For the first time this season, the Glovers have some Team of the (mid)Week representation.
Luke McCormick makes the mythical team from official league sponsors Enterprise.
Shout out to Tom ‘DFILWF’ Knowles for also making the side.
Also, credit must got to ‘Ryan’ Nash of Aldershot Town, who despite not being called Ryan at all, still got noticed enough by the admin… but not enough to check that his actual name is Pat.
Yeovil Town got back to winning ways on Tuesday night, registering their first three points under interim head coach Richard Dryden, as they beat Solihull Moors away from home in a 1-0 win (which you can read about here!) – let’s see what else went on across the league in a hectic couple of days…
We’ll run through the rest of Tuesday night’s action first, starting in Middlesex, where Wealdstone registered an impressive 3-2 win over Southend United. The hosts took the lead through Enzio Boldewijn, before Slavi Spasov bagged his first goal for the Shrimpers ten minutes later. Two goals in the space of four minutes from Sean Adarkwa regained the lead for Wealdstone, before holding onto their lead against a surge from Southend; Gus Scott-Morriss gave the visitors hope, but it wasn’t enough as Southend’s undefeated start to the season came to an end, while the Stones occupy the final playoff spot.
Morecambe succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at home to Forest Green Rovers, as Gwion Edwards’ impressive first half strike was cancelled out by Kyle McAllister and a brace from ex-Glover Tom Knowles, while Tamworth registered their first away win of the season at Braintree Town thanks to goals from Manny Duku and Beck-Ray Enoru, either side of a goal from former Glover Frankie Terry for the hosts.
Eastleigh and Scunthorpe United were playing out an entertaining 1-1 draw, with Declan Howe getting the visitors ahead in the 83rd minute, and Harvey Saunders equalising in the 91st minute. However, two serious head injuries occurred in an unfortunate clash between Archie Harris of Eastleigh, and Jéan Belehouan of Scunthorpe – both players received medical attention from paramedics, with Harris ending up going to hospital, and both have since been cleared and confirmed on social medias that they’re ok. The match was abandoned following 93 minutes of play with the scoreline remaining at 1-1, the National League hope to confirm in the coming days if the fixture will need to be replayed. York and Rochdale didn’t play due to the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Onto Wednesday’s action, and we start with a goalfest, as Boreham Wood left Sutton United with all three points in a 3-4 thriller – Jeff King handed the Wood the lead just ten minutes in, before Jayden Harris and Lewis Simper struck to put the hosts ahead going into half-time. Abdul Abdulmalik made it two apiece, before an 85th minute Zak Brunt penalty gave the visitors the lead. Erico Sousa made it four with just a couple of minutes left on the clock, Sutton attempted to stage a late comeback with a cracker from Edon Pruti, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Wood’s impressive start to their return to the National League.
A fiery affair finished level in Cornwall, as Truro City and 9-man Aldershot Town played out a 2-2 draw – goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst was sent off in extremely harsh circumstances in the 40th minute, but the Shots took the lead just before half-time with a Kwame Thomas effort. Former Glover Ryan Law equalised for Truro in the 65th minute, before Tyler Harvey scored twenty minutes later to set the Tinners on their way to a second win in a row. However, despite another red card, this time for Cameron Hargreaves, a 97th minute James Henry penalty meant the two sides shared the spoils.
Two first half goals from Lewis Banks and Tylor Golden meant Altrincham secured their first away win of the season, with Gateshead finishing the game with 10 men following a red card for Connor Pani, while there were two penalties in the draw between FC Halifax Town and Woking; both were scored, as Harry Beautyman gave the visitors the lead with his, before Adam Hmami equalised with his own penalty in the 91st minute. Hartlepool United and Boston United couldn’t be separated, as Luke Charman and Manni Norkett scored the goals for their respective sides, and finally, a Regan Linney strike was the difference as Carlisle United narrowly beat Brackley Town.
