Player interviews (Page 4)

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Yeovil Town defender Jake Wannell spoke to the official Glovers’ YouTube after the side’s 2-0 win over Tonbridge angels, a game which gave his side their first clean sheet of the season.

“It’s been a long time coming, that clean sheet, so over the moon with it, we can just concentrate on Monday now.
It’s unheard of to have four home games of the bat and we feel like we’ve given (the fans) a nice little send off before we go away on Monday.”

The clean sheet was something that the Manager had targeted before the game, with the former Taunton Town man saying that there had been a bit of a quiet word about making sure the defence weren’t breached.

“Mark (Cooper) actually pulled the back four into the office before the game and said ‘look we need to keep a clean sheet for once’ and ‘tighten up’ basically and that’s what we did…It’s unbelievable, the boys have been brilliant, it’s a dream job, and yeah, we can go again on Monday, 

It’s brilliant (to play at Huish Park) but we need Staunts to win the toss for once so we can actually kick towards the home fans.”

As for Monday, there’s no secret to what the players will be doing on Sunday, training is scheduled before the Bank Holiday trip to Havant, Wannell says it’s just about going again.

“Its a 4G pitch, which can make a difference, but we’re in (on Sunday) rest, recover and repeat basically.

I just take every game as it comes, stick to the plan and hopefully we get the wins. “

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Yeovil Town’s Jordan Young scored his first Glovers’ goal has the hosts wrapped up a four-match home run with a third win at Huish Park.

Young scored the opener with Frank Nouble sealing the points late on, speaking exclusively to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall, he said that his patience had been worth it to finally notch his first league goal for the team. 

“Obviously, I’m happy to get off the mark, I knew it was coming, I just needed to stay patient, work my into the team and I’m glad we got the win in the end.”

“I’ve always been confident when I play, I just think that it was a tough end to (last) season, with the club and stuff, but I’ve got to look at myself and think how can I get involved more and get on the score sheet, that’s what I’ve worked on this summer – what I can do better.”

 

The 13th minute goal was struck with his weaker right foot after a neat move to open the scoring in the first half;

“I took it onto my right foot – I don’t really know why – I’m left footed, but it was just what came to me at that time.

We started really well, we were really good in the first half, but when we’re good it’s important we take our chances, we should have gone in two or three-nil up and then the game is done, but we made it a bit hard for ourselves.

In the second half, they’re going to come out fighting and that’s what they did, we were a bit slow to get going in the second half and we had to defend for long periods, but in the end, we hit them on the counter and got the job done.”

The Glovers did miss chances to extend their lead, not least from a Rhys Murphy penalty, which was saved by the visiting Angels’ keeper, something which Young isn’t worried about… even if he did promise a tongue in cheek chat… 

“I’ll have a chat with (Murphy) about (the penalty) later, obviously Murph is a top player, penalties get saved all the time, it’s nothing bad on him, just one of those things.”

Late goals have been the order of the day at Huish Park, as have substitutes making an impact, something which shows the strength in depth Yeovil have. 

“It’s happened a few times, we’ve got a good squad here, if you don’t start you have got to come on and make an impact and that’s what they did again, it’s difficult, you’re not going to score every chance you get so, it’s important that at the other end of the pitch we’re nice and tight and not concede.”

“I always want to play football, it’s up to the gaffer, but I’ve done my bit today and we’ll go from there. “

Looking ahead, Young just wants to keep the momentum going, but appreciates Monday’s game against Havant and Waterlooville won’t be easy for multiple reasons.

“I was at Chippenham last year and (Havant) were a really good team last year, the year before we just beat them to the play-offs, so we know they’re a good team, they’ve started not great, I’ve got a friend there and he’s saying they’re doing the right things, it’s going to be a tough game. 

Once you get a little winning run going, you’re flying, you’re on your way and you’ve just got to keep doing it day in, day out and take it in to match days.”

