Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 280)

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Ian, Dave and Ben are back to talk about the last couple of weeks in Yeovil Town. Dorchester is on the agenda, along with trialists, goals and 3G pitches. Plus we talk about Malachi Linton’s move to Taunton and take your #GCQs.

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Teenage striker Olly Thomas has signed for Yeovil Town on loan from Championship outfit Bristol City until January.

The 18-year-old was named on the substitutes’ bench for the Robins’ FA Cup fifth round tie against Manchester City last season and was one of six players awarded a professional contract at Ashton Gate in March.

He had a fairly brief spell on loan at National League South side Bath City last January, arriving at Twerton Park on January 6 and then being recalled 22 days later.

Speaking to ytfc.net, the young Bristolian said: “I’m excited to be joining the Glovers and can’t wait to show the fans what I can do on the pitch.”

Thomas, who has been at City for the past couple of years, arrives in the same week as Yeovil allowed forward Malachi Linton to joined National League South opponents Taunton Town on loan.

He bolsters the Glovers’ attack which includes Jake Hyde, Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble, with the injured Alex Fisher targeting a January return to fitness – the same time that Thomas’ loan deal expires.

He joins fellow academy product full-back Zac Bell on loan from Bristol City and will presumably be familiar with Glovers’ goalkeeper Will Buse and midfielder Josh Owers, who both arrived on permanent deals having been released from Ashton Gate in the summer.

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Playmaker Jordan Maguire-Drew has said he feels like he is “on a similar wavelength” with Yeovil Town strikers Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble.

The 25-year-old scored twice in the 5-0 pre-season friendly win at Dorchester Town on Tuesday night having arrived along with his fellow forwards as one of a flurry of changes on the 56th minute.

Speaking to the club’s Instagram channel after the game, he said: “We are on a similar wavelength, so it has been pretty easy, it just feels natural which is always a good thing.

“We still have a few matches left until the season starts, so hopefully we can build on that.”

The Glovers’ pre-season campaign moves on to Southern League Premier South side AFC Totton at the weekend before League Two Newport County arrive at Huish Park next Tuesday night for the only home friendly of the campaign.

They then finish with a trip to Plymouth Parkway on July 29th before building up to the opening National League South fixture of the new season at Hemel Hempstead Town on August 5th.

Maguire-Drew, who signed permanently in January having been on loan in Somerset for a month prior to making the move permanent, said the squad was starting to gel as the big kick-off approaches.

He added: “Everyone is really close knit and gets on really well which is a big thing and that will take us a long way next season and when you add the quality we have got on top, that can take us even further.”

The ex-Grimsby Town man dismissed an injury he appeared to pick up having scored an impressive first goal – his side’s third of the game – after 78 minutes at The Avenue as “just a little niggle“.

He certainly did not show too many side effects from whatever it was scoring his second four minutes later.

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper was pleased with what he saw from the experienced arrivals he brought on to complete a comprehensive 5-0 win at Dorchester Town on Tuesday night.

Having led 1-0 at half-time through a goal from trialist Walter Figueira, the boss made wholesale changes around the hour mark with Jordan Maguire-Drew (2), Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble completing the rout.

Speaking after the game, the manager said he had started with a youthful side due to the artificial surface at the Avenue Stadium but was happy with the impact his wiser heads made.

He said: “We chose quite a young side in the first half with the idea of bringing on a more experienced side on for the last half-an-hour.

“I wanted to try and protect some of the older boys that are not too fond of the 3G (surface), but we know we are going to have to get used to them.

“That was the plan to limit their chances of injury, so it was a good work all round. The first half with that young team, we were comfortable but in the second half we brought on more firepower and they did well.”

On his forward players, he added: “We have got some patterns of play we have worked on. Frank’s goal was pretty similar to the one we scored at Buckland (Athletic in the first pre-season friendly) with little dummies, round the corner and a good finish.

“So the forward play is coming together, there is still plenty of work to do but it is looking strong.”

He said he thought the three trialists who saw action in Dorset “acquitted themselves well.” Cooper started with striker Figueira, who last saw action at Isthmian League Premier side Bognor Regis Town last season, alongside play-maker Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, who was at Huish Park in the 2021-22 season, and a young defender believed to be Torquay United youngster Brandon Quinn.

The Glovers were without a number of players with minor injuries which the manager described as “nothing too concerning.” Defender Jamie Sendles-White has tendonitis in his Achilles whilst midfielder Jordan Stevens (hamstring) and Jake Hyde (back) both missed out with minor injuries.

Wing-back Will Dawes went off at half-time with cramp in his thigh, but Cooper said he expected him to get treatment when the side trained on Wednesday.

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Yeovil Town captain Josh Staunton has revealed he will miss eight matches next season having been advised not to play on artificial surfaces due to a knee injury.

The skipper told 3 Valleys Radio‘s programme ‘Football Bloody Hell’ that he would miss the opening three away fixtures of the National League South season with Hemel Hempstead Town, Maidstone United and Havant & Waterlooville all having artificial pitches.

