Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 415)

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Yeovil Town  goalkeeper Grant Smith will be back between the posts for the visit of Aldershot Town to Huish Park on Good Friday.

The first-choice stopper has been missing with a groin injury in recent weeks and his place has been filled by West Bromwich Albion loanee Ted Cann, who has returned to his parent club today (Thursday).

However, caretaker manager Charlie Lee confirmed that midfielder Matt Worthington will miss the next four matches through suspension with the club not planning to appeal his red card against King’s Lynn Town last weekend.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking ahead of the start of the Easter period, Lee said: “Ted came in at a perfect time for us because Grant was struggling with his groin.

“He’s strong now and he’s been training, he was probably ready for the last game but it would have been unfair to take Ted out.

“But Grant is a top goalkeeper and he’ll be ready for the game on Friday.”

The boss admitted that he still felt the dismissal of Worthington, a straight red card for a full-blooded tackle on Linnets’ midfielder, Theo Widdrington, was questionable –  but did not think the video evidence was strong enough for an appeal.

He said: “There just isn’t enough angles. I still feel that watching back that it is a very harsh red, but to get an appeal going and overturn the red card is not that easy.

“Unfortunately, he will be missing for four games which is a massive loss for us. He’s in good form, he’s a good player and he will be missed, but we have some players ready to step in.

“We are in a position where we have a bigger squad than we have for the last few months.”

Both Lawson D’Ath and Alex Bradley could step in to the void left by the absence of Worthington. Both stayed on the bench for the 2-2 draw in Norfolk last weekend.

The interim boss confirmed defenders Max Hunt and loanee Jack Robinson were back in full training having been missing through injury.

The visit of Aldershot seems certain to be too soon for either player to be in contention for a start, but they could be in contention in the coming weeks.

Of injured midfielder Josh Staunton, Lee added: “We are waiting to find out a bit more, he has another specialist to see and there will probably be more news on him next week.”

Asked about any discussions around the future of the club’s players, Lee said that he was not involved in any discussions around their futures.

Going off the public statements made by the club at the time of player’s arrivals, we believe that only defender Morgan Williams has a deal beyond the end of this season.

Charlie Lee talks to the BBC ? YTFC YouTube

Lee said: “That’s something I’m not involved with. The club is progressing well, the owner knows what he wants next season, but for me it is about preparing the games on Friday and Monday.”

However, he did say that the players had shown no sign of slowing down despite being set in mid-table in the National League with little prospect of either troubling the relegation or promotion picture.

He said: “When I took over, I said to them ‘if we win games, that is not going to effect anyone negatively’, it will only help the club, the fans, the players.

They have bought in to that brilliantly and they have proven since I have taken over that they have bought in to that.

“We played a little 11v11 game in training yesterday and there was no player who was not interested in winning on Friday.”

 

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Aldershot Town arrive in Somerset on Good Friday desperate to build on their first win since the end of January.

The Shots ended a run of nine games without a win with a 2-1 victory at home to out-of-form Boreham Wood last weekend.

They have the sixth worst away record in the National League having won one, drawn one and lost four of their last trips with that win coming courtesy of a last minute own goal scored by W*ymouth the last time they picked up three points.

They will be hoping that QPR loan striker Sinclair Armstrong can be fit to feature having joined until the end of the season earlier this week.

The imposing QPR forward, who impressed when he came off the bench for Torquay United in their 2-1 win at Huish Park on New Year’s Day, has joined on loan until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old managed two goals in an eight game stay in Devon – including one against W*ymouth – but impressed many Gulls’ fans during his time.

In the announcement of his arrival, Aldershot said that the Republic of Ireland youth international “will look to recover from his recent injury and be an attacking option for manager Mark Molesley as soon as possible.”

If he is fit to face the Glovers, his new club will be looking for him to fill the goal-scoring void left by the departure of Corie Andrews, who is still the club’s top scorer with nine goals despite leaving in January.

The AFC Wimbledon striker, who scored  in a 2-1 win for Yeovil when the two sides met on Bank Holiday Monday in August, has joined League Two strugglers Colchester United.

 

FROM THE (ASSISTANT) MANAGER

Speaking after last weekend’s 2-1 home win over Boreham Wood, Aldershot assistant manager (and former W*ymouth number two) Tom Prodomo spoke about how the players had handled their recent poor run.

