Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 308)

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In the next installment of the Gloverscast’s trip down memory lane, we are able to bring you the full Ciderspace coverage of Yeovil Town’s incredible 4-0 demolition of Doncaster Rovers on the way to a most incredible Nationwide Conference Title.

By clicking on the link below, you’ll find a full match report from Jeremy Gear, the Man of the Match voting, a full gallery of post match celebrations, as well as not one, not two but THREE videos from Chris over at Green and White Goals on YouTube.

How does the song go..? “… we won the blummin’ Conference, in 2003″ we did, exactly 20 years ago today.

CLICK HERE

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Yeovil Town on loan striker Reo Griffiths has said he is fit and ready to play if and when required by manager Mark Cooper.

In an interview with the Somerset County Gazette, the former Tottenham Hotspur man has said he is “desperate” to played a little over an hour in two substitute appearances since joining on loan from League One side Doncaster Rovers at the start of March.

The 22-year-old has not featured since appearing off the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Bromley three weeks ago despite the Glovers being the lowest scorers in the National League.

Griffiths said: “I’m desperate to play and help the team stay in the National League. I’m 100% fit and ready to score some goals for the team.

“I have been patiently waiting for my chance and I know the fans have been asking why I’m not playing but I honestly don’t know why.

“I was brought in to score goals and that’s what I would love to do for the club and fans.

“We have incredible fans and they travel up and down the country spending hard earned money to watch us.

“We have four cup finals left and there is enough quality in the building for us to score goals and finish on a high.

“I’m really fired up for the challenge ahead and whilst we still have a chance of staying up we have to fight for that.”

Griffiths has  missed out due to loanee rules on a number of occasions but has travelled to games with the squad including at Halifax where he did extensive post match running.

It was following that game, Mark Cooper had said the frontman had “missed training.”

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In keeping with the entire season (and probably the one before), rock bottom fell even lower for Yeovil Town with defeat at home to Dorking Wanderers putting another nail in the coffin of their National League status.

Marcus Duncomb was on co-commentary duties for BBC Radio Somerset at Huish Park on Easter Monday and here are his conclusions on what he saw….

Everything about that game summed what’s been wrong with us this season. We played some nice football, had more of the ball and were trying to do the right thing. But as soon as we got anywhere near the final third there was no-one in there making a lung-busting run or screaming for the ball. It’s as if we have no idea what to do when we get near the opposition goal. Then Chiori Johnson decided to get sent off by making a stupid and needless decision which ultimately doomed us. Self-capitulation seems to be a theme in Yeovil’s recent history. Finally Dorking rubbed salt into the wounds to win the game, showing us just what we were missing. A decent pot-shot from range was parried and first to react was Jason Prior who showed predatory striker’s instinct. Just what we’ve been missing. He was signed in February and has scored six in 11 to rocket Dorking towards safety…

We’re not achieving by unity and ultimately that has relegated us. Managers, players, owners and directors all come and go but they all occasionally manage to mention the club’s motto of ‘Achieve by Unity’. Never has it been so far from the truth. Alex Fisher hobbled out just before kick off to give a heartwarming message of thanks to the Huish Park faithful and he ended his speech with the club motto which roused the crowd. The match and the aftermath showed how little that phrase is being followed though. The problem isn’t wholly that we didn’t sign striker X who could have saved us (although it definitely could have helped). It’s that we’re in a farcical situation where our manager is telling fans through interviews that he plainly doesn’t agree with how the club has been run in the past few months. And then our not-yet-but-probably-soon-to-be owner bites back with a Twitter rampage (which later got deleted, but we’ve all got the screenshots), listing half the players in the National League and whose idea it was not to sign them or sign them. This petty civil war has completely derailed our season and once again Yeovil Town has been the master of its own downfall. We’re the laughing stock for rival fans and I don’t know how any player would want to be at this club in its current state. We may be a full-time club but we’re certainly not professional in any way.

If there was any hope, it is gone. I know we’ve been saying that every result since the Southend home defeat has doomed us, but this really does feel like the final nail in the coffin. I don’t know how I had any hope after the Gateshead mauling – but looking at the table it wasn’t impossible. Torquay, Gateshead and Dorking have shown that, no matter how down and out you look, you just need to pull together a string of three or four wins and it completely saves your season. That’s all it takes. Unfortunately for Yeovil fans, we have seen absolutely nothing to show that we can go on a run of victories. We’ve won one game in 16 and haven’t had back-to-back victories since Darren Sarll. The squad look completely dejected and disjointed and sadly it would be better for everyone’s sake for our inevitable fate to be sealed sooner rather than cruelly dragging it out like this.

This squad is a complete mish mash. It’s similar to the previous point but as I watched us limp to defeat against Dorking Wanderers, you could see a complete mix of players. You had three from the Darren Sarll era in Smith, Worthington and Staunton, who all happen to be our three top performers this season. There were four carrying on from Chris Hargreaves’ short and, let’s be honest, forgettable 17 games at the helm – Johnson, Reckord, Bevan and Linton. C. Cooper and Maguire-Drew were from Cooper’s early recruitment and then Pollock and Freckleton as the two from Uggla’s recruitment. Thanks to Matt’s handy Twitter thread, we know exactly which players were whose signings! There are four different people, all with completely different ideas, beliefs and styles who have assembled this squad. It’s no wonder it looks so disjointed on the pitch and that there’s an unsettled dressing room. When our club captain says it’s ridiculous that we’ve used so many players in a season, you know something has gone wrong. Yes, part of this is down to summer recruitment being off and ultimately failing, but the lack of alignment since then has not helped.

Alex Fisher is the nicest man in football. I had to try and find one positive, and believe me it wasn’t easy. But the Fish coming out beforehand really did lift the spirits of a nervy Huish Park before kick off. This was something entirely of his own accord and to be quite honest I’m really not sure he was in any fit state to be parading around the pitch. However, he did it because he cares and that’s been a lot of what’s been missing this season. Our number nine has come under a lot of stick this season, and much of it unnecessarily in my opinion. It’s not his fault that he’s been burdened with the pressure of scoring the goals to fire us to safety when he’s never really been that type of striker. He’s scored more goals this season than he had in his past three seasons combined. Whatever happens to us next season, Fisher is someone that you want around the club even if he’s injured until the new year. Thanks for caring, Alex.

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A bad day for the Glovers in green and white… what about those who play in a whole range of different colours?

In the National League, Ben Richards-Everton was an unused sub as Scunthorpe saw their relegation to the National League North confirmed.

Charlie Wakefield wasn’t in the Woking side who confirmed their place in the National League play-offs.

In the NLN, Leamington suffered a 3-0 defeat in something of a six-pointer against Kettering, Ollie Hulbert played the full 90.

Truro lost the battle of the Bolitho against Plymouth Parkway as the two ground sharers went head to head, Ollie Haste was an unused sub for Truro, still no Toby Stephens for Parkway either.

Hungerford drew 1-1 in their game with Havant and Waterlooville in the NLS, Max Evans was in goal for the home side.

Dorchester went down 6-1 against Poole Town, Jake Graziano wasn’t in the squad.

Gillingham Town drew 1-1 with Warminster, Sam Hodges played the full 90 minutes and was awarded MOTM (hat tip to Lee Hodges on twitter for the update), the Gills have been really pleased with Hodges overall, an update sent to the Gloverscast says, “Sam has started our last six matches in centre midfield. Playing will, industrious, hard working and retains possession well.”

Thanks to Gillingham Town for the update!

Tiverton were in action away to Weston Super-Mare, but no sign of Charlie Bateson on the team sheet.

So, yeah, lots of players not playing for their loan clubs… cracking.

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In a long thread post on his Twitter channel, prospective Yeovil Town owner Matt Uggla has responded to claims from manager Mark Cooper that he had not been backed in the transfer market.

The thread can be viewed on Twitter – click here – and if you are interested in it, that is probably the best place to read it in full because some tweets seem to have been deleted and the narrative is a little tricky to follow.

However, after we published comments made by the manager claiming he was not supported in the transfer market, it only seems fair to give right of reply to the owner-in-waiting. If you wanted to read what Cooper said about Nouble – see here.

On Nouble, he says: “The fact Frank Nouble didn’t sign is down to a number of reasons. One being Mark Cooper and his agent. We have back the man. Plus he sat in my house in Hampstead in January saying we don’t need to sign anyone else.”

Recognising that there’s people for and people against Cooper staying as manager and SU Glovers completing the takeover of the deal from chairman Scott Priestnall, we’re happy to report both sides of what is a very public civil war.

But……these antics (on both sides) could not be further away from the calls for unity we have heard from both sides in recent weeks and quite frankly they are only making a bad situation in to an absolute laughing stock.

Uggla signs off his thread: “This is my last tweet until the start of next season when positivity will be back.” Now that does sound like a good idea.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has again pointed to poor recruitment in the transfer window as being behind the collapse in form which puts his side on the brink of relegation to National League South.

Echoing what he said after the losses to Southend United and Gateshead, the boss went a step further by revealing that striker Frank Nouble was ready to join the club before being allowed to join relegation rivals Torquay United.

The former Colchester United player scored twice for the Gulls in a 3-1 win at Maidenhead United on Easter Monday whilst Cooper’s side struggled in front of goal again as they went down to a 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Cooper said: “It didn’t have to be like this. Five or six weeks ago, the players we wanted to bring in….one of them is going to keep Torquay up by the looks of it and it just didn’t happen. We have to learn from that.”

Asked directly if he was referring to Nouble, the manager said: “The deal was done, Frank was coming in on a five-week deal and it didn’t happen. That’s what way it is. It’s frustrating because it didn’t have to be like this; I will get the majority of the blame, but it didn’t have to be like this.”

The boss has not attempted to hide his displeasure that a number of new signings, including striker Reo Griffiths and midfielders Scott Pollock, Callum Harriott and Zanda Siziba, had been recruited by the club’s prospective owners, SU Glovers, without his involvement.

Asked why the Nouble deal did not go through, Cooper replied: “I will leave you to surmise what went wrong with that.” Grab a calculator folks, punch in 2 + 2 and see if it comes up with 4.

Minutes after the manager’s comments went out, owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla took to his Twitter feed with a lengthy thread claiming why he disagrees with Cooper (to put it mildly) – you can read that here.

The result means there are six points between Yeovil and safety in the National League with just four games remaining, meaning relegation to National League South now seems an inevitability.

Cooper said: “When people sit back and look at it, they can see what happen and it is such a shame because it didn’t have to be like that.

“When it is finished, the football club has to see that as a real opportunity to build and say that is rock bottom, we have to put things in place and do things right and be a real professional football club.”

He added: “I would love to be (manager next season). I know supporters hate me at the minute, but a lot of it has been out of my control. I just hope the club move professionally forward.”

On the pitch, it was the same old story with a struggle to score goals compounded by the sending off of Chiori Johnson at the end of the first half.

Cooper said his side “never looked in too much trouble” until the defender received his marching orders, the boss said: “We played one up front, two in behind, high wing backs to try and get crosses in the box and we had really good opportunities in and around the goal but that final piece is what was missing.

“We have four or five players that I don’t know how they put the shift in that they do. Every game they run, they fight and they scrap but then we are filling in around them that you never know what performance you are going to get out of them.

“But, they are great lads, great characters, trying their absolute socks off <**TRYING THEIR SOCKS OFF KLAXON***> and it is an aboslute pleasure every day to work with them.”

He also took aim at referee Elliott Swallow claiming the sending off should never have happened. From my perspective, Johnson was somewhat fortunate to not receive his marching orders for his first tackle on James McShane, so it does feel like Cooper is clutching at straws here.

He said: “It is never sending off (for Chiori Johnson), it should have been a red card (for Dorking’s George Francomb) and I got booked for asking about an offside. Horrendous decisions. I have been to speak to the ref and I can’t explain it.