“The best thing about having a big squad is weekends like this – it’s a bit crazy if you ask me, playing 90 today and then again on Monday, it’s tough, but we’ve got good players to come in and out, which is how it’s been so far, so hopefully we can keep going. 

If we can come off the back of two wins, that would be a really good weekend.”

You can listen to the full chat with Jordan and Ian below. 

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Yeovil Town skipper Josh Staunton has said he’s confident that the Glovers are heading in the right direction.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the double header against Tonbridge and Havant, he confirmed he wouldn’t be available for Monday’s game but that Saturday’s was the first port of call.

“It’s a bit of a different one for me knowing I wouldn’t play on Monday but it’s it’s a good opportunity for us, we have the squad to be able to rotate which is is always crucial, it might give us an edge over some teams in the league with the quality we have in depth it’s a good opportunity for us to hopefully go back to back and really stake our claim and and get right up the league.”

Speaking to BBC Somerset, Staunton said that the situation, form and division of the team may have changed since last season, but that leadership was still throwing up it’s challenges.

“It’s a different challenge, I’d much rather be dealing with this situation than last year, but everything puts its own challenges up, we’ve been more focused on the things we haven’t done as a group and and how we can build and and about trying to build some momentum and confidence reallyand keep us on a level playing field; never too high when we win and and don’t feel like the world is going to end when we lose or draw so it’s been a different challenge but every every game is a different challenge and we’re trying to build as a group so it’s kind of like a work in motion”

Mark Cooper in discussion with captain Josh Staunton: Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

With two wins, a draw and a single loss on the record, Staunton was adamant the side are gelling and working towards getting into a full flow sooner rather than later. 

“I think that fans have turned out in their numbers and it’s been brilliant and hopefully throughout the season we’ll give them plenty of reasons to come back and those who have stayed away still, we’ll hopefully entice them in.

“It’s an exciting thing to be a part of, I think the fans are probably anxious when we’re not not ahead and understandably so, I think it’s going to take a bit of time for us to kind of get used to this positioning in the league and come to terms with the fact that we’re going to have to be probably a bit more patient in terms of the way teams are going to set up against us, I think it’s clear to see we’re all in it together, I think of us as one big community now and look to be focusing and trying to do things in the right way on and off the pitch and long may tit continue and and hopefully we’ll give them something to cheer about.

“We understand our shortcomings in the first four games we’re by no means a finished product and um yeah we’ll just look forward and it’s about looking ahead really isn’t it and I think the longer the club can do that rather than focus on kind of looking over at shoulder which has been the case for several years, it’s nice to be able to try and just focus on the football and and look forward to what’s ahead.”

There was plenty of chat about the differences between playing part-time and full-time teams and even about how they can go about scouting and preparing for each opponent, but Staunton was sure it was down to us to implement our game plan and dictate the games. 

“I think we’re making steps in the right direction, I thought the first half on Saturday was a progression I thought we implemented some of what we wanted to do, and understanding a bit more (about) each players movements and where people need to be on the pitch, I think it’s going to take time.”

“It will take time because we’re making the manager’s lives harder than it should be because we’re not implementing ourselves as we should do, we’ve had to change shape a lot of times, that’s the players on the pitch’s responsibility in terms of sticking to the plan and doing what’s expected to us but in terms of personality wise the group is very good, 

I feel like we’re going the right right direction.

When we have a performance which doesn’t quite represent what we want to be, regardless of the result, we’re very honest with each other and strive for better. It’s not ‘okay so let’s just paper over the cracks with a 2-1 win on Tuesday night’ we we understand we need to be better in certain aspects and implement ourselves further up the pitch, I think that’s clear to see, more penetrating passes and be a bit braver in that final third and we’ve been working hard to to make sure we rectify that and get ourselves ready for the upcoming games.”

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Defender Morgan Williams pulled no punches as he described the performance of himself and his Yeovil Town team-mates as “terrible” after 1-1 draw against Maidstone United at Huish Park on Saturday.

