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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper said three “soft goals” cost his side as they went down to a 3-1 defeat at Gateshead on Saturday.

The Glovers found themselves 2-0 down inside 20 minutes through an own goal from defender Jordan Thomas followed quickly by another from hosts’ full-back Brandon Haunstrup, who was on trial at Huish Park this summer.

Striker Aaron Jarvis pulled one back on the half-hour mark and the visitors’ almost levelled when Morgan Williams’ header came back off the post, but they got not find another breakthrough.

Speaking to our man Ben Barrett after the game, Cooper said: “I didn’t think we deserved to lose the game, I thought we were well in it and we deserved at least a point- but, to do that, you have to have more big moments than they do.

”I thought it was a good game of football, we conceded some really soft goals. The first one we didn’t stay with the runner, the ball is going wide and we put it in our own goal, then the second we gave the ball away in our own area and after that we are in the game. We score a goal, hit the post through Morgan Williams and we think the ball goes in and we have loads of play around their penalty area, but we did not produce enough quality to get that equaliser.”

He added: “I thought we started brilliantly, Sam Pearson got in the box and should score, and for those first five or ten minutes we were really good but their goal changes things. Then we go 2-0 down and you have to roll the dice and I thought we did that and we were well in the game right until the end.

“But, we gave them three goals today and they do not need any help because they are a very good team. I thought we matched them today and I think Rob (Elliot, the Gateshead manager) will say it was an even game of football.”

The boss said his players believed Williams’ header towards the end of the first half crossed the line, but in the absence of goal line technology in the National League, we will never know.
 
Cooper voiced his frustration at referee Martin Woods who gave the home side a late penalty for a pull on substitute Mark Beck, but waved away an appeal from the visitors’ Frank Nouble for a similar incident.
 
The Glovers’ boss said: “The referee was so inconsistent, it is not often you will see a referee get booed off by the home crowd after they have won 3-1. If he gives the penalty to them at the end, he has to give the one for a double on Frank Nouble, it is the same type of foul.
 
“It seemed to be whoever shouted the loudest won the fouls, I would rather they were really good or really crap, not inconsistent. I can live with them being crap because we all have a bad day, but he was just inconsistent.”
 
Following the loss, Yeovil make the six-hour return journey south and prepare to face Rochdale at Huish Park on Bank Holiday Monday. The Greater Manchester side were held to a goalless draw at home to Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, a match watched by Cooper on the return journey.
 
The boss said: “We will try and watch it on our way home, we have watched some of their games already, so we will look at how they set up. We have limited time to prepare, so we can’t waste any time.”

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Manager Mark Cooper does not want his side to travel to Gateshead fearing a side he describes as “the purest football team” in the National League Premier Division.

The Glovers’ boss likened the quality of their opponents this weekend to that his own side enjoyed in National League South last season when a number of teams changed their tactics to try and nullify them at Huish Park.

Speaking ahead of the long trip to Tyneside this weekend, he said: “They are the most pure footballing team in the league in terms of the way they play, it’s really easy on the eye, they really test you and ask you questions and if you switch off for a minute, you are in trouble.

“If you ask their staff and players, teams try and do something different against them, similar to what we had here last year where people were looking to get a result against us.

“The biggest respect that Gateshead get is that everybody changes how they play against them. I really respect the way they play, they have some fabulous technical players, but so have we and we have to believe we can go there and cause them problems and hopefully win a really good game of football.”

Gateshead have seven points from their opening three games having picked up a comprehensive 5-1 opening day win over Ebbsfleet United before getting a 2-0 win at Woking in their second match. However, that game saw them lose captain midfielder Greg Olley to a horrific injury which undoubtedly affected the players as they were held to a 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

Harvey Greenslade celebrates the winner in the 3-2 win over Ebbsfleet United. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Yeovil have six points from their first three and make the 12-hour round journey off the back of consecutive victories over Braintree Town last weekend and then Ebbsfleet, who they beat 3-2 having been pegged back to 2-2 to after a kamikaze  spell in the second half at Huish Park.

