Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 131)

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Yeovil Town return to Braintree Town for the second season in a row in a clash of clubs who have been promoted from the National League South and the person in charge of keeping order, is Callum Walchester. 

Walchester has been refereeing in and around the National League circuit since the 2019/20 season, but amazingly, has never taken charge of a Glovers game before.

He has stood as the man-in-the-middle for Saturday’s hosts, however, on eight occasions. Five of which have gone the way of the “Pub team from Essex” (their words, not mine).

Walchester’s eight games as ref for Braintree have seen a total of just seven yellow cards and one red, whilst last year he averaged four bookings per National League Fixture.

Walchester will be assisted by Stephen Finch and Andrew Gray with the flags and David Hutton holds the board.

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The new season is back with a … damp squib.

The Glovers haven’t won on the opening day since 2016, we’ve lost each of our last three games against Darren Sarll sides 1-0… it was a pre-written script followed to perfection.

Ben, Dave and Elliot Watts are back and we’ll talk all about it and tell you exactly, why there’s no need to worry, all will be just fine.

We take your #GCQs and have a little bit of fun in the mix… roll on Braintree!

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Young Glover Corey Koerner has joined Plymouth Parkway on a dual registration loan deal.

The midfielder has been involved fairly heavily throughout Yeovil’s pre-season campaign and has already had his first involvement down at the Bolitho being an unused sub in Parkway’s 3-1 defeat to Basingstoke on Saturday.

We’ll add him to our regular Loan Watch articles throughout the course of his stint in Devon, their next game is this coming Tuesday when they head to recently relegated Gloucester City FC.

All the best, Corey.

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The return of a new season and therefore the return of Loan Watch.

Former Bristol City goalkeeper Will Buse joined Weston-super-Mare on the eve of the National League South season and his debut was an eventful one. 

At half time, Weston were 3-0 up and cruising, but a 96th minute penalty from Worthing would break hearts and mean the away side took the three points. 

 

Elsewhere, we do have one youngster out on loan in the form of Josh Haskett. He is with Sherborne Town (alongside Messrs Skiverton Jnr and Graziano who were once of this parish too) in the Wessex League Premier Division.

Josh has made a couple of appearances, both from the bench, including in the Zebras’ 2-0 defeat at Hamble Town on Saturday.

Josh Haskett

As you will discover in a later post, Under-18s’ full-back Corey Koerner was also an unused substitute on the bench for Plymouth Parkway.

The youngster has played a number of times for the first team in pre-season before joining the Southern League Premier Division South side. He watched on as they went down 3-1 at home to Basingstoke Town on the opening day.

The move was announced by Yeovil on Sunday afternoon.

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Football is back, Yeovil Town are back in the National League and Five Conclusions is back too. Ian was in the press box for BBC Somerset, and here’s how he saw it… 

We struggled to find a way through. There were familiar patterns to the game as Yeovil resumed with the possession-based style which served them so well last season and felt in control for most of the game. But, where there was control, there wasn’t that creative spark to cut through a dogged defence. Not until the end of the match, where an error at the back allowed Harvey Greenslade an opportunity at an open goal, did Yeovil create something clear cut. Mark Cooper said his ‘nippy’ players need to more. Morgan struggled to find a way into the game. Young, who was scythed down by Parkes early on, wasn’t allowed to find his rhythm on the ball. We brought Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Harvey Greenslade and Sam Pearson in to make something happen, but they couldn’t make the decisive impact.

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

 

Hartlepool did exactly what you’d expect. I’m not sure it’s fair to tarnish Darren Sarll with the ‘typical Sarll’ brush, but every time we’ve played him since he left, we have lost 1-0 and it’s been a war. Yesterday was the same, it was physical, it was long ball and it was knock downs from the big man Dieseruvwe. I actually thought we coped well with it, but for a spell in the second half. Wannell and Williams handled the physicality, but in that second half patch Hartlepool found more space around Yeovil’s box, had the Glovers stretched and it was a well-struck finish from Jack Hunter that won the game in the end. The onus was then on the Glovers to break down a resilient side that often went into a back six and, as is their right, burned away the time by any means necessary.

Aaron Jarvis relished the battle. When Yeovil’s new number 9 lined up against a centre back pairing with nearly 900 games between then, I think he knew the afternoon he was in for. Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall were the nasty bastards you’d expect from a Darren Sarll defence, but I thought Jarvis gave as good as he got. He was physical with them, won some headers and also seemed to get under their skin too. He’s got that Murphy/Hyde-esque edge to him. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the service into him to make anything happen at goal, but it was a game where he had to show he was up for a fight, and I think he was.

