Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 320)

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Back-to-back defeats in relegation six pointers left Yeovil Town a point and a place below the dreaded dotted line at the bottom of the National League table.

A second half winner from York City striker Lennell John-Lewis earned our relegation rivals (yes, don’t kid yourself this isn’t a relegation scrap) their first win in six matches and meant the Glovers are five without a win.

Here’s how Dave saw it from his position in the West End at the LNER Community Stadium…..

 

That first half performance was a team destined for relegation
Yes, there are a lot reasons (excuses?) which the players have – no physio, uncertainty over the ownership of the club, a crowded fixture list, too few players, the list goes on.
But, the body language of too many players was at best disinterested and at worst simply evidence they are not good enough.
I lost count of the occasions when Grant Smith got the ball and looked for options to distribute the ball to it, no-one was moving, no-one looked like they wanted the ball.
The biggest insult I can offer to that performance was it had echoes of the team which took us out of the Football League in 2019. Believe me, boys, that is not a comparison you want.

There was more effort in the second half
Whatever Mark Cooper said at half-time it got a response – but why does it always take that for us to get a response?
There was a lot more effort in the second half, we controlled the game and deserved our equaliser no matter how scrappy it was, but the quality where it was needed was missing – again.
It was needed in the putting the ball in the back of the net region, by the way.

What happened to our defensive solidity?
I feel like I have said this before, but if we can conclude we need to be better up front, I can repeat this one. What has happened to us in defence?
Yet again if it wasn’t for Grant Smith and wasteful finishing from the York attack this could have got much worse.
Even with Owen Bevan back there it felt like we were flying by the seat of our pants with us looking a disorganised mess at the back. The first goal was evidence of that.
We are definitely missing the heading ability of Max Hunt back.

Shopping in a bargain basement again
It is not a conclusion to say we are sorely lacking up front. Seb Palmer-Houlden was given a go up front alongside Jordan Maguire-Drew and Jordan Young, but struggled to get the better of a physical York defence.
It was an awful lot to ask an 18-year-old whose previous experience has mostly been in under-23s football to lead the line in such a crucial match.
I totally understand we have to try different things up front, but this combination looked utterly National League South, especially in the first half.
At the other end, our opponents who only recently came from the tier down (North, not South) had an experienced head in Lennell John-Lewis up top. If you are in a relegation scrap (and we are!), the moments of quality he showed are what you need – but we’re shopping in the bargain basement. We all know why that is.
And, whilst we’re on the subject, how bad do we have to begoing forward before Charlie Wakefield gets a go?!

Man of the match? I’ll give you 167 of them.
If there was one positive from our first ever trip to the LNER Community Stadium it was the 167 souls in the away end.
Many of them of them travelled the length of the country to be there despite everything which has been thrown at them by this club.
If ever there was a group of people who had excuses for not bothering it was us and yet for the vast majority of the game there was a tremendous noise to try and inspire the team – even if some of the noise was linked to throwing various toys around.
These are people who have paid hard earned money for the privilege of being there, and they did put a proper shift it.

 

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Before yesterday’s match with York City, local businessman Martin Hellier released a statement saying he is withdrawing his sponsorship with his business Hellier Group at the end of the season.

The company signed a three-year deal as sponsors of the Main Stand at Huish Park last September.

In an incendiary letter addressed to club director Stuart Robins, posted on twitter Hellier said the club had treated them “with a level of contempt beyond our threshold of acceptability.”

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Yeovil Town’s goalkeeper Grant Smith said his teammates have to stick together following the defeat at York which saw the Glovers drop into the National League relegation zone.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the frustrated gloveman said: “I think we controlled big parts of the game. I think that we were sloppy on some big big decisions that obviously cost us goals. Ultimately, I don’t think were doing enough. I think maybe a draw would have been a fair result today, but when you’re at the bottom those things happen and we’re walking away with nothing.

“I think its one of those where, previously I think as good as we’ve been we’ve also been lucky, we’ve been fortunate. Whether it’s gone the other side of the post rather than on inside the of the post. Sometimes when you’re down in the battle, those things don’t go for you and we’re on the end of those at the moment.”

