Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 145)

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Businessman Martin Hellier has said he will make “a full offer” for Yeovil Town – and walk away if he is rebuffed.

The owner of Hellier Group, which sponsors the Main Stand at Huish Park, made the declaration in a tweet posted after the Glovers’ 1-0 defeat at Woking on Tuesday night.

The post read: “Tomorrow I will make a full offer for the club and grounds. If I’m refused, I walk. Goodnight.”

In a previous post he had added: “Change managers as often as you want. It’s players you need and there’s only one way that’s going to happen…”

The tweets were responded to by a number of supporters seeking to clarify the businessman’s intentions, he added that he was talking about “a full buy-back” of the club, its Huish Park stadium and surrounding land.

The stadium and surrounding land is now in the ownership of South Somerset District Council following the sale of it by current owner and chairman Scott Priestnall in May, so one assumes Hellier’s offer will be heading to the council as much as the chairman.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper was under no illusions of the main aim facing his shot-shy team after Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat at Woking.

The Glovers failed to score for the eighth time this season and managed only two shots on goal – with only one being on target – during the defeat which left them in the National League relegation zone.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Cooper said: “The players in the team to create did not produce tonight.

”We tried to change the system and the personnel to try and gain more territory, but the aim has to be to create more in front of goal.

”We have to try and develop more patterns of play that help create chances.”

He added that “players in the squad that have not featured yet” may get their opportunity soon with striker Jake Scrimshaw not in the squad despite travelling to Surrey.

In the final stages at Kingfield, giant centre half Ben Richards-Everton was moved up front in a desperate roll of the dice to create something to try.

Asked about this, Cooper added: “That might be the way we have to go, stick (Ben) up front and bash balls up to him.”

 

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Venue: Kingfield
Tuesday 1st November, 7.45pm kick-off

Conditions:
Pitch: Soggy after a pre-match downpour

Scorers:  Padraig Amond 84

Bookings:

Yeovil Town: Jamie Andrews 30, Ben Richards-Everton 40, Ewan Clark 45, Jamie Reckord 61
Woking: Ricky Korboa 86, Rohan Ince 87

Referee: Lloyd Wood

Yeovil Town:

Substitutes: Gime Toure (for Chiori Johnson, 62), Will Dawes (for Malachi Linton, 62), Sam Perry (for Ewan Clark, 82). Will Buse (not used), Ollie Hulbert (not used).

Woking: Ross, Moss, Cuthbert, McNerney, Casey, Ince, Anderson, Kellerman, Korboa (for Vokins, 90), Clarke (for Roles, 69), Amond (for Bilongo 90+3). Substitutes (not used): Wady Roberts.

Match Report

Yeovil Town remain in the National League relegation zone after a late winner from Padraig Amond saw El Sarllico go the way of the former Glovers’ boss.

It was a case of third time lucky for the Irishman who was denied by the impressive Grant Smith in a one-on-one opportunity and moments later the keeper kept out a tame penalty, but with six minutes remaining the big money summer signing was on hand to tap home the winner.

Another blank in front goal means Mark Cooper’s men remain the lowest scorers in the National League with just 13 goals in 17 games and that was what cost us – again.

 

First half

The first 15 minutes did not offer much from either side finding out a pitch which was drenched by a downpour just ahead of kick-off, despite it being relatively dry in Surrey come 7.45pm.

Ricky Korboa forced the first save – albeit a fairly routine one – out of Grant Smith in the visitor’s goal after 14 minutes but, against a side on a good run of form, they managed to hold their own and rarely looked like they were being too threatened.

As the game approached the half-hour mark, there was a little sustained pressure from Yeovil, but did not do a great deal to threaten Craig Ross in the hosts’ goal.

Winger Ewan Clark did suffer some rough treatment winning a number of fouls which referee Lloyd Wood not picking up on any…..until debutant Jamie Andrews picked up a yellow for a 30th minute foul on the dangerous Korboa, who we struggled to contain.

Yeovil began to find their way in to the game as it progressed towards the interval, however, there was little in the way of quality from either side. Scrappy to put it politely.

It took a moment of superb defending from Max Hunt to clear from the middle of a sea of Woking players in first half injury time and then again rose highest to had another ball in. For a player who was completely out of favour under previous manager, Chris Hargreaves, he will have got plenty of confidence from that impressive piece of defensive play.

