shrewsbury man became manager of Telford where he spent four years in the technical area. It was in 2023 when he caught the attention of Brackley and was appointed manager. Outside of football Cowan has a podcast called ‘In The Stiffs’ alongside former teammates Dave Edwards and Sam Aiston.

Last Time We Met…

The two sides have never met before, which astounding with both clubs being over 130 years old.

Don’t I Know You?

It’s a pair of centre midfielders that have plied their trade in down at Huish Park in the form of Scott Pollock and Jack Price.

Scott Pollock – The more recent member of Yeovil town, Pollock played for the Glovers under Cooper between 2023/2024. A bit of a mystery man to many of the fans as it seemed he quickly fell out of favour with the manager (who hasn’t). It was after his release from Yeovil that he joined Brackley where he has enjoyed a more fruitful spell.

The 24-year-old is most known for his time at internet football side Hashtag United.

Scott Pollock in action for Yeovil Town last season.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Jack Price – Price started his career at Wolves, which where he got the chance to come to Huish Park on loan. A season after we had been relegated from the Championship, the 32-year-old seven appearances.

The midfielder would go on to play 115 time for Wolves before going to the MLS. This is where he spent most of career to date, with the Colorado Rapids playing 130 times in a five year period.

Man In The Middle…

The man in black will be Matthew Russell, who’s last game was in the League Cup as he officiated Bromley vs Ipswich. Read more here: Match Officials: Brackley Town (Home)

 

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Yeovil Town will make the relatively short trip up to the New Lawn in Gloucestershire on Saturday, as they face one of the National League Premier Division’s pre-season promotion favourites, Forest Green Rovers.

Form Guide…

Yeovil Town

With only one game so far this season, the form table should very much be taken with a pinch of salt. After last weekend’s opening fixture, the Glovers record is a goalless draw at home to Hartlepool United. The game itself was a fairly drab affair, with Yeovil’s best chance falling to loan striker Ben Wodskou after 83 minutes.
Aaron Jarvis leaps for a header.
A Hartlepool defender tries to swap shirts with Glovers’ striker Aaron Jarvis during last weekend’s opening day fixture. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Forest Green Rovers

Forest Green also drew their opening game of the season, as they faced Solihull Moors in the Midlands. The game finished 2-2 with the visitors’ goals coming from striker Christian Doidge and summer signing Nick Haughton.

Robbie Savage’s side looked strong and seemed to have wrapped up all three points against a Solihull side which had been reduced to ten men in the sixth minute before Moors late on through James Clarke.

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Jed Ward

The on loan Bristol Rovers goalkeeper proved last week why having a good goalie can keep a side in the game. Outside of Wodskou’s late chance Yeovil didn’t offer much going forward. However, at the back Ward kept Mark Cooper’s team in the game. Hartlepool were the more attacking side with multiple opportunities to score, but for Ward being a brick wall at the back. Looking at the firepower in Forest Green’s squad it could be a busy afternoon for the 22-year-old, who started last season on loan at The New Lawn.

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

In recent seasons Yeovil haven’t had the best of luck with keepers as Cooper seems to fall out with them often. In the past though the Somerset side have always had a strong shot stopper including Marek Stech, Wayne Hennessey and Nathan Baxter. Will Ward join the list? Only time will tell, but the early signs look good.


Forest Green Rovers – Christian Doidge

Christian Doidge is the obvious choice,  with the striker being a scoring machine. The Welshman has bagged over 80 goals for Rovers alone across two spells with the Gloucestershire side.

Doidge rejoined Forest Green last summer and scored 12 goals in the National League. Before that he spent five years north of the border with Hibernian. During his entire career, the 32-year-old has bagged 158 goals, with his most recent being last weekend in their opening day draw at Solihull Moors.

The Gaffer….

Another well-known face in the opposition dugout this weekend as former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage takes charge of his first competitive game at the New Lawn.

Well known for his blonde locks and outspoken style as a pundit, Savage has taken to management well. Starting his managerial career with Macclesfield, the former Leicester City, Birmingham City and Derby County player got them promoted to the National League North last season.

Savage had a few interesting things to say about Yeovil boss Mark Cooper who guided Forest Green to the Football League back in 2017.

He told the Stroud Times: “I’ve got to emulate what Mark did here, getting promotion – Mark’s got nothing to prove, he won promotion in a play-off final, it’s me that’s got to prove something. I’ve got huge respect for all managers, especially now being one now.

“He’s (Mark Cooper) done something I’ve never done here and that’s won promotion at Forest Green, so I will give him that huge respect, but I want to win, my team want to win.”

