Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 11)

Yeovil Town interim manager Richard Dryden in conversation.

Yeovil Town caretaker Manager Richard Dryden has said that he could not fault the effort of his side, despite going down 3-1 at home to York City.

The Glovers clawed their way back into the game in the second half, but a late Jake Wannell own goal proved to be decisive. Speaking to the BBC’s Jake Killah after the game he said;

“We worked hard.  We worked hard. First half, we didn’t get into the game at all. We couldn’t find our tens or our nines and it was a battle. It was a battle.

Sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and they’re a good side, but when we got amongst them and pressed, and I mean the players done so well, pressing high, leaving one v ones at the back, you get one. It felt like we were going to get the fourth goal to make it 2-2.

Their third goal just knocked the sales out of everybody, the time runs out, etc.  We  can’t knock any of the players for hard work and determination.  We’ve learned a lot again that we can defend in one v one situations pretty well, the majority of the time. 

You can see our  two midfielders tracking back  and running down Joe Felix  in the one v one situation.

So there’s a lot of determination and will to get results here. So  we’ve got to try and take the positives. I hate losing. I hate losing.

And  like I say, when they got to two-one,I thought we were going to get something out of the game.”

The Glovers have played three games in seven days, whilst their visitors have had a break, combined with injuries and fatigue, the difference in squads was on show.

“You can see how it was in the last 20 minutes. They’re all on the haunches when the ball goes out.  And  we’re fit. We’re a fit team. you can see how much hard work they put into it to try and win a game.  

Finn can play anywhere.  You can stick him in anywhere and  he’ll do a job, and that’s what we’ve got at the moment. Obviously,  we made the four subs in three, in three goes and you can’t bring anybody else on.  We’ve got to try bring one or two in. I think we’re having chats with the people above us. Obviously, it’s still unknown what’s going to happen with the manager, so  we’ve got to be quite delicate on that. But we can try and bring one or two in  to bolster up the squad.”

Captain Jake Wannell on the charge Pic – Gary Brown

On the own goal, Dryden said he felt for his captain who had to try and intervene on the cross, but that shouldn’t take away from the positives he saw in the performance.

“You see them when you watch any highlights if there’s six or seven games on there. There’s always goals like that. I scored about eight of them, unfortunately,  when I was playing. You know, it’s a turn, it’s a cross,  and it’s one of them things you’ve to make decisions. You can’t leave it, you can’t leave it unless you get a call. oh It’s a hard one to deal with for Jake, but it’s part of our job.”

“I’ve learnt a lot, especially in the second half where they don’t need to worry about anything apart from one v one defending. They don’t need two v ones sometimes. So they should take that. There’s a lot of positives, but we have conceded three goals. so we’ve got to still work hard defensively in the final third, stopping crosses, etc. But there’s a lot of positives on there, like I say, a good side who will be there or thereabouts and talking to the players after, they feel a little bit disappointed they haven’t got anything out of the game.”

“Yeah, I mean, [the third goal] just deflated everybody. You’ve seen on the pitch, you’ve seen in the stands, it just deflated everybody.”

Alex Whittle grapples with a Hartlepool United player.
Alex Whittle. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Looking ahead, with changes afoot, Dryden said it was nice to have a break to rest some legs and build up to the home game against Woking.

“it’s nice to have a little bit of a breather with no game Tuesday with the amount of players we’ve got. We’ve got the schedule written out for the week anyway, so we’re not doing Monday. We’ll have a good day Tuesday, working a bit harder. Thursday we start the prep for the game.

Hopefully not too long, I’m not sure what how long Wits will be.  He pulled out of  training yesterday with a bit of a  calf issue,  so I’m not sure on that. Charlie’s  getting there, he’s getting a lot of treatment on his achilles, but like we said earlier, it’s…  If he plays at 80%, he comes off the pitch back to 60%, so we need him 100 % on his Achilles. Jacob’s come back from St George’s, he’s got his boot off, so he’s been doing the walking bit by bit, so hopefully he’ll be back. within a few weeks, maybe a bit longer. And James is going to be sometime next month coming back with his knee.”