Half time: Woking 0 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

The scrappiness continued as the second half got underway along with the lightweight feel to the Yeovil frontline alongside

But, with ten minutes of the second half gone, the game sprang in to life. Woking striker Padraig Amond found himself one-on-one with visiting keeper Smith, who got a leg out to deny the Cardinals’ big money summer signing. Once again, Smith showing the quality he has displayed all season.

The defensive slip was the first blip in an otherwise controlled display from the visitors, but on 59 minutes a clumsy tackle by Owen Bevan on Jermaine Anderson saw a second penalty in three days awarded against the Glovers. It looked as if Anderson was going to take it only for Amond to grab the ball off him and his poor spot kick was saved by Smith.

With FC Halifax Town, the second lowest scorers in the National League, postponed due to the poor weather, Mark Cooper chucked on Gime Toure and Will Dawes in place of Chiori Johnson and Malachi Linton in an attempt to improve his side’s woeful attacking performance this season.

The response saw the game turn in to a real end-to-end affair but without much to trouble either Smith or Ross in the opposing goals.

But, with six minutes remaining, the defensive solidity which had been a hallmark of the visitors’ performance deserted them and gifted Woking the lead. They hesitated as Jack Roles’ ball fizzed in to the box and AMOND was at the back post to turn the ball home. When your luck’s not in, it’s not in.

Smith, a player who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side if ever there was one, pulled off a smart stop to deny Jim Kellerman in second half injury time.

Don’t score goals, you don’t win football matches.

Full time: Woking 1 Yeovil Town 0

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Ahead of El Sarllico at Woking, Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper spoke to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins. He’s what he had to say…..

Jamie Andrews who joined on loan from West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

SR: You have made three changes, but I understand a couple of those are enforced?
MC: That’s right. Morgan Williams is out with an ankle problem, Matt Worthington is out with a heel problem, so we have had to rejig a little bit. We managed to get Jamie (Andrews) in from West Brom, so he will come in and make his debut in midfield. Staunts (Josh Staunton) was touch and go, but he’s going to play.

SR: I suppose you don’t have a game at the weekend (due to the lack of FA Cup involvement), so the players just have to put their bodies on the line tonight?
MC: That’s it. They have got a week from tonight until the next game, so they have a week after today to get rested and I am hoping the majority of the injured boys will be back for the Maidenhead game (at Huish Park).

SR: What are you expecting from Jamie Andrews tonight?
MC: He’s an elegant, 6’1″, 6’2″ left-footed midfield player and he can run as well. I think he will give us a little bit of quality in the middle of the pitch and some good set-piece delivery as well, so I am excited to see him play.

Chiori Johnson. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

SR: Both Jamie Reckord and Chiori Johnson are natural wing-backs, so it must be good to have them back in the side.
MC: With the personnel we have got available, it makes sense for us to play wing-backs. I am not massive on formations, it’s about the mentality. But with the players we have got available, that is the best balanced team we can pick at the moment.

SR: Woking are on a good run and fifth in the table, but they have a few injuries as well. It must all be about your players proving themselves to you tonight, isn’t it?
MC: I think it’s important that we concentrate on ourselves. We know against Darren Sarll’s team we have to compete and stand up, man for man, win our duels and the bits and pieces of tactical stuff we have worked on we need them to come to the fore. But first and foremost we need to compete.

SR: There seems to be a good following tonight, it’s not far from Yeovil, it must be good to see them tonight.
MC: I think when you come to a London club there’s always a few fans who lives in London that have moved away from Yeovil, so I am sure it will be a good following.

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Welcome to the ‘box midfield’, sports fans! Mark Cooper‘s first team selection – if we assume the draw at Maidstone United on Saturday was a Chris Todd affair – has displayed the formation we heard all about* on his arrival.

There’s an immediate start for Jamie Andrews, the 6’0″ midfielder signed on loan from West Bromwich Albion on Monday, alongside captain Josh Staunton with Ewan Clark and Malachi Linton in being Alex Fisher up front for tonight’s visit to (Darren Sarll’s) Woking (7.45pm kick-off).

