Match Previews (Page 6)

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Yeovil Town return to Huish Park this weekend, looking to extend their unbeaten run of form to eight games, as they host FC Halifax Town.

Form Guide…

The Shaymen find themselves in a stop-start run of form as of late, with their most recent game, a 4-1 home loss to Middlesbrough Under-21s in the National League Cup on Tuesday night, taking their run of form to LWLWL.

Manager Chris Millington made five changes to his starting XI for the midweek match from the 1-0 home win over Woking last weekend. Former Glovers’ loanee Andrew Oluwabori played the full 90 minutes against in the Tinpot Cup, having come off the bench in their last proper fixture.

Looking purely at league form, it’s not dissimilar, as they have won their last two league games, and three of their last five.

 

The Glovers are coming into the weekend off the back of their 1-0 win at Southend United last weekend, taking their unbeaten run to seven games, and have won four of their last five in the league.

It’s a big game for both sides regarding their league position, as seventh placed Yeovil could build a five-point gap over eighth placed Halifax.

Key Players…

FC Halifax Town – Adam Senior

The 22 year old right back has been a part of a seriously solid backline, as Halifax have only conceded a goal more than Yeovil (and we know how good our backline can be) – an ever present, playing every single minute of Halifax’s league campaign so far, Senior could make life interesting for the left side of Yeovil’s attack on Saturday.

Yeovil Town – Aaron Jarvis

Yeovil’s top-scorer sat out last weekend, having collected his fifth yellow card against Maidenhead United in the previous match. He will be looking to keep his impressive scoring run going against FC Halifax Town, and Yeovil will need him to do just that in order to break down a steely backline. If selected, Jarvis will be looking to get back to the form which saw him score twice against Maidenhead in his last outing at Huish Park.

Aaron Jarvis

That’s what he said…

Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper spoke to the media ahead of the clash this weekend. He said: “I think they will come and have a go, they like to play on the front foot with real pace. They have got Andrew Oluwabori who is an absolute flying machine, Billy Waters, who is a a top player for the level, so I think they will come and have a go at us. But we have to concentrate on  what we do, we are playing some really good football at the moment, we are dominate and whilst we do our homework (on the opposition) but we have to concentrate on what we do really well.”

FC Halifax Town manager Chris Millington speaking after last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Woking.

 

Halifax manager Chris Millington spoke after the midweek defeat to Middlesbrough Under-21s, summarising his views on the weekend ahead. He said: “York and Rochdale don’t need any explanation as to why they were tough, but Yeovil will be the same, on a good run of form, good manager, they’ve recruited well, they’ve got resources to be able to strengthen and have quality in the right areas, so it’s going to be a challenge, but one that we’re really looking forward to.”

We’ve met before…

These two have faced off eight times in all competitions, with Yeovil winning four of them, the other four games being split into two draws and two Halifax wins.

The last time these two faced off was in March 2023, where a late Malachi Linton equaliser sent the Glovers back to Somerset with a point in a 1-1 draw. The last four games have been low scoring affairs, with no more than one goal apiece for either side.

Don’t I know you…

The Shaymen have one familiar face, and it’s a face that actually played for the Glovers in the last game between Yeovil and Halifax.

Andrew Oluwabori turned out 25 times for Yeovil during his loan spell from Peterborough United in the 2022-23 season, scoring two times.  He arrived in West Yorkshire last season following his departure from The Posh and made 39 appearances scoring four times. This season he has featured 17 times, scoring twice, and was a late substitute in Halifax’s 1-0 home win over Woking last weekend.

Andrew Oluwabori. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty then…

Defender Morgan Williams is serving the last of his three-game suspension, and while Aaron Jarvis and Dominic Bernard return from their one-game bans. Midfielder Charlie Cooper now misses out, following his fifth yellow card during the Southend game.

Halifax have no suspensions as they travel to Huish Park. The Shayman have collected the fewest yellow cards of any team in the National League Premier with just 22.

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After a week of Yeovil are back in action this weekend, as they travel to Roots Hall to face Southend United.

Form Guide…

The Shrimpers have been good form recently winning three out of their last five and losing twice. The most recent of defeats was last week in the FA Cup First Round proper in a thrilling 3-4 loss to Charlton Athletic.

In the league the Essex side have been mediocre, as they currently lie 14th in the table.

The Glovers on the other hand are coming off a week of rest after being knocked out the cup in an earlier round. Yeovil have been in a purple patch recently winning four out of their last five games, with the only defeat coming to Chesham United in the aforementioned cup tie.

Last time out the Glovers won 3-1 at home to Maidenhead United.

League wise however Mark Coopers men have been solid, and sit in the last playoff spot in seventh.