Cooper said: “We had a seven-minute spell where we lost control of the game. When you are 2-0, you know if we concede a goal we are on the back foot, and we went from being in total control for 65 minutes and then to ‘let’s get the ball as far away from our goal as we can’ and did not control the game.

“That bit us on the backside because the ball kept coming back at us for 5-6 minutes and they scored two goals. After that we regained our composure and we went on to win the game, but for those few minutes it was crazy. We have identified why and we move on from it.”

He added: “There’s always going to be a spell when your opponents have the upper hand and it comes down to how you manage in that situation. We had players running out of good positions, and we need the player next to them needs to say ‘get back here with me’ and be nice and solid. We need to control the game with the ball, but we started panicking.”

The Glovers went in to half-time 2-0 after a first half performance which oozed class at times and, at the heart of much which was good in an attacking sense, was new signing winger Josh Sims. Speaking ahead of the game, Cooper said the former Ross County and Southampton player would only play the first 45 minutes.

The manager said: “We are building his fitness up, but we are not too bothered about 90 minutes if he can give us a brilliant 60 minutes. What we don’t want to do is take liberties with him and rule him our for six weeks.”

He suggested there will be further game time for Sims at Gateshead on Saturday lunchtime and is hoping full-back Alex Whittle, who went off at half-time with a hamstring injury in midweek, will be available.

The boss was full of praise for match-winner Harvey Greenslade who shrugged off injury to come off the bench and bag the winner against Ebbsfleet.

Cooper said: “Harvey was touch and go, he did not train on Monday and he could not move on Tuesday morning. He had a fitness test at 4pm and the plan was always to give him 20 minutes because (Aaron Jarvis) had put in a great shift. Ebbsfleet sensed blood and I felt there would be opportunity in behind them.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper was pleased to see his side stick to their “footballing identity” as they picked up a 3-2 home win over Ebbsfleet United at Huish Park.

The Glovers dominated the first half and were deservedly 2-0 up at half-time through goals from Brett McGavin and Michael Smith, but a change of personnel at the interval saw the visitors grab two goals in five minutes to draw level.

Cooper withdrew left-back Alex Whittle, who was carrying a hamstring injury, and winger Josh Sims, who he had always planned to only play the first half, at the break, replacing them with Raphael Araoye and Charlie Cooper.

Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Mark Stillman after the game, the manager said: “I thought we were in complete control when they scored their first goal, we moved the ball nicely but it is about 90 minutes and you are not going to have every minute your own way.

“The pleasing thing for us was the character we showed and that is what I was screaming at them on the pitch at 2-2, I wanted us to stand up and be counted and go and get a third goal. I was so pleased with all the boys, including those who weren’t involved, the celebrations together and the commitment, effort and some of the football we played.”

He added: “We tried to stick to our identity pleased me the most. I know there are certain sections of our crowd that want us to boot the ball forward, but I will not do that and maybe my opinion is what makes us effective. We can have large parts of the game with the ball and we did that tonight. There is a place for (playing it long), when we are 3-2 up with a minute to go, we can kick it out of the ground, but the pleasing thing was we kept playing our football when we were under severe pressure at 2-2.”

Michael Smith is mobbed after making it 2-0. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Whittle, who came off in the second half of last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Braintree Town, had looked typically assured in the first half, and his replacement, on-loan Bristol City teenager Araoye had a torrid time with much of Ebbsfleet’s threat coming down the Yeovil left.

Cooper admitted the change “destabilised” his side, but backed Araoye to learn from the experience. He said: “Raph went on and his first time on the pitch at Huish Park. He will be better for that experience, he will come through that and will show us what a good player he can be. We have a couple of young players on the pitch and it is a big deal for them playing here. That destabilised us a little bit, I thought both goals were avoidable but that is football – there were five goals in the game, we scored three and we have got three points, so it’s a good night for us.”

