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Mark Cooper was disappointed with Yeovil’s 2-1 loss to Sutton United this afternoon, saying the result gave him “clarity”.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins, the Yeovil boss said: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. I thought we were in a good position to win it. Obviously 1-0 at half time. And then we conceded two goals. I think they had two efforts on target, and they both went.

“They had bits and pieces across the box, but I can’t remember, Aidan making any saves. So they have two. A header from 18 yards, and a shot from 25 yards. So yeah, we’re disappointed because we wanted to finish at home on a high. Just gives me a bit of clarity of where where we need to be.”

“It’s a game we shouldn’t lose, in my opinion, and we’ve conceded two speculative efforts and lost the game.”

Cooper added that Brett McGavin was back in training and could make an appearance on the final day at Aldershot.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper insists his focus is on football matters, despite Martin Hellier’s departure as chairman at Huish Park earlier in the week.

Stuart Robins was announced as the chairman’s successor on an interim basis, and in turn confirmed that the Hellier Group will continue to invest while a successor is found.

Speaking to the BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah, Cooper said: “I’ve got a great relationship with Stuart and a good relationship with Martin. I’m just concentrating on the football.

“Whatever that noise is, for us that’s just noise. We’ve got to concentrate on our football. We have to keep trying to win games, and the more games we win, the better proposition the club is for someone.”

The Glovers travel to Altrincham on Saturday off the back of two victories and two clean sheets, and will look to keep the good run going against a team who are winless in their last seven league games.

“The players have worked really hard. We look as though we’re on the front foot, we get around the pitch and have made it difficult for teams in the last two games, and we’ve got a couple of good results.

Harvey Greenslade celebrates his late, late winner in Saturday’s 1-0 home win over AFC Fylde. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

“We want that to continue on Saturday against a team that will be expecting to be in the play-offs. They’ve had a bit of a sticky run but it’s on the day so we’ve got to go and have a right go at them.

“They’re just in one of those moments, it’s just a tricky spell and that happens in a season. It’s impossible even for the top boys to go through the season without a hiccup and they’re in one of those moments.”

Yeovil’s previous two results have been all the more impressive as they’re missing some key players, although Cooper revealed some positive injury news.

“(Jake) Wannell joined in today for the first time, actual full training with the team. We’ll see how he goes. If he can get through that, then he’ll be involved in the weekend.

Jake Wannell in action.
Pic Gary Brown

“Morgan (Williams) is probably a little bit longer. And then obviously another big one is (Aaron) Jarvis, who I think will be touch and go for the rest of the season. If that is the case, we won’t take any risks with him.

“I’m not really sure on Jacob (Maddox). I think he’s just got a niggle in his foot and that comes down to pain threshold. Obviously he’s feeling it and he’s not able to train at the minute.”

On-loan centre-back pairing Kyle Ferguson and Frankie Terry have helped keep out Solihull Moors and AFC Fylde, drawing praise from the green and white faithful for their performances.

Thumbs up from Kyle Ferguson
Pic Gary Brown

“It’s really difficult for the young boys when they come in on loan because they have to earn the respect of the players who are already here. They’re replacing good players, but they’ve put their hand up to carry the flag forward and I’ve been really impressed with them.

“They’ve stood up to the challenge really well in really difficult times. Obviously Frankie came in a couple of weeks earlier than Kyle, but they’ve looked pretty solid together with the help of the goalkeeper and two experienced full-backs either side of them, Alex Whittle and Dom (Bernard).

“We’ve had to set the team up a bit differently to try and help them and give us a bit more solidity, but they’ve done great.”

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It was victory in Solihull for Yeovil Town this afternoon. Goals from Josh Sims (maybe?), Ciaran McGuckin and Alex Whittle lifted spirits following the departure of Frank Nouble earlier in the day. Mark Cooper spoke to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins following the match and here’s what he had to say.

Josh Perkins: Mark, it must be said, what a performance from your team.

Mark Cooper: The boys were fantastic. Followed on from a really spirited performance last Saturday. And you know, we asked them for the same endeavor, the same spirit, same commitment, and we showed that again today. And if you do that, you end up sometimes getting a little bit of luck. And we were worthy winners today. And yeah, it feels good.

Josh Perkins: I said on commentary that. I think especially away from home, that’s your best performance of the season. Would you agree?