 

Our man Gary  Brown was at Huish Park today, pointing and snapping, here’s his match day gallery


Managerless Yeovil Town were outclassed by a rampant York City side who ran out comfortable winners at Huish Park.

The big-spending visitors, who were under the charge of new boss Stuart Maynard for the first time, went ahead through a penalty from prolific striker Ollie Pearce before a slick move saw Ollie Banks double the advantage before the break.

Luke McCormick pulled one back for Yeovil after a howler from visiting keeper Harrison Male before Jake Wannell turned in to his own net to restore the visitors’ two-goal advantage.

The weaknesses in the Glovers’ paper thin squad, missing the injured Alex Whittle and with youth midfielder Ollie Hughes named as one of just six substitutes, was cruelly exposed by a expensively assembled York squad, who thoroughly deserved the three points.


First half

The opening chances fell to Yeovil with a neat connection between Josh Sims and Junior Morias with the latter having a shot blocked after five minutes and then two minutes later Brett McGavin deceived everyone with a free kick from 30 yards out. The midfielder looked like he would put a ball in to the box, but instead he tried to catch York keeper Harrison Male out but the stopper was able to scramble across the keep it out.

On 13 minutes, the visitors had a great opportunity when Jake Wannell gifted the ball to Ollie Banks who fed Ollie Pearce just inside the box, Jed Ward got enough on it to keep it out. Moments later there was another break involving Joe Felix, who was causing James Plant all kinds of problems down the right, which caused chaos inside the box and a loud penalty appeal for a foul on Alex Newby and soon after Ollie Pearce tried to spin with the ball at his feet inside the box, but was denied by good defending from Kyle Ferguson.
 
York took the lead in the 23rd minute and it came from a familiar source. Newby set Felix away and he got the wrong side of Plant who pulled him down just inside the box. No surprises who it was to take it as Ollie PEARCE stepped up and slammed it straight down the middle. That is his eighth goal in five matches against us now.
 
Ollie Pearce celebrates his opener with the travelling supporters.
 
Ten minutes later it was 2-0 to the visitors. A move saw a ball played down the left side which Byron Pendleton missed and Tyrese Sinclair got away, his ball in was slammed home by Ollie BANKS. Yeovil were absolutely put to the sword by some slick football there and the lead was nothing more than they deserved.
 
For the remainder of the first half, it was all York as they pulled Yeovil about all over the pitch. Since the Pearce penalty, we have struggled to get near them and they have grown in confidence with every pass, whilst we are chasing shadows.
 

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 York City 1


Second half

In the 69th minute, Newby seized on to a loose ball from Pendleton and fed Pearce who darted away down the left and lifted a shot just over the bar and on to the top of the net. That would have been quite a tap in.

It seemed like it was going to take something special to get Yeovil back in to it. It came from a mistake by Male as York tried to play it around at the back and the keeper’s loose pass was seized upon by Luke McCORMICK who will never get a better opportunity to get his first goal for the club.

That lifted Yeovil who looked to press forward, but they almost got caught out when they put everyone forward for  free-kick and the speedy Felix found himself clear on goal from the clearance. The wing-back had almost the entire length of the pitch to cover and possibly too much time to think about it and he lifted his effort over the bar.

But, on 83 minutes, the visitors did get a third. Hiram Boateng glided away from the Yeovil defence and fired it towards substitute Josh Stones before Jake Wannell slid in and the ball flew in to the net for an OWN GOAL.

McCormick had an effort turned wide by Male soon after, but York stayed strong whilst Yeovil’s paper thin squad started to feel the effects of three games in seven days. 

The contrast was stark between these two sides and it is clear to see why York will be among the sides pushing at the top of the National League Premier Division table and just how far Yeovil need to come to get anywhere close.