National League results – in full
Braintree Town 1-2 Tamworth
Eastleigh A-A Scunthorpe United
Morecambe 1-3 Forest Green Rovers
Solihull Moors 0-1 Yeovil Town
Wealdstone 3-2 Southend United
Brackley Town 0-1 Carlisle United
FC Halifax Town 1-1 Woking
Gateshead 0-2 Altrincham
Hartlepool United 1-1 Boston United
Sutton United 3-4 Boreham Wood
Truro City 2-2 Aldershot Town
Yeovil Town return to Huish Park after a triumphant midweek in the midlands and it’s big spending York City who come to town.
We need an official for the game and it’s Mr Lewis Sandoe who will take charge.
It’s his first appointment in the middle this season, but he’s been a busy official over the last couple of seasons in the National League South.
20 matches in the league below saw him dish out 96 yellow cards, 3 reds and a few penalties for good measure.
Roll the clock back another year and there’s a 1-1 draw with Maidstone at Huish Park we can look back on.
He was happy with the cards then too, eight dished out in total, including ones for Alex Whittle, Matt Worthington and Rhys Murphy.
He’ll be assisted by Ivan Stankovic and Stuart Kane (Kane is something of a regular appointment at HP) and Steven Swan will be monitor the dugouts.
Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v YORK CITY (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Sandoe, Lewis
Assistant Referee: Stankovic, Ivan
Assistant Referee: Kane, Stuart
Fourth Official: Swan, Steven
Gloverscast Ben was at his second game in a row as the mighty green and whites held off an aerial bombardment to claim all three points at Solihull.
Here are his five conclusions.
We dealt with the physical side of the game
We knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, Solihull sit rock bottom of the league, without a win to their name and there was only one way they could really go about things. Physically.
Not dirty, they weren’t kicking lumps out of us – even if Kyle Ferguson’s left knee might disagree (ouch!) – but they had every trick in the book to give it right go.
It was fairly route one from the hosts and the back line must have headed 100 footballs between them throughout the 90 minutes.
Dan Creaney is an almighty handful and the units they can call up on at the back made it easy for the local air traffic control to keep tabs on the intended targets.
The long throw was dealt with and the defence should be chuffed with the clean sheet.
We still need a little more nous.
Against Halifax, I cried out for a ‘quarter-back’, particularly when things get a bit hurried in the latter stages, and whilst Brett McGavin did that to a certain extent, I did find myself getting frustrated at the amount of times we gave up possession needlessly in defensive situations.
Too many times, the ball was hurried when a calmer – but still positive – options were on, too many clearances were rushed which gave our front line a tough task to keep the ball and relieve the pressure.
We need to make a few better decisions, on another day, we can beat that Solihull side far more comfortably. I understand a little chaos and uncertainty may have set in after throwing away some leads of late, I hope the confidence of that win will do them the world of good.
It’s a thin squad
Charlie Cooper was at the game in his tracksuit, but no sign of Jacob Maddox or James Daly and it’s hard not to take a sharp intake of breath when a player goes down.
If Luke McCormick or Brett McGavin were unable to complete the game, the system and style has to change. The same applies in either full-back area. We’ve got forwards in abundance and that’s brilliant to be able to call up players like Jarvis and Campbell, but they’re not like for like switches with Sims and Morias.
Whether or not Richard Dryden has that wiggle room given the uncertainty at a longer term manager right now, but the games come thick and fast and it looked and felt like a few tired, battered and bruised bodies walked off the Damson Park pitch.
We have the exciting players to make things happen
We have seen Junior Morias score three in three now, but I wanted to highlight the work that’s going on creatively in and around him.
Harvey Greenslade probably wasn’t at his most mobile best on Tuesday, the context of the game and conditions didn’t suit – he also came off nursing an ice pack with a wince on his face – but his pressing and endeavour must be a nightmare to defend against.
We’re starting to see the best out of McCormick, I think after a slowish start. He’s far more suited to being one of the central midfielders that one of the attacking ‘bank of 10s’, he can be far more effective and really help turn defence into attack.
Morias’ pumping tree trunk legs are a sight to behold, when they get moving, you either foul him or you don’t stop him. McGavin’s range of passing and ability to spot the play before it unfolds needs to be brought out of it’s shell a bit, but it’s there.
Plant and Sims have been given the nod to express themselves, with a little more final ball quality, they’re clearly a real danger.
….and breathe.
We needed that win, didn’t we?
No matter how it came, no matter who got the decisive winner, no matter how much it was substance over style – or what blend of them both it was – it was a win.
A win each of the last two games SHOULD have garnered.
It will calm the nerves, it will settle everyone in the crowd – and the boardroom – and shows that we have got a group to grow from.
It doesn’t get any easier, a well rested York come to town on Saturday, but we have a foundation to hand over to the incoming manager, whoever and whenever that may be.
Yeovil got back to winning ways last night at league table-proppers Solihull Moors. A first half goal from Junior Morais saw Richard Dryden’s side get back down the M5 with all three points in a 1-0.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins, Dryden praised his team: “The lads have been absolutely fantastic this week. It’s been a tough week, but today we ground it out. The last half hour seemed like two days.”
Yeovil revert to a back three for the match, with Dryden prioritising the defensive shape.
“We’ve been looked at the last two games before this and conceded four [seven actually?] goals. There’s not a lot of time in working between games when you when you’re playing Saturdays and Tuesdays,. We did very minimal yesterday, but all we did was work a little bit on defending the box, not a lot. We just got a shape organised, and we felt if we defended our box well today, we’d have a good chance of winning the game.
“It doesn’t matter how well you play, if you don’t win games, it means nothing. It means nothing. We probably played better the last two games before this, and ended up with nothing. We played some football today, they pressed really well I thought they were a really good pressing side and made it really hard for us. But we’ve done horrible things really, really well today. And that’s what sometimes wins you games.”
Morais winner came with a stroke of luck after James Plant’s shot was deflected into his path but Dryden’s focus was solely on winning the game.
“We are expansive sometimes. I think Willow’s [Morgan Williams] cross field, pass, gets out to, I think Planty, and from there on, it’s just a little bit of a blur. I haven’t even seen anything about it yet, it’s just about winning the game. I think when you’ve lost the last three it’s about winning the game, or getting something out the game, you know. So we’re really, really happy we’ve kept the clean sheet. And that’s not just a goalkeeper and the back three. That’s that’s a whole team. I say we score together and we defend together. And, you know, everybody’s done their job today.”
Former Hartlepool Manager Anthony Limbrick, who has been linked with the vacant managerial position, was spied in attendance last night and when asked if he still expected to be manager this Saturday Dryden’s response was: “I don’t know. Just just doing the job. I don’t know if I’m honest.”
Striker Junior Morias bagged his third goal in as many games to grab Yeovil Town their first away of the season at bottom club Solihull Moors.
The experienced striker was in the right place at the back post when James Plant’s deflected shot looped up and landed at the feet of Morias who turned it home.
It had been a bruising encounter against a physical Solihull side who threw themselves forward in the second half, but could not a breakthrough.
With two minutes played, Yeovil had the game’s first opportunity as Junior Morias was set free towards goal and he laid it off to Josh Sims whose effort needed helping over the bar by Solihull keeper Laurie Walker.
But, just as the game looked to be petering out to a goalless half scoreline, Yeovil scored. Plant worked himself some space on the edge of the box and tried a shot which looped up off a Solihull defender and landed perfectly to Junior MORIAS who steered it past Walker.
The opening chance of the second half did not arrive until the 53rd minute when Jacob Wakeling lashed one in to the side netting before Aaron Jarvis replaced Greenslade two minutes later. If you need a back to goal battering ram, Jarvis is probably your man.
But on 59 minutes, Wakeling, who signed from Peterborough United before kick-off, ran through on a long ball over the top with the Yeovil defence scrambling to try and get back. The 23-year-old had only Jed Ward to beat but blazed his effort over the bar. That should be 1-1, but it’s not.
There were further changes for the visitors on 65 minutes with on loan Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou and former Solihull man Tahvon Campbell, who replace Junior Morias and Josh Sims.
On 70 minutes, Kyle Ferguson went down in a heap after a full-blooded 50-50 tackle in the middle of the pitch. The summer signing looks in a lot of pain, but he has got to his feet and walked (/limped) off the pitch. Unbelievably, he’s returned to the pitch.
There’s been a lot of possession for the home side and Wakeling found himself in a lot of room after 74 minutes and lashed a long range effort wide, but we have to learn the lessons of throwing leads away in our past two matches.
Ferguson cannot continue here and he is replaced by Finn Cousin-Dawson after 77 minutes with Pendleton replaced by Alex Whittle at the same time.
Plant had a great opportunity after twisting and turning inside the box three minutes later, but his shot was blocked and landed to Jarvis who was facing the wrong way and could not get it back to Wodskou. Moments later, Williams’ ball in finds Jarvis but he cannot get a shot on target. Six minutes remaining and McCormick is given time and space to move towards goal and unleashes an effort past the post from distance.
Eight minutes of injury time goes up as the game ticks over to 90 minutes and you sense there is a kitchen sink about to be thrown by Solihull and with seven of them played keeper Walker came forward for a free-kick which mercifully crept wide.
The final whistle on the first away win of the season sounded sweet, but in the home end Solihull fans were calling for the sacking of manager Matt Taylor. We needed that.
Venue: Damson Park
Date: Tuesday 2nd September, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Junior Morias 45+1 (1-0)
Pitch: Green
Conditions: Soggy
Attendance: 917 (162 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Byron Pendleton 60, Tahvon Campbell 89
Solihull Moors:
Referee: Harrison Blair
Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Aaron Jarvis (for Harvey Greenslade, 55), Ben Wodskou (for Junior Morias, 65), Tahvon Campbell (for Josh Sims, 65), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Kyle Ferguson, 77), Alex Whittle (for Byron Pendleton, 77), Matt Gould (not used).
Solihull Moors: Laurie Walker, James Clarke, Cameron Green, Alex Whitmore, Brad Nicholson, Dan Creaney, Ben Worman (for Sam Bowen, 81), Louis Jackson, Jacob Wakeling (for Callum McFarlane, 89), Emmanuel Sonupe, Oscar Rutherford (for Shen Whyte-Hall, 67).
Substitutes (not used): Rory Brown, Oliver Tipton, Finn Howell, Brad Stevenson.
Interim manager Richard Dryden says he knows how his Yeovil Town players can hurt bottom club Solihull Moors ahead of tonight’s fixture at Damson Park (7.45pm kick-off).
The coach is taking charge of his second match following the sacking of Mark Cooper from the Huish Park hot-seat having overseen the 3-2 defeat at FC Halifax Town three days ago.
Rumour has it that Cooper, who is understood to live in the Birmingham area, is in attendance at the game which sees the home side start bottom of the table with manager Matt Taylor under pressure.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off, Dryden said: “We have watched their last three or four games, how they play and what they do. We had a good meeting with the players about what we can do to hurt them, how we have to defend against them, so we are ready to go.
“They have bought a couple of new players in for tonight, I know one of them who we had at Barrow. We have done our due diligence on how they play and how they work, it’s up to the coaching staff and the squad now.”
Defender Kyle Ferguson has replaced Alex Whittle in the starting XI in the only change from the match in West Yorkshire.
Dryden added: “It is a quick turnover (after the game at Halifax on Saturday) and we have to protect a few people, but there are quite a few who have to play because of the size of the squad.”
Yeovil Town have made one change from Saturday’s defeat at FC Halifax Town as they take on bottom club Solihull Moors in the West Midlands tonight (7.45pm kick-off).
Central defender Kyle Ferguson replaces Alex Whittle with the Glovers appearing to be playing a back three as they look to bounce back from two successive defeats.
