Yeovil Town travel to Kent this weekend as they take on FA Cup giant killers Maidstone United in the league.
The Glovers currently sit a top the league by thirteen points clear of second. However, they face the tough task of winning away from home against a strong George Elokobi side.
Maidstone have dropped off results wise in the league recently only winning two of their last five league games. They have been strong in cup competitions though recently beating Ipswich Town who are second in the Championship.
Yeovil Town Team News
Manager Mark Cooper is expecting a “fully professional” Maidstone side, despite their cup exploits. He said: “We’re really ready for a team whose level will be raised due to playing a team at the top of the league.
“We have to deal with that every week so full credit to our players, so we’re expecting a really tough afternoon.”
The former Darlington man described his dislike for artificial pitches, describing them as “not proper football”, he even quoted Brian Clough in saying “Football is supposed to be played on grass”.
Striker Frank Noble was very open when talking about the clubs lead at the top. He said: “We have talked about it, in the group chat after a glass of wine.
“But as soon as we’re back in training, we’re fully focused on the next game.”
Jake Hyde and Rhys Murphy miss out due to injury, but would have missed out because of the 3G pitch at Maidstone. Jordan Young is still on nine yellow cards.
Maidstone United Team News
Stones boss Elokobi, spoke about the upcoming fixture to the clubs Youtube Channel. He said: “For both clubs it’s a fantastic game to have.
THIS IS HUGE, THIS IS MASSIVE, THIS UNBELIEVABLE!!!! MAIDSTONE UNITED ARE GOING INTO THE 5TH ROUND OF THE FA CUP!!!!!! I LOVE THIS CLUB!!!!! ??? pic.twitter.com/ZZMitRjaQt
— Maidstone United (@maidstoneunited) January 27, 2024
“Of course they are the league leaders, so we will give them every respect in our preparation, but it’s just another game.”
Having played in a local cup fixture in midweek the Kent side have had a short turnaround in fixtures, so for the ex-Wolves man “recovery is key” for his players.
There a no injuries or suspensions to note. However, Sam Corne who scored the winner against Ipswich, is back available for league action.
Speaking with a certain amount of professional
interest, good to see the players bond over a glass of wine! How times have changed…