The 23-year-old, who recovered from a dead leg suffered in the midweek win over Truro City to start today, said he was annoyed that they had not been able to replicate what they had practiced in training in the week leading up to the match.

Wiliams came closest to scoring when his header was superbly turned away by Maidstone keeper Lucas Covolan in the first half and it was left to substitute Rhys Murphy to come off the bench to grab a late equaliser to salvage a point.

Speaking with BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Williams said: “We know that was way below our standards, were terrible today. There were a few spells where we tried to create but, if you can’t win them, don’t lose them. We got the point and we just have to move on now.

“We lacked a lot of quality, we got the ball in to the final third and we know we did not create enough. Our crosses were poor and we just did not have that killer instinct.

“It is annoying because we work all week to create chances and get in good areas to put balls in to the box and we just did not do it. We lacked quality, myself included.”

Some inside Huish Park believed that Williams’ 38th-minute header crossed the line including the man himself, he said: “From my angle I am obviously got to say it was in! But I spoke to the linesman and he said he could not see it from there, so he could not give it. We had enough time to get another goal, but it just did not come today.”

The former Coventry City youngster said his team-mates were having to get used to playing against a mix of part-time and full-time sides in National League South and the different levels of fitness which they each come equipped with.

He added: “One week you are coming against a full-time team and then a part-time team when we should be able to run riot. We are still getting used to it a bit, but sometimes we have to mix it up like today when we went a lot longer. We are just trying to find that balance of when to play and when not to play.“

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Yeovil Town defender Alex Whittle was named as the Glovers’ Man of the Match by the match sponsor on Tuesday night, he was pleased with the 2-1 win over Truro but suggested that the side could have done even more,

Speaking to the YTFC YouTube channel the former York City man said;

“We huffed and puffed first half, I don’t think we were really at it, but towards the last 15-minutes of the first half we started getting in the game a bit, we tweaked the formation a bit, I thought that worked.

In the second half, they hit us on the break and scored, but in the last 20 minutes, we stuck together and came on strong, they were getting tired and we eventually wore them down, and you can’t beat a last minute winner.

“…we eventually wore them down, and you can’t beat a last minute winner.”

You’ve just got to work hard, we had that little bit of quality in the end, we’ve got good players but we’re still learning, we’re still clicking, it’s still early days, but we’re a new team and hopefully we can keep getting the wins.”

Goals from Olly Thomas and Jake Wannell set Yeovil on their way to victory after being 1-0 down, something which Whittle things is partly down the group as a whole working as a unit;

“It’s a good set of lads, everyone is together, that just shows at the end with the last minute winner- we kept going and you’d rather score a last minute winner like that wouldn’t you!?

It’s (settling in at Yeovil) been good, it’s a good pitch, good set of lads, good manager, we try and play the right way, obviously, it’s early days, but I’m hoping we’ll get better as it goes on.

The end goal has got to be promotion, but we’ve got to be in and around it, that’s two home wins now and we need to back that up again on Saturday, Maidstone are a decent team and we’re going to have to play better than we did today.”

 

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Yeovil Town defender Morgan Williams has urged supporters not to panic after an opening day defeat to Hemel Hempstead Town.

Speaking to YTFC’s YouTube channel the central defender said: “Its obviously not nice to start with a loss, we didn’t think it would be like that, but we’ve got 45 games (to go).  We spoke about it, we’ve got 45 games left, there’s no need to panic or anything like that. I thought we played well in some spells, we know we are way better than that and we’ve shown that in pre-season, we just need to show that next Saturday.”

Following the error between Zac Bell and goalkeeper Will Buse that led to the only goal of the game, Williams isn’t concerned and backs his team mates to come good.

“We know that they’re good enough, it’s just an error, everyone makes errors, we’re all human. Busey and Belly have been top the whole of pre-season and we know that they’ll save us this season with a lot of chances and stuff, you rub it off and we go again.”

Morgan Williams. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The defeat means that Yeovil haven’t won on the opening day since 2016, but Williams is sure things will get going sooner rather than later.