Mark Cooper: We’ve won some, we’ve won quite a few games away from home, and we won at Wealdstone, we won at Fylde. We’ve won some entertaining games away from home. But in terms of that, we were never really in danger today. There was one at the end, that when you’re 3-0  it up you switch off a little bit. Apart from that, we were really comfortable, and our organisation was really good, and we looked solid. Compact.

Josh Perkins: The pick of three goals, really, is Alex Whittle’s. We’ll get to his. The first goal. Josh Sims will, will claim it, I’m sure goes down as an own goal. But just your thoughts on that Josh Sims/ own goal and Ciaran McGuckins goal as well, because that was taken well.

Yeovil Town celebrate Ciaran McGuckin’s goal.

Mark Cooper:  We’ve had to change the way we play because we haven’t got how we worked all preseason to play. We’ve got most of those players missing. So we’ve had to change to a 4-3-3, and that’s then about getting the ball to your wide players. And the work has been me screaming at the two wide players every time they get it to take people on. Simsy [Josh Sims], the last couple of games has been good. We’ve needed that from him, because he’s had a slow start for us, and I spoke to him about it, and he’s got so much ability. But, if he can keep that going and get better and better then we’ve got a real player there. But his goal was great, and then a great move for Ciaran’s goal. He needed that. Like I said to you before the game, if in January, Frank had gone and I’d have said we were bringing Ciaran in to replace Frank, everyone would have been cock-a-hoop, but because he’s had a stop-start time since he came back, it’s, ‘why have we done this? Why have we done that?’ So I’m really pleased for him. He got horrendous tackle in the first half, had to go off for that.

Josh Perkins: Good finish from him. And Alex Whittle, what a finish from him. I immediately saw him wheel away in celebration to the technical area and to you just talk me through that.

Mark Cooper: “The best clearance I’ve ever seen. I’m pleased. He’s a good character, and that’s a great finish for him. It’s one of them that either flies in or ends up on the runway at the airport down the road. But no, really pleased. I’m really pleased for fans. 240 proper fans, again, travel three hours, and they cheer the team on from start to finish. No negativity. And it’s really good. Maybe it’s a coincidence, when the fans get behind you, you can win a game.

Josh Perkins: Well, I noticed Khan as well, and his his reintroduction to Yeovil. I thought he played really well today.

Mark Cooper: Yeah, he’s a good footballer. Understands the game. He knows where to be, with the ball, without the ball, and, yeah, really pleased.

Josh Perkins: Just away from this game and in terms of injuries, I know you’re probably sick of hearing this, but any any closer to seeing the likes of McGavin and Wannell?

Mark Cooper: Brett McGavin, I don’t think we’ll play again this season. Horrendous tackle last Saturday against York. So Brett, that’s another key starter we’re missing, but we’re not allowed to mention that. Are we? One thing I have learned is that at Yeovil it doesn’t matter what you’ve got to be available. If you had eight under 12 players, you’d still be expected to win, and that’s the deal. So I’d just like to say thank you to the Chairman. He’s been steadfast in the support for players and staff. A proper Chairman, that’s what you need. He lets us get on with the job. He understands the situation we’re in.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper spoke to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah ahead National League action against York City on Saturday. Here’s every word of the manager’s press conference.

JK: Mark, it’s been a while since you and I have had a sit down. A lot’s happened in the last 10 days or so. First of all, just reflecting on Tuesday night, what do you feel you learned about your team from from the defeat on Tuesday?

MC: I didn’t really learn anything that I didn’t know. I think anybody can see the team is hugely different to the team that we had when we were having our really good spell. But that’s football. We’ve ended up with some really young players in the team that are trying to make their way in the game, and they need support. You know, it’s a really difficult environment for them to come into, and they need support now. They need support from us. They need support from everybody. And, so I didn’t really learn anything I didn’t know.

JK: Was it quite a tricky conversation to have with the players afterwards? Was much said at all?

MC: No, they just need support. It’s clear as to the situation. And this is what happens. You get into a situation where you lose a whole load of players, and you try and put a new group together, and it takes a little bit of time, but and they need support.

JK: As I touched upon a moment ago, the last few days, a lot with regards to players as well, in terms of incomings, outgoings, start off with an update on Frank. Obviously, got the news before the last game that the plan was for him to go to Gateshead. That then fell through. How did that all come about? And what’s the latest on that situation now?