“We have shown we can do that and we are confident we can, but you have to be honest enough to put the work in and show that on the pitch as often as you can.

“You have to take ownership when you are on a losing run, we make decisions and send the players out there to put the game plan in to action, and when you don’t get results you can’t hide from that.

“No-one has hidden or shied away and I think that mentality has produced this result but it is one result and we have to do that again at Yeovil next Friday.”

Asked about the Easter period where the Shots travel to Somerset before an Easter Monday home fixture with Dagenham & Redbridge, the assistant added: “We are really excited for these types of periods, that is what we are all in professional football for and we have reminded them what they have had to put in to be professional players.

“Now is not the time to go short and have regrets, it is time to finish strong and set us up for a summer where we can push the club forward ahead of next season.”

 

TEAM NEWS

Goalkeeper Ryan Hall seems certain to get a start having put in a man of the match performance against Boreham Wood last weekend.

The 21-year-old was recalled from a loan spell at Southern League side Beaconsfield for the match after first choice Mitch Walker and his understudy Ethan Ross both went off injured in the previous match against Eastleigh.

As mentioned above, striker Sinclair Armstrong, who has joined on loan from QPR until the end of the season, will be hoping to shake off an injury to feature on Good Friday.

A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

Yeovil Town defender Max Hunt seems unlikely to feature on Good Friday, but he will be the only player in either squad with experience in the other dressing room.

The centre half played 21 times on loan from Carlisle United in the 2019-20 season and scored his only goal against the Glovers in a 3-1 win for Darren Sarll’s men at The Recreation Ground.

However, he is not the only player with a foot in both camps with some of the others including:

Dillon Barnes – Yeovil Town (2022), Aldershot Town (2022)
Gabriel Osho – Aldershot Town (2018), Yeovil Town (2019-20, 2020-21)
Alefe Santos – Yeovil Town (2017-19), Aldershot Town (2019-20)
Rhys Browne – Aldershot Town (2015-16), Yeovil Town (2017-19)
Iffy Allen – Yeovil Town (2015-16), Aldershot Town (2016)
Harry Cornick – Aldershot Town (2014), Yeovil Town (2015-16)
Joe Ralls – Aldershot Town – Youth (2008), Yeovil Town (2013-14)
Andre McCollin – Yeovil Town (2008-10), Aldershot Town (2014-15)
Jamie Vincent – Yeovil Town (2006), Aldershot Town (2010-11)
Joel Grant – Aldershot Town (2006-08), Yeovil Town (2013-15)
Terrell Forbes – Yeovil Town (2006-10), Aldershot Town (2013)
Scott Rendell – Aldershot Town (2005, 2016-19), Yeovil Town (2008)
Steve Collis – Yeovil Town (2001-06), Aldershot Town (2002)
Chris Giles – Yeovil Town (2000-04), Aldershot Town (2004-05)
Nick Crittenden – Yeovil Town (2000-04), Aldershot Town (2004-06)
Andy Lindegaard – Yeovil Town (1999-07, 2009-10), Aldershot Town (2009)
Anthony Tonkin – Yeovil Town (1998-02, 2006-07), Aldershot Town (2012-15)
Colin Fielder – Yeovil Town (1996-98), Aldershot Town (1999-2002)
Owen Coll – Yeovil Town (1995), Aldershot Town (1998-2002)

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Highlights of the 2-2 draw at King’s Lynn Town are now available on the club’s YouTube channel.

If you want to fast forward:

0:22 – Tom Knowles is fouled for an early penalty dispatched by Dale Gorman.

1:51 – Matt Worthington’s straight red card – the referee was well placed but did not give a red until he’d listened to a lot of King’s Lynn players.

3:24 – Charlie Wakefield picks up the ball on the left, cuts inside and bends in a beautiful curling shot.

Watch the rest if you must.

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A late equaliser from substitute Charlie Wakefield spared Yeovil Town’s blushes by salvaging a point from the trip to a King’s Lynn Town side fighting for survival in the National League.

Coatesie made the trip to north-west Norfolk for what was the Glovers’ first visit to The Walks in more than 20 years. Here’s what he made of it all….