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 York City 3


Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 6th September, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Ollie Pearce pen 25 (0-1), Ollie Banks 34 (0-2), Luke McCormick 77 (1-2), Hiram Boateng 83 (1-3)

Pitch: Still looking impressive
Conditions: Warm and sunny

Attendance:  2,954 (244 away supporters)

Bookings: 
Yeovil Town: James Plant 24, Aaron Jarvis 70
York City: Hiram Boateng 76

Referee: Lewis Sandoe

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

Substitutes: Tahvon Campbell (for James Plant, 54), Aaron Jarvis (for Harvey Greenslade, 67), Ben Wodskou (for Junior Morias, 68), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Byron Pendleton, 72), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

York City: Harrison Male, Mark Kitching, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Callum Howe, Tyrese Sinclair (for Ben Brookes, 70), Alex Hunt, Ollie Pearce (for Josh Stones, 82), Hiram Boateng, Joe Felix, Ollie Banks (for Joe Grey, 70), Alex Newby (for Daniel Batty, 78).

Substitutes (not used):  George Sykes-Kenworthy, Ryan Fallowfield, Ash Palmer.

Yeovil Town are unchanged from the midweek victory at Solihull Moors as they prepare to take on big-spending York City at Huish Park this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

Centre half Kyle Ferguson, who limped off with what appeared a nasty looking injury on Tuesday night, is fit to line up alongside Jake Wannell and Morgan Williams in the Glovers’ defence.

The only change comes on the substitutes’ bench where defender Alex Whittle, who is suffering with an injury, is replaced by Under-18s midfielder Ollie Hughes, underlining just how thin the squad is. If Hughes were to make an appearance today, he would become the second-youngest player to represent the club at 17 years, 3 months and 8 days.

Junior Morias looks up for a pass.

Junior Morias was the difference maker in the midlands on Tuesday night and that was enough for the forward to land your votes for Man of the Match.

It was a close call though with the former Bristol Rovers man Luke McCormick coming second, but only just behind, and the current Bristol Rovers man Jed Ward came third.


DATEOPPONENTRESPONSES1ST
(Votes / Percent)
2ND
(Votes / Percent)
3RD
(Votes / Percent)
August
09.08.2025HARTLEPOOL
(Home, 0-0 draw)
172JED WARD
(52 / 32.4%)

Morgan Williams
(44 / 25.6%)
Jake Wannell
(22 / 12.8%)
16.08.2025FOREST GREEN
(Away, 2-0 loss)
87JED WARD
(39 / 44.8%)

Byron Pendleton
(16 / 18.4%)
Morgan Williams
(11 / 12.6%)
20.08.2025BRACKLEY TOWN
(Home, 2-1 win)
153JED WARD
(89 / 58.2%)

Josh Sims
(23 / 15%)
Tahvon Campbell
(14 / 9.2%)
23.08.2025BRAINTREE TOWN
(Away, 1-0 loss)
71JED WARD
(29 / 40.8%)

Josh Sims
(15 / 21.1%)
James Plant
(7 / 9.9%)
25.08.2025GATESHEAD
(Home, 4-3 loss)
174HARVEY GREENSLADE
(65 / 37.4%)

Junior Morias
(59 / 33.9%)
Josh Sims
(23 / 13.2%)
30.08.2025HALIFAX
(Away, 3-2 loss)
93JOSH SIMS
(36 / 38.7%)
Harvey Greenslade
(29 / 31.2%)
Junior Morias
(13 / 14%)
AUGUST PLAYER OF THE MONTH 🥇 JED WARD
(12 PTS, 3 MOTM)

