Match Report: Yeovil Town 3 Braintree Town 1

The changes which Glovers’ boss Billy Rowley alluded to following Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Eastleigh did not come as soon as the 5.30pm kick-off time with the only change being Finn Cousin-Dawson coming in for loanee Max Jolliffe. On the bench, Jacob Maddox made his first appearance in a squad since February 2025. In a similar way that Jolliffe did four days earlier, FC-D started on the right side of defence. It looks like 4-4-2 when we are in possession and 3-5-2 when we are out of it.

With eight minutes gone, James Plant had a press down the left and fired in a shot which went wide, but was not seriously troubling Mason Terry in the Braintree goal. A shot at goal even if it wasn’t on target.

The first meaningful effort came in the 20th minute with a nice bit of football from Yeovil. Jarvis lifted a ball across which was touched down by Luke McCormick to Josh Sims whose effort was pushed away by Terry. Moments later Brett McGavin linked up with Jarvis and Sims and McGavin did not quite have the pace to get on the end of it and then Daly had an effort in to the midriff of Terry soon after. Daly showing what his left foot can do when he cuts in from the right side.

Yeovil were the in the ascendancy and thought they had taken the lead when McGavin’s corner was met by the head of Kyle Ferguson. But the assistant referee had his flag up seemingly against McCormick on the line. Was he interfering with play? Referee Zack Kennard (son of) Kettle sided with his official.

Neither side came out of the blocks at the start of the second half with Yeovil attacking the Thatcher’s Stand after the break. You can see the frustration in Billy Rowley’s body language on the sidelines when his side have possession and are not moving it forward and in the opening 15 minutes of this half, there’s plenty of frustrated body language.

But with 61 minutes, Plant had a low shot from the edge of the box which Terry could not hold on to and who was there? You guessed it, Luke McCORMICK was the fox in the box there to pick up the rebound and stab it home for his eighth of the season.

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It might not have been the best start to the second half, but Yeovil definitely had the better of the chances in the first and four minutes later they doubled it. McGavin’s free kick in to the box was met by the head of Jake Wannell who was denied by a fantastic save by Terry who could only push it as far as James DALY who headed it in to the net.

Well, Billy Rowley said after the game against Eastleigh that he wanted us to look to get more goals and his side have done that. But, four minutes later, Braintree got one back and it was another sloppy goal for Yeovil to concede. The visitors brought the ball forward as the Yeovil defence stood off and let them work it out to Lewis WALKER on the right of the box and his shot took a nick off Ferguson and over the head of Jed Ward.

Rowley responded by bringing on Andrew Oluwabori and Harvey Greenslade in place of Josh Sims and James Plant, but it is another disappointing goal to concede.

There was almost another self-inflicted wound in the 82nd minute when Wannell gifted the ball to substitute Elliot Thorpe who played in fellow sub John Akinde and were fortunate to the big striker dragged his shot wide.

But three minutes later the Glovers added a third – yes, THREE goals! A great free-kick from Brett McGavin was hit hard in to the near post and it looks like it has come off Braintree’s James Vennings on its way in to the net. Definitely NOT an Own goal, but a 3-1 lead regardless.

Braintree have brought on four changes including Akinde, Thorpe and ex-Bristol City striker Jay Emmanuel Thomas and both Thorpe and Emmanuel-Thomas forced good saves out of Jed Ward as normal time was running out.

One of Yeovil’s subs Oluwabori put one over the bar in the sixth minute of second half injury time, but we started 2026 with three points, three goals and three different goal scorers.

Real improvement in the passages of play which we did not see against Eastleigh on Tuesday night or Truro City on Boxing Day, hopefully this is the start of more to come.

Full time: Yeovil Town 3 Braintree Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 3rd January, 5.30pm kick-off

Competition: Enterprise National League Premier League

Scorers: Luke McCormick 61 (1-0), James Daly 65 (2-0), Lewis Walker 69 (2-1), Brett McGavin 84 (3-1)

Pitch: Slippy in places
Conditions: Absolute baltic

Attendance: 3,573 (53 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Braintree Town: Jacob Pinnington 77, Aidan Francis-Clarke 84

Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle

Yeovil Town (3-4-3)