“We’re all good enough, we can’t make excuses this year, we’re going to go to places all over the (south of) the country and it’s going to be bad places, bad grounds, whatever, but we have to adapt to that and play how we want to play and we should get results.”

Plenty of praise for the Glovers fans, who may well have outnumbered the home supporters in a number just topping 1200.

“It’s very disappointing to let them down, we knew how many were coming and we apologise for letting them down, but we know we can put it right and hopefully they’ll all be down there on Saturday.”

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Yeovil Town’s captain for the day Matt Worthington has stood by his team mates after a drawing a blank against Hemel Hempstead Town on the opening day of the new National League South season.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins post-match, the midfielder, who took the armband in absence of skipper Josh Staunton, offered no excuses as to the result, but said that the goals would come.

“We were prepared for what we faced today, the Gaffer, prepared us as well as he could, ultimately it was down to us to put a performance together. We were solid for large parts of the game, we created, we had a lot of balls in their box especially towards the end of the first half, weshould have got a goal to go into half time with.

“Ultimately, at the end we concede – not a great goal – it was a day for learning and we need to put that behind us, we have four home games which I’m really looking forward to. It (the pitch) was tough, it was a tough surface to play on, they’re used to it, they train on it every day.”

Matt Worthington.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Despite creating chances, the Glovers couldn’t find the net after a profitable pre-season campaign in front of goal, but Worthy said he’s not concerned in the long run.

“The quality speaks for itself up front, we’ve got Jordan (plural), Frank, Murphy, and the lads that came off the bench. We will get goals this year, there’s no doubt about that, we created chances, and with them lads up front, we’re definitely going to score goals. We just need to make sure we continue to create those chances.”

The only Tudors’ goal came from a mix up between wing-back Zac Bell and goalkeeper Will Buse, but Worthington has said that it’s a chance to learn and move forward.

“You have to make them realise they can’t do that, it’s a mistake, everyone makes mistakes, like I’ve said to Busey in there, it’s almost good that it’s happened now, so he can learn from that and take it forward.

I think if we’d have kept it at 0-0 we’d always have a chance with the quality we have up top to nick a goal and win the game 1-0 at the end.”

“We have to move on, we have four home games now, this game is not going make or break our season, so we have to all stay together and go into the next four games.”

“(Huish Park) is going to a place where the fans can really get behind us and we have to make sure we give them everything – all the lads are looking forward to that, we’re lucky to have four home games so early on in the season, so we need to make sure we get as many points out of them as possible.”

On captaining the side in Josh Staunton’s absence, Worthy said: “It’s a massive honour, to look back at the captains we’ve had at the club, and still now, it’s just nice to know when he’s (Josh Staunton’s) unavailable to play I can put the armband on. Staunts, Lee Collins – people I really look up to, to put the arm band on is a massive achievement and I feel really happy.”

The Glovers take on St Albans City in their opening league fixture at Huish Park next Saturday.

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Lawson D’Ath challenged his Yeovil Town team-mates to “roll their sleeves up” as they fell deeper in to the relegation mire with a 2-0 defeat against Maidenhead United on Tuesday night.

The midfielder, who was replaced by Malachi Linton in the 72nd minute in Berkshire, admitted the performance was “not good enough” against one of their National League relegation rivals.

The Glovers travel to fellow strugglers York City on Saturday with just two goals on goal difference keeping them out of the division’s relegation places after Gateshead picked up a valuable 2-1 win to boost their fight to stay up.

D’Ath told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “We know that is not good enough, it is just the basics and you only have to look at the (first) goal. If we had come in at 0-0 we would have had a better chance, but it’s not good enough.”

Manager Mark Cooper pointed to the energy the players expended in Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat to leaders Notts County in his post-match interview, but D’Ath said they could not use that as an excuse for their performance.

He added: “We have Saturday-Tuesday weeks coming up, so it is not a good enough excuse. Yes, we are tried after a tough performance both physically and mentally against Notts County but we should have come and at least got a point here and moved on to the next game.

