A first half double from midfielder Luke McCormick and a first goal for striker Stephen Walker saw Yeovil Town start their pre-season campaign with a win at Melksham Town on Saturday.
McCormick, who wore the captain’s armband, gave the Glovers the lead after just nine minutes before the home side pulled level just two minutes later before Walker made it 3-1 before the break.
There was the traditional full change to the starting XI for the second half and midfielder Brett McGavin fired in a trademark free-kick with 75 minutes gone to complete the scoring.
Another pre-season tradition saw a game of ‘Guess the Trialist’ with those turning out for Yeovil understood to be:
- Jonathon Page (Trialist A) – the midfielder who has been pre-season training with the Glovers having been released at the end of last season.
- William Lannin-Sweet (Trialist B) – an Arsenal academy defender who came on when Joy Mukena went off injured in the first half.
- Rhys Healey (Trialist C) – an experienced striker who has suffered with injury in a career which has seen him play for the likes of Cardiff City, MK Dons and Huddersfield Town.
- Kian Hill (Trialist D) – a youngster from Bristol Rovers who appeared late in the game after Healey took a knock.
First half
The starting XI saw six of the new summer signings given their first outings in green-and-white with goalkeeper Jos Barker, defenders Jordan Norville-Williams, Archie Davies and Salford City loanee Loick Ayina, midfielder Zain Westbrooke and striker Stephen Walker all in the line-up. Midfielder Jonathon Page, who was released at the end of last season having been signed in the middle of the campaign, returned under the name Trialist A.
The Glovers began with a back three of Norville-Williams, Joy Mukena, and Ayina with James Daly at left wing-back and Archie Davies at right wing-back, a midfield of Zain Westbrooke and Trialist A/Page with Luke McCormick, who took the captain’s armband, and Ryan Jones in behind Walker.
Norville-Williams was in the heart of the action as Yeovil took the lead after just nine minutes. The wing-back burst down the left side and cut it back to Luke McCORMICK who fired home the opener, but that lead lasted just two minutes as the home side levelled when Dan McBEAM scored the equaliser.
In the 22nd minute, Ryan Jones showed he is aiming to start the new campaign in the same way he finished the last with some great touches to break in to the box and force a good save from Melksham keeper Adam Forster. A minute later the referee called a World Cup-style hydration break with temperatures topping 30 degrees in Wiltshire.
When play restarted Joy Mukena came off with a knock and was replaced by Trialist B, believed to be Arsenal academy defender William Lannin-Sweet, and moments later Yeovil were back in front. Stephen WALKER found his way through the Melksham and fired home an instinctive striker’s finish to bag his first goal for his new club with 29 minutes on the clock.
Norville-Williams was in the heart of the action again on 34 minutes setting up McCormick to pull an effort just past the post before Westbrooke became the first Glover to pick up a booking in pre-season with five minutes of the first half remaining. Do refs even do bookings in pre-season? It appears so.
McCormick had the ball in the back of the net with 42 minutes played when he latched on to a ball over the top and lifted the ball in to the net, but could not beat the offside trap. Luke McCORMICK did get his second just before half time when he headed home a Ryan Jones free-kick to make it a 3-1 lead at half-time.
Half-time: Melksham Town 1 Yeovil Town 3
Second half
There was an entire change of personnel for the start of the second half with only Trialist B/Lannin-Sweet remaining from the team which finished the first half. with defenders Jack Kingdon and Joe Gubbins, the versatile Hayden Muller in midfielder and forwards Johl Powell, Mason Obeng and Slavi Spasov all getting their first outings.
Trialist C, former Cardiff City, MK Dons and Huddersfield Town striker Rhys Healey, who has been spotted training with the Glovers, was also in the starter line up and had a great chance to add to the advantage within four minutes of the restart. He met Brett McGavin’s free-kick with a header which was cleared off the line before Joe Gubbins tried to connect with the rebound before it was cleared by Melksham.
On 63 minutes, a great ball from McGavin found Mason Obeng who charged down the left and side and picked out Johl Powell barrelling in to the box, but it was blocked and landed in the hands of Forster in the Melksham goal.
The hydration break midway through the second half saw Healey receive some treatment to an injury he sustained in an earlier altercation. The 31-year-old has a history of injury
With 15 minutes remaining, Brett McGAVIN curled home a trademark free-kick to make it 4-1. Despite the number of goals this half compared with the first, Yeovil have undoubtedly been in charge of this half with both Powell and Obeng impressing in particular.
Healey was replaced with the game with a minute of normal time remaining, replaced by Trialist D, understood to be Bristol Rovers youngster Kian Hill.
Full time: Melksham Town 1 Yeovil Town 4
Teams:
First half – Yeovil Town: Jos Barker, Jordan Norville-Williams, Joy Mukena (for William Lannin-Sweet, 26), Loick Ayina, Archie Davies, Zain Westbrooke, Jonathon Page (Trialist A), Luke McCormick, James Daly, Ryan Jones, Stephen Walker.
Second half – Yeovil Town: Matt Gould, Jack Kingdon, Joe Gubbins, William Lannin-Sweet (Trialist B), Dan Ellison, Hayden Muller, Brett McGavin, Johl Powell, Mason Obeng, Slavi Spasov, Rhys Healey (Trialist C) (for Kian Hill/Trialist D, 89).
Melksham Town: Adam Forster, Jack Carter, Wayne Nderemani, Archie Milne, Alex Hallett, Dave Thompson, Kyle Witt, Max Williams, James Ollis, Dan McBeam, Kitan Jaiyeoba.
Scorers: Luke McCormick 9 (1-0), Dan McBeam 11 (1-1), Stephen Walker 29 (2-1), Luke McCormick 45 (3-1), Brett McGavin 75 (4-1)
Attendance: 683