Key Players…

Southend United – Gus Scott-Morriss

That right back has had a brilliant season so far, making 15 appearances and scoring nine goals. Yes you read that right NINE goals. Whoever is down the left for Glovers will have to keep an eye on the inform right back.

And I feel that’s all I have to say really as his record speaks for itself.

Yeovil – Brett McGavin

McGavin started the season off well scoring regularly. The midfielder then has been through a quiet since but still sits seconds in the scoring charts for the Glovers. With current top scorer Aaron Jarvis out suspended for one match the scoring will be left to someone else and Mcgavin may have to fill that role.

Brett McGavin
Pic Gary Brown

Thats what he said…

Southend boss Kevin Maher gave his thoughts to local press ahead of the game. He said: “Yeovil’s away form has been very good and they’ve picked up some very good results.

“For us, the biggest challenge is repeating the energy and the atmosphere we had in the stadium [against Charlton], because this game is more important if anything. That includes everyone. Let’s make it difficult for opposition teams, we did that with Charlton, and we’ve got to replicate it.

“You can tell from their results how tough it’ll be. We’ve got to be ready for it and perform to our best to get a result.”

We’ve met before…

The two teams have played against each other a total of 23 times in their history, with the Yeovil leading the head to head with 12 wins. Southend have only the eight wins to their name with three draws in there as well.

The last time they met was last year in the FA Cup when Coopers men ran out 2-0 victors at Huish Park. However, the Glovers had lost the two matches before that 2-0 and 1-0.

Don’t I know you…

The Shrimpers have an ex-Glover as captain in the shape of full-back Nathan Ralph.

Ralph played a total of 41 times for Yeovil and was a part of the legendary League One playoff winning team during his three year stint at Huish Park from 2012-2015

Who’s been naughty then…

Morgan Williams, Aaron Jarvis and Dom Bernard all miss out due to suspensions.Southend have no one missing.

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Yeovil Town are back in action at Huish Park this weekend as they go up against an in-form Maidenhead United.

Form Guide…

The Glovers form has picked up since their shock defeat in the FA Cup to Chesham United. Since that game the Somerset side have been unbeaten winning one and drawing the other.

If we focus on Yeovil’s last five league game, they have taken 9 points from a possible 15. Last time out on they drew with Tamworth in a scoreless game.

Maidenhead’s position of 18th may be a bit of a red herring, with The Magpies form over their last five league fixtures being nothing short of phenomenal, with three wins and two draws. They did this whilst also beating Taunton Town in an FA Cup replay.

Key Players…

Yeovil – Charlie Cooper

Cooper gets a lot of flack from fans for being the gaffers son. However, that criticism is probably not just after his performances this season.

The midfielder plays his role with the in the team well, here’s there to do the dirty work that no one else wants to do. He breaks play up, but also helps the team progress down the pitch. He will be key in what will be a battle in the centre of the pitch against The Magpies centre mid Nathan Ferguson.

Charlie Cooper. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Maidenhead United – Reece Smith

Smith has been good form this season with three goals and three assists so far. The left winger hasn’t had the best of times in recent weeks with just the one goal and an assist in the his last five matches. That doesn’t dismiss his quality though as he did bag a brace against league leaders Barnet, which can’t be sniffed at.

Thats what he said…

Yeovil manager Mark Cooper spoke to club media ahead of the fixture. He said: “I’ve always found them [Maidenhead United] a tough team to play against because they’ve got a lot of unpredictability in their team. They have players that can turn defence into attack, there’s some goals in there and they’ve got some real stalwart  characters.

The manager [Alan Devonshire] was a terrific player himself, so it’s always a tough game.”

Mark Cooper in a press conference.

The Magpies assistant, Ryan Peters, was keen to stress the difference between being full-time and part-time teams after their draw vs Oldham. He said: ” [Oldham] were able to come down on Monday, have a leisurely stroll and do things the way they wanted to do in preparation for the game today. Us, we finish training, we go to work, we turn up here after work to play again.

It’s going to look no different for this game on Saturday; we’re going to go to work, we’re going to train as best as we can do ready for that game on Saturday, but we’re not going to change anything – we’re going to keep going as best as we can and try and pick up some more points where we can.” 

We’ve met before…

The head to head doesn’t stack up favourably for the glovers with no win in seven fixtures against Maidenhead. Out of those seven games The Magpies have won three and the other four matches have been draws.

Shamir Fenelon playing for Maidenhead United at Huish Park in 2019. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The last time these two met was in 2023 when Maidenhead ran out 2-0 winners. The last time they met at Huish Park was in 2022 when it finished as a goalless draw.