MC: It came about like I spoke about last weekend, Frank spoke to me and said, ‘Look, I’ve had an offer from Gateshead I want to go’, which I completely understand, because it’s securing his family, and a better deal than we could probably offer. And then I asked him if he could play at the weekend, which he did. And then Sunday, Monday, we tried to contact Gateshead as of Frank’s wishes to get the deal done, but we didn’t get any response.  As I mentioned, what’s happened in the end, is a person that’s trying to buy Gateshead has agreed a deal with Frank, but these people don’t yet own Gateshead and Gateshead can’t push the deal through with Frank, in case the deal doesn’t go through to take the club over. So it’s a mess, really. And I think when agents, or supposedly agents, get involved, it can become a mess. And the person that has been left is Frank.

JK: Will Frank be available for this Saturday. Is he involved with the squad? At the moment,

MC: I haven’t seen Frank yet, like I haven’t. I’m hoping that he’s in today. But, you know, it’s that’s that remains to be seen.

JK: We’ve touched on before, the amount of players that have gone out of the door, whether that buy it, be by it or out injured. At the moment, I think it’s eight in total. In the last few weeks, you had four come in. How happy Have you been with with the incomings this month, and they’re settling into the squad?

MC: Well, whenever you, and as a necessity you bring players in, it’s going to take a while for them to bed in. Now, people, of course, are going to say, why did you sign this player? Why did you sign that player? Why did you let this player go? Why did you let that player go? Sometimes we have to take into account the player in talking about their wishes. We can’t do anything about the injuries, but it’s just a moment in time. If you take Tottenham, for an example, looks as though they’re gonna have a really good season. They lost the core of their team straight through the middle. At our level it’s difficult to replace that. That isn’t an excuse. That’s just fact. So we have to then react by bringing bodies in. And you have to be honest that we’re not at the top of the food chain when it comes to recruiting players. So these players that we bring in are going to need a little bit of time. We’re hoping that at some point we get Wannell, Williams, Jarvis, Smith, Maddox, we get those kind of players back into the group.

JK: Are any of those players? I mean Jacob Maddox when we spoke previously, we’re hoping the short term injury. Are any of them any closer to being involved in first team action?

MC: I think the first one back will be probably maybe Michael Smith. There maybe Wannell, then maybe maybe Williams and Jarvis in that order.

JK: And we’re still talking weeks away in all those cases as well?

MC: They won’t be available for Saturday.

JK: With regards to York this season, obviously, having a very, very good season on the football side of it. What have you made of them and how difficult will they be on Saturday?

MC: Yeah, good football team. They’ve got good players. They’ve recruited heavily, and they’ve got money to burn, but they’ve recruited good players. The manager there, I think the recruitment that he’s done has been really good and tough team to play against. They’ll be disappointed that Barnet have got so far ahead of them, but they’ll want to cement their place in the top three to make sure if they are in the playoffs, they get a home tie.

JK: For some Yeovil fans, and I’d imagine other people involved in the game, there’ll be a bit of added spice, given that the former relationship between the now owner of York and Yeovil Town. Does that play into any anybody’s mind? Does that make any difference to what was going to happen on Saturday?

MC: Certainly not for me, it’s, I don’t have to explain that everyone knows what went on and listen people, people mature, people grow up. It is what it is. Seems to be the nature of football. 

JK: And I know from our conversations over the course season, you’re always looking at individuals to bring into the club. We’re now chatting on Thursday. Are you optimistic there may be another name through the door before, before play begins on Saturday?

MC: Yeah, ideally, we’d like to sign a couple of experienced players to help the group, because, like I said, it’s difficult to replace the boys that we’ve lost. And that’s not to say that the players we’ve brought in are just makeweights in their own rights. They’re really good players, they’re finding the way in the game, and if you put yourself in a young player’s position coming into the other night, and the atmosphere and the negativity, it’s a really difficult place. Now, of course, we’d love to bring in two experienced players wit physicality that can help us, but that’s a tough, tough job to get those kind of players at this stage of the season to come to Yeovil at the moment. All I’d say is the players need support. That’s all we’re going to be focusing on is, is supporting the players. 

JK: You talked about pressure on the players and supporting them. What about yourself? Do you feel the pressure at any times? How do you deal with pressure yourself?

MC: Of course, you feel, as a man, as a proud person, you feel pressure, and you don’t want to let people down, certainly the players. You just have to keep going. If you’d have said to us at the start of the season, if we could finish the top half, or near the top half or mid table, I think we’d have took that.  Now we have to make sure that we do that, finish that off, and we put things in place next year, loads of things in place, and the infrastructure that make things better.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said that he hopes the side’s enforced rest from competitive action will only be seen as a positive, if the group return with a ‘new energy’ heading into the final months of the season.

