Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 80)

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News
Morgan Alexander puts Yeovil Town Under-18s ahead. Picture courtesy of Matt Partridge.

Last week saw the news that Yeovil Town Under 18s have withdrawn from the Western Counties Floodlight League in order to protect the Huish Park pitch, which has been blasted with severe weather over the last few months. The club’s statement said that the league rejected our proposed change of venue for home fixtures forcing Yeovil’s hand to drop out of the competition. I understand that we’d agreed to use a local non-league club for the fixtures. The club has reiterated its commitment to development and is ‘working to arrange high-quality matches against top local league clubs’.

It’s a shame for the club, the kids and the league itself, that surely benefits from having Yeovil in the division, and for whatever political reason the decision has been made, it potentially impacts the future careers of some talented kids. Many of us clamour for that “Green Machine” that produced Chris Weale, Andy Lindegaard, Chris Giles, Craig Alcock and others who came through the academy and part of the first team. As we’ve seen down the road at Exeter, a thriving academy can prove lucrative and create the holy grail; a self-sustaining football club.

Could anyone else not help but get a bit jealous of our National League comrades in FA Cup 3rd Round action? Seeing Dagenham at Millwall and Tamworth take Tottenham (what do we think of Tottenham?) to the limit really hit home. The power of the FA Cup and what it can means for small clubs was very evident.

Distant Glover’s FA Cup commentary

It’s a disgrace that Tamworth’s reward for keeping Tottenham at bay for more than 90 minutes doesn’t see them earn a lucrative replay. That money would be club-changing for Tamworth and while they’ll get some attention, splitting the gate at Spurs would have been the real jackpot. The top teams have got their way though. While they have their multi-million pound training centres with every recovery remedy at their fingertips, Yeovil Town play their second match of three in the space of seven days tonight.

Assistant referee. Picture by Gary Brown

Once again, the officiating was up for discussion following the draw at Woking. There’ve been so many flash points this season, moments in games where you can’t quite believe what your seeing. It would be fascinating to know how other clubs feel about the officiating. Since Hartlepool on the opening day and Tom Parkes’ tackle on Jordan Young, referees have drawn the ire of Mark Cooper. After Gateshead, Boston, Solihull, Sutton United, Oldham, Tamworth, Southend, Halifax, York City, Forest Green Rovers, Woking there have been questions asked about key decisions in matches and comments around the officials. Is there a conspiracy against Yeovil? Are officials going into Yeovil matches with their backs up because of comments made about officials following previous matches? I’m not convinced there is a conspiracy against the Glovers but we certainly see some questionable decisions in our matches.

The ESPN National League Fair Play table from the past six seasons shows there was an increase in yellows per game last season with an average of 1.89 per match in 2023/24 compared to 1.59 in 2022/23. So far this season there’s an average of 2.08 yellows per match. So, either players are getting naughtier or they’re falling foul as the laws of the game change. I’m sure we all long for a fixture where the referee isn’t the topic and it’s all about the performance. However, based on the season so far, I’m sure we’re in for plenty more refereeing conversations.

By:
On:
In: Five Conclusions, Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

I’m rule one-ing this one. What more is there to say about officials that hasn’t already been said? I’m not convinced they were penalties, though. Here are my Five Conclusions from the 1-1 draw with Woking.

We didn’t impose our game in the second half. I thought the first half was even, and we deserved to go in ahead. Everything was in our favour, 1-0, shooting towards the home end (which had been in good voice during the first half) I thought we’d push on and get those three points. But, we never got going. Woking controlled the second half and imposed their game on us. They’re a good well-organised team and far from the side we faced a few weeks ago, but, so are we. As the game wore, to me, it felt like it was more a case of trying not to lose, rather than trying to win until the dying stages of the game.

Sean McGurk. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

What a header from Jarvis. In the first half I thought we looked more likely to create something, especially from the wide areas with Nouble and Sims getting those “bits and pieces’ around the box. Aaron Jarvis had plenty to do with Charlie Cooper’s looping cross into the box from deep in stoppage time. There was only one way that header was finding the back of the net and it was perfectly executed by Yeovil’s number nine.

Dale Gorman, man. We know Gorman’s game well. He did it for us for a season and I think he was generally under appreciated. Now when he returns to Huish Park he gives the shithouse performance of a lifetime and keeps his teams ticking. Somehow he wasn’t booked and his antics saw Cooper carded in less than three minutes. He was at the heart of everything for Woking (alongside former Glover Jamie Andrews) constantly probing and once again left Huish Park being booed.

Dale Gorman. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

We left it late to make attacking changes. At 1-0, with 20 minutes left and a Woking side that were gaining momentum and made a couple of attacking substitutes we opted to take out Nouble and bring in Michael Smith. Four minutes later O’Brien equalise. It wasn’t until the 83rd minute that we changes things further up the pitch and brought Maddox on for McGurk (my MOTM) and then 90+4 we bring on Greenslade. The tactical change didn’t pay dividends and I’m not sure it had enough time to. 