No place is found in the squad for Matt Worthington, who went off after taking a knock at the weekend, or Charlie Wakefield. The pre-match video released by the club shows both Jake Scrimshaw and Benjani Junior travelled to Kingfield despite not making the matchday squad.

 

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

 

Substitutes: Will Buse, Sam Perry, Gime Toure, Will Dawes, Ollie Hulbert.

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Sam Pearson. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Sam Pearson, who returned to Bristol City from Yeovil citing fatigue last week, played 30 minutes for Bristol City’s Under 21s on Tuesday afternoon.

The young Robins beat their Charlton counterparts 2-0 with Pearson coming into the game on 61 minutes.

The tricky attacker had a couple of chances to extend his sides lead, in a game Bristol City dominated throughout.

It was noted that Pearson was returning to his parent club on a “temporary” basis suggesting he has a future at Huish Park before his original loan deal expires in January.

 

 

 

 

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Gloverscast x The Terrace

The Gloverscast has teamed up with our good friends at The Terrace to offer two lucky Yeovil Town fans the chance to win a YTFC Mystery Box.

To enter, all you have to do is fill in the form below.

It’s that simple.

The competition is open right throughout November and the winners will be drawn and contacted on December 1st.

The Terrace has a wide range of officially licensed Yeovil Town merchandise with something for everyone this holiday season.

If Santa is reading, Gloverscast Ben has got quite a lot of the range already… but nothing in the new away kit… just saying.

If you’re getting involved in the competition we wish you the very best of luck.

A huge thank you to everyone who has continued to support the Gloverscast and of course to The Terrace for their support in this giveaway!

 

One entry per person. Winners will be contacted on 1st of December to arrange a delivery address.

It is open to UK supporters only unfortunately due to posting restrictions.

 

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Mark Cooper has secured his first signing as Yeovil Town manager, bringing Jamie Andrews in on a short-term loan from West Bromwich Albion.

The 20-year-old centre midfielder will add an extra body in a position that we’ve been a bit short in at points this season, and he’ll go straight into the squad for El Sarllico tomorrow night.

Speaking to YTFC.net, the Glovers new number 18 said: “It feels great to be here. I wanted to come and experience playing in front of the fans and grafting to get those three points, I just can’t wait to get started.

“The manager and I had a few good conversations where he said what my role would be. He wants me to come in and add some more legs, something which I’m happy to do; I’ll run up and down the pitch all day.”

Andrews, who spent time on loan a Leamington in the National League North last season revealed he spoke to former Yeovil loanee, Ted Cann, before signing: “Ted and I spoke, he told me what the Club is like and how his time went here. All he could say was good things, so I really couldn’t wait to get down here!”

Welcome to Huish Park, Jamie!

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Ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Woking in the National League, new Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has been speaking with the media about his first few days in charge. Here is his discussion with BBC Somerset reporter, Sheridan Robins…..

SR: Tell us what it was that made you choose Yeovil.
MC: I wanted to get back to work. I spoke to one or two clubs and this just seemed right. I could have waited for another League job or a ‘better’ non-League job but I wanted to get back to work.
Whenever I have been to Yeovil I have enjoyed the atmosphere, so it’s a job I am looking forward to.
It is very rare you go in to a job where everything is right and everybody is smiling, you usually go in to a job where somebody has been sacked for a reason.
It’s a difficult job, but I am looking forward to it.

SR: What can supporters expect from a Mark Cooper team?
MC: My teams have always tried to dominate opposition with the ball, but at the moment it is about simple, clear messages and trying to get confidence back.
When you are on a bad run, people lose confidence so it is about trying to play in the opposition’s half, get crosses in to the box and sustain some attacks and try and get supporters behind the team.

SR: Did you see that, particularly in the first half, against Maidstone?
MC: In the first half, sure. Second half there was a little bit of fear because (we felt like) we’re not supposed to be winning, so we take a step back rather than take a step forward.
The first half was really encouraging, the players gave a great effort and if we can replicate that effort and keep adding layers to our work and showing the players what we need, we will be alright.

SR: It was a penalty decision which cost you three points, but is it just a confidence thing that you couldn’t put the game to bed?
MC: Of course, we had a couple of chances where you think ‘if you get the second goal, that is game over.’ We can talk about the penalty decision all you like, but I’ve made a promise to myself to not get in trouble and be a good boy!