The Glovers haven’t played since January 25th when a second half collapse, the likes of which the England cricket team would be proud of, saw Rochdale run out 4-0 winners. 

There’s been change a plenty at Huish Park in the last few days BBC Radio Somerset’s Jack Killah started by asking about the change in goalkeeper, after Ollie Wright returned to Southampton and Aidan Stone join the club.

Ollie Wright saves low. Pic Gary Brown

Cooper said: “We got the opportunity to sign a permanent goalkeeper through circumstance really, that somebody that’s moved into the area. It’s something that we felt, for the long term future, we had to do. Obviously Southampton recalled Ollie, and he’s gone straight back out to Solihull. So, I think we can look at it from Ollie’s point of view, as a really positive loan. He played every minute of every game, and he’s gone away from here having a really positive experience.

“[Aidan’s] got a little bit more experience. He’s played League football. He’s played in a promotion final in League Two and won it with Port Vale, so he understands. He can kick the ball a long way, which will help us. Just [adds] a bit of experience. It’s no slight on Ollie, the only thing was it was a chance for us to get a permanent player.”

Aidan Stone will be joined at Huish Park another player with Port Vale connections. Vale’s James Plant returned to the club on loan for the remainder of the season, something which seems to have gone down well with, well, everyone!

“Of course, you always want as many good players as you can, and we’ve missed James and and he did great for us. And like I said, we’re always trying to improve the squad, and he would definitely do that.”

James Plant. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

Following the departure of Matt Worthington the question of who takes the title of ‘club captain’ and who leads the side out was raised with plenty of the senior Yeovil players having worn the armband this season, but Cooper sees the armband as something fairly symbolic and wants multiple players to show leadership on and off the field.

“Jake Wannell was captain for the last game. The captaincy for me is just an armband. I think you need 11 captains, and there’s different kind of captains. You lead by example on the pitch, you rant, rave, scream, shout. But, you need lots of different captains in different areas of the pitch. So for me, it’s an armband, unless you’ve got one real standout candidate. I think those days are gone now. Where you get your Vinnie Jones, Terry Butcher [ed. or Skiverton, maybe?], Tony Adams. I think those, those kind of captains are not about as much now. So Jake Wannell will continue to to be the captain at the moment, and he’s got all the credentials and attributes.”

Jake Wannell. Pic Gary Brown

Speaking of the break, Cooper was keen to emphasise that hitting the ground running heading into four games against sides who currently sit below the Glovers in the table, was key.

“I think it was good for us to reset and digest and have a look where we were. The reset only works if you come in with a new energy. It doesn’t work if it’s just back to the same old. So, we’ve tried to change a few things and give it a real new energy and a new feel about it, and be a bit more front foot. It’s been a really good week.”

Speaking of the first of those opponents, Dagenham, who have played and lost twice since the Glovers last played, the manager said: “They’ve showed some good bits. Lewis [Young], the manager, is trying to make his way in the game. He’s brought in a really knowledgeable assistant, Terry Connor, who I know, [is] a brilliant sounding board for Lewis. They’ve had some difficult results, Forest Green twice, York, and been narrowly on the wrong side. That can happen and I’m sure they’ll be looking to bounce back on Saturday. 

With an eye on the game, the Glovers will have a new look midfield as Charlie Cooper starts the first of a two-game ban for the accumulation of  10-yellow cards, but says that everyone else is fit… we’re not sure if that means Aaron Jarvis’ hamstrings have healed VERY quickly or if his absence was kind of assumed.

Finally, as an aside, the manager was asked about the National League’s ‘3 Up’ campaign, an effort to try and secure a third promotion spot from the National League to the Football League. The gaffer is on board.

“I think it should happen because, I think if you look at the league above, four promotion places, so four up, two down didn’t really make sense. It should be a meritocracy, really. It should be the same in our level where there’s more teams going up. I think back in the day, people would say, ‘I’m not sure the Non-League teams could cope with going full time’. Everybody’s ready now, at our level – everybody’s ready and could handle it. I think it is 15 ex-League teams in the National League Premier. I think it would make it even more interesting. It’s definitely something that I think should be pushed through. But it’s turkeys voting for Christmas. And, if you’re in a bottom seven, eight of League Two, you’re not going to vote for another place going down. I think they have to get 70/75% of the vote as well. So I can’t see EFL, League Two Chairman, Chief Execs voting for it, but I think that should be something that should be forced through. Fingers crossed.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper spoke of mistakes at both ends of the pitch costing his side at bottom club Ebbsfleet United.

