Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 4)

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Yeovil Town have signed their second full-back signing of the day with the arrival of Michee Efete on a deal until the end of the season.

The right-back follows the arrival of left-back George Nurse, who was signed on a one-month loan from Shrewsbury Town earlier in the day, and will be available for Saturday’s trip to National League Premier Division leaders Rochdale.

The 28-year-old most recently played for Ross County in the Scottish Premiership and made 28 appearances for the Highlands club last season. He was released in June.

Speaking about his arrival, Glovers’ boss Richard Dryden said: “Michee’s a player with great pedigree at this level. He’s athletic, reliable, and brings a fantastic attitude. He knows what it takes to succeed in this league, and he’ll be an excellent addition for us.“

He joined Ross County midway through the 2023-24 season which he started in League Two at Grimsby Town where he won promotion from the National League in 2022. He previously played for Wealdstone and had loan spells at Torquay United and Bath City whilst in the academy at Norwich City.

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Left back George Nurse has joined Yeovil Town on a one-month loan deal League Two strugglers Shrewsbury Town.

The 26-year-old has made five appearances for his parent club this season and arrives as cover following a shoulder injury to loanee James Plant.

His deal is described as being “initially for one month” suggesting his stay may be extended.

Speaking following the arrival, Glovers’ manager Richard Dryden said: “George is a fantastic addition for us. He’s got real quality, great experience, and that bit of athleticism that can make a big difference at both ends of the pitch. This move gives us important cover while James Plant continues his recovery, and we’re delighted to have George with us initially for the month.”

The Bristol City academy product made more than 20 appearances as Shrewsbury were relegated from League One last season and previously had loan spells at Newport County and Walsall during his time at Ashton Gate before leaving in 2021.

He arrives with Yeovil preparing for a trip to National League Premier Division leaders Rochdale this weekend.

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Jamie O’Connor is the lucky little so and so that gets to referee Yeovil Town’s trip to Rochdale this coming Saturday.

We’ve only had the pleasure of his company once in his career, a rather disastrous 1-1 draw against Halifax in 2022/23.

Both Lawson D’ath and Edwin Agbaje suffered season ending injuries, Matt Worthington picked up a suspension-confirming yellow card and only a scrappy Malachi Linton goal gave the Glovers anything to shout about.

He did book Halifax defender Jamie Stott for … “encouraging” Agbaje over the advertising hoardings. 

He’s a very experienced referee and has been used far more in the EFL than the National League this season,

In 10 games this season, he’s dished out 27 yellows and two red cards.

He will be assisted by Zharir Mustafa and Martin Parker, Ben Robinson is the fourth official.

 

 

Rochdale AFC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: O’Connor, Jamie
Assistant Referee: Mustafa, Zharir
Assistant Referee: Parker, Martin
Fourth Official: Robinson, Ben

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September was crazy wasn’t it?

Here’s how the results went, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story.

September    
02.09.25 Solihull Moors 1-0
06.09.25 York City 1-3
13.09.25 Woking 1-0
20.09.25 Tamworth 0-1
24.09.25 Aldershot Town 4-1
27.09.25 Altrincham 1-0
30.09.25 Sutton United 2-1

Danny Webb was named Yeovil manager on the 12th, taking charge on Tamworth on the 20th before his departure was announced on the 22nd with Richard Dryden being appointed as manager until the end of the season. 

Fill out the tracker below.

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Yeovil Town’s FA Cup dream came to a premature end at the first hurdle for the second successive season yesterday. The Glovers were beaten by a Hemel Hempstead Town side which played for more than an hour with ten men. Dave was among the travelling contingent and here are his conclusions.

 

Out fought. Out thought. Out. We were simply second best in every department and I have to say right off the bat that Hemel deserved their win. From the opening whistle, they simply wanted it more and we never seemed to have a plan to counter them. You can put a misplaced pass or a scuffed shot down to the surface, but time and again we were pulled apart and gave them time and space to run. At the risk of sounding like the old man (I know, I am), but I miss us the Cup giving our players the hunger and desire I saw from Hemel. 

How it was not 2-0 at half-time I will never know!

Are we sure they had ten men? An extension on Conclusion #1, but two occasions in the second half I had to count Hemel’s players to be sure. Aside from a few moments around the time we scored, they never looked like they were a man down. You can see why they are in the form they are in the National League South. Defensively they were outstanding and we simply could not find a way through. 

Where did our desire to attack go? If I had not seen highlights of the games at Aldershot and Sutton, I would have believed they were AI inventions. In the first half, it was only when Andrew Oluwabori got on the ball that we ever had any purpose going forward and in the second only when Byron Pendleton came on did we look to get balls in from wide positions. There is quality going forward in this team, but we simply did not show it.

What are we doing here? Hearing Richard Dryden say we had tried and failed to attract players to strengthen the squad is a major red flag. But should we be surprised? We’ve heard about ‘The 3 Cs’ from our owners -calmness, competitiveness, community, in case you forgot. But it’s not easy to stay calm with no obvious plan about how we’re going to be competitive. A manager who feels stop gap no matter how much we’re told he’s not, players signing on 12-month deals, what are we selling people here? It feels like we’re living hand to mouth waiting for……what? 

