Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 63)

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Ian was at Huish Park for Yeovil’s narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of York City. Here are his conclusions.

Picture by Gary Brown

It was a tight game. The two sides, neither of which is particularly in form didn’t make much of a spectacle in Somerset. Many Glovers feared a bloodbath after Boston, but it was far from that. Yeovil set their stall out early and allowed York to dominate the ball while holding their nerve to try and repel them. For all York’s possession, they didn’t stretch Aidan Stone that much. Doesn’t that sound familiar? There were crosses into the box that we dealt with well but it wasn’t surprising that it was settled with a set piece. It was a massive improvement from the midweek defeat to Boston United in the week and the challenge now is to maintain it and ensure it’s not a false dawn.

Kyle Ferguson added some fight. I thought our latest loanee had nastiness and a bit of bite that we’ve been lacking recently. He won his headers and gave Josh Stones a rough afternoon. The son of Rangers legend Barry Ferguson certainly looks like he’s up for a scrap and if were looking over our shoulder, someone of that character is what we need. He was at fault for the penalty which Ollie Pearce converted, but I thought we looked stronger with him in the back line.

Picture by Gary Brown

Another Sonny shout out. I love watching Sonny play football. When he’s on the pitch and given the freedom he’s great to watch. He’s the type of intelligent player who can get you out of a hole. I think our biggest chance fell to him on the edge of the box after he set Kyrell Wilson away before receiving the ball back but he lost his footing at a pivotal moment. With Sonny (and a lot of our players) it’s always been the case of finding that final product, but keeping him further forward in behind  the striker is key in my mind. The extent of the injury to Brett McGavin will probably dictate how that goes.

What a week Frank’s had. To go from being on your way out of the club to being back in the starting line up and captaining within less than seven days is some story. We’ll probably never know the full picture of what’s happened here, but, in my opinion, I don’t think you can blame a 33-year-old for wanting to secure his future when he’s been transfer-listed earlier in the season. Nouble is a popular figure with supporters and for Mark Cooper to put him back in as skipper shows that, right now, Nouble is needed. Clearly, it was mutually beneficial to get over this hurdle.

Frank Nouble was back in the starting line-up and wearing the captain’s armband again. Picture by Gary Brown

It was another slow afternoon. Since the powers that be have decided the Gloverscast are no longer allowed to do media at Huish Park I’ve been able to watch Yeovil as a supporter rather than having to think about what I’m going to say and I totally understand the grumbles. Yes we have injuries, yes we’ve got had a lot of player turnover and the rest of this season will be an exercise in self-preservation. But it can’t continue like this at home next season. I’ve had conversations with plenty of rational, reasonable and real supporters who are so disenchanted with the football that they’ll do other things with their weekends if this is the status quo.

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Another Saturday rolls around and another chance to catch up on how our loanees are getting on out and about.

We start, as we always do, in the National League South.

Will Buse was in goal for W*ymouth as they pulled off an almighty shock beating promotion-chasing Boreham Wood 2-1. The seagull botherers remaining 13 points adrift of safety from relegation, but credit where it’s due for that result.

Torquay United also won. They picked up huge three points in the promotion race with an 1-0 win away at promotion rivals Dorking Wanderers. Full-back Jordan Thomas played the final five or so minutes, replacing former Glover Jay Foulston.

 

Now to our headline game, Sherborne Town picked up a 2-0 win over United Sports Portsmouth FC in the Wessex League Premier Division.

Glovers’ defender Corey Koerner, who has featured on the substitutes’ bench for the first-team recently, scored the decisive second, but we should also mention the three other members of the young YTFC cohort also going well for the Zebras.

Jaydon Biss is a regular in their starting line up at the moment and is a first year Yeovil youngster, Joe Crisp was also used from the bench with Morgan Alexander also a familiar name on their substitutes bench.

 

Now, down at Shaftesbury, there’s a 16-year old by the name of Moss Jackson, who is currently attached to our youth set-up, he scored his first Southern League Division One South goal today in a 5-2 win over Westbury.