🥈 JOSH SIMS
(8 PTS, 1 MOTM)
🥉 HARVEY GREENSLADE
(5 PTS, 1 MOTM)
02.09.2025SOLIHULL M
(Away, 1-0 win)
98 JUNIOR MORIAS
(28 / 28.3%)
Luke McCormick
(24 / 24.2%)
Jed Ward
(15 / 15.2%)
06.09.2025YORK CITY
(Home, 3-1 loss)
108JOSH SIMS
(48 / 44.4%)
Luke McCormick
(33 / 30.6%)
Jed Ward
(7 / 6.5%)
13.09.2025WOKING
(Home, 1-0 win)
127 LUKE MCCORMICK
(47 / 37%)
Kyle Ferguson
(37 / 29.1%)
Harvey Greenslade
(11 / 8.7%)
20.09.2025TAMWORTH
(Away, 1-0 loss)
62JED WARD
(17 / 27.4%)
Kyle Ferguson
(10 / 16.1%)
Josh Sims
(7 / 11.3%)
24.09.2025ALDERSHOT
(Away, 4-1 win)
94ANDREW OLUWABORI
(36 / 38.3%)

Tahvon Campbell
(25 / 26.6%)
Luke McCormick
(10 / 10.6%)
27.09.2025ALTRINCHAM
(Home, 1-0 win)
154ANDREW OLUWABORI
(51 / 33.1%)

Jed Ward
(37 / 24%)
Morgan Williams
(18 / 11.7%)
30.09.2025SUTTON UTD
(Away)
119JOSH SIMS
(88 / 73.9%)
Andrew Oluwabori
(20 / 16.8%)
Jed Ward
(6 / 5%)
SEPTEMBER PLAYER OF THE MONTH 🥇 ANDREW OLUWABORI
(8 PTS / 2 MOTM)


🥈 JED WARD
(8 PTS / 1 MOTM)
🥉 JOSH SIMS
(7 PTS / 2 MOTM)

Yeovil Town are back in action at Huish Park on Saturday as the Glovers face the difficult test of welcoming York City to Somerset.


FORM…

YEOVIL TOWN

The home side come into the game off the back of a win. However, this was the Glovers’ first three points since a 2–1 victory over Brackley in the third game of the season. The result did put to bed a three-game losing streak and ended a run of back-to-back matches where they had taken the lead, only to squander it.

In that last game against Solihull Moors on a very wet Tuesday night, Richard Dryden’s side played some good football in spells, though they made a poor Moors side look better than they were. It was at the end of a tentative first half from both teams that Yeovil took the lead, with a goal from Junior Morias. The ex-Peterborough man slotted the ball into the back of the net after a deflected shot from James Plant fell to him at the back post. The Glovers then saw out a tough second half in which Solihull threatened on several occasions.

Junior Morias opens the scoring.

A clean sheet and a lead kept was just what Yeovil needed after some disheartening results, but the visit of York will be no easy task.

York City

The Minstermen form has been solid with no defeats across their first four fixtures, with two win and two draws making some impressive reading. That good form to start the new campaign though wasn’t enough to keep former manager Adam Hinshelwood in a job, with Matt Uggla sacking him just over a week ago.

The Yorkshire side will be well rested for their visit to Huish Park having not played a game since Bank Holiday Monday, where they drew 1-1 with Woking. York were supposed to play Rochdale on the 30th August but the match was suspended due a Women’s Rugby World Cup fixture being played at the ground.

A fresh York side with a point to prove could be a scary prospect for the Glovers.


KEY PLAYERS…

Yeovil Town – Jed Ward

We focussed on Jed ward at the start of the season as being a key player if Yeovil were going to get wins, and on Tuesday night he showed everyone why.

After a couple of games where he had shipped in a fair amount of goals that weren’t all his fault, many may have predicted that young goalies head could drop. To Ward’s credit he didn’t let the tough results get to him and put in a fine performance to not only help his side to a win against Solihull Moors but also to his first clean sheet of the season.

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

In a second half full of chances for the midlands side, the Bristol Rovers loanee made save after save to thwart Moors and predominantly striker Jacob Wakeling. Hopefully can produce the same kind of performance on Saturday.