The Glovers went in to the break 1-0 up courtesy of a stunning solo effort from Swindon Town loanee Sean McGurk before a defensive lapse saw Aaron Cosgrave equalise after 57 minutes.

They failed to muster a shot on target despite Ebbsfleet, who have now conceded 65 goals in their 27 league matches, having defender Mustapha Olagunju sent off on 66 minutes.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Cooper said: “It is just one mistake that is really hurting us. There’s no really any danger and then we switch off defensively and they run through and score, but I thought we dominated large parts of the game. Second half, we had some brilliant chances, and we have to finish the game, but we didn’t.”

Against an Ebbsfleet side willing to sit in and grab anything they could to aid their relegation fight, Yeovil looked devoid of any attacking threat following the departure of Aaron Jarvis on the hour mark with a hamstring injury.

Cooper said: “We had some brilliant chances in the second half. People will say we didn’t cross the ball enough, but they’ve got ten men inside the box and it is about trying to pull them out of position, which we did a couple of times. That should  have led to more goals and a comfortable win. But you have to take the point sometimes and respect it. We are frustrated but we have to move on.”

He added: “The biggest (sign of our) frustration is to shoot from anywhere when you need to keep working the ball side to side and not try and go through the middle, because that’s where their bodies are. We did that brilliantly, I think it was Dom (Bernard) who pulled it back and (Sean) McGurk side-footed it over the bar, (Josh) Sims got in, we did it numerous times. You have to be patient and cut them open and get the pull backs, which is what we did, but we just didn’t have that final finish.”

The loss of Jarvis on the hour mark broke any rhythm Yeovil had in their attacking play and Cooper said the striker was suffering a hamstring injury, the same injury which kept him out of action for long periods at Torquay United last season.

Speaking immediately after the match, the manager said he expected to be without Jarvis for “a couple of weeks”. He also confirmed full-back Michael Smith missed out with a hamstring injury sustained in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Woking. 

Next up for the Glovers is Gateshead who make the long journey down to Somerset on Friday night looking to bounce back from a 3-1 home defeat to fellow play-off chasers FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

Asked what his side needed to do to turn around their form of no wins in five matches, Cooper said: “Mentality. It’s not coaching thing, it’s a mentality thing. We are conceding individual mistakes that are costing goals. It’s about it’s having that personality and winning mentality to make sure that you’re not the man to make the mistake. If we get 11 players doing that, then you start to keep clean sheets again, which we’ve got away from recently.”

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Mark Cooper was left fuming, once again, with officiating following Yeovil’s 1-1 draw with Woking. Cooper, who was in the stands following his red card against Braintree, felt his side should have had two clear penalties in the final minute of the match.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman, he said: “I don’t know how many games on the trot now where the referee’s getting abused coming off the pitch. There’s two clear penalties in last minute. Clear penalties, one on Jacob Maddox and a rugby tackle on Josh Sims. Two in a minute, and then obviously, Ciaran’s clean through on goal and to not even get foul, let alone a red card, is I just don’t know. It’s pretty, pretty frustrating, really. The performance was okay, good enough to win. One mistake cost us a goal.”

“[In the] first half, we had some good bits and pieces around the box, Jarv got in a couple of times from balls over the top. Yeah, I thought it was going to be a 1-0.

“Like I say, we’ve not had a penalty yet. Plenty against us, but we’ve not had a penalty. Did the referee’s or the officials’ performance mean we didn’t win the game? No, because we should have made sure we didn’t concede the goal. We could have scored another goal to make it too much, but you saw the game, mate, it’s not for me to comment. You saw the game. I know the press’s job is to try and get me to slaughter the referee, but I’m trying to be diplomatic. I’m already sat in the stand today for telling the referee wasn’t having a jolly good game,” he added.

Cooper felt his side were comfortable in the game and that Aidan O’Brien’s equaliser came from poor defending.

“I thought we were pretty comfortable in the game. One poor defensive moment, ball over the top, let their guy inside and they equalise.