Bridport just keep on winning, George Geraghty was once again with them, Sol Padmore has been missing the last few games due to suspension.

Wellington lost 6-1 to high flying Portishead Town, Jacob Shore was on the bench and used towards the end with the game already long gone, he did play the full 90 in a 4-3 win midweek over Oldland Abbotonians, though. 

 

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All photos credited to Mr Gary Brown – Please contact him for permission to use any of the images below.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper was pleased with the response of his players despite seeing them go down to a fourth straight defeat.

The Glovers were edged out 1-0 by promotion chasing York City with an Ollie Pearce penalty early in the second half the difference at Huish Park. 

The manager told BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall that he was pleased with the reaction of his side after the 3-0 home defeat to relegation battlers Boston United in midweek.

Asked what he had said to his team after the match, he said: “I told them ‘well done’, it was a good performance against a good team, we limited them to just a few opportunities. I thought we made it difficult for them with the shape we worked on and we controlled them for large parts of the game. Of course now and again they are going to wriggle through and get half an opportunity, but I do not think we deserved to lose the game. I am more pleased with the performance because we showed a hunger, energy and physicality. 

“We should score towards the end, young McGuckin has a free header, Ryan McLean has a shot blocked on the line and then there were some great balls going across the face of goal at the end which we should score from.

“We had a lot more physicality in the team. We had Frank (Nouble) who keeps the ball for us at the top of the pitch because of his size, we had Kyle Ferguson who won most of his headers, who gave us that added bit of know-how and physicality. We are devastated we have lost, but it was a good performance. If we play with that endeavour and spirit, we will win plenty of games in our last eight games.”

Frank Nouble was back in the starting line-up and wearing the captain’s armband again.

The only goal of a match of few opportunities came in the 56th minute after young defender Kyle Ferguson, signed from National League Premier Division rivals Rochdale on loan for the remainder of the season during the week, brought down York’s speedy Joe Felix inside the box. Pearce, the division’s top scorer, stepped up to tap in his 22nd goal of the season.

On the goal, Cooper said: “It was poor from us out on the touchline. We let their player wriggle inside when our preparation is about always showing the player down the line because if you do that they have to cross it, but as soon as you let them inside you open the whole goal up. That was the mistake and Kyle has tried to make an attempt to stop Felix getting through and brings him down.

“We set up to be tough to beat today and play as much football as we usually do. We wanted to make it ugly and fight, run and scrap. I thought that is what happens when you are (near) the top of the league, every little half decision, although that was not why we did not win.”

In the second half, Yeovil introduced loanees Ciaran McGuckin, Ryan McLean and Kyrell Wilson, who were all dropped to the bench following the midweek defeat. McGuckin almost drew his side level with a header and McLean had a good opportunity.

Cooper said: “It helped the loan boys coming off the bench in to a positive environment rather than a toxic one. I think the fans responded to the pace we put on the pitch and I thought we took the game to them. It is not often this season you cannot say our boys do not give all they have got, they just been thrown off course with a horrendous injury list. That happens sometimes and we have had to react to that and now we have to recover, prepare for Solihull (Moors next weekend) and finish the season off properly.

“You would not think our boys were lacking confidence today, I thought they stood up and competed well against York physically. It was real dominant display by their captain Callum Howe who headed every ball out of the box and if he was not playing I think we would have scored from some of those crosses. He was a magnet to the ball and credit to him for that. If we show that spirit, we will have a good end to the season.

“If we can get our more experienced players in from the start of it, it gives us the ability to bring the pace we have off the bench. That is what having those players available to us again will do for us. None of Wannell, Williams, Jarvis, Maddox (will be back for Solihull), Michael Smith may have an outside chance.”

