Yeovil Town get 2026 underway with a home game against Braintree Town in Saturday’s televised late kick-off with both sides needing points to pull them away from the foot of the National League Premier Division table.
FORM…
YEOVIL TOWN
A 1-1 draw at home to Eastleigh on Tuesday night ended a run of back-to-back defeats for The Glovers with midfielder Luke McCormick scoring his seventh goal since arriving at Huish Park.
The goal came with a stroke of good fortune for Yeovil who capitalised on a slip at the back from visiting defender Temi Eweka having failed to do too much which looked like it might lead to a goal.
Manager Billy Rowley spoke after the game after how there was “going to be some changes in the near future” and pointed to how recruitment at Huish Park before he arrived was not aligned with his style of play. There is no doubt he was talking about The Glovers’ struggles in front of goal, we have managed just 23 goals in our opening 25 league matches.
The futures of loanees James Plant and Andrew Oluwabori, who both joined on deals until the turn of the year, are unclear with no announcements about whether their stays will be extended announced at the time of writing. Defender Dan Ellison has been sent out on loan to Weston-super-Mare, where he put a Man of the Match performance in on his debut.
Braintree Town
Braintree Town are the only side in the National League Premier Division which have scored fewer goals than Yeovil. The Iron have managed just 18 goals in their opening 25 league matches, making them the division’s lowest scorers.
That has resulted in them starting 2026 two places and one point above the relegation places, but they did finish 2025 with a 1-0 win at Woking. New signing striker Aramide Oteh, who joined on Boxing Day following his departure from Welsh side The New Saints, got their only goal in that game.
Before that win, Braintree had failed to win in their previous four matches in all competitions including exiting the FA Trophy at the hands of lower league Ebbsfleet United. They were also put out of the FA Cup by local rivals Chelmsford City in the first round of the FA Cup.
The departure of last season’s top scorer Kyrell Lisbie in the summer and the exit of influential midfielder Marley Marshall-Miranda, who joined Boreham Wood last month, have clearly had an impact on the Iron.
KEY PLAYERS…
YEOVIL TOWN – LUKE McCORMICK
It was either going to be him or Jed Ward, wasn’t it? Midfielder McCormick has undoubtedly been one of the stars of a difficult start to the 2025-26 season with seven goals and a string of Man of the Match performances this season.
Both managers in this game will say their sides have been creating chances in the first five months of the season – even if they have not been taking them – and McCormick is the most likely candidate to find the net for Yeovil.
Glovers fans will be hoping that someone else in the squad will turn in a performance which makes them worthy of their vote in the Man of the Match poll on Saturday.
BRAINTREE TOWN – CHAY COOPER
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Braintree goalkeeper Mason Terry has been the visitors’ most important player this season, but I am going for midfielder Chay Cooper.
Following the exit of Marley Marshall-Miranda who joined Boreham Wood just before Christmas, Cooper is a player the Iron will be looking to create something going forward having turned in a number of good performances in a difficult start to the season.
The former Colchester United player is the Iron’s top assist maker, albeit only with three, this season and has managed two goals in all competitions.
THE GAFFER…
When Braintree sacked Angelo Harrop last December, just four-and-a-half months after winning them promotion to the National League Premier Division, they turned to the experienced head of Steve Pitt, who took his first managerial role in 14 years.
In his career the 64-year-old hasn’t left Essex with a spells as manager of Clacton and then Leighton before moving into the role of Director of Football at Heybridge Swift in 2016. Then in 2020, he joined Chelmsford in the same role before leaving Billericay’s Director of Football a year later.
He moved on again after just a year in that role to become Angelo Harrop‘s number two at Braintree, where he enjoyed early success with Harrop. But, following the young manager’s sacking, Pitt took over and guided the Iron to safety last season.
LAST TIME WE MET…
Braintree substitute Sahid Kamara scored the 77th minute winner in that game after The Glovers huffed and puffed in front of goal, but could not blow anyone’s house down. Sounds familiar, right?
The last time the Iron visited Somerset is a slightly happier tale to tell with Yeovil running out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Aaron Jarvis, Ed James and Brett McGavin – oh to have three players scoring goals.
DON’T I KNOW YOU…
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Zac Kennard-Kettle is the referee for Saturday’s late kick-off at Huish Park and if you are wondering if he’s any relation to that refereeing Kettle, check out Ben’s article – here.