Yeovil Town will travel to Essex on Saturday lunchtime as they take on Southend United in what should be an interesting affair against one of the most highly-fancied sides in the division.
FORM…
YEOVIL TOWN
In their most recent fixture, Yeovil showed plenty of the class which has seen them make an impressive start to the season with some scintillating forward play in the 3-2 home win over Tamworth on Bank Holiday Monday.
Luke McCormick once again showed his class when opening the scoring, before Tamworth pegged the home side back through Jacob Hutchinson. It was in the second half when Yeovil really stepped up a gear and got their second through tricky winger Mason Obeng. Ryan Jones then rounded off the Glovers scoring exploits in the 66th minute, only for Kieren Donnelly to halve the deficit two minutes later. However, Yeovil held on to claim another three points.
SOUTHEND UNITED
The Shrimpers have not made a bad start to the new season have just a point fewer than Yeovil after the opening five games of the National League season.
One of the bookies’ favourites for promotion and just one defeat in their opening five means they are living up to this billing. The first three games looked somewhat easy for Southend as they dispatched both Altrincham and Solihull Moors away from home, whilst also beating Scunthorpe 1-0 at Root’s Hall.
It was over the recent August bank holiday weekend though that things got a bit tough for the Shrimpers, first losing 3-1 at home to Kidderminster on Friday night, then drawing 1-1 to Woking most recently. The last two games may have not been what the fans have expected but Kieron Dyer’s side will be looking to get back to winning ways on Saturday.
KEY PLAYERS…
YEOVIL TOWN – LUKE MCCORMICK
We’re five games into the season and I have already picked a player twice, and surprise, surprise it’s Captain McCormick. The midfielder leads by example, controls the game very well and seems to score goals for fun. Don’t get me wrong, without everyone else doing their jobs well, the 27-year-old wouldn’t be able to push forward like he does to grab goals.
However, the former Bristol Rovers man is also the captain and that comes with a lot of responsibility. They have to lead the team, and he does that perfectly, he constantly directs the play, is not afraid to the dirty work and bosses people about when needed. That’s what you need in a midfielder in this league and a captain, someone who can grab the match by the scruff of its neck and not settle. One thing I can promise you is I won’t be choosing him next week even if he does score a hat-trick.
SOUTHEND UNITED – OLI COKER
It could be a very interesting battle at lunch time on Saturday in the middle of the park, with captain Oli Coker impressing so far this season for the Shrimpers. The 23-year-old has himself bagged two goals this season with one assist to go with it, but he like McCormick does the defending well too.
We’ll get on to his attacking in a minute, but for Coker he very much likes to sit on the right side of midfield for Southend, controlling the game from there and spreading the play. Looking at his long ball accuracy to date, the youngster has completed 52% he has tried, showing that he’s not worried to go long if needed.
It’s his attacking that needs to be looked at though, as he doesn’t seem to get into the opposition box as much as say McCormick but yet has scored twice already this season. With him focusing play in the right centre midfield channel, the battle between him and McCormick on Yeovil’s left could be where the game is won and lost.
THE GAFFER…
Kieron Dyer is one National League manager who needs little introduction to the average supporter. The former Newcastle United player took on his first frontline coaching role as he replaced Kevin Maher, the boss who was sacked just 48 hours after guiding the club to an FA Trophy win back in May – but crucially failing to win Southend promotion back to the League.
The 47-year-old has had plenty of experience as a coach prior to arriving in Essex having served under Paul Cook at League Two Chesterfield and previously at Ipswich Town, where he began his career as a player.
It is as a player that many will remember Dyer’s name however, first of all coming up through the ranks at Ipswich Town before being sold to Newcastle United for £6 million in 1999. It was during his eight-year spell in the North East that the former England international made a name for himself – and not always in a good way.
In what is now a very famous Premier League moment, Dyer found himself in a punch up with team-mate Lee Bowyer in a match against Aston Villa in 2005. With the two having to be separated by both sets of players, with both men receiving bans from the FA. Hopefully there will be no scraps on the touchline with Billy Rowley on Saturday!
This will be Dyer’s first game in charge against Yeovil.
LAST TIME WE MET…
The two teams last met in March after the fixture was rescheduled for the sides. It was a mild-ish Spring evening at Roots Hall, as the Glovers succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.
Goal-scoring full-back Gus Scott-Morriss, who left the Shrimpers to join Oldham Athletic in the summer, opened the scoring in the fourth minute before former captain Jake Wannell levelled just after an hour with an sumptuous strike. But, it was Southend who took the three points with Keenan Appiah-Forson nicking the winner with six minutes to go.
DON’T I KNOW YOU?
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Tolu Sangowawa will take charge of his first match involving Yeovil Town this weekend. To find out more about the man in black, check out Ben’s article – here.