Rowley: We’ve found a few players
Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley says the club have found a few players as he looks to add reinforcements to his squad.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall following the Glovers’ 3-1 victory on penalties after a 0-0 draw with Alvechurch, Rowley said: “We’ve got a few things in the pipeline at the moment. I think all the fans will be seeing that in the next couple of days.
“I’ve given this group five or six weeks now, I’ve learned a lot about them, about some relationships that are building on the pitch and off the pitch. We’ve got a few boys coming in. It was it was a long process to find certain players and certain roles and positions that we wanted to find, and I think we found a few.”
Pic C/O Gary Brown
Brett McGavin’s “soft” first half red card derailed Yeovil, who probably should have been 2-0 up before half time, but Rowley praised the visiting side who stood firm.
Rowley said: “I think naturally, when you when you play against 11 players with 10 for as long as we did, it’s going to be difficult no matter how high a division we play in versus them. But credit to Alvechurch, they obviously worked really, really hard off the ball to limit our spaces. Going down to ten men really, really hurt us from from a game plan perspective. We had to shuffle three or four lads into different positions, which we obviously didn’t plan for, so I felt the boys dealt with it well. We still created enough opportunities to probably score a few. They put their bodies on the line at moments, the goalie made a couple of saves. We got there in the end.”
For the second round in a row, the end came through a penalty shootout in front of the Thatchers Stand. Once again, Jed Ward was the hero, saving three penalties and Rowley waxed lyrical about the loanee stopper: “I can’t speak highly enough about him. Brilliant professional unbelievable goalkeeper. Temperament is excellent. He’s great in the changing room and I’m really pleased for him today.”
Pic C/O Gary Brown
Yeovil handed a debut to Cardiff loanee Dakarai Mafico and the youngster was awarded sponsors man of the match before despatching a penalty into the top corner during the shootout. Rowley, who said pre-match that the club had been after Mafico for a while, said the midfielder had gone above his expectations.
“Brilliant. I thought he was probably the best player on the pitch, in my opinion. And I’ve asked him to play three or four different positions throughout the 90 minutes. I had a chat with Dak in the week on a Zoom call, and he was asking some some really mature, intelligent questions. And then I saw him in training for the first time, the only time with the lads yesterday for an hour, and I knew after speaking with him and seeing him, he was going to be a brilliant player. It’s probably gone above my expectations really with how good he is. Brilliant on the turn, can accept the ball in tight spaces. Naturally left-footers seem to look beautiful on the eye, which he does, so I thought his debut was pretty good and it was great for him to get a penalty as well.”
Rowley also confirmed that James Plant and Andrew Oluwabori returned to their parent clubs yesterday, but praised them for efforts in green and white.
“They headed back to their parent clubs yesterday. We just looked at some depth and some positions we need and I have to say, we did this privately in front of the lads, but I can’t speak highly enough about both of those lads. Brilliantly professionals, they train really well. So obviously wish them wish them the best.”
Match Report: Yeovil Town 0 Alvechurch 0 (Yeovil Town win 3-1 on penalties)
Yeovil Town progressed into the Fifth Round of the FA Trophy following yet more penalty heroics from Jed Ward, as they won 3-1 on penalties over Southern Premier Division Central side Alvechurch.
The Glovers appeared to be the dominant side in the first half, before a red card for Brett McGavin threatened to derail the Glovers’ hard work. Alvechurch grew into the game but both sides remained level at half-time.
The second half provided even more entertainment, but it remained goalless, with both sides searching for a winner but unable to find that final bit of quality.
First half
Alvechurch took kickoff, but the first chance of the game came just three minutes into the game, as a good cross from James Daly found the head of Josh Sims; he connected well with the ball, but it landed safely in the arms of opposition ‘keeper Jenson Kilroy.
Moments later, a nice ball from Brett McGavin found Harvey Greenslade on the left wing, he cut past his man with ease before having a shot on goal blocked by Jessy Bavanganga. Positive signs from the Glovers as they looked to stamp their authority on the game early on.
Both sides looked to get themselves comfortable into the game, before a high boot from McGavin earned himself a spot in the referee’s book – Elliott Swallow had used his whistle with liberty within the first ten minutes, awarding the Glovers two soft free kicks, to set the scene for a stop-start affair.
11 minutes in, and it was another chance for Yeovil, as a Brett McGavin free kick floated towards the back of the six yard box; Aaron Jarvis won the header, nodding it towards Greenslade but his header went over the bar.
From the goal kick, Alvechurch enjoyed a rare foray into the Yeovil half, showing what they were capable of, their spell of possession ending with an offside flag against Kieran Wakefield. The Glovers made their way downfield from the free kick, earning a corner which tested the visiting ‘keeper once again via the head of Kyle Ferguson.
An incisive through ball from Obadeyi almost found an Alvechurch striker, but it trickled to Jed Ward who fumbled his collection. Wakefield almost pounced on the opportunity but Ward recovered to parry the shot for a corner.
As 20 minutes came and went, Yeovil had their first clear cut chance of the game as Luke McCormick fed a lovely ball through for Josh Sims, but an excellent recovering run from Bavanganga just about blocked the number 19’s shot on goal.
The Glovers continued to probe, as James Daly came down the right hand side and approached the touchline just inside the box, his cross across goal found the left boot of Luke McCormick but he was off balance, sending the ball out for a goal kick.
24 minutes in, and Brett McGavin stretched for a heavy touch and tackled the number 12 of Will Merrett; the referee felt it was grounds for dismissal, and the former Torquay man left the field shaking his head. The sending off led to Yeovil’s first substitution of the game, as Josh Tobin entered play to fill the gap in the middle of the field, replacing Harvey
Following the restart, Luke McCormick came down the right hand side and laid off a ball for Kyle Ferguson to cross in; the cross found an Alvechurch defender, who cleared back to the Scot and proceeded to receive a high boot from another visiting player inside the penalty box; the referee decided to wave play on…
37 minutes in, Joe Willis received Alvechurch’s first yellow card of the game for a heavy challenge on Josh Tobin; the Yeovil fans wanted more for later challenges committed by the opposition, but just the one yellow was dished out.
Lovely play from Kyle Ferguson and James Daly down the right hand side allowed debutant Dakarai Mafico to surge forwards; the 19 year old burst past three defenders into the box, before floating a cross into the six yard area. The ball was cleared and fell to Josh Tobin on the edge of the box, but his shot flew over the bar.
A strong challenge from Kieran Wakefield on Tobin followed a few minutes later, earning himself a spot in the referee’s notebook and Yeovil a free kick. Before the resulting kick was taken, Alvechurch manager Kyle Storer was also booked, assumedly for his reaction to the booking to his attacker.
The free kick floated towards the back of the box, then ping-ponged around the six yard area but Alvechurch lived to fight another day; the visitors then counter-attacked down the left, switching play to the right but the shot from Obadeyi was tame and easy enough for Jed Ward to stop.
Just as the 45th minute struck, Yeovil had yet another good chance, as Aaron Jarvis played a fantastic ball through for Luke McCormick, but in uncharacteristic fashion, the number 8’s shot whizzed past the post.
Alvechurch had a couple of half chances before Yeovil made their way down the other end for a couple of corners but neither resulted in anything for the Glovers.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Alvechurch 0
Second half
The first chance of the second half fell to Alvechurch, as they won a header at the back post from a corner, but the referee blew for a free kick to Yeovil.
Yeovil continued to grow into the game and show why they were the National League side, stopping any opposition attacks with ease, and Jarvis in particular demonstrated his physicality in an impressive battle with Bavanganga, however no clear cut chances were created.
55 minutes in, and Josh Sims chested down a great ball from the Yeovil defence, coming centrally and working his way to the edge of the box; he was then deemed to have fouled Will Merrett, much to the derision of the Thatchers terrace.
Alvechurch had a good chance from a poor free kick conceded by Jake Wannell, as Tope Obadeyi opted to blast a shot from 25 yards out, his shot stung the palms of Jed Ward and kept the Glovers in the game.
Another flashpoint came just outside the Alvechurch box, as McCormick and Bavanganga both went for a 50/50, and the referee waved it away; Alvechurch went on the counter and drew a foul from James Daly, who ended up in the referee’s notebook.
Following the introduction of Michee Efete, Alvechurch continued to impress and frustrate, but Yeovil made themselves another chance, as McCormick found Mafico in some space on the edge of the box, he cut onto his weaker foot and took the shot but it was deflected and saved by multiple yellow shirts, giving the Glovers a corner.
Yeovil felt they should’ve had a penalty 73 minutes in, as a ball rolled up the body and onto the arm of Josh Dugmore, but the referee didn’t see it and waved play on.
78 minutes on the clock, and Yeovil found themselves frustrated once again, as a great ball from Mafico found Josh Sims, he cut inside and drilled a low shot, but it was well saved by Kilroy, Jarvis collected the rebound but his shot was blocked for a corner.
More subs took place, including the seemingly unplanned introduction of Jacob Maddox for an injured Josh Sims; the former Forest Green man was last seen at Rochdale last January. Both sides looked to go for the win, as chances came at either end without success.
The full time whistle blew, and in familiar circumstances, it’s penalties once again.
Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Alvechurch 0
Here’s how the penalties went…..
- Yeovil Town – Tahvon Campbell – SCORED (1-0)
- Alvechurch – Tope Obadeyi – SAVED by Jed Ward (1-0)
- Yeovil Town – Luke McCormick – SCORED (2-0)
- Alvechurch – Joe Willis – SAVED by Jed Ward (2-0)
- Yeovil Town – Dakarai Mafico – SCORED (3-0)
- Alvechurch – Szhem Whyte-Hall – SCORED (3-1)
- Yeovil Town – Finn Cousin-Dawson – SAVED by Jenson Kilroy (3-1)
- Alvechurch – Ethan Sephton – SAVED by Jed Ward (3-1)
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 3rd January, 3.00pm kick-off
Competition: Isuzu FA Trophy Fourth Round
Scorers:
Pitch: Very soft and slippery
Conditions: Fresh… but dry
Attendance: 1,870 (80 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Brett McGavin 8, James Daly 64
Alvechurch: Joe Willis 37, Kieran Wakefield 41
Sendings Off:
Yeovil Town: Brett McGavin ’24
Referee: Elliott Swallow
Yeovil Town (3-4-1-2)
Substitutes: Josh Tobin (for Harvey Greenslade, 26), Michee Efete (for James Daly 68), Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis 81), Jacob Maddox (for Josh Sims 81)
Braintree Town: Jenson Kilroy, Josh Dugmore, Ethan Sephton, Sam Perry, Joe Willis, Jonny Ngandu, Tope Obadeyi, Will Merrett, Callum Sullivan (for Elliott Dugan 82), Kieran Wakefield (for Szhem Whyte-Hall 65), Jessy Bavanganga
Rowley looking for Williams replacement
Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has said that he is looking to replace Morgan Williams following the defender’s move to York City this week.
Chatting to Ian Randall at BBC Radio Somerset, ahead of kick off this Saturday, he said that he was gutted to see the stalwart leave, but that he couldn’t stand in his way and that the wheels have begun to spin to find a replacement.
“Morgs, no, very sad to see Morgs go, like everyone connected to the club is, he’s been nothing but professional and quality since I’ve come in, I think how [the move to York] came around was that York enquired, Morgs got wind of it and his family are from close to York, he’s got a couple of kids that he wouldn’t mind moving closer to home and schooling them close to his family, so there was a lot of things that came into Morgan’s decision, but I’ve got nothing but positives to say about Morgs and obviously wish him the best.
We only fully knew it was happening on Wednesday or Thursday and luckily for us, Fergie, Finn Dawson and Jake have been solid in the past few weeks, so Morgs is going to be a loss, but the fact that those guys are in decent form softens the blow a little bit.
We’ve earmarked a couple of centre backs that we really like the look of with a similar profile to Morgs, a couple of lads that have played in higher divisions, we’re working hard to strengthen behind the scenes, but we’re not rushing or doing anything knee jerk. “
Team News – Alvechurch (H)
Billy Rowley makes two changes from the home win over Braintree with Morgan Williams and James Plant being replaced by Harvey Greenslade and debutant Dak Mafico.
The subs bench reduces to just five names for this competition, with no place for Plant or Exeter loanee Andrew Oluwabori in the match day squad – both of their loans are coming up shortly.
Johnathon Page is cup tied and cannot make his debut with Jacob Maddox still amongst the subs waiting to make his return from injury.
Foot In The Opposition Camp – Alvechurch (H)
It’s FA Trophy action today and the Glovers face a team we’re pretty sure we never have before in Alvechurch. Dave spoke to their Sporting Director Mark Fogarty.
Teenage midfielder boosts Glovers
Cardiff City academy product Dakarai Mafico has joined Yeovil Town on loan until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old has started four times for the League One side this season, including a league debut in the Bluebirds’ opening game of the season when he played as a makeshift left-back having impressed in pre-season.
He also made his international debut for Wales’ Under-21s last November.
In an announcement on Friday, Glovers’ manager Billy Rowley said: “Dakarai is a talented young player who has already shown he can compete at a high level. We’re thrilled to bring him to Yeovil Town, and I’m confident he will add pace, energy, and creativity to our midfield as we push through the season.”
The youngster added: “I’m really excited to join Yeovil Town and to get the chance to play regular first-team football. I’ve heard a lot about the club and the team, and I can’t wait to contribute and help the squad wherever I can.”
Speaking this week, Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy said he expected Mafico to go out on loan adding the experience would be valuable to the player’s development. The boss spoke highly of the youngster following his league debut earlierthis season.
He said: “Dakarai has been outstanding in pre-season for us, so he was naturally the next option to play left back. He’s an exceptional player, but he’s never played left back before I came to the Club. He’s an elite number 6, and when you see him play there, it’ll be clear to you how good he is.
“He shows courage in everything he does, he’s an incredible talent, and one the supporters are going to fall in love with once they see him play more.”
Gloverscast #472 – “A founding member of Harg-Ball”
Not a cheerful one folks. We were gutted about the news of Morgan Williams departure. He’s a huge loss, has been a great ambassador for the club and deserves to leave on his terms. But, it leaves one hell of a hole on and off the pitch.