Rochdale next. Gulp. Next up, top of the league Rochdale away from home. That one speaks for itself. Another clear week, another chance to take a breath and I hope the pain we all feel – and yes I include the team, they must feel it – gets a reaction.

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Luke McCormick said it was devastating to lose out in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, but that the Glovers would stick together and bounce back next weekend.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman, the midfielder said: “We’re devastated in there. We thought that we started the game slowly. The sending off definitely helped us. And then it’s about quality in both boxes. We definitely had the chances. And look, it is what it is. We’re very disappointed. Sorry to the travelling fans. It’s obviously devastating to to exit the FA Cup at this stage, but full focus back on the league and we need to stick together.”

McCormick said the team got a ‘livener’ at half time “It’s a little bit of a godsend, their sending off. And then, yeah, obviously it gives you a little bit more time on the ball. First half, I didn’t think we were at the races. We got a little livener at half time. And then, listen, we come out second half. It’s always tough, it’s a bit of a lottery when, when a team go down to 10 men but I think we created enough today to get a result. But listen, that’s football. Like I said, we’re bitterly disappointed, and we’ll stick together, and we will bounce back next weekend.”

The 26-year-old concluded: “We wanted to win the game. We wanted to progress. That didn’t happen. So we do what we normally do, win, lose or draw. We come in Monday, we analyse the game, we have honest conversations, we look how we can improve, and then full attention turns to the league, where we’ve been on a good run of late.”

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For the second season in a row, Yeovil Town fell at the first hurdle in the FA Cup to lower league opposition, this time at the hands of ten-man Hemel Hempstead.

Richard Dryden spoke to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman and said his side struggled to get going: “We didn’t start. We didn’t start at all. Rode our luck a little bit. The first 10-15, minutes, we didn’t play like we wanted to play. [We] went long, but they get a man sent off. And you think, right, let’s go and nail these to the post. But it never happened. We didn’t get going, didn’t defend well. We get done by a corner, which we should stop. We worked on them when they go short, some people have turned off. Is that down to us? Is it down to the whole group? It probably is, Yeah.”

Since taking over as manager until the end of the season, Dryden’s matches have featured a high-tempo, high energy Yeovil side but that just didn’t happen today, with Dryden saying the Glovers didn’t ‘turn up.’

“If you’re watching the game, you’re looking at them, how we’ve played the majority of the time, the last month or six weeks, where there’s been high tempo and we didn’t, I didn’t sense that today.  This is a big day: FA Cup qualifying round for the first round, and we, as a group haven’t turned up,” Dryden said.

Harvey Greenslade and Byron Pendleton combined in the second half, with Greenslade drawing Yeovil level and Dryden said they tried to exploit Hemel, who were a man down from the 25th minute, on the wings.

“We identified the wide areas when people are down to ten men is a big area. And we did it with with passing, we did it with big diagonals, and we got in and created enough. But again, we get done with a sucker punch in the last 10 minutes.”

Dryden reiterated the support he’s received from the board, but that the search goes in for new signings.

He said: “The board has given us money to spend. And we’ve inquired [about] two or three, like I said earlier before the game, they haven’t come off. We’ve got to keep looking and keep looking and getting players in. With the injuries we need to get them in quite quick, but again, we’ve got to get the right ones, what suit us.”

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Yeovil Town were dumped out of the FA Cup at the hands of a Hemel Hempstead Town side which played more than an hour with ten men in today’s fourth qualifying round tie.

The National League South side were reduced to ten men after forward Isiah Noel-Williams clashed with Glovers’ defender Kyle Ferguson off the ball on 25 minutes, but The Tudors continued to show more desire than their higher division visitors and deservedly took the lead through captain Kyle Ajayi with six minutes of the half remaining.

The game continued in a similar fashion in the second half and it was only after a flurry of Yeovil substitutions that the visitors put up anything approaching a fight with striker Harvey Greenslade pulling them level after 71 minutes.

But, the day belonged to Hemel who got the winner with three minutes of normal time remaining when Finley Wilkinson’s looping header came back off the post, hit Yeovil keeper Jed Ward on the back and went in.

First half

The home side, who started with  former Yeovil trialist Jevani Brown on the right side of attack, looked the brighter without really testing Jed Ward, who was given permission to play in the FA Cup by Bristol Rovers. The desire definitely was with Hemel in the opening exchanges.

For the visitors, there were a few nervy misplaced passes and the occasional bit of overplaying (yes, Jake, I mean you) as we struggled to get to grips with the artificial surface. The impetus came from Andrew Oluwabori and he had the first effort on goal after 15 minutes following good play by Tahvon Campbell, but his effort sailed over the bar.

Jed Ward shepherds Isiah Noel-Williams away after his red card.

