The National League Premier Division season comes to a close with a trip to FA Trophy finalists Aldershot Town on Bank Holiday Monday.
Form Guide…
Neither side are finishing the season in style with Yeovil Town picking up seven points in their last six matches, and Aldershot Town getting just four.
Last time out Yeovil went down to a 2-1 defeat in their final home game of the season against Sutton United. Aldershot were defeated 4-0 at champions Barnet, a result which secured the title for the Bees.
In fact, The Shots have not picked up a win since they clinched a place in the FA Trophy final. Four defeats in their last five matches have seen them ship 17 goals, including a 7-2 defeat at York City.
Conceding goals has been their issue this season. They have let in 82 goals in their 45 games and only the division’s bottom two, Ebbsfleet United (96) and AFC Fylde (82) have let in as many.
Aldershot will be without a key player in full-back Ryan Jones who suffered a broken leg in the 3-0 defeat at local rivals Woking on Easter Monday. The former Bristol Rovers youngster has been a stand out performer for them this season.
Key Players…
Yeovil – Finn Cousin-Dawson
The form of the summer signing in the second half of the season has been largely overlooked, but he has impressed stepping forward in to midfield.
His aerial ability and calmness on the ball has been important as he has both filled the voids left by injuries to first choice central defenders Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell, and when he has moved up the pitch.
He’s also a player who remains under contract for next season having signed a two-year deal when he arrived from Bradford City in the summer.
James Henry tries to find a way past Ollie Wright in the 1-1 draw at Huish Park in September. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
Aldershot Town – James Henry
At the age of 35, James Henry should be slowing down but the former Millwall player has proved vital for Aldershot since joining last summer.
He has contributed 15 goals this season playing mostly in a wide position, just one goal behind top scorer Josh Barrett who will be another one to watch.
But Henry’s consistency and experience has added even more for our hosts on Bank Holiday Monday.
That’s what he said…
You may have heard that Aldershot Town are in the FA Trophy final with Spennymoor United their opponents six days after they take on Yeovil.
But Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper is under no illusions that Aldershot will be taking it easy with a trip to Wembley next weekend.
Speaking ahead of the Bank Holiday fixture, he told BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah: “I think they will be full strength and trying to get a bit of form going in to the final and they will want to get this sorted on Monday. I do not buy in to talk about that they will rest players, people told me that about Sutton United (before the 2-1 home defeat at Huish Park last time out) because they had (the National League Cup) final the following Tuesday and none of that happened. It is about on the day, you have to be up for it because otherwise you will get beaten.”
Aldershot assistant manager Hugo Langton stepped in front of the camera following the 4-0 defeat at champions Barnet in their last match and admitted his side had not been good enough recently.
He said: “We can’t hide the fact we have not been on a great run lately. We have got nine games until the next game, so we have a good week ahead of us and sometimes we have to be brutally honest with each other.
“The things that have been disappointing recently, we have got to get right. They are things we have been working on and we just have to work harder at it and that is what we will do.”
We’ve met before…
This is the tenth meeting between Yeovil Town and Aldershot Town and the previous nine results have ended in three wins, three draws and three defeats for each.
The last two meetings have ended up in 1-1 draws with Ciaran McGuckin levelling after Josh Barrett’s opener at Huish Park in this season’s reverse fixture at the end of September.
Last time we met at The Recreation Ground was on Yeovil’s way out of the National League Premier Division on Good Friday in 2023. Callum Harriott (remember him?) equalised in the second half for the Glovers.
Don’t I know you…
Shots’ central defender Christian Maghoma had a loan spell at Huish Park in 2015 – but failed to make a single appearance. He joined a Yeovil side bottom of League Two as an 18-year-old on loan from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur.
Who’s been naughty then…
Aldershot midfielder Cameron Hargreaves, son of ex-Glovers’ boss, Chris, is available again having served a three-match ban for his sending off in the 7-2 defeat at York City.
There are no suspensions affecting Yeovil Town.
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