Alex Whittle. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Alex Whittle was back to his reliable best. The left-back, who was missing for the run-in through injury last season, returned to the side and was every bit the player we low-key loved last season. He might not have that Michael Smith swagger, but he’s an absolute machine on the left. He dealt with the pace and strength of Joe Grey. He was tough in the tackle, perceptive in the moments where he needed to be in the right position and is just Mr Dependable. My man of the match.

It was nice to be back! There was a good atmosphere at Huish Park (and plenty of Bradfords bucket hats) and as always, the opening day expectations are high – despite having not won on the opening day since 2015/16. (Goals from Kevin Dawson and Otis Khan scored against Notts County). The pitch was great, the stadium was looking the part and the buzz was there. While the result didn’t match the mood, football is back and there’s a long way to go!

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Striker Frank Nouble said he does not believe Yeovil Town need to improve much to start picking up points in the National League Premier.

The Glovers went down 1-0 to a second half goal from Hartlepool United midfielder Jack Hunter on the opening day of the new season at Huish Park, extending a run of failing to win on the opening day to the past eight seasons. 

Nouble told BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah: “There was a different level of class in the opposition (compared with last season in National League South). We know we are going to have the ball for the majority of the season and that is a compliment to ourselves, but we need to find ways to win football games. Unfortunately today that has not happened, but we have lost the first game of the season before, we need to move on.

“As a team, if we play 5% better with our decision-making, quality, touches, we would have created more chances and probably won the game. But football is not like that, you have got to live with it.

“They scored a goal which would have been worth of winning any game in any league, so fair play to the lad but we have to move on quickly to the next one.”

Frank Nouble. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil matched their opponents, managed by former Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll, for much of the first half without either side carving out many clear-cut chances, but Hunter’s excellent strike from the edge of the box came on 65 minutes with Hartlepool dominating.

Nouble said: “We set out a plan of how we were going to play and I think we tried to do that as much as we could. We might have needed a bit more quality in certain areas in the first half when we were in positions, that quality was not quite there, but we are facing a team which came with a game plan.

“They were aggressive, but we had seen that in the videos of them we watched. But it’s a man’s league, we have to take our licks and our wounds and go again next week.”

Harvey Greenslade. Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Manager Mark Cooper introduced a number of substitutes from the bench, extended to seven players this season with five able to appear, including forwards Harvey Greenslade and Sam Pearson. It was Greenslade who had the best chance to find an equaliser, but he lifted a golden chance over an empty net with the final action of the game.

Nouble added: “In the last few minutes we had a couple of chances where we would have hoped to have done better, but that is football. Sometimes you have to wait until the last minute and then score the goal, unfortunately today that did not happen, so we will go again. I trust the boys and I trust the Gaffer and the staff will put a game plan out there for us.”

Frank told our man Ian Perkins: “It was tough, but everyone has different strengths and you have to play to those strengths. Their two centre backs (Luke Waterfall and Tom Parkes) were very experienced, but one came off with an injury and the other got an early booking, so we caused them problems.

“We maybe did not feed the areas enough with the quality we have. We are going to face better, more experienced players, but I don’t think anyone was fazed. If we do the same things next week and in the weeks after we will win more than we lose.

“Hopefully we can play a bit faster at times with a bit more quality, but it is nothing to worry about in terms of how we feel. We all want to win and we are all disappointed, but they won with a great goal. I thought our defence held them out quite well, but we need to be a bit better all around the pitch and hopefully we can do that next week.”

Next up is a Braintree Town side, who came up from National League South via the play-offs, which went down 3-0 at Oldham Athletic on the opening day.

The Iron have added a number of new players in the summer, including experienced strikers John Akinde and Inih Effiong, since they face Yeovil back in March, a game settled by a Nouble goal.

The Glovers’ striker said: “We now want to improve and work on what we could have done better, but we are facing a different team, going away from home, so it is a different challenge. When I was younger I found it quite hard to move on from defeats but now this game will leave me in the next hour and we will be ready to work again on Monday.

“It will be another difficult game, they have signed a lot of new players so it will be a different game to the one we played there last year. But we are going to go out there to try and win the game, that is the case with every game, we will try and play our football and that is what we will be judged on come the end of the season.

“I trust the quality in there and hopefully we will come good.”