“Every foul the referee gave in the first half was a booking. I said to him he doesn’t understand the game because you are allowed to make a tackle without getting booked. That is game understanding from a young referee. He will learn from that.”

Oh, and it sounds like Matt Worthington has “tweaked a hamstring” as well. Just in case you didn’t think things could get any worse.

 

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Venue: Huish Park
Monday, 10th April, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: Maybe my green tinted glasses, but looking in good nick
Conditions: Sunny with a strong wind blowing towards the away end – until the second half when it tipped it down

Scorers: Josh Prior 73 (0-1)

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Chiori Johnson 10, Charlie Cooper 27,
Dorking Wanderers: Joe Cook 14, Josh Taylor 64, George Francomb 86

Sendings off:

Yeovil Town: Chiori Johnson 45 (two bookable offences)

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Yeovil Town (5-2-3)


Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Scott Pollock, 46), Callum Harriott (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 62), Jordan Young (for Jamie Reckord, 74) Ryan Law.

Dorking Wanderers: Lincoln, Francomb, Cook (for Taylor, 21), Moore, Gallagher (for Kuhl, 55), Craig, Taylor, Muitt, McShane (for Seager, 67), Bowerman, Prior. Substitutes: Fuller, Ottaway.


Match Report

In a game which was billed as “do or die” for Yeovil Town’s hopes of surviving in the National League, any hopes of avoiding playing in regional football next season were all but extinguished by a 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers.

The script was a cut and paste from so many other performances which have led us to this point with some strong attacking intent across both halves leading to very little to test the visitors’ keeper and when Chiori Johnson was sent off on the stroke of half-time for a mindless second booking, the writing appeared to be on the wall.

Even with ten men, Yeovil kept up the pressure going forward but it was just waiting for the sting in the tail which came when Jason Prior turned in a parry from Grant Smith to get what turned out to be the winner for Dorking.

Like so many other performances this season, there will be hard luck tale told about this one, but – like so many other performances this season – it just was not good enough.

 

First half

It was a high octane start from Yeovil who were playing towards the Thatcher’s End against a strong wind blowing towards the away end, but a couple of corners thanks largely to the non-stop Matt Worthington were all there was to show in the opening exchanges.

On 10 minutes, Chiori Johnson’s full-blooded tackle on Dorking striker James McShane drew a yellow card from referee Elliott Swallow and four minutes later Joe Cook went in for an equally feisty challenge on Owen Bevan.

The wind was causing some issues – both positively and negatively – for both sides which misplaced passes and overhit balls all over the place.

In terms of attacking intent, it was all from Yeovil for the opening 20 minutes but (yet again) they failed to force visiting keeper Dan Lincoln in to a meaningful save. Malachi Linton looked to get involved up front, Worthington was everywhere, but there was nothing which constituted a notable effort. Same as Good Friday at Aldershot.

Whatever it was, Dorking manager/chairman/owner Marc White did not like it and after 21 minutes he replaced Cook with Bobby Joe-Taylor; to say that the defender – who was on a yellow card – was unhappy with the decision would be an understatement.

On half-an-hour, good play by Worthington fed Reckord whose ball in to the box found Jordan Maguire-Drew in space on the edge of the box, he tried to check back on to his right foot and only ended up dragging an effort wide. Then four minutes later, Lincoln was finally called in to action with Worthington’s shot from distance which he looked at best uncomfortable about.

At the other end, a quick break after a poor through from Jamie Reckord saw Jimmy Muitt hit on the break and get a ball in to the box which Josh Staunton put out for a corner with Dorking players lurking inside the box.

But, with the game ticking in to injury time at the end of the first half, it was another self-made disaster which cost Yeovil. Johnson went in for a heavy tackle in front of the Main Stand and collected his second yellow card of the game. In fairness, he received some leniency from the referee to not see red for his first bookable offence, but his luck ran out.

There have been times this season where the luck has not gone Yeovil Town’s way, but in the all too familiar shortcomings up front and then a moment of madness from Johnson which cost them. An uphill battle in the second half.

Chiori Johnson walks after his first half red card.

 

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Dorking Wanderers 0

 

Second half

The sending off meant a tactical change was required with Andrew Oluwabori coming on in place of Scott Pollock, with the formation returning to four at the back with Maguire-Drew and Oluwabori left and right respectively and Linton up front on his own.

Oluwabori was quickly in the action winning a free-kick with his first attack, from the ball in from Maguire-Drew and the substitute was there to poke the ball goalwards, only for it to be cleared off the line for a corner with 47 minutes gone.

On 51 minutes, a slip by a Dorking defender saw Miguel Freckleton surging forward down the left side – not the player you would have chosen to be that position – and the on loan Sheffield United defender’s shot was deflected aside for a corner. He’s not a striker, but another one of those ‘what if?’ moments for Yeovil.

Two minutes later, Luke Moore had two opportunities. The first was a bit of a scramble, but the second a good move from the right side saw the ball fall to Moore who dragged his shot wide.

Despite having a man advantage, it was Yeovil who had the better chances and none more so than on the hour mark when Linton burst down the left and drove in a shot which Lincoln turned aside – with Oluwabori screaming for the pass. Then on the opposite side Linton got the better of a mistake by George Francomb to burst in to the box but with no striker in the middle to pick out, he laid it back to Cooper who scooped an effort over.

Yeovil were certainly playing with some belief but – yes, I’m as sick of typing it as you are of reading it – still without that goal. Dorking were everything that Ben warned us about on the podcast – complete poophouses.

All that was waiting for this script was a sucker punch and it came on 73 minutes. Substitute Ryan Seager – yes, that one – did well to keep the ball alive on the right, found Moore on the edge of the box and his effort was parried by Grant Smith and Jason PRIOR was on hand to turn in the opener.

The entire Yeovil defence seemed more intent on calling for an offside decision against Prior which never came than trying to get to the ball ahead of him.

The deflation was palpable across Huish Park. You felt it in the crowd, you could see it in the Yeovil players and unsurprisingly Dorking had their tails up.

Nine minutes from time, a ball forward found Seager whose effort was turned aside by Smith and three minutes after that Seb Bowerman had an effort from the other side which Smith smothered.

There was still time for an appalling refereeing decision. No National League fixture is complete without one. Linton was shoved to the ground by Francomb with five minutes remaining, the defender was the only player between Mal and the goalkeeper and yet – despite being the dictionary definition of the last man – referee Swallow gave a yellow card.

The Easter period of games against our relegation rivals was supposed to be our opportunity to make a fight of National League survival – but we have managed one point from a possible nine.

It’s not just about those three games, it’s about so much more, but regional football in National League South is now seemingly an inevitability.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Dorking Wanderers 1

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Yeovil Town make two changes from the Good Friday draw at Aldershot Town with Jamie Reckord and Scott Pollock returning to the starting XI for the do-or-die match with Dorking Wanderers at Huish Park on Easter Monday (3pm kick-off).

Pollock replaces Jordan Young, who went off after an hour in Hampshire three days ago, and Reckord comes in for Ryan Law who is named on the substitutes’ bench.

 

Substitutes: Law, Oluwabori, Harriott, Clarke, Young.

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Ian and Ben chat through the Aldershot draw, talk about today’s huge match and take your GCQs.

Come on you Glovers – it’s the biggun today!

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Well, isn’t that lovely?

The good people at the Non League Bible have nominated the Gloverscast in their “Best Podcast Award”.

The award sees us nominated alongside plenty of Wrexham podcasts and some good ones too…

The details can all be found in the tweet below, but if you’d like to vote for us… the link is below.

LINK – https://nonleaguebible.weebly.com/nlbible-awards.html

Whilst you’re there casting your vote, may we also draw your attention to the ‘Best Female Content Creator’ section too, where Sheridan Robins has also been nominated, we’d like to think she would get plenty of YTFC support too, we’ve voted for her, so should you!

Thank you so much for all your support and help making the Gloverscast a success, we don’t expect awards (especially against Wrexham pods), we do it, because it’s good fun and because you lot keep listening and reading.

Congratulations to all the nominees (apart from the ones who beat us)!