Don’t I know you…

There are two current Magpies who used to be Glovers, Tristan Abrahams and Zac Bell. Both players were only on loan at Huish Park but both will be well known to Yeovil fans.

Bell played  10 games for the Glovers at the start of last season but hasn’t found games as easy to come by since joining the Magpies in a free in the summer. The left-back played just two games before picking up an injury which will keep him out of the clash at Huish Park.

Zac Bell.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Abraham’s came on loan to Yeovil in 2019 making 15 appearances and scoring three goals. The centre forward has started the season in better form, with four goals and an assist in 12 games so far, but has missed the past couple of games through illness.

Who’s been naughty then…

Morgan Williams will miss out due to being sent off in midweek against Tamworth. Four players are also  currently one yellow card away from being suspended, the culprits are Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis, Charlie Cooper and Dom Bernard

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It’s a third away game in a row for Yeovil Town on Tuesday night as they face Tamworth at The Lamb Ground.

Form Guide…

The Lambs have been in great form over recent weeks winning three of their last five games. Those wins have all come in their last three games too, with impressive wins over Gateshead and Macclesfield (in the FA Cup) in that time. 

Their latest result saw them beat Woking 3-2 at home. 

The Glovers are still very up and down in their form with two wins and two draws from their last five, with a loss to Chesham in the FA Cup being the only blemish. 

Wealdstone vs Yeovil

 

However, the Somerset side responded to their dissatisfaction cup exit to lower league opposition by beating a good Wealdstone team 0-3 on Saturday.

Key Players…

Tamworth FC – Nathan Tshikuna

The Centre Midfielder is the main man for the midlands team, starting every game so far this season.

But that’s not what’s impressive about the 25-year-old, it’s his goal contributions that should worry the Glovers. He has scored five goals this season for the Lambs which is one behind  their centre forward, Dan Creaney. Tshikuna also has four assists as well, taking his goal contributions up to nine in fourteen for Tamworth.

Creaney is also worth keeping an eye after bagging six in six.

Yeovil – Ciaran McGuckin

After bagging a goal against Wealdstone, the striker is the Glovers most in form attacker and probably player. With goals being hard to come by for Mark Coopers men having a player like McGuckin will be valuable. 

Although young, the Northern Irishman has shown great composure in front of goal, with three goals since he joined. The Tamworth defence will have their work cut out.

Ciaran McGuckin
Pic GARY BROWN

Thats what he said…

Tamworth gaffer, Andy Peaks spoke to Lambs Media about the upcoming fixture after his sides recent win. He said: “They’re are having fantastic start, I think they’re always going to do well. They are a well supported club, a well backed club. I speak with Coops a bit and we share information but I don’t think he will be ahead of Tuesday.”

Glovers boss Mark Cooper spoke about Tamworth after the match on Saturday. He said: “I’m looking forward to it, it’s a 3G pitch, they’re good on it, but we have to find a way of going there and getting something.”

Mark Cooper post match interview after Wealdstone.

We’ve met before…

No we haven’t, not even once a friendly in the 1950’s. For two clubs that have a combined age of 219 years old we have never once played a game against each other. That changes at The Lamb Ground on Tuesday, so it’s a good opportunity for one of these clubs to get off on the right foot in this matchup.

Don’t I know you…

There are no current players in the Tamworth squad who have even spent a minute in South Somerset. 

However, Glovers bossCooper is no stranger to the Lamb Ground having played there between 2002 and 2007 making 104 appearances for them scoring 31 goals. 

Former Yeovil man Alex Bradley also played for Tamworth, joining them after he left Yeovil in 2022, making 20 appearances.

Alex Bradley in conversation with former manager Darren Sarll.

Who’s been naughty then…

Yeovil have been very naughty with four players currently one yellow card away from being suspended, those four are Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis, Charlie Cooper and Dom Bernard. Tamworth have no players suspended.

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Yeovil will get back to league action this weekend as they travel to the capital to face Wealdstone at Grosvenor Vale on Saturday.

Form Guide…

The Stones haven’t been in the best form this season as they sit one place above bottom in 23rd. Last time out they won in the FA Cup beating Gosport Borough 4-1. However, the last time they pick up three points in the league was on the 26th August at home against Fylde. Although not winning many they got five draws, including against Southend and Halifax.

Mark Cooper’s side has been very up and down this season with five wins, five losses and three draws. Last time out was disappointing for the Glovers as they were knocked out of the FA Cup against lower league opposition. They have picked up over the last five games in the league however with just one loss against Oldham Athletic but with only win as well when facing Dagenham & Redbridge

Players applaud the away supporters at the final whistle at Chesham United.

.