York City – Hiram Boateng

Boateng is the sort of the midfielder every club dreams of, always available and instantly brings a presence to the middle of the park. The 29-year-old does the ugly things well, he regains possession, tackles well and is the starting point for many attacks.

Playing the majority of his career in a defensive midfield role, Boateng has a wealth of experience that York can count on. The British-Ghanian, has 301 appearances in League One and Two, with this being his first season in non league.

So far this season Boateng has been an ever present for The Minstermen, having not missed a minute of football. It will be an intriguing battle to see the former Mansfield man going up against Brett McGavin et al.


THE GAFFER…

Stuart Maynard has taken charge at York following the club’s decision to sack Adam Hinshelwood. A familiar name to many non-league followers, Maynard spent 10 years as a player, mostly in the lower tiers of non-league football.

He began his coaching career at Hemel Hempstead, the final club of his playing days. In 2012, the Tudors brought him in as assistant to former teammate Dean Brennan, and the pair built a strong partnership over six successful years. In 2018, they took over at Billericay Town as manager and assistant but left the club just four months later after the board terminated their contracts.

They then took charge at Kingstonian but chose to resign after five games, deciding the fit wasn’t right. Later, they joined Wealdstone during the COVID-shortened 2019–20 season and led the club to promotion as champions.

When Brennan stepped down in 2021, Maynard stepped up as manager. He impressed during his time at Wealdstone, which drew attention from Notts County in January last year. He accepted the County job and managed the side for just over a year. Despite leading the Magpies to the League Two Play-Off Semi-Finals, where they lost to AFC Wimbledon, the club chose to part ways with him shortly afterward.

Maynard has faced Yeovil five times in the past, winning one, drawing three, and losing one.


LAST TIME WE MET…

York have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, and Yeovil haven’t beaten them since 2016. In their most recent meeting, York earned a 1–0 win at Huish Park thanks to a penalty from star striker Ollie Pearce, who sealed all three points for the visitors.

Ollie Pearce slotting home his penalty. Picture by Gary Brown

When the two sides clashed at the LNER Community Stadium, York ran out 4–0 winners. Pearce caused problems for the Glovers once again, scoring a hat-trick, while Tyrese Sinclair also found the net. Yeovil finished the match with nine men after Finn Cousin-Dawson and Dom Bernard both received red cards.

Ollie Pearce flicks home his third

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

It looks like there are no ex-Yeovil players at The LNER. We know, unusual for Uggla.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

It will be Lewis Sandoe in the middle for the fixture on Saturday, with just one previous fixture at Huish Park. Read more here.

Midfielder Brett McGavin has said Yeovil Town’s players are focusing on putting in good performances as they wait to see who will be their new manager.

The Glovers will be under the charge of interim manager Richard Dryden this weekend when they take on a York City side playing their first match under new manager, Stuart Maynard, at Huish Park.

Both Yeovil and York decided to make a change in the dug-out last week with the departure of Mark Cooper shortly after followed by the sacking of Adam Hinshelwood.

Asked about how the dressing room reacted to the managerial change, McGavin told BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah: “No-one enjoys it, I have had it a few times where the manager gets the sack. As an individual the thing to focus on is your performance, if you can take care of yourself then whatever needs sorting out will happen.

From my point of view and the team’s point of view, it is about focusing on the things you can control and let the rest happen. You hear about new manager bounce and when the time is right, I am sure we can get a good manager in and enjoy that bounce, everyone can sense we needed a change and hopefully we can enjoy that change with a new manager.

The midweek win at Solihull saw Yeovil grind out a result, sealed by striker Junior Morias’ third goal in as many matches, in a physical encounter, but McGavin said he was hoping Saturday would see the club’s attacking players come to the fore.

He said: “Everyone can see we have good players, but we need to really to dominate games and play offensive football. We have players like Simsy (Josh Sims), Junior (Morias), Harvey (Greenslade), everyone wants to see them get on the ball. Going forward I want to see as much enjoyable, attacking football as we can, everyone deserves to see that. The new lads and the lads that were already here have gelled really well, we just need to show that on the pitch.