Robbie Savage is interviewed by Forest Green's social media.
Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage, the human equivalent of a clanging bell in a cathedral — loud, relentless, and impossible to ignore.

Last Time We Met…

When the two sides last met last season the game finished 1-1 at Huish Park on Good Friday, with Yeovil’s goal coming from the now departed Sonny Blu-Lo Everton. It looked like Mark Cooper would get a win over his former club until defender Ryan Inniss scored in stoppage time to level it late.

Yeovil Town celebrate Sonny Blu Lo-Everton’s opener against Forest Green on Good Friday at Huish Park last season.

The last time they met at the New Lawn, Rovers ran out 2-1 winners. The Glovers looked like they had the game wrapped up after a Kofi Shaw goal, until again Inniss scored in stoppage time before a Kyle McAllister goal secured all three points. Shaw was sent off in the 75th minute of the game.

Don’t I Know You?

There are a couple of familiar faces who are likely to feature for Forest Green today: 

Ryan Inniss – The defender played for Yeovil six times on loan from Crystal Palace in the 2014/15 season.

Tom Knowles – sorry Ian, but obviously the Forest Green forward spent a successful spell at Huish Park between October 2020 and August 2022, when <NAME REDACTED> flogged him to Walsall. Fair to say TK has looked sharp for his current employers in pre-season. 

Man In The Middle…

The referee for Saturday’s fixture will be Andrew Humphries. Read all about him here in Ben’s write up.

 

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Welcome back to life as a Yeovil Town fan. It’s been a long and sometimes stressful summer for us Glovers, however here our  first preview of the season with Hartlepool United visiting Huish Park on the opening day.

Form Guide…

Nice and simple this week, in competitive action both teams are equal, as it is the first game of the new season. However, let’s take a look at both teams fared in their final pre-season friendlies.

Yeovil Town

Last weekend’s pre-season friendly result against Somerset rivals Weston Super-Mare was one that wont live long in the memory. Yeovil rarely offered anything up front, which has been an issue since manager Mark Cooper joined the club, and seemingly ran out of ideas by the time the second half kicked off.

The Glovers were then made to pay after a silly challenge from defender Jake Wannell fouled former team-mate Louis Britton inside the box. The resulting penalty was calmly put away by Luke Coulson. Cooper clearly was not happy with the defeat, giving a talking to his team on the pitch after the final whistle.

Players from Yeovil Town and Weston-super-Mare get involved in a major fracas.
The not so friendly friendly at Weston-super-Mare last weekend. Picture courtesy of Michael Stone.

Hartlepool United

The Poolies side did not fare much better in their last game of pre-season last weekend, losing 2-0 at National League North side South Shields, giving up two quick goals inside the first 20 minutes of the game. South Shields broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes as Paul Blackett converted. The second of Blackett’s goals came shortly after, who converted his own rebound.

Manager Simon Grayson fielded a side in an experimental 4-4-2 formation, different to the 3-5-2 they are likely to line up in against Yeovil with first-teamers Jay Benn, Reiss McNally, Besart Topalloj, Jamie Miley and Nathan Sheron all starting on the bench.

Safe to say both teams will be looking to improve on their performances last time out and hit the ground running in the National League Premier Division.

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Brett McGavin

The Glovers come into the game, after a turbulent off season with a host of last years squad leaving for pastures new. One player who has stayed put is the beautifully bouffant Brett McGavin. The centre midfielder showed last term how critical he is to the team’s performances. Without any prolific strikers in the side, McGavin quickly became a source of goals for the Glovers, contributing seven and assisting three.

Outside of the wonderful goals he scored, the midfielder also brought a presence to the middle of the park, controlling the game and often being the linchpin for starting attacks.

Photo: Gary Brown

Hartlepool – Tom Parkes

The veteran centre half is a stalwart at the lower end of the professional game, having played 339 games in League Two and 106 in the National League ( yes, I am claiming it as a professional league). Now at the ripe old age of 33 Parkes is at the tail end of his career, but still possess the quality to stop forwards from playing.

Reuben Reid of Yeovil and Tom Parkes of Bristol Rovers
📸 Mike Kunz

The former Bristol Rovers and Exeter City player had a brief one-month loan spell at Huish Park at the start of his career, he played twice between December 2010 and January 2011 – including a 4-2 FA Cup defeat for the Glovers against Hartlepool United.

He was confirmed as club captain this week and if the Glovers want to get on the score sheet on Saturday, they will have to get past Parkes first.

The Gaffer….

Simon Grayson will be a name familiar with almost all football league fans. Grayson started at Blackpool, before moving onto Leeds, Huddersfield and Sunderland to name a few.

For the older Yeovil fans, he is a man of great pain, as his Blackpool side defeated the Glovers at Wembley in the 2006/07 League One Playoff Final (it still hurts).

In his 20 years as a manager, Grayson has faced the Glovers 10 times and has not lost a single game. With eight wins and two draws. The most recent was over 10 years ago in the January of 2015, when his Preston North End side drew 1-1 with Yeovil at Deepdale.

Last Time We Met…

The last time the two sides clashed back in December last year, Yeovil fell to a 2-1 defeat. A late goal from Gary Madine sealed the victory after Kofi Shaw had equalised. The first goal of the game came through an Emmanuel Dieseruwerve penalty.

Yeovil also had the pleasure of welcoming Pools to Huish Park for opening game of last season, when the visitors took home all three points thanks to a Jack Hunter goal.

Don’t I Know You?

There are a couple of old Yeovil boys in the Hartlepool team.

Adam Smith – Pools keeper Smith played the Glovers 50 times over the period of two seasons on loan in Somerset.

Tom Parkes – If you thought his name sounded familiar it’s because he also came to Huish Park on loan back in 2010/11. playing two games.

Man In The Middle…

The referee for Saturday’s fixture will be Rob Massey-Ellis. Read all about him here in Ben’s write up.

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The National League Premier Division season comes to a close with a trip to FA Trophy finalists Aldershot Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

Form Guide…

Neither side are finishing the season in style with Yeovil Town picking up seven points in their last six matches, and Aldershot Town getting just four.

Last time out Yeovil went down to a 2-1 defeat in their final home game of the season against Sutton United. Aldershot were defeated 4-0 at champions Barnet, a result which secured the title for the Bees.

In fact, The Shots have not picked up a win since they clinched a place in the FA Trophy final. Four defeats in their last five matches have seen them ship 17 goals, including a 7-2 defeat at York City.

Conceding goals has been their issue this season. They have let in 82 goals in their 45 games and only the division’s bottom two, Ebbsfleet United (96) and AFC Fylde (82) have let in as many.

Aldershot will be without a key  player in full-back Ryan Jones who suffered a broken leg in the 3-0 defeat at local rivals Woking on Easter Monday. The former Bristol Rovers youngster has been a stand out performer for them this season.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Finn Cousin-Dawson

The form of the summer signing in the second half of the season has been largely overlooked, but he has impressed stepping forward in to midfield.

His aerial ability and calmness on the ball has been important as he has both filled the voids left by injuries to first choice central defenders Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell, and when he has moved up the pitch.

He’s also a player who remains under contract for next season having signed a two-year deal when he arrived from Bradford City in the summer.

James Henry tries to find a way past Ollie Wright in the 1-1 draw at Huish Park in September. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Aldershot Town – James Henry 

At the age of 35, James Henry should be slowing down but the former Millwall player has proved vital for Aldershot since joining last summer.

He has contributed 15 goals this season playing mostly in a wide position, just one goal behind top scorer Josh Barrett who will be another one to watch.

But Henry’s consistency and experience has added even more for our hosts on Bank Holiday Monday. 

That’s what he said…

You may have heard that Aldershot Town are in the FA Trophy final with Spennymoor United their opponents six days after they take on Yeovil.

But Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper is under no illusions that Aldershot will be taking it easy with a trip to Wembley next weekend.

Speaking ahead of the Bank Holiday fixture, he told BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah: “I think they will be full strength and trying to get a bit of form going in to the final and they will want to get this sorted on Monday. I do not buy in to talk about that they will rest players, people told me that about Sutton United (before the 2-1 home defeat at Huish Park last time out) because they had (the National League Cup) final the following Tuesday and none of that happened. It is about on the day, you have to be up for it because otherwise you will get beaten.”

Aldershot assistant manager Hugo Langton stepped in front of the camera following the 4-0 defeat at champions Barnet in their last match and admitted his side had not been good enough recently.

He said: “We can’t hide the fact we have not been on a great run lately. We have got nine games until the next game, so we have a good week ahead of us and sometimes we have to be brutally honest with each other.

“The things that have been disappointing recently, we have got to get right. They are things we have been working on and we just have to work harder at it and that is what we will do.”

We’ve met before…

This is the tenth meeting between Yeovil Town and Aldershot Town and the previous nine results have ended in three wins, three draws and three defeats for each.

The last two meetings have ended up in 1-1 draws with Ciaran McGuckin levelling after Josh Barrett’s opener at Huish Park in this season’s reverse fixture at the end of September.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his first Yeovil goal against Aldershot back in September. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Last time we met at The Recreation Ground was on Yeovil’s way out of the National League Premier Division on Good Friday in 2023. Callum Harriott (remember him?) equalised in the second half  for the Glovers.

Don’t I know you…

Shots’ central defender Christian Maghoma had a loan spell at Huish Park in 2015 – but failed to make a single appearance. He joined a Yeovil side bottom of League Two as an 18-year-old on loan from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur.

Who’s been naughty then…

Aldershot midfielder Cameron Hargreaves, son of ex-Glovers’ boss, Chris, is available again having served a three-match ban for his sending off in the 7-2 defeat at York City.

There are no suspensions affecting Yeovil Town.

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It’s the final home game of the season for Yeovil Town, as they take on Sutton United at Huish Park on Saturday.

Form Guide…

Yeovil have been in good form compared to their upcoming opponents over the last five games, with two wins, two losses and a draw.

Last time out, the Glovers lost 1-0 away to Eastleigh on Easter Monday, Mark Cooper’s side went behind half an hour into the game, and things weren’t helped when on loan winger Otis Khan got sent off seven minutes later.

Otis Khan heads down the tunnel after 36 minutes.

For Sutton, it’s been tough going over their previous five fixtures, with two losses, two draws and one win. United faired similarly to Yeovil on the last match day, losing at home to table topping Barnet 3-1, with Sutton too, having a defender Tyler French sent off.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Morgan Williams

The centre back has been pivotal to defensive solidity in recent seasons for the Glovers and it has been no different this campaign.

Since his comeback from injury a couple games ago, Williams has been a presence that will have been missed by players and fans alike. Although the deputising Frankie Terry has done a great job, Williams brings the experience needed for closing out a season.

Morgan Williams
📸 Gary Brown

Sutton United – Will Davies

Centre-Forward Davies has been in fine form for The U’s this season bagging 18 goals in total. He is however in somewhat of a ‘down patch’ with no goal in his last four games.

As well as scoring up top, he has also been a consistent figure head at the top of the pitch, playing 42 games (3,556 minutes). This has led to him scoring a goal every 195 minutes. Davies has also contributed with three assists as well.

That’s what he said…

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper gave his thoughts on Saturday’s opposition. He said: “Knowing Steve (Morison, the Sutton manager), I’m sure he will be desperate to win every game.

“They’re a good team, they’ve got some good players. I think it will be really difficult game, but that’s every week and I expect they’ve watched us over the last few weeks and will be expecting the same.”

Mark Cooper speaks to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah ahead of the fixture with Sutton United.

Sutton boss Steve Morison made plenty of references to Tuesday night’s National League Cup final against Leeds United.

Like Yeovil, the Us are playing their second game in the week after a 3-1 home defeat to champions elect Barnet on Easter Monday, a match marred by a sending off of defender Tyler French – a decision Morison revealed he had got an apology for.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel ahead of the game, the former Millwall striker said: “We have had the necessary conversations and had an apology from the official for the way the situation was handled, I had a personal phone call about it which I appreciated. It doesn’t put points back on the board but it does at least show you that you’re not going mad!

“My big focus is to get energy and enthusiasm in to the game and for it not to become just a testimonial-type fixture where two teams are just going through the motions. 

“Yeovil will be really pleased with how they have done this season, they have lost some big players which are hard to deal with financially. They have been excellent, they have a really good manager and they are a really good team.”

We’ve met before…

Yeovil and Sutton have faced off a total of 20 times over the years with the head to head being fairly even. Sutton sneak the most wins with nine, whilst Yeovil have the eight, with the teams drawing four times.

When the Glovers and U’s last met, it finished a goalless draw at Gander Green Lane back in September.

Aaron Jarvis also thinks Frank is not far away there.

Don’t I know you…

Lewis Simper is the only ex-Glover to note. The midfielder, was on loan from Cambridge United at Huish Park during the 2021/22 season making just the one appearance.

Who’s been naughty then…

Due to Otis Khan’s sending off in the last game, he is now missing for the final two games.

Defender Tyler French is suspended for Sutton as his own sending off on Easter Monday.

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Yeovil Town are back at Huish Park with strugglers AFC Fylde in town, the Lancastrians sit just inside the relegation zone. With bottom club Ebbsfleet United now mathematically gone, there are now three spots to avoid, and probably six teams to battle it out. 