SR: Fans can be impatient and they want to get out of the bottom four, but is it a case of taking it game by game and learning to walk before we can run?
MC: It is important we go game by game, that is the only way we can approach it. Over the last few years that impatience grows and if you don’t win one game, there’s people shouting for you to be out.
That is social media, that’s the way it is now, and we have to accept that.
But if fans are seeing that players are giving everything they have got and they want to do their best, that can forgive a lot.

SR: You brought in a number of players at Maidstone who had not been in the team with the previous manager, are you wanting to see all the players you have at your disposal?
MC: When a new manager comes in, some players automatically see it as an opportunity if they have not been playing. I feel sorry for Chris, I have watched a lot of games back and at times he was unlucky with some results.

Mark Cooper watches on from the stand at Maidstone United.

SR: Is one of the benefits of your ban being that you can get a better view from the stands?
MC: My ban is served, it was served before Saturday. You see so much more from up there. It’s something I have done over the years, I have watched part of the game upstairs to try and get a good overview of the pitch.
It can be difficult down there to see from the dug out, so I will watch different parts of different games from that position because you see so much more.

SR: You were able to give messages to Chris Todd who has obviously been here all season which must be a positive as well.
MC: The staff have been great, they all want to do well for the club and to learn – and Chris got plenty of phone calls on Saturday, that is for sure.

SR: The atmosphere here before Chris lost his job was pretty poor and you know the situation with the ownership, everyone has to come together, haven’t they?
MC: Ideally, yes. You can’t succeed with a disconnect between fans and players because players need backing. I don’t think (the form) has been down to a lack of effort, it is very rare you see a player not trying.
It’s about uniting the players and the staff, whatever goes on above us we can’t affect that but what we can affect is out there on the pitch.
Every team I send out there will give 100%, we won’t win every game, we might draw a few and lose a few, but they will give 100%.

SR: At Forest Green Rovers you had that winning mentality and at Yeovil at the moment that
MC: You have to build from the bottom, put the processes in place. That doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time, you have to get everything right, your recruitment, to get that winning mentality and formula. That has to be the

SR: Do you have the backing of the board to bring new players in?
MC: If we do bring players in, we might have to move a couple on. The squad is big enough, I think we just have to add a bit of freshness and athleticism.
But, goals are a difficult one. If you want a 25-goal-a-season striker, you have to pay a lot of money. Fish (Alex Fisher) scored a good goal on Saturday, he’s not been scoring (this season) but he looked a really good player on Saturday.

SR: We seemed to struggle with set pieces which are particularly important in the National League, aren’t they?
MC: We have got a really big team, but I’ve been told we’ve not scored from a set piece this season. I have just been talking to Toddy (Chris Todd) down in the office and we need to really look on that. It’s something to work on.

SR: Chris Todd and Marcus Stewart are going to be important for you going forward, aren’t they?
MC: They are great football people. Chris was a really good centre back at this level and he’s been invaluable for me for getting to know the squad and those little intricacies of how players work.
Marcus was a fantastic centre forward. If he was ten years younger we wouldn’t be struggling for goals.

SR: Tuesday is going to be another tough game against Darren Sarll, an opponent we know well. Are there players who will be wanting to prove to you they deserve a start?
MC: I am yet to experience an easy game in football, because somebody always wants to beat you. But you are playing against another 11 players, so the first thing we have to do is compete.
I want us to be really front foot, intense and play in the opposition’s half. It will be a tough game, they are flying, Darren’s done a really good job there, like he did here, and he’ll be desperate to beat Yeovil.
But we need to have something to say about that.

SR: How much time have you had on the training ground with the team since arriving?
MC: I have had probably 30-40 minutes on Friday morning, but I liked what I saw in the first half on Saturday. The fans that went will have seen the effort and commitment and a little bit of what we are trying to do.
We need to improve and that is the aim.

SR: It seems to be just about getting the team over that line and getting that first win, doesn’t it?
MC: I was hoping we could get over the line (at Maidstone). We should have had a corner, but it was a goal kick, they kick it down the pitch and we get a decision against us.
But that happens and now we have to react to that and I’m looking forward to that first win.