Yeovil Town will play their first game at Huish Park in over a month when they host table topping Rochdale on Saturday afternoon.
FORM…
YEOVIL TOWN
The Glovers suffered a loss last time out, when they were beaten 3-2 away to Boreham Wood. In what was a tight affair on Wednesday night Yeovil took the lead 1-0 through Jake Wannell before the hosts pulled one back through Zak Brunt.
As the half time break came and went the game ebbed and flowed until Brunt popped up for his brace. At 2-1 down the Glovers then went down to 10 men as defender Kyle Ferguson saw red. James Daly scored a sensational goal however to bring the visitors back to 2-2. The game looked headed for a draw until The Wood bagged a 90+2 winner through Aaron Henry.
The result was the Glovers second loss in five games.
ROCHDALE AFC
The Dale haven’t lost in their last five games, in fact they don’t really lose at all, with only four league defeats all season. The last five games have all been wins as well, with the 4-1 dismantling of Boreham Wood perhaps the most impressive.
In their last game against Forest Green Rovers, the Mancunian side got off to a flying start with Emmanuel Dieseruvwe getting the opener within two minutes. The game then got a bit stagnated until Rovers pulled one back through their own goalscoring machine Kyle McAllister. Not content with just the one goal Dieseruvwe got his brace in the 64th minute to seal the win for his side.
KEY PLAYERS…
YEOVIL TOWN – JAMES DALY
The 26-year-old has had some decent league form since the turn of the year, with two goals and an assist in the four games we have played. That’s a good return no matter which way you spin it. Although it has been a slow start to his career at Huish Park, Daly hasn’t had a good run in the starting 11 to kickstart his season.
Pic C/O Gary Brown
It does feel though that the penny may have dropped with the winger though, after a promising rise through the ranks he got lost bit at Harrogate, and Yeovil’s capture was seen as a bit of coup. Hopefully his sublime long range finish against Boreham Wood will give the winger confidence to push on.
ROCHDALE AFC – EMMANUEL DIESERUVWE
Rochdale could have host of players that could be considered their ‘key player’, that’s what happens when you have been as good as they have been. But Dieseruvwe is the name that sticks out, mainly because he is the one who grabs the headlines with his goals. Speaking of his goals he has bagged 16 of them in the league, which is no mean feat.
Another aspect to the 30-year-olds game is his physicality, at 6ft 4in he is tough for defenders to get around to get to the ball. With no Kyle Ferguson the Glovers defenders will need to stick their biggest and strongest defender to combat him.
THE GAFFER…
Jimmy McNulty is in the away dugout this weekend. The 40-year-old has been a revelation this season and although his side have one of the biggest budgets in the league, you still have to deliver the results. With four defeats all season, he is definitely delivering them.
This is McNulty’s first job in management and has been manager at Rochdale, in a full-time capacity, since 2023. In three games against Yeovil, McNulty is unbeaten.
LAST TIME WE MET…
It was a tough watch from a Yeovil perspective the last time the clubs met in October, as they lost 3-0 at the Crown Oil Arena. Two goals from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe got the Dale off to a great start before Ryan East got the third before half-time. When Rochdale last visited Huish Park back in August 2024 it was a closer game, with it being 0-0 until the 91st minute when Connor McBride nicked a winner.
DON’T I KNOW YOU…
Dan Moss will be a familiar name to Glovers fans. The right-back spent the first half of the 2021/22 season at Huish Park, making 23 appearances during his five-month loan spell.
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Niall Smith is the man in charge for this fixture. For more information on him and his team for Wednesday night check out Ben’s article – here.