Form Guide…

Yeovil Town are back on home soil. After a tough run of fixtures and results, they put Solihull Moors to the sword last weekend with a 3-0 rout in the Midlands, a result which could have been even more convincing.  Meanwhile, in Lancashire today’s opponents, AFC Fylde, were putting high-flying Forest Green Rovers to the sword by the same scoreline.

On home soil, the Glovers’ form is the fourth-worst in the National League Premier with only sides in the division’s drop zone, Ebbsfleet, Boston United and Maidenhead United, having worst records. The last two matches have seen them go down to big-spending York City a fortnight ago and Boston, but before that they were unfortunate to only get a point off Southend United and picked up maximum points against Tamworth.

On the flip side, only Ebbsfleet have a worse record away from home than Fylde. The Coasters have scored just 12 (the worst in the league) and conceded 38 goals (2nd worst) in games on the road, it’s fair to say they don’t travel well.

In their last two matches, the Lancashire side have gone down 1-0 at Ebbsfleet and drawn 1-1 at Gateshead.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Sonny Blu Lo Everton

Sonny Blu Lo Everton has been at the heart of everything Yeovil Town have done well since his return to the side.

He made the game against Solihull tick from start to finish and has earned plaudits for his effort and endeavour in recent defeats, he made a big impact in the reverse fixture, scoring the third goal for the Glovers. 

He can pull the strings in a dynamic and young front line that can get the Glovers going.

Sonny Blu Lo Everton on the run. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

AFC Fylde- Nick Haughton

The Coaster’s Number 10 will have the weight of his team on his shoulders for this game, the talented playmaker, got the third goal against Forest Green last week and the opening two goals in the 4-3 thriller when these met in September.

The 30-year old has had his suitors from teams higher up in the table, but he’s stayed loyal to his side and produced a return of 17 goals and plenty of assists in 37 league appearances this campaign.

 

That’s what he said…

Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper is not reading too much in to Fylde’s victory against Forest Green Rovers last weekend and realises that his own side’s result will only be what they are judged by until 5pm on Saturday.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah, he said: “At this stage of the season you get so many strange results. York went to Braintree and lost, we could easily have beaten York the week before, we try not to look at other results, we just get our heads down and do what we need to do. It is a great result for Fylde, they played really well, they were aggressive, pressed and looked really organised and sometimes you catch teams like Forest Green on an off day. But we are at home and if we play anything like we did at Solihull we have a big chance, if we run like we did against Solihull and get after the opposition, we can get a result.

“There is another argument to say that if they were coming here and they were safe they could come here and go and play their stuff. It is about fully respecting the opposition, they have some good players, but they are in the relegation zone for a reason. We have to fully respect them and the fact they had a good result last week, we will be organised and on the front foot and look at how we can hurt them with our weapons and I am sure we will give them some problems.”

 

Fylde sacked former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips in a bid to arrest their plunge towards relegation in February and his assistant David Longwell was placed in interim charge. The former Burnley academy manager only arrived at the Lancashire club in January and was given the top job until the end of the season alongside goalkeeping coach Chris Neal.

In his pre match chat with their club media, Longwell said: “It’s a tough game, it’s going to be a tough trip down for us, to put the same level of effort in, application that we’ve done (vs Forest Green).

“Yeovil have come off the end of having a little sticky patch, they had a really good result the other day and deservedly won the game (at Solihull), their tails will be up. I think they’ve done a great job, and the manager’s done a great job in replacing the players that have left, I’ve been impressed with them, I’ve seen some of the Solihull game, a fantastic result and showed some really good moment in there.”

 

We’ve met before…

We have, and it’s rarely been dull! In the post 2018-Non League era, we’ve met three times, sharing 16 goals.

The 4-3 earlier this season and a 2-2 draw combined with a 3-2 win in the 2019/20 season. 

Dom Bernard celebrates his winner at AFC Fylde. Picture courtesy of Bekah Harper.

Don’t I know you?…

Winger Gavin Massey and defender Corey Whelan both head to Huish Park able to navigate their way around the gaff.

Whelan had a very short stint as a loanee back in 2017/18, playing half a dozen times on loan from Liverpool.

You have to go back to the 2011/12 season to find Gavin Massey in a Yeovil shirt.

Having arrived from Watford, he played 16 times in green-and-white, scoring three times before heading to Colchester United.

Who’s been naughty then…

No one is suspended for the game. However, referee Ross Martin has already booked Ciaran McGuckin and the gaffer, when taking charge of the 1-0 win over Dagenham and Redbridge