Yeovil made five substitutes in the second half, the maximum they are able to under new rules introduced in the National League this season, and the arrival of match-winner Harvey Greenslade, Jordan Young and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton helped get them over the line.

The boss said he was pleased to be able to make the changes with a busy Bank Holiday weekend coming up as his side make the 12-hour round trip to Gateshead for a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, before hosting Rochdale at Huish Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

Cooper said: “The toughest thing for us we played tonight, Saturday at the other end of the country and then back here 48 hours later, so that is about managing the squad, managing the minutes players play and making sure we have enough fresh players on the pitch to deal with tough game against the best footballing team in the league in Gateshead and a big game here against another ex-League team here in Rochdale.”

He confirmed that midfielder Dylan Morgan and defender Finn Cousin-Dawson had trained this week despite both players not being in the squad at Braintree at the weekend or against Ebbsfleet.

The manager added: “We can only pick seven subs, but Finn and Dylan missed out but they are really important to us now, probably more so because we are going to need them over the next two games.“

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New boy Josh Sims will play 45 minutes of tonight’s National League match with Ebbsfleet United at Huish Park, according to Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper.

The former Southampton youngster signed last week having left Scottish Premiership side Ross County at the end of last season and impressed having appeared as a 76th-minute substitute in the 1-0 win at Braintree Town last weekend.

He is one of two changes to the starting XI with Sam Pearson also coming in to the side with Harvey Greenslade, who Cooper revealed picked up a knee injury at Braintree, and Jordan Young dropping to the bench.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman, the manager said: “It is a natural progression for Josh, he played 20 minutes on Saturday and he will play 45 minutes tonight and then he will be ready to go (at Gateshead) this Saturday.

“He showed really good glimpses (at Braintree) so if we can get 45 minutes in to him, he will be ready for this Saturday.”

Josh Sims in the warm-up at Braintree Town.

Cooper is expecting a different test from tonight’s opponents to the one Yeovil faced at Braintree three days ago. Ebbsfleet lost 5-1 at Gateshead on the opening day of the season, before going down 2-1 at home to pre-season title favourites Barnet on Saturday.

The Glovers’ boss said: “It will be a tough game with Ebbsfleet desperate to get up and running because they have not got a point yet.

“We were resolute and tough to beat (at Braintree) in really difficult conditions, it was just about going there and getting our first win on the board. Braintree had John Akinde and Inih Effiong at the top of the pitch, so they are going to get everything in the box, I would expect Ebbsfleet to be more subtle.“

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Manager Mark Cooper has said his Yeovil Town side will stick to their footballing principles as they go in search of their first win of the season at Braintree Town on Saturday.

The Glovers’ boss said he did not see his side move the ball quickly enough in their opening day defeat at home to Hartlepool United last weekend.

Speaking before the announcement of the signing of winger Josh Sims on Thursday, the boss said: “We did not get our attacking play going against Hartlepool , our attacking players did not spark, we were too slow with the ball and getting the ball to them and there has been plenty of work this week (to improve that).

“I said before the (Hartlepool) game it is the first game, nothing is decided whether we win, lose or draw, there was plenty to work on this week and it was a disappointing result, but there were some positives.

“You are going to lose some games, but football dictates you are not going to win every week. We probably deserved a point last weekend and we would have been happy and off and running, but now we have to get on the front foot, attack the game and give Braintree some problems.”

The Glovers have a fully fit squad going to Essex at the weekend to face a Braintree side which has made wholesale changes since following Yeovil out of National League South last season. The Iron made it through the division’s play-offs beating Worthing in the final back in April.

Inih Effiong, in action for Dover Athletic at Huish Park in 2019, scored 16 in 28 appearances for Dagenham & Redbridge last season. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Their boss Angelo Harrop has brought in a glut of new signings over the summer with experienced strikers John Akinde and Inih Effiong, who have arrived from League Two Colchester United and Dagenham & Redbridge respectively, the pick of the bunch.