Key Players…

Wealdstone – Callum McFarlane

Callum McFarlane in action for Fulham. Picture courtesy of Fulham FC

The striker has played eight time for the Stones this season, after joining on from Fulham on deadline day. His return has been decent as well with three goals which got him the Wealdstone fans player of the month for September. In a team that has been down on its luck in this season McFarlane has definitely been a bright spark.

Another player to watch out for is Alex Reid. Joining on loan just before their FA Cup fixture Gosport, Reid then went on to score a hat-trick on debut, showing his goalscoring prowess.

Yeovil – James Plant

The right winger has started two games for the Glovers assisting one goal. In those two games the Port-Vale loanee has shown his quality playing out on the right. At 19-years-old there is room for improvement but that will come with time. He will need help from a struggling striker department though if he is to show how valuable he can be to the team in creating goals.

James Plants a cross.
Pic GARY BROWN

That’s what he said…

The Stones boss Matt Taylor spoke club media about the upcoming match with Yeovil. He said: “I’m expecting a really good team that got promoted last season. They’ve got a really good core of players, experienced both on and off the pitch with their management [staff]. I think it will be a difficult game for us.

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to local media ahead of Wealdstone on Saturday. He said: “It’s been a tough week in terms of analysis, leg work, tactics, you know,  but we just want a reaction. I need an angry reaction, I need a group of players that want to show and we aren’t too far away from the team which played really well against Dagenham & Redbridge a week before.”

The Glovers boss also gave insight into his opponents as well. He said: “They have a real culture of being heavily possession based and trying to dominate the opposition with the ball, so if you get your out-of-possession stuff wrong against them they can really hurt you.”

We’ve met before…

These two teams have met six times before, with Yeovil winning one, Wealdstone winning one and there being four draws as well. The last time these sides met it was a 0-0 draw at Huish Park with Owen Bevan being sent off. This picture has seen its fair share of goalless draws with the last three games all finishing 0-0. Thos three games have also seen three players sent off, twice for The Stones and once for the Glovers.

Don’t I know you…

The London side have two ex-Glovers in their squad with Cypriot Anthony Georgiou and Midfielder Craig Eastmond. Georgiou was one of Mark Coopers first signings when he joined Yeovil in November 2022 on loan. He only lasted a month in Somerset playing just the two games.

Anthony Georgiou. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Craig Eastmond was way before Cooper however, as he joined the club in the winter of 2015 after being released by Colchester United. The midfielder, made just one appearance which was against Colchester, playing just seven minutes as a sub. He did appear on the bench for the Glovers 11 other times without stepping on the pitch.

Who’s been naughty then…

Yeovil have been very naughty with four players currently one yellow card away from being suspended, those four are Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis, Charlie Cooper and Dom Bernard. Wealdstone will be able to bring both Adrian Mariappa and Jaydn Mundle-Smith after they both served their suspension.

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The FA Cup is back, as Yeovil Town travel to Chesham United in the Fourth Qualifying Round this Saturday, as they look to carry on winning ways.

Form Guide…

The Glovers  took all three points last time out, as they beat a tough Dagenham & Redbridge team. Yeovil were impressive throughout, with the only goal of the game coming through on-loan striker Ciaran McGuckin. It was the first time the Somerset side had won since a 4-3 win over AFC Fylde on September the 7th.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his second goal in green and white
Pic Gary Brown

Chesham United got through to the Fourth Qualifying Round on Tuesday evening as they defeated Bishops Cleeve in their replay 4-0. Their five games before that saw them win two, draw two and lose one which was at home to Bath City.

Key Players…

Chesham United – Nathan Minhas

The centre-forward has been in good form this season across the league and cup scoring five goals in nine games for The Generals. The 27-year-old joined form Slough in the summer and has been an instant hit. After missing games against Welling and Salisbury his goalscoring has slowed down in recent weeks with one goal in three.

Nathan Minhas goal celebration. Picture courtesy of @cheshamutdfc on X.

Callum Adebiyi has also been impressive for the Buckinghamshire side playing every minute so far this term. The full-back has also contributed to with one goal and three assists.

Yeovil Town – Ciaran McGuckin

The Northern-Irish frontman has proved his worth so far with impressive performances in his first three games. The on loan Rotherham United youngster bagged his first goal at the weekend in the 1-0 home win against Dagenham. Although the Glovers signed Aaron Jarvis and Harvey Greenslade in the summer they have been in need of a presence up top and McGuckin provides that.

After 140 minutes of football so far for the Glovers it finally feels that they may have a natural goal scorer in the 20-year-old.