“I still think we had chances early on in the second half, it was just a lack of quality and then we got done on the counter attack.”

Asked if his position as one of the squad’s more senior players added extra responsibility, he said: “No matter how old you are, who you are, where you have come from, we have to roll our sleeves up for this club and fight for every point.”

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Yeovil Town top-scorer Alex Fisher is targeting picking up some points as the Glovers head in to a busy fixture list over Christmas.

This weekend sees bottom club Scunthorpe United visit Somerset followed by a trip to Barnet on Tuesday night and then a double header against Torquay United offering 12 points in the space of just three weeks.

The Glovers sit five points off the National League relegation places and Fisher sees this period as a chance to put more distance between them and the bottom three.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, he said: “Up until the weekend (and the abandoned game at Bromley) we were four or five points off the bottom, but only eight off the play-offs. I know you don’t want to think too far ahead, but it just goes to show how a little change in form can change your outlook.

“The Gaffer’s sentiment is bang on, get points on the board any way you can, like our last result (at Huish Park) was a great 1-0 win (against FC Halifax Town) but not a pretty performance.  But those results are necessary to get a foothold and pull ourselves away from the bottom.”

Alex Fisher. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

He added of the Christmas period: “The more games that come thick and fast the better. I love the idea of playing games where you get bigger crowds, derby games which we will be doing.

“You could suddenly be nine or 12 points in the space of two weeks, so you focus on what could be, it’s a good chance to start making the way up the table.”

Fisher saw strike partner Louis Britton, who he began the match at Bromley alongside, get his first goal in green and white in the 2-1 Somerset Men’s Premier Cup second round win over Taunton Town in midweek.

The top scorer, who has four goals this season, stayed on the bench for that tie whilst a number of players who had not been starting matches including Lawson D’Ath, Charlie Wakefield and Britton were all handed starts.

Fisher said: “It’s pretty clear no-one here ever rests on any laurels and you’re always looking over your shoulder if someone and if you’re not playing, you are always raring to go to get that matchday shirt.

“It was a good result, positive to progress in that cup and looking forward to Saturday.”

Of Britton, he added: “He’s a really hard worker, he keeps his head down and does the right things and sometimes there’s a bit of a monkey on your back when you haven’t got a goal having signed for a club.

“So to get a goal that every on in your Yeovil career will do him the world of good.“

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Yeovil Town full-back Jamie Reckord said new manager Mark Cooper has got the side playing more football than they did under previous boss Chris Hargreaves.

The 30-year-old, who was brought to the club by Hargreaves in the summer, had a spell under Cooper when he was on loan at Swindon Town in 2014

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s match with FC Halifax Town, Reckord said: “I knew what to expect, but training has changed a bit. He wants us to play a bit more than Chris did and that’s just the way he played and it feels like it’s suited us well and we’ve had a few good results lately.

“Him coming in has changed a few people’s mindsets with people not being in the squad and a few new people have come in which has changed the team.

“I feel like we have been unlucky and on Saturday (at Notts County) we were able to grind out a results, whereas before something always seemed to happen and there’s probably a bit more belief in the team now.”

The full-back, who was top scorer with three goals up until striker Alex Fisher’s double against Gateshead a fortnight ago, was part of a well-organised defensive display which earned a point with a goalless draw at Notts County last weekend.

He picked up a booking in that match, his seventh of the season, but he said the game plan given to the team by Cooper was perfect for the job against the National League leaders.

Reckord added: “We knew we had to stick to our job, don’t get lazy and don’t switch off, and just defend and enjoy defending. Everyone played a massive part in that.

“We had to be realistic, they are top of the table for a reason, and we’re not going to go there and pass them off the park, so we knew what we needed to do.

“The Gaffer gave us a game plan and we stuck to it perfectly and we got a point and at the end of the season I think we’ll look back and that will be a massive one for us.”