Cooper said: “When you talk about physicality, you are not going to get two bigger strikers than Akinde and Iffiong, so we will have a physical threat to deal with. So we can either fight fire with fire in which case we will probably get burnt or beat up, so I think we want to stick to our identity. We want to be a really good football team, we want to play with the ball as much as we can and create chances, we did that last season and we will not get too much away from that and the players we recruit will be really good with the ball.

“We cannot match Braintree if they make it a physical battle, but they have some really good footballers as well, so will not be about bashing it up to Akinde and Effiong, they will mix it up and try and play some football.”

Yeovil ran out 1-0 winners courtesy of a Frank Nouble first-half strike when they visited Cressing Road last season and Cooper expects a different test when his side make the almost 400-mile round trip this weekend.

He added: “I think it will be an even harder test because they have recruited really well with the signings of Inih Effiong and John Akinde who are immense forwards for this level. They did a remarkable job getting promoted last year, they were one of the best teams we played and the manager (Angelo Harrop) did a terrific job, so we know it is going to be a really tough job. It is a long trip and a tough ask but I am sure that Angelo will be expecting a tough game from us.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said his side’s lack of potency in front of goal was the difference between the two sides as they went down to a 1-0 defeat against Hartlepool United on the opening day of the National League season.

A second half strike from visiting midfielder Jack Hunter after 65 minutes earned the visitors managed by former Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll the three points, as the hosts’ wealth of attacking talent could not find a way through a well-drilled visiting side.

They also missed a golden opportunity to take a point when substitute Harvey Greenslade blazed an effort over an open goal with the final chance of the game.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah, the manager – who had to deal with an advertising board collapsing on him during the interview – said: “I thought we had all of the ball but in the last third we didn’t produce today, we had chances in and around the box to produce a bit of quality.

“When you have (Jordan) Young, Frank (Nouble), Jarv (striker Aaron Jarvis), (Sam) Pearson, Sonny (Blu Lo-Everton), Brett (McGavin), (Harvey) Greenslade, Dylan Morgan, you expect them to produce the bit of quality they are in the team to produce like their guy did. He has got one sniff and he has put it in the corner.

“We didn’t do that and that was the difference between the two teams.”

He added: “I thought we looked solid and organised, their big fella (striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe) is a handful but I thought we dealt with that pretty well. But I will say it again, we did not produce in the final third, that could have been a set piece, a forward, a midfield player who had a shot or bit of quality, that was the difference. There was nothing in the game.”

A physical encounter on the opening game of the season against Hartlepool United. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Cooper was also clearly infuriated by a crunching tackle from visiting defender Tom Parkes, who had a brief loan spell in Somerset earlier in his career, which dumped winger Jordan Young to the turf with seven minutes played.

Referee David Rock gave the former Bristol Rovers player a yellow card, but Cooper said the punishment would have been harsher in different circumstances.

He said: “That was a horrendous tackle, but I thought we dominated the ball for large parts without really offering too much in and around their goal.”

“If it had been 15 minutes later in the second game, it would have been a straight red.”

The boss said he “did not know” if a new signing he spoke about ahead of the match would be available for next weekend’s trip to Braintree Town, who went down to a 3-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic in their opening match having come up from National League South with Yeovil.

Asked what his side needed to change in the next seven days, he said: “We controlled large parts of the game but just did not spark in the final third. You could say ‘we need to whack the ball up quicker’, but they have eight centre-halves on the pitch by the end, so it is pointless us booting the ball up there.

“Our best moments came when we worked the ball through our little nippy players that we put on (forwards Harvey Greenslade and Sam Pearson both appeared in the second half) and we missed an open goal at the end and you are not going to get any better changes than that. It’s a tap in and we have to score.”

Aaron Jarvis. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The manager was pleased with the first half performance of striker Aaron Jarvis, signed from Torquay United in the summer, who seemed to enjoy a physical tussle with the ‘robust’ Luke Waterfall and Parkes.