 

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A new season means a new set of teams to eyeball and follow the results for… and that’s what we’re here for! The Wrap Up is back, and while it wasn’t the dream start Yeovil fans may have wanted, following their 1-0 home loss against Darren Sarll’s Hartlepool United, there are still another 45 to go… let’s see how bad it could’ve been, by looking around the country.

We begin in the north east, where Gateshead got their season underway with a bang, Greg Olley bagging a hat trick on the way to a big 5-1 win over Ebbsfleet United. Back down south, and an absolute barnstormer was played out between Aldershot Town and Forest Green Rovers – a quickfire Hady Ghandour double gave the hosts an early lead, before former Glover Ryan Inniss got one back for the visitors in the first half. FGR continued their push, and got their rewards when two goals in just under 10 minutes gave Rovers a 3-2 lead, but it was the home side who would have the last laugh, new signing James Henry scoring an 80th minute equaliser to share the points.

AFC Fylde defeated last season’s playoff finalists Solihull Moors in an enthralling 3-2 clash at home, involving a red card for the visitors, and a Nick Haughton hat trick handing the Coasters the three points. It wasn’t a great day for playoff winners either it seems, as both North and South winners were thoroughly stuffed by Manchester-based sides – a Devante Rodney double helped Rochdale on their way to a 3-0 win at Boston United, while Oldham Athletic put away Braintree Town by the same score line.

There were two 2-1 home wins today, one perhaps more surprising than the other – FC Halifax Town toppled a Barnet side tipped for the playoffs at the minimum, with the less surprising result being a routine win for full timers Dagenham & Redbridge over part timers Wealdstone (former Glover Dion Pereira got himself the winning goal too!). Maidenhead United fell to a 2-0 loss at home to Eastleigh, where 17 minutes of added time was played!

The special DAZN feature match between Southend United and York City ended in a 1-1 draw, an 85th minute equaliser from Lenell John-Lewis rescuing a point for the visitors, while Tamworth fared the best of the newly promoted sides in an impressive 1-1 draw with relegated Sutton United. In the final fixture of the day, Altrincham won a fiery game against Woking by a 1-0 score line, with both teams dropping to 10 men throughout the game.

 

National League results – in full

AFC Fylde 3-2 Solihull Moors
Aldershot Town 3-3 Forest Green Rovers
Altrincham 1-0 Woking
Boston United 0-3 Rochdale
Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Wealdstone
FC Halifax Town 2-1 Barnet
Gateshead 5-1 Ebbsfleet United
Maidenhead United 0-2 Eastleigh
Oldham Athletic 3-0 Braintree Town
Southend United 1-1 York City
Tamworth 1-1 Sutton United
Yeovil Town 0-1 Hartlepool United

National League table

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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 began their return to the National League Premier Division with a defeat at the hands of Hartlepool United at Huish Park.

The visitors, managed by ex-Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll, struck on 65 minutes when Jack Hunter found space on the edge of the box to fire home.

It was a performance from the away side which was in the image of their manager – direct,  organised and with all the ‘dark arts’ Glovers fans will remember from Sarll’s time in charge. 

But, with the final chance of the game, there was a glorious opportunity for an equaliser as a mistake from Pools’ keeper Joel Dixon fell to substitute Harvey Greenslade, who lifted his effort over an unguarded net. 

It was Yeovil’s lack of potency in the final third and a piece of quality from Hunter that settled it and it was a harsh reminder of how fine the margins are at the highest level of non-League football.

Here’s how Dave saw it from his spot on the Thatcher’s End…..

First half

Within 30 seconds of the kick-off, midfielder Brett McGavin needed to make a superb interception to deny Sheron a shooting opportunity.

There were attacking moments (probably not bordering on opportunities) from both sides in the opening exchanges and then on seven minutes Hartlepool centre-half Tom Parkes put in a crunching tackle on Jordan Young. He earned himself a yellow card and, had it been later in the game, could well have seen that turn to a red.

There was a bit more ‘rough justice’ handed out by Pools’ striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe on Brett McGavin. The big frontman was exactly the kind of handful you would imagine him to be and the visitors were showing they are built in the image of their manager, Darren Sarll. That said, Aaron Jarvis was giving as he got from the robust Luke Waterfall and Parkes in the centre of the visitors’ defence.

On 15 minutes, Morgan Williams had to be inch perfect to clear a dangerous ball from the right side with Dieseruvwe arriving at the far post.