He was not involved in Tuesday night’s 5-0 pre-season friendly win at Dorchester Town due to the 3G surface at The Avenue Stadium.

Asked about the matches he would miss, Staunton said: “My target is ever single game other than 3G games, that is my target every single season.

“I know I can’t run around like a 21-year-old anymore so I will adapt and find a way, but my aim is to be available for 39 games. They are all unfortunately marked down. There’s no grey territory, it’s a green light or red light.

“I won’t be available for an away game until September, our first three games are all on 3G surfaces. The gaffer is taking me on as part of the coaching staff, so I will be there in a different form.”

Josh Staunton rises highest for a header. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

According to our resident National League expert, Seb White, the following clubs have artificial surfaces:

Aveley
Eastbourne Borough
Havant & Waterlooville
Hemel Hempstead Town
Maidstone United
Slough Town
Tonbridge Angels
Worthing

 

He said that a decision to play on the 3G surface at Bromley last season had nearly ended his career after suffering a painful reaction to playing on the pitch, and said that he was now having to have a tailored programme of training during the current pre-season campaign.

Speaking of the impact of the 4-1 defeat at Bromley in January, the 27-year-old said: “It nearly ended my career it was that bad. I have never felt anything like it, I was not the same after and we had such a flurry of games thereafter, so I could not settle my knee down.

“It all came from the impact of playing on 3G, I just could not get the swelling back under control and I did not have time for injections because games were coming thick and fast.”

On his pre-season fitness regime, he added: “I try and keep the pounding out of my knee, so every time they do a run, I substitute it with a bike, so I do non-impact stuff. I have trained a lot more than I expected to, I am trying to get some bedding back in to it.

“I had a summer where I was completely off it and I was not allowed to do any running, so I have bedded it back in through careful management and I hope to be in a much better position that I was last year.

“It is just a case of trying to keep low impact where possible until I can build up a tolerance of it, but hopefully I will be managing it and will be available for 39 games of the season.“

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Four second half goals saw Yeovil Town cruise to a comfortable 5-0 win at near neighbours Dorchester Town in their fourth pre-season friendly on Tuesday night.

A double from playmaker Jordan Maguire-Drew and further goals from strikers Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble added to a first half strike from trialist Walter Figueira.

Here’s how Ian saw it from his spot on the terraces at The Avenue Stadium….

 

First half

The visitors began with a youthful looking line-up with Under-18s graduates Jacob Shore and Aidan Skiverton lining up alongside another product of the youth system Ollie Haste and Will Dawes.

There were three trialists with one familiar face in play-maker Sonny Blu Lo Everton, who played 36 times in green-and-white in the 2021-22 season and was released by League One side Derby County in the summer.

The other two trialists were less familiar faces with social media identifying one as forward Walter Figueira, who last saw service for Bognor Regis Town, with the other being Torquay United youth team defender, Brandon Quinn.

Lo-Everton did not take long to make an impact as his great footwork after 15 minutes created space for a cross and the ball landed to Dawes whose effort rattled the Dorchester bar.

The Glovers opened the scoring four minutes later when good work from Benjani Junior saw him square the ball FIGUEIRA just inside the box and his powerful effort went in to the bottom corner.

Trialists Walter Figueira, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Brandon Quinn.

The trialist almost bagged a second on 25 minutes. He was sharpest after Dorchester keeper Lloyd Thomas spilled a Benjani effort at his feet but the keeper recovered to deny.

Lewis Williams, who finished last Friday’s friendly victory at Tiverton Town, had a couple of scary moments where he was caught off his line but Dorchester couldn’t capitalise.

The first half ended on a low point for Yeovil as Dawes went off injured. The wing-back appeared to be back-peddling on the artificial surface at the Avenue Stadium and went down.

Half-time: Dorchester Town 0 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

Unsurprisingly Alex Whittle replaced Dawes at the interval and there were a couple of half chances in the opening stages after the restart with Ollie Haste clearing off the line after a good run and cross from the hosts’s Shaquille Gwengwe.

At the other end, Jordan Young had an effort blocked on 53 minutes before Haste threw a leg at at Josh Owers corner a minute later, but his effort went wide.

But the difference came on 56 minutes when the obligatory mass of substitutions by visiting boss Mark Cooper saw the Glovers’ XI take on a far more first team feel.

Frank Nouble headed a Zac Bell cross over three minutes later and then on the hour mark Jordan Maguire-Drew found Rhys MURPHY who twisted and turned inside the box and fired in a trademark cool finish to double the advantage.

On 78 minutes, MAGUIRE-DREW went from creator to scorer adding Yeovil’s third with a sublime strike from outside the box. The number 10 picked up the ball and picked his spot with immaculate precision.

Despite hurting himself with his thunderbolt, MAGUIRE-DREW grabbed his second and the visitors’ fourth on 82 minutes with calm right-footed finish moments later, after a mix up in the Dorchester defence.

Then, with four minutes remaining, NOUBLE got in on the act shortly after. A great move between him, Murphy and Alex Whittle. A through ball from Murphy found Nouble who fired home.