Cooper said: “I thought he was a real handful. If you asked their centre halves, they know they have been in and game and that is what we have brought him in for.

“He gives us a chance to play off the front a little earlier and he will have bumps and bruises in the morning, and I was pleased with his performance.

“I thought we worked really hard, controlled large parts of the game but we just did not have that bit of quality in the final third. We have gone up a league and you are not going to have the kind of chances we had in National League South.”

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper is looking to bring in one more “statement” signing to his squad as they prepare to kick-off the National League Premier season this weekend.

The Glovers’ manager added on loan Bristol City defender Raphael Araoye during the week but has said he is still looking to make a further addition, but it is unlikely to be before the opening fixture against Hartlepool United at Huish Park on Saturday.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the game, Cooper said: “Raph will be a big help to us and we are chasing another one, that probably will not happen before the weekend, but hopefully we can get that done and then I am happy with the size of the squad.

“We are one player short which gives us a really healthy balance, we have got cover in most areas now with the arrival of Raph.

“But what I will not do is just go and spend money for the sake of it, I want to make sure the one we bring in is a really good one and a bit of a statement for us.”

Raphael Araoye, who has been with Bristol City since the age of 11.

Araoye caught the manager’s eye when he played for Weston-super-Mare in the 2-1 win at Huish Park in National League South last season, a game settled by a late winner from the teenager’s new defensive colleague, Morgan Williams.

He is able to play in the centre and left of the defensive unit and will provide cover in both positions, most notably on the left where Alex Whittle was previously the only option.

Cooper said: “He is 6’3″, he is still only 19, but he has got great potential, Bristol City think really highly of him and in the few days he has been with us in training he has made a real impression with his physicality and his pace.

“He is a man mountain, so we are looking forward to getting him integrated in to the way we do things.”

Yeovil have added goalkeeper Ollie Wright, on loan from Premier League Southampton, goalkeeper/coach Matt Gould, defenders Finn Cousin-Dawson and Jordan Thomas, midfielder Brett McGavin and striker Aaron Jarvis in the summer and believes they all have the ingredients he wants from players he brings to Huish Park.

Asked what that was, he said: “Character and a desire to come to the club, someone who is a good team-mate in good times and bad. One bad apple can destroy the dressing room and we will not sign a good player if they do not have that character.

“Good characters drive and demand a good spirit and a good changing room, and you can’t win anything without that. Results help that, if you win lots that helps, and how strong your changing room is gets tested if you lose a few games.

“They have to fit in to the way we do things and I have said before that we are looking to get all our recruitment to the local area as we can, or within travelling distance and we have done pretty well at that.”

Brett McGavin, who arrived from Torquay United in the summer. Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Having won the National League South title by 11 points last season, Cooper is expecting a tougher test at a higher level with Hartlepool United, managed by former boss Darren Sarll, are the first opponents on Saturday.

They then travel to Braintree Town, who came up from the South through the play-offs, seven days later before homes games against Ebbsfleet United and Rochdale and trips to Gateshead and Boston United before the end of August.

On the new division, Cooper said: “There is no difference in fitness, it is physicality and pace. Some of the clubs we will face this season are historically big clubs, like Oldham Athletic, who are founder members of the Premier League, so teams like have big, powerful squads.

“What we have tried to do in the summer is add to the athleticism of our squad and bring in players who are robust and can handle the Saturday-Tuesday schedule.”

One change which Cooper believes will make a major difference is the introduction of seven substitutes available to teams in the National League. The change, introduced in the summer, means clubs will be able to make five changes per match.

The boss added: “The substitutions are going to be key, if games are tight late on and we can put two or three really quick players on that can give us that impetus, that is fantastic. People that use their replacements best, could end up winning more games.”

Sarll, who spent almost three years at Huish Park having taken over following the club’s relegation out of the Football League in 2019, brings his side to his old stomping ground describing his new squad as “one of the strongest” he has worked with.

