Goals from Josh Sims and Ben Wodskou goals gave Yeovil Town all three points against Brackley Town at Huish Park to kick start their 2025/26 season.
Sims claimed a sack of potatoes for becoming the first scorer of the season in the first half striking from close range before Wodskou finished off a fine team move in the second to secure the points that would take the Glovers into the top 10, just a point off the play-offs (too early?)
Here’s Gloverscast Ben’s on the whistle report:
First half
The first couple of moments belonged to the visitors, with some good combinations, particularly down the left hand side causing the Glovers some issues, but never really caused Jed Ward any real trouble.
The hosts were into stride on five minutes though, Brett McGavin split the midfield with a pass to find Tahvon Campbell, who combined well with Junior Morias to send a couple of defenders flying. The resulting cross came to nothing.
Ward was forced into the first real save of the match on seven minutes, the Brackley midfield cut through the Glovers and Connor Hall spun in the area to stab a shot goalward. The Bristol Rovers loan keeper did well to put the ball behind, he would also clear the resulting corner with a commanding punch.
Morgan Roberts and Ryan Haynes were certainly having the best of the attacking moves down the left hand side, they combined to force a good header from Michael Nottingham.
Zak Brown wanted to get involved too, on 13 minutes, he drove at the Glovers’ back line and his deflected effort from just outside the box dropped agonisingly over the goal with Ward stranded.
Yeovil got their movement going again to force a corner on 16 minutes, Josh Sims and Campbell working well to force a cross on the left hand side, nothing came of it, but it did at least get the home faithful off their feet.
With 20 minutes gone, McGavin decided it was time to get his shooting boots on, Morias and Sims worked the ball back to the midfielder, who took a touch and let fly from 20 yards, but the ball fizzed, just over the bar.
The Thatchers’ Stand was becoming audibly frustrated with the action in front of them as Brackley maintained the impetus, Haynes and Brown in particular finding the passing and moving easy in the final third.
Anything positive from Yeovil in the opening half an hour was coming through Sims, more trickery from him down the left, but he still managed to squeeze a cross out. The ball dribbled towards the edge of the box where Charlie Cooper stepped onto the ball in fine fashion, but a combination of three flying defenders deflected the ball wide.
The resulting corner came to nothing after some head tennis in the area ended with a Kyle Ferguson high boot and a free kick to the visitors.
DID SOMEONE SAYS POTATOES!?
On 35 minutes, Harvey Greenslade did some great work to the right of the penalty area, he found Pendleton on the right, who forced the ball to Campbell. His cross-come-shot found its way to the left hand side where former Southampton man, Josh SIMS reacted first to fire home from six yard out. SPUD-TACULAR!
Flipping ‘eck, we’ve scored!#YTFC pic.twitter.com/0hOzUraSNI
— Debs Curtis (@Gloversgirl) August 20, 2025
This lifted things, the Thatchers Stand found it’s voice and the players had an extra yard in their step.
With five minutes to go, Campbell found himself in space on the edge of the area, but an unfortunate stumble meant a shot was not forthcoming,
Brackley weren’t going to lie down though, Jed Ward was called upon once more diving to his right to stop a Brown strike.
The fourth official signaled for three additional minutes as the Glovers looked to see the half out, but the threats from corners kept coming, eight in total from the visitors.
The half-time whistle met with sighs of relief, most of the stats favoured the visitors, but the important one favoured the hosts.
Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Brackley Town 0
Second half
No changes for either side at the break, but the half did start in much the same way with Brackley in the ascendency. Connor Hall in particular being a menace, he and Kyle Ferguson in quite a battle at times.
Sims was once again in the action, ten or so minutes had passed before the Glovers could get going, but the winger teamed up with first McGavin and then Campbell to force a shooting chance, but Campbell’s effort was straight at Cam Gregory in the visitors’ net.
Shortly before the hour mark, Charlie Cooper decided he fancied his chances from distance, his 30-something yarder stung the hands of Gregory, but didn’t ask him to move an awful lot.
It did signal a more positive spell for the Glovers though, some tough challenges in attacking areas from Campbell, Morias and Greenslade certainly left their mark.
The latter of that trio going into the referee’s notebook as the clock struck 60.
Morias’ race was run at this point, taken off in place of Aaron Jarvis.
It was nearly a perfect first touch for the forward too, who came within a whisker of a Sims cross, the Glovers were getting into their stride again.
The Huish Park faithful welcomed Scott Pollock to the pitch with a lovely reception (… kind of) as the visitors looked to add something extra to their front line.
Greenslade had a glorious chance to make it 2-0 on 67 minutes, some excellent work down the right hand side, saw Campbell muscle his name off the ball and lay the ball back to Greenslade, but the front man was leaning back and the ball skied over.
Ben Wodskou replaced Campbell shortly after.
Brackley reacted better to the break in play, Jed Ward at full stretch to claw away a shot from Bailey Hobson which looked destined to nestle into the far corner, minutes after the midfielder’s introduction.
Unsurprisingly, Pollock was looking lively, he and Morgan Roberts combining well time and time again with Hobson supporting regularly too, the visitors were certainly doing everything to get back into this game.
Charlie Cooper cleaned out Pollock, the midfielder going into the book, thankfully, just a yellow card.
Greenslade came off just after, Finn Cousin-Dawson coming on, with ten minutes to go, were the Glovers shutting up shop?
The pressure was certainly mounting, Roberts again finding space on the edge of the area, another good save down to his right from Ward.
As Brackley left people forward, there was always chance for a breakaway, FC-D did excellently to break a Brackley challenge down, Cooper sprayed a lovely ball forward, Jarvis knocked it into the path of Ben WODSKOU who fired home with vigour.
Wodskou scores! Picture courtesy of Chris Fox.
To their credit, Brackley were still pushing, Ward, Pendleton and Williams all having impressive one-on-one contributions at the back as the attacks kept flowing.
As the fourth official signaled for six minutes added time, Brackley’s Morgan Roberts found his name taken.
There was time for more though, Brackley kept the pressure high and the Glovers sat too deep, the ball bounced around the box with Roberts going close before the ball trickled home off the boot of Tyler LYTTLE.
Suddenly, nerves.
Bryon Pendleton was booked for time wasting with 90 seconds to go.
Jed Ward booted the ball out of play and the referee blew for full time. Phew!
Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Brackley Town 1
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Wednesday 20th August, 19:45pm
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Josh Sims (36, 1-0), Ben Wodskou (85, 2-0), Tyler Lyttle (90+2, 2-1)
Pitch: Lovely
Conditions: Lovely
Attendance: 2,716 (53 Brackley Town fans)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Alex Whittle ’39, Harvey Greenslade ’60, Charlie Cooper, ’78, Aaron Jarvis, ’83, Bryon Pendleton ’92.
Brackley Town: Kyle Morrison ’75, Morgan Roberts ’89.
Sendings off:
Yeovil Town: None
Brackley Town: None
Referee: Aji Ajibola (late change for Matthew Russell)
Yeovil Town
Substitutes: Matt Gould, Aaron Jarvis (for Morias ’60), James Daly, Ben Wodskou (for Campbell ’67), Luke McCormick, Finn Cousin-Dawson
Brackley Town: Cameron Gregory, Kyle Morrison, Gareth Dean, Zak Brown, Morgan Roberts, Matt Lowe, Michael Nottingham, Zak Lilly, Shane Byrne, Connor Hall, Ryan Haynes.
Substitutes (not used): John Maxted (GK), Riccardo Calder, Tyler Little(for Nottingham ’33), Scott Pollock (for Hall ’64), Jack Price, Danny Waldron (for Lowe ’77)
Cooper time is up