That’s what he said…

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper spoke to local media about how seriously he is taking the game. He said: “We want to pay full respect to Chesham, they have got through some rounds to get to this stage and we have to respect that. I would not disrespect them by giving people minutes for the sake of it, we are going to pick the strongest team we can.

We want to get to the third round and pull a Premier League team and we have to dream, but I am sure Chesham are doing the same. They got promoted last year, they are brilliant, lovely people and they got me a cup of tea and a bit of cake the other night, so we will give them our full respect.”

The Generals joint manager, Michael Murray spoke to the clubs media after his side win against Bishops Cleeve. He said: “It’s a big thing for the football club, to play Yeovil at home. We are going to have our supporters out in numbers like we did with Maidstone last year.

Our boys will compete, our boys will be ready…we know we’re going to have to hit our maximums to compete and to get a right result against them.”

We’ve met before…

These two sides have only met three times before, once back in 1982 in an FA Cup fixture at The Meadow. The result that day was a 1-0 victory for the Glovers, seeing them progress to the second round proper. That day it was Yeovil striker Andy Bell who grabbed the winning goal in front of 1,433 fans in Bucks.

 

The second time we met was in 1986 in the League Cup which the Yeovil won 7-1 with a hat-trick from John McGinlay, two from Carl Zachhau and just one a piece for Mickey Tanner and Phil James.

The last time Yeovil played Chesham was a year later in 1987 again in the league cup which the Glovers again ran out winners, winning 3-0, two form Phil Ferns and one for Paul Randall.

Don’t I Know you…

No we don’t, as there is no ex-Glovers in the Chesham United side. There isn’t even a tenuous link we can make which is a first.

Who’s been naughty then…

No one has been naughty for either Chesham or Yeovil. Glovers boss Mark Cooper was also cleared of his red card last week which he got against Oldham Athletic.

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Yeovil Town will be back home action on Saturday as they play host to Dagenham & Redbridge at Huish Park.

Form Guide…

The Glovers have found wins hard to come by recently with no wins in their last five, over that period Mark Cooper‘s side have four draws and one loss. Goals have also been even fewer and farther between with just the one goal scored.

The Somerset side picked up that one in last outing which was a 1-1 draw at home to Aldershot Town with on-loan Rotherham United man Ciaran McGuckin’s equaliser being that only goal in the last five.

Ciaran McGuckin celebrates his first Yeovil goal. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The Daggers have been very much the opposite of Yeovil over their last five games with four wins and a draw from those outings. The wins have been emphatic as well against good opponents, the run of results include a 7-1 victory over Gateshead and a 3-0 win against Sutton United. Both those wins came on home soil where Dagenham have the sixth best record in the division (P6, W3, D2, L1), but they sit 18th out of 24 in the away form table (P6, W1, D3, L2) after 12 matches.

In their latest fixture they took a very good point from a decent Solihull Moors side, with the match finishing 1-1, albeit manager Ben Strevens described himself as “very disappointed” after seeing his side waste a hatful of chances to make it three points.

The Daggers sit two places and two points ahead of Yeovil going in to the match in tenth place in the National League Premier table. 

Key Players…

Yeovil Town – Ollie Wright

I myself have been sceptical about the shot-stopper with some of his mistakes at the start of the season. But over the last couple of matches the young keeper has made some important saves to keep his side in with a chance of a result.

Wright is still learning his trade so mistakes are more than expected, but with the Glovers’ attackers struggling to find the net, the team need the defence and especially goalie to keep the opposition from scoring at the other end. If Yeovil want to get results at the moment they have to rely on the keeper.

Ollie Wright saves low. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Dagenham & Redbridge – Dion Pereira

For the Essex side it’s been former Huish Park loanee Dion Pereira who has blossomed this season. The left winger has contributed seven goals so far this season and has also chipped in with three assists.

The Luton Town loanee, who had a forgettable one-match spell under Darren Sarll in October 2021, has already shown what an asset he can be in his 12 games so far, so will hand full for whoever is chosen to mark him.

Another recognisable name in the lower leagues that is a worth mention is striker Junior Morias, formerly of Peterborough United, who have a knack of picking up talented players.

That’s what he said…

Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper is wary of the attacking talents the Essex side have at their disposal. He said: “They have some good, experienced players and they can cause problems on their day with Junior Morais and Josh Umerah up front, they are a handful at this level.”

Manager Mark Cooper with assistant Chris Todd. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Daggers’ manager Ben Strevens, who knows Yeovil assistant Chris Todd from their playing days and managerial days together at Eastleigh, said he believed the Glovers should have won their last match at home to Aldershot Town.

Speaking to Daggers’ TV, the former midfielder said: “We know we are going to have to be at our best, whenever you go away from home in this league, you do not get any points if you are anything but your best.”
 
The boss also spoke about new signing defender Romoney Critchlow, the transfer-listed central defender who has joined on loan from Peterborough United ahead of the trip to Somerset.
 
Strevens added: “He will add to the balance of the side. When we signed Trent (Randall) in the summer we expected him to be a right-sided centre half, but he did so well for us at right back in pre-season that he stayed there. So we always felt we were one centre half light, so bringing Rom in to the group helps us with a number of players being out injured. He is a good player who has become available and if there are players who we think will help us improve, we are going to try and do that.”
 

We’ve met before…

There have been 11 meetings between these two teams since they first met in 2010. Of those 11 matches Yeovil have ran out winners on five occasions and The Daggers have won four, with just the two draws.

The last time they met was in January 2023 when the Glovers took all three points with a 2-0 victory, with goals from a Jordan Maguire-Drew penalty and Matty Worthington after the Daggers’ Harry Phipps was sent off after half-an-hour.

The last time we faced the East London side at Huish Park, Yeovil picked up a rare victory under then-manager Chris Hargreaves with Jamie Reckord’s 34th minute strike the difference in August 2022.

Jamie Reckord scores against Dagenham & Redbridge. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Don’t I know you?…

We have already mentioned the only former Glover in Dion Pereira, who came on loan to Huish Park in 2021 playing just a single game. He’s quite a different player to the one we saw it seems.

On the Daggers’ bench, Lewis Young, who was part of the 2012/13 side which earned promotion to the Championship, is assistant manager to Ben Strevens at Victoria Road these days.

 

Dion Pereira in action against Notts County.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty then?…

Neither team will have anyone missing through suspension.

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Yeovil Town are back in the comforts of home, the Glovers welcome Aldershot Town to Huish Park on Saturday.

Form Guide…

One of these sides have only scored one goal since August turned to September, the other is on a four-game streak without scoring any… 

That being said, Yeovil Town will be far happier with a battling point at Sutton United in midweek than the Shots will be with a home defeat to Barnet. Bees’ striker Nicke Kabamba (who else?) with the only goal of the game in Hampshire on Tuesday night.

Aldershot sit 17th in the table, 13 points on the board, 16 scored, 16 conceded.

Yeovil a couple of places above them, 14 points secures, 12 scored, 13 conceded.

It’s fair to say the form suggests there really isn’t much between them.

Update: Since the publication of this preview article, Yeovil have announced the signing of Port Vale midfielder James Plant on loan until January and the return of winger Dylan Morgan from his spell on loan at National League side South Weston-super-Mare.

Meanwhile, The Shots have signed Bristol Rovers’ teenage centre-back Dan Ellison, who impressed with Chippenham Town last season, on a one-month loan deal.

Key Players…

Aldershot Town – Joshua Barrett

The man with the finest surname in all the land is the scorer of the Shots’ only goal of September so far, he opened the scoring after 29 minutes against Boston United a couple of weeks ago.

He wasn’t involved against Barnet on Tuesday night, but with important players missing, Barrett might need to be a creative force, particularly down the visitors’ left hand side – against a Glovers right hand side, which might well be missing Michael Smith.

Yeovil Town – Jordan Young

The Glovers need goals. On Tuesday night, only two shots on target were recorded, one of those came from the boot of Jordan Young.

Young already has one goal to his name this season (away at Boston), but a second would do wonders for … well, everyone to be honest.

We know he has the quality to dip the shoulder, cut inside and shoot and equally he’ll be vital at creating chances for others too.

There will be changes to the Shots’ defence and it might be a moment of magic, or a guilt edged opportunity to produce some quality that gets Huish Park rocking, sounds like a job for Jordan Young.

Jordan Young – Pic Gary Brown

That’s what he said…

Aldershot boss Tommy Widdrington said on Thursday: “We will be approaching the next game [vs Yeovil] in the same way we have the last two games, with a group of players that I think can win a football match.

“[Yeovil are] a big football club, a good manager who has been around the block and knows the division inside out, there isn’t an easy game in this division trust me, I don’t know where they are in the league, but ultimately, they’re a team I don’t expect to be at the wrong end of the table at the business end”

Mark Cooper on the other hand is expecting a tough contest against the side managed by the former Bristol Rovers’ caretaker manager.