Darren Sarll arrived at Huish Park in June 2019 before departing to join Woking in March 2022.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

But Cooper does not believe the presence of one of his predecessors will make any difference to his side on Saturday.

He said: “It won’t make any difference to us. Darren did well here in his first year, got the club in the play-offs, and then they had some problems, COVID and some unfortunate other bits and pieces. I am sure he is fondly remembered down here, but it is a game of football and it is about what goes on on the pitch, not what happens on the touchline.

“They have some really good, experienced players and Darren’s way of playing is full on pressing, getting after teams and looking to make it really uncomfortable. But we have our own style of play and being at home, we have to try and impose our style on them and they will try to do the same to us – and may the best team win.

“One game will not make or break the season. If we win, great, but if we lose, we go back to work on Monday but it would be great to get off to a good start after a few months away.

“We are really looking forward to it, there will be a healthy crowd and it should be a good game of football.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said he gave minutes to those players he expects to start next weekend’s National League Premier opener as his side ran out 2-0 winners at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.

Of the players who many would expect to be in contention for a starting place against Hartlepool United next weekend only Dylan Morgan and Charlie Cooper were missing.

Morgan at the match with strapping on his knee whilst Cooper did not feature in the 5-0 win at Buckland Athletic in midweek having come off with a tight hamstring in the win at Farnborough Town seven days ago.

Against Weston, Sam Pearson was replaced by Harvey Greenslade after 62 minutes, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton replaced captain Matt Worthington on 73 minutes and Jordan Thomas and Finn Cousin-Dawson replaced Alex Whittle and Jake Wannell with four minutes remaining.

That meant a full 90 minutes for summer signings striker Aaron Jarvis, who opened the scoring, and midfielder Brett McGavin – make of that what you will.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel after the match, the manager said: “With a week to go, the people that are getting close to start are getting close to 90 minutes, so it’s a case where some are going to be upset they are not getting the minutes they wanted, but we have to make some decisions.

“We have got a really competitive squad and they understand that if they don’t play the first game, there is a chance they will play the second game.

“We have to keep that harmony and unity which we have got, I thought they worked hard today and we controlled large parts of the game against a good Weston-super-Mare team.”

Aaron Jarvis. Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

He added: “We wanted a really competitive, realistic game and we got that. We said wanted the players to treat this like a league game with our preparation, training leading up to the game, and the way we played.

“It is still pre-season so it gets a bit slow at times, but the pitch was really good, not as hot as it has been, ideal conditions for a competitive game.

“The way we want to play was clear today. I want to control the game as much as possible, I don’t want the game to be end of end, I don’t want there to be lots of chances in our box, I want it to be us that has the ball and we did that for large parts of the game.”

Jarvis showed great chest control to collect a Michael Smith ball in the 64th minute at Weston before finishing nicely across the keeper to give Yeovil the lead, before Lo-Everton settled proceedings with the second five minutes from time.

Cooper was impressed with Jarvis, who missed large parts of last season with Torquay United through injury, and the boss admitted they have managed the 26-year-old’s minutes during pre-season.

He said: “We have been careful to manage his minutes and get him through. If you asked their centre backs, they will tell you he is a handful because he roughed them up at times and scored a goal and that is why we brought him to the club.

“We want him to be that focal point at the top of the team who we can play balls longer at time up to him.”

There were no trialists involved in the squad with the left-backs who had been auditioning early in pre-season, Charlton Athletic academy graduate Jacob Roddy and ex-Portsmouth man Brandon Haunstrup, having moved on. Roddy signed for National League South side Oxford City whilst Haunstrup was on trial at Gateshead on Saturday.

Brandon Haunstrup, who appeared twice on trial during pre-season, turned out for Gateshead on Saturday. He had a spell on loan on Tyneside whilst with Cambridge United last season.

Cooper reiterated that he is still hoping to strengthen his squad further with a his sights set on players who are still looking for a club on the eve of the start of the new season.

He said: “Once we get this late in to pre-season there are going to be players that do not get fixed up and they are the ones that we are targeting.