Michael Smith has not featured since suffering a hamstring injury in the 5-0 defeat at Barnet earlier this month. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

There was another injury worry for the Glovers when midfielder Brett McGavin had to be helped to the bench during the second half. Asked how the former Torquay United man was, Cooper said: “Sore, very sore. He has a big stud mark and swelling on his ankle. I thought it was his knee to start with but it is on his shin and his ankle.”

Nouble returned to the starting line-up and was returned to the captain’s role despite telling the club in the week that he wanted to leave to take up an offer from National League Premier Division side Gateshead.

His manager added: “I expected nothing less from Frank than for him to go to war today and put in a proper performance. He has been really good for the last month. We made it clear we did not want him to go, but his wish was to secure his family’s future and we completely understand that. For one reason or another that did not happen.”

 

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An Ollie Pearce tap in penalty saw Yeovil Town fall to a fourth straight defeat at the hands of promotion-chasing York City at Huish Park.

It was a game with few opportunities for either side which was decided by a 56th minute spot kick after debutant Kyle Ferguson felled the speedy Joe Felix inside the box and Pearce stepped up to fire it home.

Substitute Ciaran McGuckin headed Yeovil’s best opportunity over the bar late in the game, but it was another defeat.

Here’s how Ian saw it under the H at HP…..

First half

Both sides exchanged possession in the opening ten minutes with neither gaining much control.

A late challenge from Alex Hunt on Marcel Lavinier earned a deserved booking for the visitors.

The first proper opening came in the 26th minute as Junior Luamba surged forward on the left side but his pass (if that is what it was) was poor, with Josh Stones free on the penalty box.

The next action of note involved a fracas on the edge of the box. A low cross into the Yeovil box was half cleared by about four players before Charlie Cooper was fouled while he had the ball under his legs. Stones was booked for the handbags in the aftermath.

Sonny Blu Lo Everton on the run. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Stones nearly gave the visitors the lead moments later but was denied by the combination of Aidan Stone and Kyle Ferguson, with Yeovil’s latest loan signing enjoying the battle with York’s expensive centre forward.

Yeovil held their nerve at the back while York dominated possession without ever really testing Stone in the Yeovil goal.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 York City 0

Second half

 
The visitors appealed for a penalty minutes later when Ferguson felled Ollie Pearce. They didn’t have long to wait though as a minute later Joe Felix tripped over a Finn Cousin-Dawson’s leg to earn the visitors a penalty that man PEARCE tapped in. 0-1.
 
 
Aidan Stone denied York a sensational second goal on the hour mark. The Glovers’ keeper was at full stretch to deny a spectacular Tyrese Sinclair bicycle kick.
 
Captain Frank Nouble, back in the starting line-up having been seemingly on his way out of Huish Park in midweek, was on the line to clear away from the result corner too as York looked to turn the screw.
 
Yeovil brought Ciaran McGuckin in the hunt for an equaliser and shortly after Nouble had a couple of headers that were easy for the York keeper to handle. Yeovil were forced into a change in the 76th minute as Brett McGavin went off with an injury. The midfielder needed to be helped off the pitch, a worrying moment given the “war zone” in the Huish Park medical room.
 
Brett McGavin is helped from the pitch. Picture courtesy of Debs Curtis.
 
Substitute Ryan McLean had a decent effort at goal from the edge of the box which had all the sting taken out of it by a couple of a ricochets.
 
Yeovil supporters were in their feet with nine minutes left after speedy run from Kyrell Wilson who found Sonny Blu Lo-Everton on the edge of the box, but the midfielder sliced his effort. York failed to clear and gave away a corner. McGuckin nearly headed in from the corner as Yeovil tried to get level.
 
Even Stone went forward for an injury time set piece and hooked one goalwards from the edge of the box, but it went over the bar and that was that for Yeovil.
 

