Managerless Yeovil Town were outclassed by a rampant York City side who ran out comfortable winners at Huish Park.
The big-spending visitors, who were under the charge of new boss Stuart Maynard for the first time, went ahead through a penalty from prolific striker Ollie Pearce before a slick move saw Ollie Banks double the advantage before the break.
Luke McCormick pulled one back for Yeovil after a howler from visiting keeper Harrison Male before Jake Wannell turned in to his own net to restore the visitors’ two-goal advantage.
The weaknesses in the Glovers’ paper thin squad, missing the injured Alex Whittle and with youth midfielder Ollie Hughes named as one of just six substitutes, was cruelly exposed by a expensively assembled York squad, who thoroughly deserved the three points.
First half
The opening chances fell to Yeovil with a neat connection between Josh Sims and Junior Morias with the latter having a shot blocked after five minutes and then two minutes later Brett McGavin deceived everyone with a free kick from 30 yards out. The midfielder looked like he would put a ball in to the box, but instead he tried to catch York keeper Harrison Male out but the stopper was able to scramble across the keep it out.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 York City 1
Second half
In the 69th minute, Newby seized on to a loose ball from Pendleton and fed Pearce who darted away down the left and lifted a shot just over the bar and on to the top of the net. That would have been quite a tap in.
It seemed like it was going to take something special to get Yeovil back in to it. It came from a mistake by Male as York tried to play it around at the back and the keeper’s loose pass was seized upon by Luke McCORMICK who will never get a better opportunity to get his first goal for the club.
That lifted Yeovil who looked to press forward, but they almost got caught out when they put everyone forward for free-kick and the speedy Felix found himself clear on goal from the clearance. The wing-back had almost the entire length of the pitch to cover and possibly too much time to think about it and he lifted his effort over the bar.
But, on 83 minutes, the visitors did get a third. Hiram Boateng glided away from the Yeovil defence and fired it towards substitute Josh Stones before Jake Wannell slid in and the ball flew in to the net for an OWN GOAL.
McCormick had an effort turned wide by Male soon after, but York stayed strong whilst Yeovil’s paper thin squad started to feel the effects of three games in seven days.
The contrast was stark between these two sides and it is clear to see why York will be among the sides pushing at the top of the National League Premier Division table and just how far Yeovil need to come to get anywhere close.
Full time: Yeovil Town 1 York City 3
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 6th September, 3pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Ollie Pearce pen 25 (0-1), Ollie Banks 34 (0-2), Luke McCormick 77 (1-2), Hiram Boateng 83 (1-3)
Pitch: Still looking impressive
Conditions: Warm and sunny
Attendance: 2,954 (244 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: James Plant 24, Aaron Jarvis 70
York City: Hiram Boateng 76
Referee: Lewis Sandoe
Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)
Substitutes: Tahvon Campbell (for James Plant, 54), Aaron Jarvis (for Harvey Greenslade, 67), Ben Wodskou (for Junior Morias, 68), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Byron Pendleton, 72), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
York City: Harrison Male, Mark Kitching, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Callum Howe, Tyrese Sinclair (for Ben Brookes, 70), Alex Hunt, Ollie Pearce (for Josh Stones, 82), Hiram Boateng, Joe Felix, Ollie Banks (for Joe Grey, 70), Alex Newby (for Daniel Batty, 78).
Substitutes (not used): George Sykes-Kenworthy, Ryan Fallowfield, Ash Palmer.
A whole lot of nothingness. I’m in a very strange sort of mindset where I’m not bothered if we lose currently. My biggest fear after sacking cooper was that if we had a couple of good results, Dryden would be offered the job full time, and you might as well had just given it back to cooper. Hopefully a new manager is announced early next week, and we can start bringing in a few more bodies, as cooper’s small squad mantra is already costing us by not being able to fill a bench in early September.
Ignoring the result, today summed up the divide between a club on the rise, and a club that has stuttered along at best for two seasons – more if you count from e.g. ‘COVID interruptus’, except one season in regional football. The last few games has shown what a lack of squad size will do — and why we’re eight games into a new season, with 14 fit players + 1 GK coach + 1 academy graduate, with four injured in the stands just won’t cut it going forward, whoever the new manager is.
Whoever we get needs to drop the “small but quality squad is what we planned for” as it’s no good when four are crocked for weeks at a time and there’s no suitable replacements! They’re all great lads and obviously trying their best but times we have been shown up or so off the pace but with few options to make significant change.
So, (please Prabhu and Stu), give the new man – whoever he is, enough resources to start the build process to make YTFC competitive against the likes of York. I realise this is a transition phase – we’re asked to remember the 3Cs (the new keep the faith bruvvers!) but this is a massive opportunity to get YTFC back to a strong and competitive club. Please make a good choice – a wise choice and not just give the job to someone who shows up to our recent games, hoping to get noticed.
That’s the problem though, we have now spent on a small but “quality” squad and so there is probably no budget left for a larger squad too. Hopefully the owners will be prepared to spend extra. Why let the manager build a squad and then sack him at this stage leaving it too late to get his own players in.
Let’s start. I think, allegedly, that Mr Dryden is a Mr Cooper deciple so no surprise we start with a back 3. It was obvious from minute 1 that York had two wide players (right wing was particularly good) so this then turns us into a back 5 !!! This then leaves a huge gap in midfield. Therefore we did not win any second balls. We are 2 down and nothing to loose they are still cruising and we don’t press!! When we eventually did we force an error and score, it’s not difficult really. Yes I am a “senior” football fan but even in the modern day the French national team have been seen, recently, to use 4-4-2 and win. Football is not a difficult game really, just that modern coaching seems to make it that way. I ask that sometimes coaching goes back to basics. Advice to any young and upper coming coaches to check out Charles Hughes, never heard of him then Google him. And finally, I agree new owners need to invest in the squad; full back cover, creative midfield, centre backs to support Ferguson cos sorry Jake and Morgan, maybe not up to it
At last someone has suggested a problem at the back. We are not as solid as we are led to believe and results bear that out. However the problems are across the entire field (bar two or three) and it’s nothing to do with how hard they work, it’s more fundamental than that. No doubt we are stuck with what we’ve got so will the new owners be prepared to spend big to get out of NL South next season?
Someone else did last time and look where it got him.
It’s not so much the spend big – it’s the spend wisely and have the resources to make changes with confidence or have a plan A, B and C tweaks . We’ve got a decent core and with additions (I agree with Mick where they are most needed) we will have a squad where we can rotate for fitness and based on the needs. Currently our squad have the safest jobs in the National League – everyone will get a game (except probably Gould).
Be interesting to see at the seasons end what the top seven finishers playing budgets are and don’t be surprised if six of them are the biggest. Although I personally don’t like it that’s the way football generally is at the top five levels (and often lower)
What a disaster.
Failure at the top of the club.
Lifts broken.
No way down for disabled fans.
.