“If you look at last year, we got Michael Smith and Joe Day in really late on and they made a huge difference and we are looking for a signing of that quality and impact.”

The manager agreed a new three-year contract at Huish Park in the week with chairman Martin Hellier also announcing that there would be further budget made available to strengthen the squad.

Cooper said: “I’m really happy and thank the owner for having that faith. I have always had a really good relationship with him. We are aligned with where we want to do, we want to organically build the football club. It is going to be slowly, slowly and we want to be competitive.

“Once we had that alignment it was a no brainer for me, I am happy, I just want the football club to be united, everyone be together and the most importantly thing for me is that the fans, who have been amazing when I have been here, get behind the players, because it makes such a difference when they do.”

Next up, former Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll brings his Hartlepool United side to Huish Park for the National League Premier curtain-raiser.

On Saturday, the North East side signed former Yeovil loanee, goalkeeper Adam Smith, who had three spells on loan in Somerset during Sarll’s reign, and he was named among the substitutes for their 3-1 defeat at home to B side from Premier League Nottingham Forest.

Speaking after that game, Sarll called the performance his side’s “worst of pre-season” with the boss dropping a number of players expected to start at Huish Park.

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Yeovil’s final pre-season action at Huish Park saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of League One Exeter City last night. An early gift for Sonny Cox allowed the former Glover loanee to put the Grecians 1-0 up after four minutes, giving Mark Cooper’s side an uphill struggle for the remainder of the evening.

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Cooper said: “[It was a] good workout for us. First 10-15 minutes we were really good with the ball [but we] gave a horrendous goal away which turned the game around.

“Exeter gave us a real test with the ball and the rotations were really good, so it was a tough evening for us, but that’s what we wanted. It’s no real benefit for us winning 5, 6 ,7-1 in the friendlies it’s about when we come up against real quality teams and League One players, that we have to make sure we’re organised. So, still lot still lots to ponder for us.”

Sonny Cox

Last season Sonny Cox scored a couple of important goals for the Glovers while on loan, before returning to make an impact for Exeter and it took him a few minutes to show what he’s capable of.  Cooper said: “It was just a rubbish goal to give away. We’re in control of the of the ball, a loose turnover and you know, Sonny Cox goes through and scores, does what he does really well and a great finish.

“That panicked us a little bit and we started turning the ball over far too much. That was the crux tonight, we turned the ball over far too much, and if you do that against teams that are two leagues higher than you, it’s going to be a long a long evening and it was. But for us, fitness is key at the moment, we’ve still got over three weeks so we’ve got a real good week next week to get stuck into the boys and get more stuff nailed down.”

The Glovers showed an improvement in the second half, with Frank Nouble grabbing a goal after a loose pass from an Exeter defender, and Dylan Morgan missing a penalty. The boss felt this was more down to Exeter making wholesale changes, though: “Yeah, but we have to be honest. Exeter put all their kids on the pitch, which gave us chance to get closer to them and you know, even then you saw their young boys were really good and scored a couple of goals. You know, I think they change and put nearly all kids on with half an hour to go, which gave us a chance to get closer to them which we did, obviously missed a penalty to make it even more interesting, but that’s just a good workout for us.”

There were spots on the bench for youth players Cody Koerner and Krystian Woods as well as a new left-sided defensive trialist that we believe is Brandon Haunstrup. There was no sign of Jacob Roddy who’s been involved in the first three pre-season matches. The boss admitted that he still feels the squad is a bit light: “We’re a couple of players short. We know that and we’re looking and seeing who’s available, who can we attract when we get to a position where we can move to bring somebody in.”

On the academy he added: “It’s important that we keep trying to push the young boys. We’re trying to get that sort of connection with the with the Academy that if they are good enough, there’s a realistic pathway for them and we put another couple on tonight.”

Yeovil travel to Farnborough next Saturday before visiting Buckland Athletic and Weston-super-Mare with the National League South opponents “the more useful test” of where the players are ahead of the National League kick off on the 10th August.