Having spent the first decade and more of my Yeovil Town supporting life in non-League football I have not had these thoughts too often in the past three seasons, but this was the most non-League of non-League days. For large parts it was a scrappy performance with very little in terms of quality from either side and a referee who seemed desperate to put his hand in his pocket for a card, yet missed some clear and obvious fouls perpetrated by both sides. Luke Wilkinson getting a hand round the throat as he jumped for a corner with the official in close proximity with quite baffling. Add to that the over-zealous stewarding from King’s Lynn – a supporter frog-marched out of the ground for sitting on a barrier, for goodness sake – and a serious risk of starvation whilst waiting for food in the away end – it could almost have been Huish Park!

To start with it looked like it could be a comfortable afternoon after Dale Gorman’s penalty put us ahead after just four minutes, but we failed to press our advantage and we gave King’s Lynn too much encouragement

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

and they took it. Mark Little has looked unflappable when I have seen him this season, but he was ‘got at’ on more than one occasion and undone by a great pass from Brett McGavin for the first and then by the tricky Josh Barrett for the second goal.

On loan goalkeeper Ted Cann had a bit of a stinker with both goals as which makes me think let’s get Grant Smith back in between the posts. Charlie Lee has said the first-choice keeper is fully fit again although he was not named among the substitutes for this one. I have no doubt Cann will be a highly competent goalkeeper, probably at a higher level than this, but you had to cringe when he spilled Barrett’s shot right at the feet of Gold Omotayo who could not believe his luck to poke home against his old employers.

Thank goodness then for a moment of magic from Charlie Wakefield. The substitute’s 91st minute equaliser was a moment of pure quality which is everything we have seen time and again he is capable of. When he collected the ball on the left (isn’t he supposed to play down the right?) and cut inside, there was only one thing on the star man’s mind and he executed it in some style.

These relegation threatened sides are not going to roll over and let’s not forget we have two more of them to come in our next two matches. Our next opponents, Aldershot Town, gave their hopes of survival a boost with a win over a Boreham Wood side whose league season appears to have been ruined by their FA Cup exploits, whilst our seagull bothering friends down the road earned a point with a goalless draw against Grimsby Town. King’s Lynn were not pretty, but they dragged us down to their level through sheer hard work. We have to make our quality count if we are not going to come unstuck in these next two games.

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Matt Worthington. ? Mike Kunz.

The FA have confirmed the four match suspension of midfielder Matt Worthington following his red card at King’s Lynn Town on Saturday.

It has been listed as ‘Serious Foul Play’.

The reason for the additional match ban on top of the usual three is that this represents the midfielder’s second dismissal of the season, the other being on the opening day against… King’s Lynn.

After the game, Charlie Lee suggested an appeal may be on the cards saying: “ I think everyone (thought it was not a red card), I spoke to their bench and you understand their reaction, it was one of those tackles, I think everyone saw he won the ball.

“I don’t know really what to say, it’s not a red card, everyone makes mistakes, we will look back at it and I’ll have to see the video, my first thought is that it’s a great tackle.”

As it stands, Worthington is set to miss games against Aldershot Town on the Good Friday, the derby at W*ymouth on Easter Monday and then the matches with promotion-chasing Stockport County and FC Halifax Town.

He would be available for the home game against Wealdstone on May 2nd.

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Mark Little warms up at Chesterfield ? Ben Barrett

Yeovil Town defender Mark Little spoke to BBC Somerset after the 2-2 draw at King’s Lynn Town and said how there’s no sign the side are going to take it easy, in any single match or in the rest of the season as a whole.

The right-back said: “Circumstances altogether, I think it took us six hours to get here, the pitch is horrendous, it’s windy, they’re scrapping for their lives.

“It was never going to be a pretty game of football… it was a battle and we stood up to the battle.”

It was Charlie Wakefield’s last gasp equaliser that saved the Glovers’ blushes, something which Little said he’s chuffed about.

He said: “It’s great for him, Charlie works so hard, he’s desperate to be on the scoresheet every week and it hasn’t been coming off but he’s got his goal today.

“It looks like Charlie Lee has made the best decision ever to leave him out and bring him on at the right time, it makes him look a really good manager.”

It was a feisty game with both teams reduced to ten men, something which Little admits they had to keep on top of.

He added: “We wanted to win the game, we had the momentum, when we came out for the second half, I think we were on top, we were the only side who were going to go on and win it

“The last eight minutes was frantic, there plenty of chances and edge of the seat stuff.

“Credit to the boys for keeping going for 97 minutes.”