Cooper said: “They were a whisker off the play-offs last year and if the National League put them up when Gateshead dropped out, they would have been in the play-offs. They have some good players, staff and manager who know what they are doing. Tommy’s team will be on the front foot and trying to get after us, they will be tactically sound and we are expecting a tough game. No-one is going to give you three points which we have done in every game except that Solihull game. If we keep playing with that attitude and enthusiasm we will be fine.“

You can read all the good stuff from Mark Cooper’s Pre Match Presser – HERE

We’ve met before…

The last meeting between these two teams was at the back end of the 2022/23 season (apologies to anyone who had removed that from their memories), a 1-1 draw at their place, goals from Tyler Cordner and Callum Harriott (again, apologies).

The last time we met at Huish Park however, wasn’t a draw – it was a 2-0 Aldershot win – Giles Phillips and Tommy Willard on the score sheet – thankfully none of those four players will be at Huish Park on Saturday.

August 2021 was the last time we beat Aldershot, Joe Quigley was at the double on that occasion in a 2-1 win.

Don’t I know You..?

Does the name Christian Maghoma mean anything to you Yeovil fans? The Congolese defender joined Yeovil in the 2015/16 season from Tottenham on loan and proceeded to play… *checks notes* ZERO minutes in Green and White. 

No, really, he did join us – really… 

Aldershot also have Cameron “son of” Hargreaves, who never did play for us, but you know.

Also, David Smalley their goalkeeper coach is listed on the Aldershot staff page as having played professionally for the Glovers, so now you know. 

Who’s been naughty….

Aldershot have two players missing, Theo Wriddrington picked up his fifth yellow of the season on Tuesday so sits out and prevents us from from having the Father-Son-Derby of Wriddringtons v Coopers. Selfish.

He had played nearly every minute of every game until then and will be a big loss in midfield, as will defender Aaron Jones who saw a straight red card on Tuesday night – he’s got three games to think about how naughty he’s been. 

For Yeovil, Charlie Cooper is on four yellow cards, he stands to miss a game if he picks up one more.

I want to get involved….

Great, you can.

Go to Huish Park – Mark Cooper has said he wants to get the home fans going again – that means YOU!
Tickets Available HERE

Can’t go? Listen
Our man Ian Perkins is front and centre for the game on BBC Somerset. 

Want independant news, views and reaction all in one place?
Your MULTI-TIME Award nominated Gloverscast will have you covered on Monday morning. 

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Yeovil Town are on the road again as they travel to the capital to face Sutton United in midweek in clash between 10th and 16th.

Form Guide…

The home side have a mediocre last five games with three losses and two wins. However, they have found some form in recent weeks as they picked up six points in their last two fixtures, which included an impressive 3-1 victory away to Southend United. Currently sitting 10th in the league the U’s will be hard to beat.

It’s a similar story for the Glovers over their last five games as they have taken seven points from an available fifteen. The Somerset side last won against AFC Fylde at the start of the month. Since that win Yeovil’s form has taken a slight dip with two losses and a draw, with their latest result being a 1-0 loss to Oldham.

Key Players…

Sutton United – Josh Coley

Coley joined The Amber and Chocolates at the start of last season where he didn’t have his most productive year contributing to 11 goals in 48 games many of which were assists. After staying with the London club after their relegation the former Exeter man has found his feet scoring four goals in eight games from right midfield.

Another player who maybe worth keeping an eye on is Ashley Nadesan who has scored in the last two games.

Yeovil Town – Michael Smith

The evergreen fullback has played every game for the Glovers this season, amassing 738 minutes of game time. At 36-years-old, Smith is no spring chicken but the experience, professionalism and quality in play will be vital for Yeovil this season and to get them out of this “mini-slump”.

The right-back clearly has the backing of Mark Cooper (and our very own Ollie Marsh) and it’s not hard to see why, he is one of the most if not the most consistent player in the team who always gives his all.

Michael Smith in action for Yeovil.

That’s what he said…

Sutton boss Steve Morrison spoke to their clubs Youtube channel on his thoughts ahead of the midweek clash. He said: “They’re a really good team, a food solid group of players…there is no point trying to work out whether you think some games will be easier than overs because they’re not, so yeah it’s going to be a tough test.”

Assistant manager Chris Todd talked to the media about the upcoming fixture after the loss at Oldham. He said: “The players are really disappointed, we could’ve come away with a point…but we’ll pick ourselves up and go again with a big game against Sutton.”

Manager Mark Cooper with assistant Chris Todd. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

We’ve met before…

The two clubs have met a four times previously, with Sutton winning on three of those occasion and Yeovil taking the spoils only once. When the pair last faced off in 2021 it was The U’s who took all three points as they ran out 2-1 victors, with Harry Beautyman and Isaac Olaofe scoring for Sutton and Reuben Reid bagging for the Glovers.

Don’t I know You…

The Yellows have a few familiar faces for travelling fans to spot. Currently on the books is former Cambridge loanee Lewis Simper, the midfielder spent a couple months at Huish Park in 2021 playing just the one game in a 2-0 loss to Grimsby.