Full time: Dorchester Town 0 Yeovil Town 5

 

Yeovil Town: Lewis Williams (for Will Buse, 56), Aidan Skiverton (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 56), Jacob Shaw, Will Dawes (for Alex Whittle, 46), Ollie Haste (for Matt Worthington, 56), Brandon Quinn (for Rhys Murphy, 56), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Charlie Cooper 56), Josh Owers (for Jake Wannell, 56), Benjani Junior (for Zac Bell, 56), Jordan Young (for Morgan Williams, 56), Walter Figueira (for Frank Nouble, 56).

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Striker Malachi Linton has joined National League South opponents Taunton Town on  a season-long loan deal.

The 22-year-old, who joined Yeovil on a two-year deal following his release by Wycombe Wanderers last summer, scored five times in 35 appearances last season and has featured for the Glovers in pre-season.

However, the arrival of Rhys Murphy, Jake Hyde and Frank Nouble in recent weeks has added extra competition for places at Huish Park.

Speaking to the Peacocks’ website, Linton said: “I’m excited to be here. The gaffer (manager Rob Dray) was a big pulling factor in getting me here and I just can’t wait to start playing for him and with my new team-mates.

“Playing at different clubs under different managers you pick up something from each so hopefully I can implement what I have learnt to help the team achieve their goals this season.”

Neither Yeovil or Taunton mention whether a recall clause is part of the deal although one assumes that Linton will not be available to play when the two sides meet for a Boxing Day-New Year’s Day double header,

Dray described the arrival of the former Ipswich Town youngster as “a bit of a coup” for the county town side.

He told tauntontown.com: “Signing Malachi on loan from Yeovil shows how far we have come and where we want to go.

“He ticks a lot of boxes and is different to what we have got in our other forwards. He’s going to be a super lad to have in the team and he has a great attitude.

“Sometimes you find with loanees that they don’t buy in but straightaway I could see he had a massive buy-in and wanted to help us.“

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Yeovil Town will be coming to a streaming service near you in the upcoming season.

The National League has confirmed that its streaming service will include National League South and National League North during the 2023-24 campaign.

All of which means that from week commencing Monday 14th August all midweek matches and those starting any time other than a 3pm on a Saturday will be available to stream.

General Manager Mark Ives said: “It’s great to be moving forward with our plans to stream National League North and South games domestically next season.

“It means over 300 extra games will be available to supporters on top of what is already a brilliant offering on our streaming platform.

“The games being streamed will be available to both domestic and international supporters.

“Attendance figures suggest streaming hasn’t had a negative impact on crowds. In fact, our spectator base has massively increased over the course of last season.

“Across the three divisions, attendances were over three million last season, up by 22 per cent.“

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Yeovil Town skipper Josh Staunton has been awarded a Community Champion award by the Professional Footballers Association.

The award, for the 2023/23 season recognises those who have made a difference in their communities.

Staunton was heavily involved in the battle against the National League’s contract changes and led the division’s captains in working with the League to resolve the issue.

He fronted up to supporters during a difficult season and lead the club’s acknowledgement and apology following relegation and has been a constant presence in the local, Glovers’ community.

He said on twitter that he was ‘proud and honoured’ to have been given the award.

All that whilst tending to his new lawn… sorry  child. His new child!

Congratulations, Captain.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said his side’s performance in a 4-2 win at Tiverton Town had shown him his squad’s ability to pull through when things were not completely to their liking.

The boss said the pitch at the Southern League side was “not great” but saw his side race to a 4-0 half-time lead with a hat-trick from striker Rhys Murphy and another from strike-partner Frank Nouble.

Speaking after the win, the boss said: “We have to realise we are going to go to places which are not how we like it. The pitch was not brilliant tonight, but we have to deal with that and have a mentality that whatever the situation is.

“However bad the pitch is, however bare the stadium is, whatever the opposition do, we have to match that and beat it and make sure we come out on top and that is what we have done tonight.”

He was full of praise for Murphy who set up Nouble for the Glovers’ third on the night. Cooper said: “If you asked the players that play behind them, they love playing with them because they look after the ball and the positions they pick up  are very good. There is a good partnership there and obviously you have to throw Jake Hyde in to that mix as well when he is ready, so we have got some real firepower.”

Speaking after the game, Murphy said: “It is good to be feeling sharper and fitter and I thought the team worked well tonight after Tuesday (night’s 2-1 defeat at Wimborne Town).

“It is just a case of building it up because we are still only the second or third week of pre-season, so it is still early days. It is good to see the boys are gelling and moving forwards.”

Cooper said that midfielder Matt Worthington’s deeper position having appeared after 40 minutes was just an opportunity for him to get some minutes having come off as a precaution in the midweek defeat at Wimborne.

The boss said: “It was just a case of Worthy coming off in the first half at Wimborne and I just wanted to give him 20 minutes to open his lung. His position meant nothing, I just wanted to get him to run and open his lungs again.”