What is it about the home form? Yeovil have won just four out of the 14 home matches (including W*ymouth) this season, which after the form last season is surprising. I know we didn’t win, but on New Years Day we went to Forest Green and played brilliantly for 75 minutes against a top team. The ability to reproduce that consistently is why we’re in the middle. Last season ‘Fortress Huish’ was a big part of our success and for whatever we’ve not been able to reproduce that. With Gateshead coming to town on Friday, there’s a unique opportunity to give people an entertaining night out at the football and put on a show!

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Match Officials
Ref, Referee, Match Official

Yeovil Town head to Ebbsfleet for a midweek clash and our referee for the game will be Rob Massey-Ellis.

Rob isn’t the only official in his own marriage, his wife to Sian Massey-Ellis who has officiated at a range of levels as both ref and assistant.

Anyway, the cover image we’ve used for this article comes from the Glovers’ home game with Aldershot Town earlier on this season where Mr Massey-Ellis was in charge.

That game ended 1-1, a fine strike from Ciaran McGuckin for the home side.

He booked six players that day, including three Yeovil players. Frank Nouble, Aaron Jarvis and Dom Bernard will hope not to hear the words ‘remember me?’ on Tuesday night. 

I refer back to one part in the Gloverscast Match Report for the next observation;

“Referee Robert Massey-Ellis thinks it is neither a foul or a booking. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” says Huish Park, followed by less polite things.” 

Oh.

Anyway, in three YTFC games officiated by Rob Massey-Ellis, we’ve won none, lost none, seen no red cards and no penalties for or against us. 

Referee, Rob Massey-Ellis,
Pre Match Photoshoot

Ebbsfleet United FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Massey-Ellis, Robert
Assistant Referee: Bandara, Damith
Assistant Referee: Hayden, Michael
Fourth Official: Webb, Michael

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Loan Watch

Saturday was a bit of a frosty one across the South West and so this might not be the longest edition of Loan Watch.

In the National League South, Jordan Thomas wasn’t involved for Torquay, serving a suspension after a recent red card.

Whilst Will Buse had to pick the ball out of the W*ymouth net on three occasions, including from a wonderful Rhys Murphy strike as Dorking got the better of a five-goal thriller.

Corey Koerner was named on the bench for Sherborne in their 1-0 defeat to AFC Portchester, the scorer on the day, one Brett Pitman!

Whilst the Reserves at Sherborne didn’t play today, we’ve noticed that Joe Crisp and Blake Watts have been involved in their set up recently too, both had scored for the Under 18s this season and both are regularly playing for the Zebras squad too.

Bridport – who had Sol Padmore in their line up – were 3-0 down as the clock ticked beyond the hour mark.

But a remarkable comeback saw them snatch a point, the equaliser coming  from the head of our very own George Geraghty.

So, whilst the Under 18s may not be involved in their own league, plenty of young Glovers are out and about getting game time in the local divisions.  

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Match Galleries

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

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Manager, Press Conferences

Mark Cooper was left fuming, once again, with officiating following Yeovil’s 1-1 draw with Woking. Cooper, who was in the stands following his red card against Braintree, felt his side should have had two clear penalties in the final minute of the match.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman, he said: “I don’t know how many games on the trot now where the referee’s getting abused coming off the pitch. There’s two clear penalties in last minute. Clear penalties, one on Jacob Maddox and a rugby tackle on Josh Sims. Two in a minute, and then obviously, Ciaran’s clean through on goal and to not even get foul, let alone a red card, is I just don’t know. It’s pretty, pretty frustrating, really. The performance was okay, good enough to win. One mistake cost us a goal.”

“[In the] first half, we had some good bits and pieces around the box, Jarv got in a couple of times from balls over the top. Yeah, I thought it was going to be a 1-0.

“Like I say, we’ve not had a penalty yet. Plenty against us, but we’ve not had a penalty. Did the referee’s or the officials’ performance mean we didn’t win the game? No, because we should have made sure we didn’t concede the goal. We could have scored another goal to make it too much, but you saw the game, mate, it’s not for me to comment. You saw the game. I know the press’s job is to try and get me to slaughter the referee, but I’m trying to be diplomatic. I’m already sat in the stand today for telling the referee wasn’t having a jolly good game,” he added.

Cooper felt his side were comfortable in the game and that Aidan O’Brien’s equaliser came from poor defending.

“I thought we were pretty comfortable in the game. One poor defensive moment, ball over the top, let their guy inside and they equalise.

“I was pretty pleased in how we played and [I’m] struggling to get over what happened at the end, really with the last minute. It’s a game we should win, but it’s another point.”