With Yeovil now five matches without victory, Smith was looking ahead to the visit of Altrincham on Tuesday to ‘fix’ things, but said the squad had to stick together.

“Nobody else is going to come through the building, it’s purely us. Now more than ever its a time where we’ve got to stick together. Fortunately for us, we’ve got a game Tuesday and it’s another team we’ll have to go there and try and beat them. They’ll obviously have a long journey, so it’s down to us to try and fix that and hopefully get three points.”

“It’s down to us to try and pick ourselves up and get ourselves out of what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

He admitted in the aftermath of the defeat at York, there were some home truths told: “Players have been told that what they’re doing isn’t good enough and things that have happened today that ultimately aren’t good enough. We can’t throw anybody under the bus, because at the end of the day we’re all it together. We won’t get many new bodies through the door so ultimately it’s down to us to try and pick ourselves up and get ourselves out of what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

Smith thanked the 167 travelling supporters and apologised that the team couldn’t get a result, but urged the Huish Park faithful to come out on Tuesday to support the team.

“When we get that ground in full voice, it gives us almost an extra man, it gives us that confidence to go and play and go an express ourselves and hopefully we can get the win,” he said.

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Yeovil boss Mark Cooper was not happy with his forward players after Yeovil’s 2-1 defeat at York City this afternoon.

Goals from Olly Dyson and Lenell John-Lewis saw York break their six match winless run in the National League against the Glovers, who had ‘complete domination of the ball’ in the second half but didn’t look like scoring.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, Cooper said: “I think the difference is, you look at their forwards compared to ours, that’s the difference. If we’d had their to strikers we’d be in the playoffs, that’s what I believe. Like I said, I thought we played really well with the ball, we started great, the first time the ball goes in our box they score.

“The amount of positions we get ourselves into in the second half, we didn’t really look like scoring. We’re too nice, our forwards are too nice. It’s like ‘oh I might go in there and risk getting my head cut or my nose broke’. Whereas theirs, I think one went off with a cut mouth in the first half and the other one scored the winner. So I think its clear to see where our problems are.

“If we’d have had their forwards today we’d have won comfortably.”

“In terms of the game, we totally dominated the second half of the game. We had York penned in here and we have to score. I mean our goal is an own goal, we don’t even score that. Listen, it’s clear where our problems are and everybody knows what we need. If we’d have had their forwards today we’d have won comfortably.

“Unless you’ve got some money to spend, where are you going to get somebody who’s going to score you goals now? Nobody is going to let you have them. It should have been done in August or July or June or January. It’s not going to happen now. We’ve got what we’ve got and we have to find a way.”

The result sees Yeovil fall to 21st, inside the relegation zone, but the manager said the situation is not desperate: “There’s 15 games to go, we have to stay calm, focused and if we start panicking then there becomes an issue. I’m confident that we can find a way.”

When asked if he believed the squad can get him out of situation the situation he said: “I have to.”

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Venue: LNER Community Stadium
Saturday 25th February, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Cold but dry and bright
Pitch: It wasn’t just the markings which highlighted this as a surface which regularly hosts rugby.

Attendance: 3,978 (167 away supporters)

Scorers: Dyson 15, Staunton 60, John-Lewis 83

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Cooper
York City: Dyson, Fallowfield, Whittle

Referee: Ed Duckworth

Yeovil Town (4-3-3)

York City: Ross (Whitley) Crookes, Duku (Kouhyar) Dyson, Ellis, Fallowfield, John Lewis, Kougon (Forde), McLaughlin, Pybus, Whittle

 Substitute not used: Hancock, Duckworth

Match Report

Yeovil Town slid into the bottom four following a 2-1 defeat against York City this afternoon. A late winner from Lenell John-Lewis consigned the Glovers to defeat on the road, leaving Mark Cooper’s side five without victory.

An goal from Olly Dyson set the hosts on their way after quarter of an hour but Josh Staunton was credited for Yeovil’s equaliser on the hour (although the consensus seems to have down as an own goal), before York’s second.

