Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 363)

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Venue: Huish Park
Monday, 2nd April, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Overcast 

Pitch: Held up nicely

Attendance: 2210 (153 away)

Scorers: None

Bookings:

Yeovil: D’Ath 27, Worthington 45,
Wealdstone: Cooper 78,

Sending Off:
Wealdstone: Dyer 37.

Referee: Savvas Yianni

 

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)

Grant Smith

Jack Robinson, Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams

Tom Knowles, Matt Worthington (Gorman 65), Lawson D’Ath, Sonny Blu-Lo Everton (Bradley 79)

Reuben Reid (Yussuf 55), Josh Neufville

Substitutes:  Alex Bradley, Jack Robinson, Dale Gorman, Reuben Reid, Max Hunt

Wealdstone: Howes, Cook, Okimo, Umerah (Charles 63), Sesay, Tavares, Dyer, Clayden (Browne 70), Henry, Mundle-Smith, Cooper

Substitutes: Charles, Browne, Hearin, Mascoll, Shrowder

Match Report

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town played out a 0-0 draw with Wealdstone in the penultimate home game of the 2021/22 season, despite plenty of attacking intent against a Stones’ side who played nearly an hour with ten men, the Glovers could’t get through a staunch back line. Here’s how it went at Huish Park.

First half

In a half lacking goals, there wasn’t much lacking in terms of talking points.

The drama kicked off early with a concerning injury to Wealdstone’s Charlie Cooper, he looked to take a nasty bump and concern was high, but after a number of minutes of treatment, he returned with tissue stuffed up his nose and a new bloodless shirt.

He would actually be one of the livelier players for the visitors with a couple of early pot shots, but he was a key player in the Stones’ best chances when the clock hit 30 minutes.

However, the Glovers did have the ball in the back of the net shortly before, Adi Yussuf and Lawson D’ath combined to cause chaos in the Wealdstone’s defence, the ball hit the net, the music started blaring but there was a foul given on the travelling goalkeeper.

Back to that big chance, on 29 minutes a flurry of near misses, half chances and shots on goal resulted in not one, not two but three goal line clearances. Luke WIlkinson and Morgan Williams both throwing their body on the line in the name of a clean sheet.

The game would take on two more defining moments, Jack Cook hit the crossbar from a header, before Alex Dyer, the Monserrat midfielder was shown a straight red for a challenge on the Glovers’ Sonny Blu Lo Everton.

This changed the Glovers’ intensity; Lo-Everton drove forward for force shots in on goal, whilst the full backs began to venture forward more often.

Ben Barclay, who was returning to the starting line up, had a half chance from a Tom Knowles throw in, but despite six additional minutes being added on, the half-time whistle came in time for the visitors.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0

Second Half

The second half began with plenty of attacking intent from the Glovers, but the number of clear cut chances didn’t match the amount of possession.
 
Charlie Lee made his first change with Reuben Reid replacing Adi Yussuf, with an desire to bring more control to the front line, but it was the visitors who actually went close shortly before the hour, David Sesay giving Grant Smith a chance to earn his corn.
 
Lawson D’Ath and Tom Knowles saw shots cleared, parried or sail high into the stand behind the goal as the hosts continue to huff and puff.
 
Dale Gorman was brought on to replace the booked Matty Worthington, and the Northern Irishman was straight into the action but his free kick was well saved.
 
The next chance to break the deadlock fell the way of Middlesbrough loanee Jack Robinson; with the ball pinging about in the box, the stand-in right back saw his shot squirm just wide.
 
The stats were all in favour of the Glovers, with plenty of shots flying in, Josh Neufville continued his exciting form with an effort which was blocked. Shots became corners, but rarely became clear chances.
 
Sam Howes in the visitor’s goal continued to keep the Glovers out, as the game became a glorified attack vs defence session.
 
As with all matches like this, there was always going to be an inevitable chance for the ten-man visitors and it came from Cooper, who had an eventful game with the injury and booking, he forced Smith in the Yeovil goal into a fantastic save with less than ten minutes on the clock.
 
With the clock winding down, Yeovil found frustration kicking in but there was still more opportunities coming the way of the home side.
 
Josh Neufville had a penalty shout turned down, Gorman saw another effort fly wide as the clock ticked beyond the 90 minute mark, Reid couldn’t convert late on either as the game ended up finishing a disappointing stale mate for the Glovers

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0

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Yeovil Town: Grant Smith, Morgan Williams, Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Jack Robinson, Lawson D’Ath, Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo Everton, Josh Neufville, Tom Knowles, Adi Yussuf.

Substitutes: Max Hunt, Jordan Barnett, Alex Bradley, Dale Gorman, Reuben Reid.

Wealdstone: Howes, Cook, Okimo, Umerah, Sesay, Tavares, Dyer, Clayden, Henry, Mundle-Smith, Cooper

Substitutes: Charles, Browne, Hearn, Mascoll, Shrowder

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Gloverscast #166 – The ‘No one gives a monkey’ derby.

Ben and Dave team up once more to chat about the Halifax game the Bank Holiday Monday dead rubber with Wealdstone and we hear from Elliott Watts and Tony Rich after day one of the YTFC Get Pedalling team #Miles4Mind charity cycle ride.

Plenty of plugs for the YTFC Legends Game on May 14th and we answer some GCQs

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With the Yeovil Town Legends game just under a couple of weeks away we thought it was nigh on time to dig out the old Ciderspace photo archives again, so we searched for an image of each of the Glovers legends from the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007 sides who will be back to represent the Green and White army once more against a select South West Legends side.

Tickets are stil available for the match on Saturday May 14th – Starting at £8 for adults, £4 for kids with family tickets on offer as well.
Click HERE to buy yours, now!

Chris Weale

Steve Collis

Adam Lockwood

Andy Lindegaard

Terry Skiverton

Colin Miles

Roy O’Brien

Nathan Jones

Abdou El Kholti

Paul Terry

Chris Cohen

Lee Johnson

Darren Way

Arron Davies

Gavin Williams

Nick Crittenden

Chris Giles

Phil Jevons

Kevin Gall

Kirk Jackson

Gary Johnson

Steve Thompson

A little trip down memory lane… and i’ve saved the best until last…

Just look at those fans…

Tickets are stil available for the match on Saturday May 14th – Starting at £8 for adults, £4 for kids with family tickets on offer as well.
Click HERE to buy yours, now!

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In what is in all reality the deadest of dead rubbers, the chance to complete a double over their old Southern League rivals from the 1980s.

The Stones’ 2-1 win over Yeovil back in February was described by then-Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll as “unforgiveable” and then-midfielder (now injured midfielder) Josh Staunton as one where the team “let everyone down.”

A win for the visitors would be their third double of the season – with whipping boys Dover and local rivals Barnet their other victims – and they will be looking to sign off their second season back in style.

On the road they have won two and lost four of their last six, including an impressive 1-0 win at Southend United on Good Friday, but they did lose at the weekend when play-off hunting Dagenham & Redbridge ran out 2-1 winners at Grosvenor Vale.

For a side with probably one of the smallest budgets in the division, a 17th placed finish (the position they find themselves in going in to this match) is more than creditable.

Speaking after the Dagenham defeat, Wealdstone boss Stuart Maynard said: “The top end of the pitch was the difference for us. They can bring Josh Walker off the bench and he probably walks in to most National League squads.

“They had a similar philosophy to us and like to pass the ball, I thought we controlled possession but just were not clinical enough in the final third.”

FROM THE MANAGER

Speaking of his side’s opponents this Bank Holiday Monday, Wealdstone manager Stuart Maynard said: “They’re a side with lots of pace all over the pitch, myself and Matty (Saunders, the Stones’ assistant manager) will start looking at them over the weekend and come up with a game plan for Monday and plan for the game.

“Charlie Lee has come in and took temporary charge for them and picked up some really positive results, so we need to assess and see if they’re playing in the same shape they were playing in, with the same personnel or whether he’s tweaked them or not.”

TEAM NEWS

Wealdstone seem likely to go with the same team which finished Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat at the hands of in-form Dagenham & Redbridge.

That included Sam Howes, signed on loan from Isthmian Premier side Horsham late last week, who replaced on loan Fulham stopper George Wickens after he was concussed during a collision in training at the end of lat week.

Midfielder Ashley Charles, who has been missing for the past couple of weeks, returned on the bench on Saturday and could be an option, but long-term injury victim Andrew Eleftheriou is expected to be missing.


FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

There will be two very familiar faces in the Yeovil Town squad which arrives at Wealdstone in the form of forwards Charlie Wakefield and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.

The pair were both on the books at Grosvenor Vale last season with Wakefield starting the season with the Stones with Wakefield playing – and getting booked – in the 2-2 draw at Huish Park at the start of last season.

He departed for full-time football with Bromley last January before being released at the end of the campaign.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in action for Wealdstone against Yeovil Town last season.

Sonny played ten times for Wealdstone on loan from his parent club Watford including as an 18th-minute substitute following an injury in Yeovil’s 2-0 win in London last May.

For the hosts, winger Rhys Browne could make it back after two months out with an ankle injury tonight. He played more than 60 times in two years at Huish Park before joining Port Vale in the summer of 2019.

His father, Steve Browne, is another connection having had two spells at both clubs. In green and white he was part of the side which won promotion back to the then-GM Vauxhall Conference under Graham Roberts in 1996-97. In 2017, Steve sadly died after a battle with bowel cancer. He was just 52.

However, the strongest links to these two clubs date back to the late 1980s and early 1990s when Brian Hall was manager at both clubs, bringing a number of players with him.

Hall had led the Stones to the Conference and FA Trophy double in 1985 before taking the move to Huish in January 1987 where he picked up a Yeovil side in the game’s sixth tier.

A team photograph from 1988 showing Brian Hall’s Yeovil Town with a plethora of former Wealdstone players features in the programme for the reverse fixture in February.

The Glovers were beaten to promotion back to the Conference by Wycombe Wanderers in 1987, but won promotion back in Hall’s first full season, switching places with Wealdstone who came down that year.

The success of Yeovil and the demise of Wealdstone was down in no small part to Hall attracting a number of players to join him in Somerset.

Neil Cordice and Steve Rutter, the latter who would go on to manage the Glovers, made the move along with full-back Tiv Lowe, Steve Tapley, goalkeeper Bob Iles, and midfielders Gary Donnellan and Andy Wallace.

Hall was sacked after four years and replaced with Clive Whitehead who had an unsuccessful six-month spell before being replaced by Rutter, who was one of a number of ex-Stones who remained in Somerset.

When Rutter left in 1993 his eventual replacement was Hall who brought a number of his old Wealdstone players with him, unfortunately, he could not match the success of his previous spell and lasted just under a year.

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What a strange game we saw at the The Shay, home of FC Halifax Town, yesterday.

As is custom Yeovil gave a top seven team a hard time, but this time, came away with nothing to show for it after an 83rd minute winner from substitute Zach Dearney.

Ben was in the commentary box for the BBC Somerset and here’s a few of his post-match thoughts.

Firstly, the only way the play against Halifax was with a few of the dark arts.

Now, that’s not a complaint, if we had tried to match up to Halifax with the same level of attacking flow and speed, they’d have picked us apart. There’s no shame in that, they’re a better side than us (hardly breaking news). It worked for us against Stockport, Wrexham and others and it was the right way to go about this.

Frustrating them was our best chance and it came, so, so close to working again.

The home fans were silent throughout until they scored late on, a polite ripple of applause all they could really muster, an atmosphere not befitting a side so close to making the EFL

Mainly though, the result came down to making the most of the minimal clear cut chances that the game provided.

For all their attacking prowess, Halifax didn’t really make Grant Smith pull off anything more than a routine save.

He caught a long ranger from left back Jack Senior, parried away a stinger or two from elsewhere…but they got one sniff inside the six yard box and took it.

Yeovil can only really say they worried home keeper Sam Johnson once or twice a Josh Neufville pinger off the bar and a couple half chances from set pieces.

Josh Neufville wheels away after scoring

Speaking of Josh Neufville, let me get this down on paper (well, in pixels on a screen)… when he’s playing Premier League football in a few years time we will all say “we saw it first”, “he learnt it all with us”... he’s that good.

He seems to find space where others can’t, he seems to make over hit nothing balls into something and with a burst of pace, half a yard and a drop of the shoulder he can cause all kinds of trouble.

He’s going the same way as Andros Townsend and I’m just grateful we were part of that journey.

Halifax will probably get promoted.

I think it’s time to crack out the crystal ball, Stockport are doing their darnedest to throw the title away and Wrexham are ready to pounce.

But if the Shaymen finish second or third, none of the other sides will fancy a play-off semi-final in West Yorkshire. They’re too good at home.

Then, they’ve got the big name players going forward to make enough chances in the final too.

All the more of a compliment to how we’ve troubled them (and plenty of others in the mix) over the course of 180 minutes.

Charlie Lee and the Angry Blackcurrant

Finally, a personal one. But National League sides need to better equip their press facilities.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of the John Lukins Press Box at Huish Park will appreciate what having a bit of space, room to sit/stand and having the freedom to get into a good flow.

There were five bodies from the YTFC side at Halfiax, Sam, two from Three Valleys Radio and Sheridan and I from the BBC.

With fans sat behind us, infront and to the side of us you’re crammed into about 2 meters of space. My knees are in bits.

You get more leg room in RyanAir economy.

It was the same at Solihull too, fairly new stands and the press area feels like an afterthought.

I’m not going to moan about the stuff on the pitch cos we fought as I knew we would… so I found a moan off the pitch instead!

 

 

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King’s Lynn top scorer Gold Omotayo

The final National League relegation spot has been confirmed with King’s Lynn joining Dover and W*ymouth in the divisional leagues below next season.

Lynn could only managed a 3-3 draw with Eastleigh on Saturday which gives them too big of a gap to Aldershot who live to fight another season.

Meanwhile Maidstone have returned to the top Non League flight next season after clinching the National League South title.

 

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Morgan Williams. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Morgan Williams admitted this afternoon’s performance at Halifax wasn’t Yeovil Town’s best, but is happy with how first season in mens’ football has gone.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sheridan Robins, the centre back turned left back said: “I thought we did well in spells. Today wasn’t our best game or our best performance as a team, but obviously teams don’t always perform to the best of their abilities. We just dug in deep and it was cruel at the end to concede that goal.”

He added that the afternoon followed a similar pattern to other fixtures this season.

“We’re a hardworking team, we’re a good team. In times this season it’s not quite fell for us. So like we concede in the last five minutes or whatever it was, I think that’s kind of been the story of the season. Conceding late goals and not getting that luck that you need to get in the top six or promotion sides.”

Williams has enjoyed a lot of time in the starting line up this season. Having initially been seen as centre back, he’s cemented himself as the club’s steadiest left-back with some strong performances in an unnatural position.

“I’m happy with my performances over the last few games. For a first season in men’s football, I’m happy with how it’s gone and hopefully next season I can play more games.”

Williams is the only contracted player (that we know of) for next season, and he hopes that some of his teammates stay with the Glovers next seeason and push on.

“We’re all close as friends, on and off the pitch. It would be good to keep the core of the team and push on next season and hopefully get playoffs and promotion.”

He’s a glass half full kinda guy isn’t he? 

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Despite some positives, Charlie Lee was disappointed with his side’s 1-0 defeat at Halifax this afternoon.

Speaking to BBC’s Sheridan Robins, the Glovers’ Interim Manager was proud of his side’s work ethic, but bemoaned their sloppiness on the ball. He also felt there was a foul on Dale Gorman in the build up to the Shaymen’s 83rd minute winner.

Lee said: “As ever I was proud of the work ethic. I think we’re all a bit disappointed with how we played on the ball, it was sloppy, especially in the first half. For long periods in the second half they [Halifax] didn’t know what to do and they didn’t look like creating any changes. If anything we looked like we was going to get them on the counter.

“I think its a foul on Gormo [Dale Gorman]. I think its quite an easy decision to be honest and obviously we’re completely open once he makes the foul, and for a refereeing decision to cost us a counter attack and a goal when we were really solid, we’re a bit disappointed. But, I feel like we probably should have made some of our counter attacks count and then it’s a whole different game anyway,” he added.

Of the penalty incidents in the first half, the manager admitted he didn’t see a foul on Luke Wilkinson, but felt that Reuben Reid should have had a penalty as it would have been a foul anywhere else on the pitch.

Lee said there were positives but he wont find happiness in defeat, adding: “I can tell you in the changing room, they’re not happy with how the game went.”

He also clarified that Grant Smith, who took a nasty tumble in the first half was ‘absolutely fine.’

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Venue: The Shay
Saturday, 30th April, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Dull

Pitch: A rugby league pitch – rock hard, sandy and not conducive to good football.

Attendance: 1,947 (106 away supporters)

Scorers: Zach Dearnley 83

Bookings:

Yeovil: Wilkinson 53, Barnett 54, Knowles 80
Halifax: Debrah 60, Warren 61, Spence 90+3

Referee: Michael Barlow

 

Yeovil Town : (4-3-3)

Grant Smith

Mark Little (Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 85), Luke Wilkinson, Max Hunt, Morgan Williams

Dale Gorman, Lawson D’Ath, Jordan Barnett

Tom Knowles (Ben Barclay 81), Reuben Reid (Adi Yussuf 75) , Josh Neufville

Substitutes: Jack Robinson, Alex Bradley

FC Halifax Town: 1 Sam Johnson, 3 Jack Senior, 5 Jesse Debrah, 8 Kieran Green (Martin Woods 75), 10 Matt Warburton, 11 Billy Waters, 17 Kian Spence, 20 Harvey Gilmour (Matty Stenson 64), 21 Tyrell Warren, 25 Jordan Slew (Zak Dearnley 78), 28 Pierce Bird

Substitutes: 2 Jay Benn, 19 Jamie Cooke

Match Report

A late winner from Zach Dearnley saw FC Halifax Town break a stubborn Yeovil Town side to earn the three points they needed to seal a National League play-off position.

The substitute found himself in the right place in a crowded penalty box to turn home a right wing ball from Tyrell Warren with seven minutes remaining.

Up until that point neither side appeared to have the quality to find a breakthrough with Josh Neufville coming closest when he smashed an effort off the crossbar in the closing stages of the first half.

Here is how Coatesie saw it from his position in the away end at The Shay…..


First half

The first meaningful opportunity fell to the hosts on six minutes and it was ex-Glover Matt Warburton who was at the heart of it breaking down the left before feeding in strike partner Billy Waters whose shot was cleared off the line by Morgan Williams.

Williams was a definite target on the left side of defence with both Warburton and Jordan Slee testing for weaknesses in the visitors’ defence.

With 24 minutes gone, Warburton and Waters combined again and it was only further last ditch defending that denied them.

At the other end, the tactic was to play long balls forward for Reuben Reid, Josh Neufville and Jordan Barnett to run on to. A couple of penalty appeals – one more half-hearted for Barnett followed by another stronger one for Reid – were the most we had to offer for it.

Until about three minutes before the break that was about the level of opportunities which came to either side. Then Jack Senior got away down the left and picked out Waters who (very fortunately) slipped at the vital moment.

Josh Neufville. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

But the closest either side came to scoring fell to Neufville who found himself in space on the edge of the box and, with no obvious pads available, unleashed a thunderous effort which came back off the crossbar.

Certainly not a classic and goalless at the break.

Half time: FC Halifax Town 0 Yeovil Town 0

 

Second Half

Having warned Halifax supporters pre-match that they would probably be cursing Tom Knowles at some point in the game, the opening ten minutes cantered around the forward’s ‘injuries’ which certainly earned him his attention of the hosts.
For Halifax, the front three of Warburton, Waters and Slew continued to probe and there was some last ditch defending required. The most came on then house mark when Warburton and Waters combined for the latter to have a shot which was deflected by a heroic stop by Luke Wilkinson.
This certainly was not a vintage performance from either side with Halifax’s attractive passing having very little in the way of cutting edge, whilst Yeovil could not string any real passes together.
Going forward it relied on a moment of magic from either Neufville or Knowles. Neufville showed moments of his undoubted class but had very little in the way of support.

Another combination between Warburton and Waters saw the latter arrive at the back post to fire in to the side netting after 77 minutes.

Eventually The Shaymen found a breakthrough and unsurprisingly it came from the right side with Tyrrel Warren’s ball in turned home by substitute Zachary DEARNLEY with seven minutes of normal time remaining.
It was clearly a goal that meant more to the home side who needed three points to secure a play-off place. Manager Pete Wild punched the air in delight and The Shay awoke from the slumber it has been in for the previous 83 minutes.
For Yeovil, it seemed another match towards the end of the season with a further one to come in under 48 hours.

Full time: FC Halifax Town 1 Yeovil Town 0