“I was pretty pleased in how we played and [I’m] struggling to get over what happened at the end, really with the last minute. It’s a game we should win, but it’s another point.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has been chatting to the BBC ahead of the visit of Woking on Saturday and says that he hopes that any frustrations about having a bit of time off can be taken care of at the weekend, even if preparations have themselves, been tricky at times.

Chatting to reporter Jack Killah, the boss said: “You cant get on the grass, we’ll be lucky if we get on grass, we have to train on a icy 3G, but yeah, we’ll get some work done. 

“[Having a break] has it’s pros and cons, you can clear up a few niggles if you’ve got some, but generally, you just want to play, you don’t want to have too many big gaps in between games.”

Yeovil have added not one, but two new bodies to the group this week, firstly, the return of former loanee striker Ciaran McGuckin for another spell borrowed from Rotherham United.

“When somebody comes in and does as well as Ciaran did, he gave us that sort of impetus at the top of the pitch with Jarv, he wants to run in behind, he wants to run towards the goal and he can score so, that was something that we were always trying to do, we’d have loved to do it on a permanent but, not for now, but the next best thing we can get him until the end of the season.

“He really enjoyed his time here and I think he feels like he’s got unfinished business.”

Ciaran McGuckin drives home his equaliser in the 1-1 home draw with Aldershot Town at the end of September. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The other is midfielder Jacob Maddox, on a permanent deal from Forest Green Rovers, Cooper says that he fits the bill of what he looks for in a Yeovil player. 

“He’s one that fits our – what we try and do – technically, really good. [He] can run, he’s a decent size, he’s got pedigree, he’s one that can definitely add to our group.

“He played at Chelsea, he played in Portugal, he played in League One, League Two. He’ll be frustrated that he’s not played, but sometimes when a manager goes into a club he wants to sign his own players and that’s fair enough.”

Jacob Maddox

The squad has been further boosted by the return from loan of striker Harvey Greenslade who spent a month with Weston-super-Mare in the National League South, but the gaffer did confirm that full-back Alex Whittle remains sidelined.

“[Harvey’s] move [to Weston] didn’t go as well as we hoped, he picked up a niggle with his ankle, and then he was ill, so, he didn’t play the amount of games we hoped, but you know that can happen, so Harvey wants to come back in and fight for a place.”

“Alex Whittle has still got a mysterious niggle in his knee, he’s done some training this week, but he’s not trained with the group because he can’t train on the 3G, so it’ll be too soon for him, this weekend. But the rest are in pretty good shape.”

Alex Whittle

The game on Saturday could mark a milestone appearance for club captain Matt Worthington in green-and-white. The midfielder one of the few players to have represented the Glovers in the EFL, National League and South and as captain could make his 250th club appearance after first signing on August 31st 2017. This Saturday marks 2679 days since his debut, an eight-minute cameo from the bench in a 2-2 vs Morecambe.

Cooper said: “It’s great that in this day and age, people stay at a club for five or six years, it’s rare. Obviously last year, I made him the captain and we had a really good year, it’s great that a player stays at a club for that long and plays that many games, so it’s a big achievement.

“He’s honest, his work rate – he runs – you know what you’re getting from him every week, I think that’s important.”

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Looking ahead to Woking, Cooper expects a changed outfit to the one that Yeovil beat 2-0 at the end of November, a change in manager amongst a whole host of differences. Neal Ardley took over at the Kingfield following the sacking of Michael Doyle in mid-December and has won all his four matches in all competitions since his arrival/.

Cooper said: “[Neal Ardley] has done well hasn’t he? He’s gone into Woking, he’s changed a little bit about the way that they play, he’s tried some rotations and from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to play a lot more football and they’ve had some good results, so it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re playing really well at the minute and our last few games we’ve performed really well and we’ve not got the points total that we’ve deserved, we’ve been on the end of a few sticky decisions shall we say? If we keep playing as we are, it might be our time to get a little bit of a rub of the green.”

 

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Mark Cooper bemoaned the officiating once again, as a red card for Kofi Shaw in the 75th minute changed the course of the Yeovil’s New Years Day match against Forest Green Rovers. The hosts went on to win 2-1 with a stoppage time winner from Ryan Inniss, but up until the sending off, the Glovers were well worth their 1-0 lead.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah in the aftermath of the match Cooper praised his side’s performance: “First half, we were outstanding. [We] dominated the game with the ball. [We] played through a really good team and caused them untold problems, and we deserved to be winning. The game turns on another contentious decision. I just think when you come to the big boys – deemed big boys in the league – I don’t know what it is, I think if you give a pen for that, you give 10 a game. You could say [Kofi Shaw] doesn’t need to do it, but he clearly kicks the ball. Is it in the box? Very, very debatable. So I’m not sure you can give a penalty for that.”

