****FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE – All the plaudits, see comments below, handed towards ex-Glovers’ loanee David Noble (2 games, 2015) were obviously read in Wealdstone, as St Albans announced they had lost their manager to the National League side on Friday night, just hours before the Glovers’ visit. His assistant Jon Meakes and coach Harry Wheeler will take charge on Saturday.****
Yeovil Town travel to the ninth-placed St Albans City this weekend to face a side which in a rich vein of form.
The Saints have won five of their last six matches in National League South and sit only behind the Glovers and Chelmsford City in the division’s form table at this stage.
Yeovil team news
Manager Mark Cooper was in the crowd at Clarence Park on Tuesday night and watched three second half goals earn them a 4-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville.
Having gone ahead with a goal from Zane Banton, the Saints were pegged back by a goal from ex-Glover Ryan Seager for the visitors before three goals in the last 23 minutes sealed the win.
Speaking on Thursday about his thoughts on the opponents, Cooper said: “They are on a great run and play really good football.
“I listened to their manager (ex-Glovers’ loanee David Noble) after the game and like he said, teams raise their game to play against the team that is at the top.
“The credit we should give to our players is that every game we play against sides that raise their game by 25% minimum. To deal with that every week and win, credit to them.
“There will be a brilliant atmosphere, we will take another load of fans and we are expecting a tough game.
“Their manager has done a brilliant job there, he was a good footballer himself and they play a style the way he liked to play. They are very expansive, very easy on the eye.”
The boss also revealed that he has a fully-fit squad with the exception of long-term injury victim Jordan Stevens, who he said was “not far away.”
If there’s not mind games being played, that means top scorer Rhys Murphy is back from his hamstring strain and fellow striker Jake Hyde, who limped off with a calf injury in the 2-0 home win over Hemel Hempstead Town last weekend.
Defender Jamie Sendles-White, who is yet to feature after his Achilles operation, is also presumably available.
St Albans City team news
St Albans saw midfielder Dominic Hutchinson, who is on loan from National League Premier side Wealdstone, limp off with a hamstring injury early in the win over Havant.
Boss David Noble said he is not sure whether he would be available at the weekend and the Saints will also be without injured left-backs Sam Brown and Ben Wyatt, who have both missed a number of games recently.
Top scorer Shaun Jeffers, who had an unsuccessful spell at Huish Park on loan at 2015, has 18 goals in all competitions this season having worked his way back in to Noble’s plans having started on the bench in the reverse fixture in August.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Speaking after the Havant game, Noble was quick to give credit to his players for their recent run of form – and he is eyeing up continuing it at the weekend.
He said: “Players deserve a huge amount of credit, coming off a really bad spell we have put a really good run of form together.
“Our mentality doesn’t change, I look to win every game of football and we will be looking to win again on Saturday.
“Yeovil are runaway leaders at the minute and looking very strong. When you play the top teams, you lift your game and we will be going in to Saturday looking to do that.”