 

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper admitted the 3-0 home defeat to League One side Bristol Rovers was “a reality check” for his side after two impressive wins at the start of their pre-season campaign.

The Glovers were punished for sloppy defending – and a slice of dodgy refereeing, isn’t there always? – as goals from the visitors’ Scott Sinclair, Kofi Shaw and Luke McCormick sealed a comfortable win in front of a crowd of 1,715 for the opening friendly at Huish Park this summer.

The boss had seen his side cruise to consecutive 5-1 wins at lower league Melksham Town and Frome Town in their two opening friendlies and he admitted they had been beaten by “a good team” in Bristol Rovers.

Asked if he thought there were lessons to be learnt from the match, he told the club’s official YouTube channel: “For sure. I thought we were really good for 25 minutes without actually threatening their goal, we were composed and competent with the ball but did not get our attacking play going.

“We obviously conceded a sloppy goal and then the second one was a joke from the referee (James Durkin of Portland, near W*ymouth). There were two fouls and that (second goal) killed the game for me and it was a bit of a downer for us. We go in at half-time 2-0 down when there’s no been a lot in the game.

“I thought Bristol Rovers were really good, after 20 or 25 minutes they stepped on to us with a full press and made it difficult for us to get out.

“They changed and went really aggressive, stepped on to us and that is when we have to realise the space is behind them, not in front of them and we did not recognise that quick enough which led to us being a goal down and then two goals down.”

Substitutes, lots of substitutes after 61 minutes of the friendly with Bristol Rovers. Picture courtesy of Debs Curtis.

However, the boss said he would not lose too much sleep over his side’s performance recognising that they are only three matches in to their pre-season preparations with League One Exeter City the next visitors to Huish Park on Friday night.

Cooper added: “It is pre-season, this is where we get our sharpness and everything fine tuned, that is what pre-season is about. We are not going to get too downbeat, we know where we are and what we have got to do.

“After the Melksham and Frome games we were going to win the league, so it’s just a reality check for everyone, the players included, that we have work to do.”

There was a 60-minute appearance for new signings striker Aaron Jarvis along with a number of first-team regulars in last season’s National League South title-winning side. Fellow new signings midfielder Brett McGavin played 80 minutes and former Rovers’ striker Harvey Greenslade, defender Jake Wannell and goalkeeper Ollie Wright all got 90-minute run-outs.

But Cooper was quick to point out that he expected to give those who did not get so much game time more minutes against Exeter.

He said: “We are just trying to manage everyone’s minutes. There are some that are a little bit in front of others fitness-wise, so we are trying to make sure that we are not pushing some too hard that have got the odd niggle or and pushing some harder that we think need to do a bit more.

“It will be a bit different (against Exeter City) on Friday, some of the boys that played 30 or 35 minutes tonight will play longer on Friday. There is nothing to be read in to the team selection at the moment.”

Full-back Jacob Roddy, who is on trial at Huish Park. Picture courtesy of Mark Kelly.

Trialist full-back Jacob Roddy, who was released from Charlton Athletic in the summer, was one of those who appeared on the 61-minute mark alongside Jordan Stevens, who released by the club in the summer having been unable to hold down a place in the side due to injury problems.

Cooper said after the match that he was not “in a position to do anything” about adding them to the squad at the moment, but he was happy to be able to take a look at both players whilst they are joining the squad for pre-season.

He said: “Being on trial is really difficult, they have acquitted themselves well in to the group, but we are a couple of players short and I don’t think at the moment we are in a position to do anything. But when we are, we have two players there that we have had a good look at.”

There was no place in the squad for full-back Jordan Thomas, a summer signing from Hampton & Richmond, who was an unused substitute in the win at Frome Town on Saturday. There was also no place for goalkeeper Will Buse or playmaker Jordan Maguire-Drew who are both under contract for the coming season but have uncertain futures having not been assigned a squad number.