Cooper also said there was a handball in the passage of play which resulted in the corner than Forest Green Rovers scored their winner from: “Well there was a handball. But, what they’ll say, is ‘it was accidental’. But listen, they’re gonna make it up as they go along, and make sure that Forest Green get a decision.”

With two goalkeepers on the bench and only Finn Cousin-Dawson and Michael Smith used from it, Cooper said he was working on ‘freshening’ up the squad in the next ten days and that the club had agreed a ‘really good one’.

“We played brilliantly well today. The first half, we were amazing,  that’s how we want to play. But when we look at the bench, we didn’t have too much where we could change it and freshen it up. And that’s what we’re going to be working on in the next 10 days. We’ve agreed one –  a really good one, and, [we are] still after a left-sided wing back.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said he is hoping to add a couple of new players to his squad ahead of the Boxing Day match at home to Eastleigh.

The boss was speaking after his side’s 2-1 defeat at Hartlepool United where he was only able to name five of the seven substitutes he is allowed which included goalkeeper Matt Gould and teenager Ollie Hughes. 

The Glovers had sold winger Dylan Morgan to National League South leaders Torquay United the day before the game, loanee James Plant has returned to his parent club Port Vale with an injury, and were without injured duo Alex Whittle and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.

Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Chris Sykes after the match, Cooper said: “We have got a bit of work to do, we need to sign a couple of players. Myself and the chairman (Martin Hellier) are working very hard to get value for money and I am sure there will be a couple of additions before Boxing Day.

“It has been a brilliant year for the club, stable ownership and we have restored a bit of pride and we just want to keep going. We cannot compete with the top clubs (financially) but we have a bit of spirit as a club, the fans and players and we want to carry on rebuilding.”

Referee Aaron Jackson was the target of the manager’s ire after seeing striker Aaron Jarvis have a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside after 53 minutes  before Hartlepool were awarded a penalty ten minutes later. The highlights (watch 4:17:00 here) shows the home side’s 6’2″ central defender Tom Parkes go down very easily inside the box under the slightest of contact from Yeovil’s Frank Nouble.

Anyone got a ladder? The deadly piece of plastic which delayed the game in the first half.

Played in high winds which whipped the North of England all Saturday, the game was even delayed for 17 minutes in the first half after Mr Jackson adjudged a bit of loose advertising hoarding on the away end posed too much of a safety risk – resulting in a couple of blokes lying on the roof to rip it free. A difference in interpretation of Health & Safety rules in the two decisions, it would appear.

Speaking about the match official, Cooper said: “There was only one person today who wanted to be the star of the show and it was not any of the players. It was a battle, both teams scrapped and for me it was a 0-0 and the referee decided to give a penalty and when you see it back, if that is a penalty there are 50 penalties in every game of football up and down the country.

“We scored a good goal through Aaron Jarvis, his goal is clearly onside and would have been 1-0 up, then they score (the penalty) and we react and the second goal was just a toss of the coin. We have not had one penalty this season, full credit to our players and supporters, it is a game we should not lose. I have not had a chance to speak to him yet, I have another ten minutes. What you want is for them to put their hand up and say ‘I have cocked up’ because that is what decent people do.

“When the game is like it was and the weather is like it was, just let the game go, stop blowing your whistle. We could have been playing for 300 minutes today, there was that many fouls! The supporters are freezing, the last Saturday before Christmas, let them enjoy the game, it is not about you. Then he had to intervene and make two horrendous decisions.”

The decision to delay the game just before the half-hour mark left everyone inside Victoria Park baffled, but saw the referee take both sides off the pitch. Even Glovers’ assistant Chris Todd and former defender Carl Dickinson, now on the coaching staff at Hartlepool, came over to talk with the 85 supporters who made the 700-mile round journey from Somerset and were fearful they had wasted their time.

Cooper said: “There was a bit of paper blowing in the wind, that is the first time I have ever seen the game stopped because of the ball hitting a tea cup and then giving them the ball to put in our box! It has been a really ‘fun’ day, but I think the big winner in this is our fans – it was a tremendous turnout this close to Christmas and with the weather as it was.”