I have played a few times at Huish Park as an opposition player and it was not very enjoyable, so  I think we need to get that back. Last season our home form was not very good and that Gateshead (defeat) may have killed that momentum a little bit, but Huish needs to be a fortress. Our away form has been very good, so if we can tie it together with better home form, hopefully we can do well.

Interim Yeovil Town boss Richard Dryden has said Tuesday night’s win at Solihull Moors has given his side a lift ahead of a tough test this weekend.

Big-spending York City are the visitors to Huish Park this weekend and Dryden believes the clean sheet and three points his side collected in midweek will give them a lift as they prepare to take on one of the favourites for the National League title.

The win followed two performances where the Glovers threw away leads in the 4-3 home defeat to Gateshead and the 3-2 loss at FC Halifax Town.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, Dryden said: “We obviously had questions about our defensive abilities after the last two games and that is not just the goalkeeper and the back three, it is the whole team. How we defended our box against Solihull was fantastic because we knew the ball was going to come in from long throws and corners, but we defended really well as a group. Coming in to the changing rooms after doing that was a really good atmosphere. There are always different ways to win a game, it is great to win 3-0 and sit back and relax, but the good thing was that everyone who was fit – apart from Matt Gould, the goalkeeper – came on and made a difference.”

York City’s new manager Stuart Maynard was in the crowd for the match at Solihull Moors on Tuesday night.

York come in to the game unbeaten this season but actually one point below Yeovil in the table. The Minstermen have only played four matches this season, compared to the Glovers’ seven, due to the Women’s Rugby World Cup being played at their home stadium in recent weeks.

That early season form was enough for owners Matt and Julie-Anne Uggla, whose connections to Huish Park need little further explanation, to make the decision to sack manager Adam Hinshelwood around the same time Yeovil dispensed of the services of Mark Cooper.

However, they had a replacement lined up in the form of ex-Notts County and Wealdstone boss, Stuart Maynard, who will take charge of his first match this weekend.

Dryden said: “They are not going to be (in 19th place in the table) in 30 games time for certain and they have got some really good players. They have lost a good manager, but they have brought in a really good manager as well. They have added again, the frontline is good, a solid back three or four, they have good players but we are up for the fight and want to take our team to them as well. You have to respect every team you play, we have to have a game plan going forward and defensively. York will play a lot differently to how Solihull, so our game plans will change.

The interim boss admitted it had been difficult for the players and coaching staff following the departure of Cooper at the end of last month. On Monday, owner Prabhu Srinivasan told supporters it would “take time” to appoint a new manager and vowed not to rush in to a decision, but the appearance of out of work bosses’ including ex-Hartlepool United manager Anthony Limbrick at Solihull on Tuesday suggest that there are options available to the Glovers.

Dryden said: “I have been in football long enough to know that someone has to take over whether that is someone coming in straight away or they leave it to the staff and at the moment they are leaving it to the staff, so we are just getting on with our jobs. The owner has been really good talking about calmness and we have been told the staff will stay which is good, because the first thing you think is ‘are we going to lose our jobs’, so it was good news that the job situation was secure and we can get on with our job. If someone else comes in, they do, and until then we will just do the best job we can.

Former Hartlepool manager Anthony Limbrick was another familiar face in the crowd at Solihull.

Dryden added there were “a few bumps and bruises” following the physical encounter at Solihull, one of which is presumably defender Kyle Ferguson who went off after taking a hefty whack to the knee, but the interim boss said he was optimistic he would have a similar squad to choose from against York.

He concluded: “You can see the confidence coming in to the lads. We know we can score goals and we know we can defend, it is just a case of getting that blend for every game. A big plus was keeping a clean sheet on Tuesday night and the goal now is to do that again on Saturday and stamp our authority when we go forward.