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 York City 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 15th March, 3:00pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Ollie Pearce pen 56 (0-1)

Pitch: Firm and bobbly in patches
Conditions: Overcast and chilly

Attendance: 2,862 (277 away supporters)

Bookings: 
York City: Alex Hunt 9, Josh Stones 35
Yeovil Town:  Kyle Ferguson 56

Referee: Aaron Farmer

Yeovil Town (3-5-2)

Substitutes:  Ciaran McGuckin (for Marcel Lavinier, 63), Ryan McLean (for Josh Sims, 71), Kyrell Wilson (for Brett McGavin, 77), Harvey Greenslade (for Alex Whittle, 88), Frankie Terry (not used), Jahmari Clarke (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

York City: Harrison Male, Callum Howe, Alex Hunt (for Ryan Fallowfield, 76), Ollie Pearce, Lewis Richardson (for Tyrese Sinclair, 46), Dan Batty, Cameron John (for Adam Crookes, 62), Joe Felix, Josh Stones (for Lennell John-Lewis, 76), Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Junior Luamba (for Billy Chadwick, 84).

Substitutes (not used): Rory Watson, Ashley Nathaniel-George, Billy Chadwick.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said he has spoken to striker Frank Nouble who is back in the starting line-up for today’s match at home to York City.

The frontman was reported to have told the club he wanted to leave before a move to National League Premier Division side Gateshead fell through, and was absent for the 3-0 humbling by relegation battlers Boston United at Huish Park on Tuesday night.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall ahead of the match, Cooper said: “We didn’t want Frank to go, he was in the team and playing well. When he puts himself about like he has done in the last few games he is a difficult opposition to play against.”

Asked if he expected the 33-year-old to still be at the club following the National League transfer deadline, the manager said: “I would think so, unless there is some kind of takeover at Gateshead which is what I think was supposed to be happening. I have had a good chat with Frank and he wants to stay now. He is another one that has a lot to play for, he is trying to earn himself a contract here or elsewhere.”

Frank Nouble, Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Nouble is one of four changes from the midweek defeat with new loanee Kyle Ferguson and Dom Bernard coming in to defence and midfielder Josh Sims also starting. Dropping to the bench are loan defender Frankie Terry and forwards Ciaran McGuckin and Kyrell Wilson.

The manager said: “If you had stood in the tunnel (against Boston United) and looked at the team, it was very diminutive compared to the opposition and we needed to put some physicality in the team (today). We have done that with Kyle Ferguson and Frank (Nouble), so it gives us a little more physicality and maturity.“

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Striker Frank Nouble is back in the Yeovil Town starting line-up and wearing the captain’s armband as the Glovers prepare to take on big-spending York City at Huish Park today (3pm kick-off).

The 33-year-old, who manager Mark Cooper said had asked to leave the club before Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat to Boston United, replaces Ciaran McGuckin, who drops to the bench along with forwards Kyrell Wilson and Ryan McLean and Frankie Terry, the defender on loan from Colchester United.

In their place come defenders Kyle Ferguson, signed on loan from Rochdale yesterday, and Dom Bernard and Josh Sims, who appeared as a substitute in the midweek defeat.

 

 

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Central defender Kyle Ferguson has arrived at Yeovil Town on loan until the end of the season from National League Premier Division side Rochdale.

The 25-year-old brings much needed cover in the Glovers’ backline following injuries to Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell ahead of the visit of big-spending York City at Huish Park this weekend.

He joins defender Frankie Terry and forwards Ryan McLean, Ciaran McGuckin and Kyrrell Wilson as the fifth loanee on the books, the maximum allowed to feature in a matchday squad. Sean McGurk and James Plant, who were on loan from Swindon Town and Port Vale respectively, have both returned to their parent club due to injury.

It is not an unfamiliar location for the Scotsman who appeared as a ninth minute substitute for his parent club following an early injury to Ethan Ebanks-Landell during Dale’s 1-0 win in Somerset on August Bank Holiday Monday.

He has not featured for Rochdale since Boxing Day which was his 12th appearance this season. In the 2022/23 season, he had further experience at this level during a loan spell at Altrincham from Harrogate Town.

Welcome to Somerset, Kyle!