The former Bristol City man was asked about the team’s motivation for carrying on with their never give up style and he said that players were fighting to the end.

He said: “We are all playing for our careers, we are all playing to impress the people that are watching.

“Since Charlie (Lee) has come in, we said you can have a nine game season of letting the season fizzle out or we can have a right go and show everyone what we are made of.

“We just want to get as close up the table as we can.

“It’s interesting here, because so many lads are out of contract, near enough 90% of the team are thinking I’ve got another year here, I’ll take my foot off the gas and there’s nothing to play for and I’ll have a holiday until next year

“That won’t happen here, the group of lads are amazing and we’ve got senior lads who are amazing who won’t allow that to happen.”

 

 

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Caretaker manager Charlie Lee speaking after the 2-2 draw at Barnet last weekend.

Yeovil Town caretaker manager Charlie Lee spoke to the BBC following the Glovers’ 2-2 draw with King’s Lynn Town and spoke highly (again) of the players character.

Speaking to BBC Somerset after the tie in Norfolk, he said: “I went through every emotion in that one, I don’t know how to take it, I’ll have to sit back, analyse it with the staff and see what we think, 

The first thing we will say is that the boys they don’t know when they’re beaten, they don’t know to give up.”

“To have that athleticism, with 10 men for such a long time, they should be proud of themselves”

The Glovers needed a 91st minute equaliser from substitute Charlie Wakefield to snatch a point, having played the second half with ten men following the 43rd minute dismissal of Matt Worthington.

The boss added: “It’s a brilliant goal, they stayed in the game, we tried about three different formations and brought subs on.

“Charlie has played a lot of games, he’s looked tired this week, we spoke to each other and when you make a change and he comes on does that, I’m just so happy his attitude is like that really.

“It sums the whole group up, there’s a lot of positives from today.

“There’s going to be games like that in the National League, especially when they’re scrapping for safety.

I was just pleased the boys had an unbelievable attitude to it with 10 men, I’m just really proud of them to go and get the goal

“Again, like (the 2-2 draw at) Barnet (last weekend), I’d have loved to have to win it late, but it just didn’t happen”

Both sides ended the match with ten men with Linnets’ defender Munashe Sundire picking up a second yellow for a foul on Josh Neufville after 70 minutes to set up a frenetic final 20 minutes.

Lee insisted he did not believe Worthington’s full-blooded tackle on Theo Widdrington was worth a red card from referee Elliot Swallow, who dished out five yellow cards when Yeovil beat Woking 2-0 at Huish Park back in October.

Matt Worthington drives forward.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The caretaker said: “I think everyone (thought it was not a red card), I spoke to their bench and you understand their reaction, it was one of those tackles, I think everyone saw he won the ball.”

“I don’t know really what to say, it’s not a red card, everyone makes mistakes, we will look back at it and I’ll have to see the video, my first thought is that it’s a great tackle.”

Lee said he was looking forward to the challenge of an Aldershot Town/W*ymouth double header over Easter and the players would be working hard… after a well earned day off.

The manager said: “That’s five unbeaten now (six if you include the Somerset Premier Cup, Charlie!), everyone keeps saying we’ve got nothing to play for, but at a time where we’ve got nothing to play for we’ve gone five unbeaten. 

“That just sums up the boys, they’re going to need a couple of days off either side of a working training day to recover.”

If Worthington’s red card is not appealed, he will miss four games including both of the Easter fixtures.

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Venue: The Walks
Saturday, 9th April, 3pm kick-off

Conditions: Dry and sunny but a bit windy

Pitch: Bobbly

Attendance: 1,148

Scorers: Dale Gorman pen 6 (1-0), Michael Clunan 38 (1-1), Gold Omotayo 45+3 (1-2), Charlie Wakefield 90+1 (2-2)

Bookings:

Yeovil: Lee 45, Knowles 95, Barnett 97
King’s Lynn: Sundire 6Denton 68, Jones 81, Kurran-Browne 85

Sending off:

Yeovil: Worthington 42
King’s Lynn: Sundire 70

Referee: Eliott Swallow

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)

Ted Cann

Mark Little (for Adi Yussuf, 87), Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams

Josh Neufville (for Charlie Wakefield, 80), Dale Gorman, Matt Worthington, Tom Knowles

Reuben Reid, Sonny Blu Lo Everton (for Jordan Barnett, 44)

Substitutes: Alex Bradley, Jordan Barnett, Lawson D’ath, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield

King’s Lynn: Jones, Barrows, Coulson, Denton, Widdrington, Clunan (c), Hargreaves, McGavin, Omotayo, Sundrie, Barrett.