Jake Wannell gets the better of Hartlepool striker, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Jake Wannell gets the better of Hartlepool striker, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

On 27 minutes, the visitors’ Joe Grey was the next in to the referee’s book after a foul on Dylan Morgan. The resulting did not muster a meaningful effort on goal, but Yeovil definitely look a threat from wide positions. Unsurprisingly, the press was the Sarll style adopted by Hartlepool.

Without ever carving out a meaningful chance to test Joel Dixon in the visitors’ goal, Yeovil seemed controlled and looked like they could cause problems from wide positions. Hartlepool were typically direct and certainly had the better chances but at no point in the first half was goalkeeper Ollie Wright extended.

A ‘1-0 scrapper’ was how the game was predicted to go on Friday’s podcast and there was nothing in the opening 45 minutes to suggest that was not going to be the case.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Hartlepool United 0

Second half

It was another direct attack from Hartlepool which created the first opening of the second half. Adam Campbell, who turned down the opportunity to join Crawley Town in League One to return to his native North East in the summer, found himself in space in the middle and played it out wide to Grey whose shot was blocked by a fine block from Alex Whittle.

Alex Whittle rises highest. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper had spoken pre-match about how substitutions would be crucial this season. With seven players on the bench, he made the game’s first change  came after 56 minutes with Harvey Greenslade replacing Morgan, who never really got to show what he was capable of.

Wright had to be alert a minute later, a high ball in to the box to Dieseruvwe saw him hold off/manhandle Whittle and nod it down to Sheron whose header was in to the hands of the keeper, who two minutes later had to get down to keep out a stinging effort from Campbell.

It was Hartlepool who were looking the more dangerous and on 65 minutes they opened the scoring. Campbell once again involved rolling the ball to Jack HUNTER himself in space on the edge of the box and curled home a tidy finish. It had been coming.

Jordan Thomas replaced Michael Smith and the goal seemed to spark greater attacking intent from home side. Probably the best effort came on 75 minutes when Jordan Young cut in from the right and his effort was deflected wide for a corner.

With time running out the Sarll gamesmanship we know and (used to) love came in to play. Keeper Dixon going down ‘injured’ and whilst Dieseruvwe was off the pitch changing his boots. 

Meanwhile Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Sam Pearson both arrived off the bench, and five minutes from but inside the box Yeovil’s attacking intent was not being rewarded with any luck in front of goal. The visitors were quite happy to stay solid and organised let their hosts and try their luck.

On 86 minutes, hosts’ captain Matt Worthington tried a shot from distance which was comfortably held by Dixon. By my count that is our first shot on target.

Moments later came arguably our best chance. Determined play by Young kept the ball alive on the left side of the box and he found Pearson who clipped a ball in to Greenslade by Dixon was there to deny him.

The sight of seven minutes of injury time seemed to lift the Huish Park crowd as Yeovil continued to try to find a way through a wall of light blue shirts.

Then, literally with the last effort of the match, Lo-Everton’s ball in to the saw Dixon collide with his own player and spill the which dropped to Greenslade who lifted it over an unguarded net. Agonising, we have been well and truly Sarll’d.

Not far off, but those are the fine margins at this level.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Hartlepool United 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 10th August, 3pm

Competition: National League Premier

Pitch: In good nick, as you would hope on Game 1
Conditions: Dull and muggy

Attendance: 3,646 (238 away supporters)

Scorers: Jack Hunter 65 (0-1)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Harvey Greenslade 80, Jake Wannell 90+4.
Hartlepool United: Tom Parkes 7, Joe Grey 27, Adam Campbell 71, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe  90+7.

Referee: David Rock 

 

Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)

Substitutes: Harvey Greenslade (for Dylan Morgan 56), Jordan Thomas (for Michael Smith, 68), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Brett McGavin, 75), Sam Pearson (for Frank Nouble, 84), Matt Gould (not used), Finn Cousin-Dawson (not used), Raphael  Araoye (not used).

Hartlepool United:  Joel Dixon, David Ferguson, Daniel Dodds (for Manny Onariase, 90+4), Tom Parkes, Luke Waterfall (for Billy Sass-Davies, 70), Joe Grey, Jack Hunter, Luke Charman (for Anthony Gomez Mancini, 79), Nathan Sheron, Adam Campbell (for Louis Stephenson, 90), Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.
Substitutes (not used): Adam Smith, Nicky Featherstone, Alfie Steel.