Here’s how Coatesie saw it…

First half

Mark Cooper handed debuts to new loan signings striker Seb Palmer-Houlden and midfielder Josh Owers, who were both announced as having joined from Bristol City on the morning of the match.

They replaced Lawson D’Ath and Alex Fisher as two of four changes from the midweek defeat at Maidenhead United. Jordan Maguire-Drew and Owen Bevan also return to the starting line-up in place of Edwin Agbaje and Jamie Reckord.

After a scrappy start to the first half, the first real action saw Grant Smith require treatment for what passes as a physiotherapist at Yeovil after a late tackle from Lennell John-Lewis.

But, it was York who were getting hold of the game before the goal and moments after the game restarted John-Lewis’ venomous strike was parried away by Smith for a throw.

From that resulting throw, it was another defensive horror show to gift the home side an opener. Mark Ellis’ throw was flicked towards the back post and Olly DYSON is on hand to smash home the opener with 14 minutes gone.

Six minutes later, Yeovil’s first opportunity came when Ryan Law was clipped and from Charlie Cooper’s resulting free-kick, Morgan Williams put a header over at the back post.

John-Lewis came close to doubling the advantage soon after before Jordan Maguire-Drew headed over on 30 minutes.

With six minutes of the half remaining, hosts’ keeper Ethan Ross who had clashed with Law a few minutes earlier had to be replaced by Ryan Whiteley.

If anything that seemed to spur York and it was Smith who was (again) the difference as he did superbly to turn a header from Duku over the bar. The striker took a knock in the process and had to be replaced. The tactic of trying to get the opposition’s team injured seemed like the most likely route to success at this rate.

The result of the stoppages was ten minutes of injury time. During that time, the dangerous John-Lewis warmed the palms of Smith and at the other end Palmer-Houlden could not get a shot away after a good run by Young.

The apathetic sigh which ‘greeted’ the half time whistle from the away supporters (most of whom had long since departed for the bar) summed up another 45 minutes which lacked everything required to survive in this division.

Half time:  York City 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

With no changes made by Cooper at the interval, it was relying on a suitable rocket being placed in the necessary orifice to get a result.

There was no immediate sign of that with John-Lewis putting an effort over within two minutes of the restart, but soon after the visitors found a rhythm which had been sadly lacking in the first half. Young and Maguire-Drew both had shots well blocked before Law had another effort blocked.

On 57 minutes, Cooper made his first change with Alex Fisher introduced in place of Palmer-Holden, swiftly followed by Andrew Oluwabori who replaced Maguire-Drew.

The result was almost instant as Cooper’s free-kick after an hour was bundled home. The official Twitter account gave it to Josh Staunton but it looked like an OWN GOAL.

But, despite being level, the defensive frailties which had led to us going behind were still there for all to see. On loan Watford man Shaq Forde was denied by Smith, and on 73 minutes the striker gave the visitors a huge let off as he seized on a mistake, rounded the stranded Smith but lifted his shot over the bar.

The luck evaded us in the 83rd minute when a moment of quality saw Ryan Fallowfield’s cross headed home by JOHN-LEWIS at the back post. It was harsh on Yeovil, who had improved after the break, but summarised a season where we had made our own (bad) luck.

Full time: York City 2 Yeovil Town 1

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New loan signings Seb Palmer-Houlden and Josh Owers are handed debuts for Yeovil Town in a relegation crunch match at York City (3pm kick-off).

The pair, who were announced as having joined on loan from Bristol City on Saturday morning, start up front and in the centre of midfield respectively.

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Yeovil Town Under-18s have an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the South West Counties Youth League this weekend.

The second-placed young Glovers play host to fifth-placed Mangotsfield United at Alvington looking to reduce the five point gap at the top of the division to just two points with leaders Bridgwater United without a game.

Last time out, a double from Jake Graziano and a goal from striker Benjani Junior saw them triumph over BRS Coaching Under-18s. However, both players are expected to be in action for their loan club, Sherborne Town this weekend, and top scorer Charlie Bateson has been sent out on loan to Tiverton Town.