Substitutes: Bowry, Hickman, A Jones, Charles, Kurran Browne.

Match Report

A last minute minute moment of quality from substitute Charlie Wakefield saw Yeovil Town extend their unbeaten run with a 2-2 draw at relegation battlers King’s Lynn Town.

The Glovers took the lead through a Dale Gorman penalty before the hosts pulled one back through Michael Clunan as the first half finished in disastrous style.

Having been pegged back, Matt Worthington was red carded for a strong challenge and then Yeovil old boy Gold Omotayo put the Linnets ahead.

The second half was something of a non-event until Munashe Sundire saw red for his second yellow on 70 minutes and then Wakefield struck a late equaliser.

 

First half

The opening exchanges saw both sides finding each other out but when Tom Knowles broke down the left after five minutes he was body-checked by Munashe Sundire and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

Dale GORMAN stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards to put the visitors ahead.

Reuben Reid had an effort easily saved following good work by Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, who had been recalled to the starting line-up, presumably after impressing in the Somerset Premier Cup semi-final against Odd Down.

However, having gone ahead, the momentum was with the hosts with Theo Widdrington, the son of manager, Tommy, forcing Ted Cann in to action on 23 minutes.

Matt Worthington had the ball in the net five minutes later having been sent through by Lo-Everton,  but the next action saw King’s Lynn take the lead.

The move which led to the visitors’ equaliser on 38 minutes heralded two appeals for offside. One more convincing than the other, but the one that mattered  looked like it was off when a great pass Brett McGavin found captain Mark CLUNAN the wrong side of Mark Little and he fired past Ted Cann after 38 minutes.

Knowles put over with five minutes of the half remaining, but two minutes later Matt Worthington went in for what at best could be described as a full blooded challenge on Theo Widdrington and was shown a red card by referee Elliot Swallow. He did get some of the ball, but plenty of the player as well. Having been sent off in our opening game of the season against the same opponents, one assumes Worthy simply does not like playing against the Linnets.

Jordan Barnett replaced Lo-Everton with Neufville dropping back in to midfield, but more significantly the dismissal put further wind in to the sails of the Linnets.

Josh Barrett fired a shot over a minute in to injury time and it was the same player who created the opening to put the hosts ahead with three minutes of injury time played. Barrett got the better of Little and fired a shot which Cann spilled for ex-Glover Gold OMOTAYO who prodded Lynn ahead.

The fault for the goal was the goalkeeper’s but it was difficult to look beyond Marcus Duncombe’s comments about the ex-striker for the assist.

Half- time: King’s Lynn Town 2 Yeovil Town 1

 

Second half

With Yeovil down to ten men and the home side ahead, it was no surprise to see the opening 15 minutes not muster any significant chances for either side.
In fact, the only talking point was injuries to Gorman who had a collision of heads on the edge of the box and then on 66 minutes what appeared to be a lunging tackle on Knowles by Tyler Denton.

But referee Swallow decided he would level up the numbers with when Sundire caught Neufville with a late tackle o 70 minutes to earn his second yellow.

Seven minutes later, a corner saw the ball floated to the back post by Gorman and Wilkinson, to this observer, seemed to be grabbed by the throat as he rose. Omotayo’s concern for his former team-mate, immediately calling for the physio, was not matched by referee Swallow.

A second change saw Charlie Wakefield replace Neufville on 80 minutes and the substitute fired a shot over two minutes later.

The injuries turned in to seven minutes of stoppage  time added on and it was as the 90th minute ticked over that WAKEFIELD picked the ball up on the right and bent a beautiful shot in to level the scores.

Full time: King’s Lynn Town 2 Yeovil Town 2

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Josh Neufville has been handed his first Yeovil Town start since his return on loan as he lined up against  King’s Lynn Town today (3pm kick-off).

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton comes in for Lawson D’Ath in the other change from last weekend’s draw at Barnet.

Yeovil Town: Ted Cann, Mark Little, Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams, Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Dale Gorman, Tom Knowles, Josh Neufville, Reuben Reid. Substitutes: Alex Bradley, Jordan Barnett, Lawson D’Ath, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield.