Yeovil Town’s one and only friendly at Huish Park this pre-season with their most impressive result and performance seeing off League Two side Newport County in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 on Tuesday night.
A first half goal from defender Morgan Williams gave the Glovers a well-deserved advantage after 21 minutes which they could have added to before the interval.
Striker Jake Hyde, who came off the substitutes’ bench having missed the previous three friendlies through injury, grabbed the ball after the hosts were awarded a penalty following a foul on Jordan Maguire-Drew on 64 minutes – but the striker lifted his spot kick over the bar.
However, the summer signing made amends moments later when his effort – via some ‘help’ from team-mate Charlie Cooper and potentially visiting goalkeeper Nick Townsend – found its way in to the net for Yeovil’s second on 73 minutes.
Here’s how Ian saw it from his position in the Huish Park stands……
First half
Rhys Murphy, who has five goals in pre-season so far, was left out of the starting XI (hopefully rested) with Bristol City loanee Olly Thomas paired alongside Frank Nouble up front. There was a return for Jake Hyde, missing since the 2-1 defeat to Wimborne Town in the second friendly of the campaign, on the substitutes’ bench.
For the visitors, there was a familiar face in the shape of striker Seb Palmer-Houlden, who joined Newport on a season-long loan from Bristol City last week and had a brief spell on loan at Huish Park last season. If social media is anything to go by, the South Wales side’s supporters claimed this starting line-up was their strongest available XI as they prepare for the start of the League Two season.
The opening 10 minutes saw the Glovers hold their own against a side two divisions higher, and they created some half chances without testing Newport keeper Nick Townsend. He was drawn into a punch from a teasing Jordan Maguire-Drew cross but Yeovil could not capitalise from the corner.
Thomas showed signs if his physical prowess shrugging off a Newport defender, earning a free-kick after some fancy footwork. Maguire-Drew delivered another teasing cross towards Nouble who’s header went wide.
Yeovil came close to an opener in the 19th minute. A good cross in from Alex Whittle was half cleared to Matt Worthington who brought the ball down and struck an effort which was deflected wide of the post.
It did arrive almost immediately as Morgan WILLIAMS curled a left footed effort into the top corner to put the Glovers ahead with 21 minutes gone.
Ahead. ?#YTFC ? pic.twitter.com/QpAPeZAxOb
— Yeovil Town F.C. (@YTFC) July 25, 2023
Charlie Cooper almost doubled the lead seconds later with a free-kick struck fiercely towards the top corner which was tipped over the bar by the scrambling keeper.
Nouble thought he’d grabbed a second in the 28th minute as his right footed effort struck the foot of the post and trickled along the line before the keeper clawed it away. Nouble’s effort came from another delicious cross from Maguire-Drew, with his deliveries causing all sorts of issues for Newport’s defence.
Newport grew into the game as the half wore in and managed to stem the flow of Yeovil pressure. But for a routine catch from a header, Will Buse was hardly tested in the Glovers’ goal but County certainly found themselves further into Yeovil territory as the clock ticked on.
In the 44th minute Williams made an important block as Newport broke into the box and from the resultant corner Buse had to help the ball over the bar from a header Newport header.
Half-time: Yeovil Town 1 Newport County 0
Second half
It was as you were after half time with no changes, and after an early spell of pressure for Yeovil, Newport almost equalised through Harry Charsley’s volley, which went narrowly wide of Buse’s left hand post.
Just past the hour mark Yeovil introduced Sonny Blu Lo-Everton for Zac Bell resulting a change of shape for Mark Cooper’s side and a switch to a back four with Lo-Everton in the ‘number 10’.
Jake Hyde, who’d replaced Olly Thomas opened up the Newport defence and played the ball to Maguire-Drew who turned sharply and went down under a challenge to earn the Glovers a penalty. Hyde stepped up, but attempted to deftly lift his spot kick and it ended up not so deftly in the the Thatchers Stand.
? #YTFC
?: Harry Perkins pic.twitter.com/vjwP5E4vNV
— Gloverscast ?⚽️? (@gloverscast) July 25, 2023
HYDE amends in the 73rd minute with a right footed effort that rebounded off the post before going in. It was credited to Hyde but it looked to me like Charlie Cooper got something on the rebound.
Yeovil were on the hunt for a third with five minutes remaining and as Jordan Young and Will Dawes broke forward, the latter couldn’t find Lo-Everton in the box.
Through luck rather than judgement, Newport’s keeper kept a point blank header from Jake Hyde out from the resulting corner.
The Glovers saw out the game professionally and with some exciting passing okay to whet the appetite for the season ahead of the final friendly fixture at Plymouth Parkway on Saturday.
You can say that Newport County did not look a great side for an EFL outfit, but there is no denying that Mark Cooper’s men looked impressive and thoroughly deserved their victory.
Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Newport County 0
Yeovil Town: Will Buse, Morgan Williams, Jamie Sendles-White, Jake Wannell, Zach Bell (for Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 62), Alex Whittle (for Will Dawes, 78), Charlie Cooper, Matt Worthington, Jordan Maguire-Drew (for Josh Owers, 74), Olly Thomas (for Jake Hyde, 56), Frank Nouble (for Jordan Young, 80) .
Attendance: 2,177 (153 away supporters)