Another ex-loanee in Edwin Agbaje also now plays for the U’s. The Irish man had a spell at the Glovers at the start of 2023, where he went on to make 10 appearances for the Somerset side.

Edwin Agbaje. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s been naughty….

Neither Yeovil or Sutton have anyone suspended for the game. Mark Cooper‘s potential suspension is unknown after he received a red card against Oldham.

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Yeovil are back in the road this weekend, as they make the trip to Greater Manchester to play Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Saturday.

Form Guide…

The Latics have been the kings of 1-1 draws this season with five results ending with that score line, with four of those coming in their last five games.

However, their latst result against Woking saw them triumph 3-1 winners away from home.

Over the last five games the Glovers have picked up seven points with wins on the road at AFC Fylde and Boston United, and two defeats and a draw on home soil against Rochdale, Solihull Moors and Altrincham respectively. 

Away from home, Yeovil go in to the weekend with the third best record in the division, facing the 15th-best home record in the division in Oldham, who have not won since a 3-0 success over Braintree Town on the opening day of the season.

With the Somerset side currently sat in 12th in the National League it has been a steady start to the new campaign, however, on paper, Premier League founder members Oldham will provide a much sterner test than the past couple of weeks.

Key Players…

Oldham – Mike Fondop

Fondop has been the Greater Manchester side biggest threat this season with three goals and two assists in nine games. The striker has started 67% of games for The Latics, becoming someone they have heavily relied upon.

He will be a familiar face for all the wrong reasons for Glovers’ fans having scored against us both home and away in the 2022-23 season, including a brace in a 3-0 win for Oldham in the penultimate game of a forgettable season (for us) at Huish Park.

Michael Fondop on an Oldham Athletic X post.

Another notable name is James Norwood who hasn’t been his prolific self but his qualities at this level could be on show if he finds form. Norwood rose to prominence with an impressive goal-scoring record at Tranmere Rovers which earned him a move to Ipswich Town and then Barnsley, before arriving at Oldham in the summer of 2023. He scored 18 times last season and has just one in five appearances so far this campaign.

Yeovil – Sam Pearson

The winger has been very productive this season with four assists and one goal in nine games so far this season.

The Welsh youth international has contributed mainly when playing on the left  with one goal and two assists coming from when playing in that position. But the ex-Bristol City man has found himself more often than not on the right where he has been far less effective.

Pearson will need to be outlet this weekend for Yeovil as attacking opportunities may be hard to come by against a recently relegated team.

Sam Pearson on the attack – Pic – Gary Brown

Thats what he said…

Glovers boss Mark Cooper talked to the press about the talent Oldham have at their disposal. He said: “They have a squad of players that are probably above the level and at a club like Oldham they know they have to win games of football, otherwise the crowd are not happy.”

Latics’ manager Micky Mellon spoke to the club’s website about the weekend, he said: “We are definitely competing with the better teams in the division and we need to turn these draws in to victories, we are certainly creating chances and the next stage is being more clinical and ruthless.

“This is the most balanced National League I have known, every game seems to be contested evenly, there’s loads of quality players in to this division and every week is a tough challenge and the next game (against Yeovil) will be that.

“There’s loads of Football League experience, loads of players that have been schooled well at Under-23s level, but we believe we have a really good group that can handle that.”

We’ve met before…

Oldham and Yeovil have met 22 times in their history with The Latics winning eight of those, the Glovers have also won eight with the other six fixtures being draws.

The last time these two side met was in 2019 at Huish Park with the away side winning 0-3. In fact Yeovil haven’t won a game in this fixture since 2015 when they won 2-1 at home.

Don’t I know you…

The former Yeovil players don’t stop as former Glovers man Otis Khan is now in Micky Mellon’s squad. Khan played 87 times for the Glovers netting 18 times and setting up 15 goals. The Pakistan international was at Huish Park for two years between 2016 and 2018.

Otis Khan in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Since leaving Somerset the winger has gone to play for Mansfield, Newport and Tranmere to name a few.

Who’s been naughty then…

Neither team will have anyone missing through suspension.

How can you keep across the game?

In Person

If you fancy the 500-mile round trip from Somerset to Greater Manchester, tickets are available – check the Huish Hugh Ciderspace Away Travel Guide for full details.

On the Radio

BBC Somerset will have full coverage of the match with Josh Perkins the man with the mic.

On the TV/ stream

National League TV has this game listed as available to watch outside of the UK

On the Gloverscast.co.uk

We’ll have team news, match report, Five Conclusions and our usual reaction podcast to follow on Monday.

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