The real moment of the first half  came after 25 minutes. Whilst we all looked at Hemel taking a throw in, Isiah Noel-Williams, son of former Yeovil loanee Gifton, clashed with Kyle Ferguson off the ball and was immediately given a red card. I’ll be honest, I did not see it but it happened right in front of the linesman and the referee did not hesitate.

The one man disadvantage did not put Hemel off and the effort and desire they showed from the off was still evident. So, it was no surprise when the ten men took the lead after 39 minutes. Our defence failed  to deal with a Williams corner and captain Kyle AJAYI was there to sweep it home.

With a minute of first half stoppage time played, Hemel came within inches of doubling their advantage. George Williams stepped up to curl a free-kick over the defensive wall and it came rattling back off the post, it flew back across the face of goal with two Hemel players in close proximity. Fortunately, neither player could get to it and Ward dropped on it.

1-0 down at half-time massively flatters us. Where has the attacking flair which won three consecutive games gone?

Half time: Hemel Hempstead Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

The second half started in a similar fashion to the way the first ended with Hemel on top and it was no surprise when Yeovil manager Richard Dryden made changes. The first came within five minutes of the restart, Byron Pendleton replaced Alex Whittle with Josh Sims switching to the left side with the Birmingham City loanee taking up the right side. On 58 minutes Brett McGavin replaced Cousin-Dawson with the visitors desperately looking for some creative spark.

But it was the home side who created the next opening on the hour mark after a Hemel was allowed to run through the Yeovil midfield unchallenged and play in Joe White whose shot was weak and easily stopped by Ward. 

Next it was Harvey Greenslade who replaced Junior Morias on 65 minutes whilst Hemel keeper Michael Johnson needed at least three separate visits from the physio as the home side tried to slow the game down. Referee Richie Watkins fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Whilst it would be an exaggeration to say Yeovil started to make their one man advantage pay, there was more urgency after the changes with Pendleton getting some deliveries in from the left. On 71 minutes, Pendleton slid a ball through the Hemel defence and Harvey GREENSLADE was there to stroke a calm finish past Johnson from inside the area.

Tahvon Campbell shoots over the bar.

Eight minutes later, Campbell had a great opportunity to put Yeovil after he was found by a Josh Sims corner, but the striker was leaning back and his effort went over the bar.

Even after an hour of playing with a numerical disadvantage, Hemel continued to press for the win. White pulled an effort wide before substitute Devante Stanley had a shot from distance and then with three minutes of normal time remaining the breakthrough their efforts deserved came for the home side. Samuel Adenoa got away down the left and his deflected ball was met by the head of Finley WILKINSON, hit Ward on the back and found the net.

As the match officials indicated ten minutes of time added on, Yeovil pressed for an equaliser to take the tie to a replay at Huish Park. The best opening came four minutes in to stoppage time when Campbell’s ball found Oluwabori at the back post but the Exeter City loanee could not get anything on it to turn the ball home.

Vauxhall Road erupted at the final whistle and it was nothing less than Hemel deserved. We were out fought, out thought and just out of the FA Cup to lower league opponents for the second successive season. Simply not good enough.

Full time: Hemel Hempstead Town 2 Yeovil Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Vauxhall Road
Date: Saturday 10th October, 3pm kick-off

Competition: FA Cup fourth qualifying round

Scorers: Kyle Ajayi 39 (0-1), Harvey Greenslade 71 (1-1), Finley Wilkinson 87 (1-2).

Pitch: Plastic
Conditions: Dry and bright

Attendance: 1,751

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Finn Cousin-Dawson 31, Morgan Williams 44
Hemel Hempstead Town:

Sendings Off:

Hemel Hempstead Town: Isiah Noel-Williams 25

Referee: Richie Watkins

Yeovil Town (3-4-1-2)

Substitutes: Byron Pendleton (for Alex Whittle, 51), Brett McGavin (for Finn Cousin-Dawson, 58), Harvey Greenslade (for Junior Morias, 65), Ben Wodskou (for Jake Wannell, 81), Matt Gould (not used).

Hemel Hempstead Town: Michael Johnson, Samuel Adenola, Kyle Ajayi, Jordan Thompson, George Williams, Millar Matthews-Lewis, Joe White, Kyran Wiltshire, Isiah Noel-Williams, Jevani Brown, Devante Stanley.

Substitutes (not used): Darion Dowrich, Jake Gray, Finley Wilkinson, Mathew Achumba, Ade Azeez, Jermaine Anderson, Steve Arnold.

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On loan goalkeeper Jed Ward and winger Andrew Oluwabori are named in Yeovil Town’s starting XI for today’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Hemel Hempstead Town (kick-off 3pm).

There is no place for James Plant, who went off with a shoulder injury in the 3-0 league defeat to Boreham Wood last weekend, but Josh Sims has recovered from an injury seven days ago to start.

Striker Aaron Jarvis is not in the squad at all with Tahvon Campbell, Junior Morias and Oluwabori expected to lead the attack.

For Hemel, striker Jevani Brown, who spent the summer on trial at Huish Park, starts.