The club’s other age group teams are also in action in the Junior Preier League with the Under-11s facing FC Wiltshire and the Under-12s playing Taunton Town in the Junior Premier League.

The Under-13s, Under-14s, Under-15s and Under-16s, who play as part of the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust, all take on opposition from Exeter Regional Talent Centre.

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More than 200 names have signed up to take part in a sit-in protest against chairman and owner Scott Priestnall at Huish Park following next weekend’s home match with Woking.

The petition launched at gloversunion.co.uk has more than 200 names on it – albeit some of them appearing to be spoofs with Diego Maradona, Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Saville among many more familiar looking names from the club’s supporter base.

However, it certainly appears there is a growing number of supporters who have put their names to the petition which is threatening action unless a fans’ forum promised by the chairman in October is held before next Thursday.

The site addresses Priestnall and fellow director Stuart Robins, saying: “We the fans feel utterly betrayed by your lack of communications, your lack of investment and what appears to be the demise of our beloved football club due to the greed and ambitions of Scott Priestnall, and the mismanagement of the club since his tenure began.

“We hereby advise that unless a meeting has taken place by Thursday 2nd March, with elected representatives from support groups, to meet with you and have questions, pivotal to the future of our club answered, then know this:

“THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAVE PLEDGED TO TAKE PART IN A SIT-IN PROTEST IN YOUR STADIUM, FOLLOWING THE HOME MATCH ON SATURDAY MARCH 4TH. SUPPORTED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PRESS.

“We await your response to info@gloversunion.co.uk We will not repeat our request to you on this matter, and further escalating protests are planned thereafter.

“If you refuse to afford us this small request, we will then begin canvassing the local residents with a view to objecting ‘wholesale’ to Scott Priestaell’s development plans, followed by a planned march on the council offices, to further voice our deep concerns.”

The page has been heavily promoted by local businessman Martin Hellier, whose business Hellier Group sponsors the Main Stand at Huish Park and made a public bid to try and buy the club from Priestnall at the end of last year.

He has offered supporters the opportunity to visit his executive box at the match which sees former manager Darren Sarll return with his new club for the first time since quitting the Huish Park hot seat last March.

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Yeovil Town striker Malachi Linton says this weekend’s trip to fellow strugglers York City is “the perfect time” for the side to bounce back from consecutive defeats.

The Glovers lie just one position and two goals on goal difference off the National League relegation places following a 4-1 home defeat to leaders Notts County last Saturday followed by a disappointing 2-0 loss at Maidenhead United.

Linton played almost an hour in the reverse last weekend and came off the bench as a 72nd minute substitute for Lawson D’Ath in midweek.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins ahead of the weekend, the frontman said: “It’s the perfect time to bounce back. If we go there and win we pick up some momentum, we are off the back of two defeats so we don’t want to get too down.

The good thing is there’s days, not a full week until the next game, so we gave to go there and do a job. There’s lots goes on behind the scene but the games are where it matters and that is what we are paid to do and come a game day, you want as many games as you can.”

The former Wycombe Wanderers player, who has four goals to his name this season, admitted his team-mates were “disappointed” with their performance against Maidenhead following on from an improved performance against in-form Notts County, who scored twice in the dying minutes at Huish Park.

Linton said: “Notts County was a very different test, Maidenhead bring you in to the game they want to play and they are very good at doing that and maybe we got caught up on that.

“We have to stick to our game plan, play how we want to play and not be too concerned about the opposition. When you look at a game like (Maidenhead) it is a must win.”

Speaking on Thursday, manager Mark Cooper admitted that the off-the-field situation at Huish Park, with speculation about a takeover of the club continuing to rumble on, was having an impact on the players.

Asked about the situation, Linton said: “All we can control is what is going on on the pitch, we hear different things and whispers about x, y and z but until something is done and dusted we can’t do anything about that.

“We do not want to use that as an excuse at all, there are other things that don’t maybe go in our favour, but we can only concentrate on the things we can control.”