Darren Sarll (Page 2)

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On loan defender Ben Barclay‘s stay at Huish Park until the end of the season is expected to be completed today (Friday).

The Stockport County centre half is due to conclude his second month’s stay after tomorrow’s home match with Southend United.

Ben Barclay. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking to the Gloverscast’s Ben Barrett ahead of the fixture, Yeovil boss Darren Sarll confirmed the 25-year-old “should get authorised today.”

He added: “Ben should be staying until the end of the season. The class of Stockport has been unrivalled, their sporting director, Simon Wilson, has been unbelievable for us.

“We are very grateful to Stockport, both Dave Challinor and Simon, that we can keep Ben until the end of the season.”

A few hours after Sarll said his at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the club confirmed Barclay’s loan had been extended – see here. However, we’d expect any deal to prevent him from turn out against his parent club when they visit Huish Park on April 23.

The boss also confirmed that Max Hunt, whose absence through injury coincided with the arrival of Barclay, was back in training with the first-team coach but said he does not expect him back until the middle of April.

But, of loanees forward Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and defender Jack Robinson, Sarll said the pair would have to fight for their places in the squad.

Sonny’s last appearance came in the 2-0 defeat to Grimsby Town a fortnight ago whilst Middlesbrough loanee Robinson has not been seen since the loss at Wealdstone at the start of February.

The manager said: “Sonny has to compete and get himself back in. There’s no divine right to play, I’ve probably shown in three years I have left out a lot of bigger players.

“Reuben (Reid) had to fight, Adi (Yussuf) has had to fight, it’s a meritocracy. My duty is to the club and the changing room and I have to give them the best chance to win matches.

“It won’t be the first or last time in Sonny’s career he’s had to fight. I’m not sure there’s another teenager which has made 16 starts in the National League. The contribution he’s had will stand him in stead.

“Jack is in and out with injury with a reoccurrence of a couple of injuries. He should be back on the training pitch next week, but when he’s fit he will have to fight Morgan Williams for that shirt.”

Sarll has also defended his decision to bring in loan goalkeeper Ted Cann instead of throwing number two Max Evans in to National League action.

The boss said that if he had not been able to bring in a more experienced keeper following the injury to first choice Grant Smith he would have played the 19-year-old.

Max Evans

He said: “My duty is to the club and the dressing room to get the best available, if I didn’t think there was anything out there that was better and immediately available, I would have played Max.

“He knows his development plan, we’ve outlined that very clearly. He’s learning every week. Goalkeeping is a pressurised position and if you get it wrong at an early stage with a goalkeeper it’s curtains and I didn’t think it was the right time.

Max has a big future, I would love him to be here next year and continue his growth and he will be a very good goalkeeper.

To ask him to play away at Dover and at home to Bromley, who we assumed would have been a physical team, that would have been hard for Max.

“I would rather he got good experiences and built slowly than jump to the next bit and had to go back down.”

There was praise for striker Reuben Reid after he impressed with his performance in the midweek win over Bromley.

The game was only his third start of the season having suffered a hamstring tear in pre-season and he has got just one goal in his 15 appearances.

Reuben Reid. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Sarll said: “His story is unfair on him, we started pre-season and building around Reuben and Joe (Quigley) being our two forwards, Mark Little in that back four and then between week four and five of pre-season you lose Reuben and Mark.

“So we had to change, went through the adaptation process and went to a 4-3-3, we go on a great run and come away with Reuben fit, but playing a system I did not think would suit Reuben.

“I have always played Reuben in a front two since he joined. I wanted Adi (Yussuf) against Dover because he’s chaotic and the work he does against defenders, but then at home I wanted to smooth us out.

“So you take two destructive players like Jordan (Barnett) and Adi and bring in Reuben and Lawson (D’Ath) and they were great, but that was the quality I expected of him when he signed.”

Josh Neufville went from “rusty” to “breath-taking” in his performances between last weekend’s win at Dover Athletic and Monday morning’s training session, according to Sarll.

The winger arrived for his second loan spell at Huish Park last Friday and played the last 15 minutes in Kent and then got a further 21 minutes on Tuesday night against Bromley.

Sarll said: “He’s a young man who’s had a career-threatening and is still finding his feet. When he was training on Friday and when he came on on Saturday he looked rusty which is inevitable, but he was breath-taking on Monday, so the shackles are coming off.

“Everyone was excited to have Josh back and the players who were here last year went through a hell of a time, so the bond that players who were here then is stronger than it is with other players.

“So, we were all pleased to see Josh and pleased to know he’d recovered and he was playing again, he did a lot for us last year and we did an awful amount for him.”

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Sarll on media duties

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll was delighted with his side’s performance against play-off chasing Bromley.

The Glovers won 2-1 to record back to back wins after Saturday’s victory at bottom club Dover Athletic.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the manager was full of praise for a number of his players:

“They were good you’ve got to give credit where credit is due, they looked so energised, engaged, motivated, all the great things you want to see in a team, I actually thought tonight we got to see a glimpse of the future”

“(Tom) Knowles looked like himself, I thought Lawson (D’ath) was great tucked in on the left, Matthew (Worthington) looked like a Football League player rather than a National League player.”

“Really good performances all round, we will work again Thursday because this new attitude is quite enjoyable to watch at the moment.”

Goals from Lawson D’Ath and Tom Knowles sandwiched a Bromley equaliser that came as a result of an error from loanee Ted Cann in goal, Sarll was delighted with the way his team bounced back and was happy with Cann’s overall performance.

“I was really pleased with Ted, you come to a club like Yeovil and it’s not easy… I said to Ted at the end there, ‘when you woke up this morning, what did you want us to achieve?’ he said ‘for us to win’. I said, ‘job done’…

“I said you made a brilliant save at the end of the first half at 1-1, you took three or four really good crosses… for a 21 year old, who has made a bad call in the first half to then come again I thought that showcased his character splendidly.”

Reuben Reid. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There was further praise for Reuben Reid, who made only his second start of the season and was key to everything the Glovers did going forward.

“He takes a lot of criticism does, Reuben, but at times I thought he unplayable at times tonight… I thought our attacking play was excellent, but it was excellent because Lawson had a good game, Tom Knowles had a very good game and Reuben was untouchable with the ball at his feet.”

Yeovil have now scored four goals in two games something which the gaffer hopes can be taken into the weekend’s game against Southend United and for the rest of the season.

“The fact that we have scored four goals in the last two games is good for us, it lifts everyone, it makes them believe in their attacking play a lot more, it’s probably the most amount of shots we’ve had here for a long, long time, that was really pleasing”.

Yeovil host the Shrimpers this Saturday, with their visitors losing against Maidenhead United on Tuesday night despite taking the lead.

 

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Darren Sarll was pleased to see his “focused” Yeovil Town side pick up a comfortable win at bottom side Dover Athletic with little fuss.

The Glovers’ boss saw goals from defender Ben Barclay and midfielder Dale Gorman both come from set pieces as they ran out 2-0 winners in a match which saw their hosts relegated out of the National League.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the win, the manager said: “People will talk about Dover’s position but I never underestimate (manager) Andy Hessenthaler’s teams, he was some player and he has that attitude in his coaching.

Darren Sarll

“Our attitude to the game was very focused and because of that we kept our shape well on a pitch where it was very difficult to balance your touch out.

“There was no dramatic moments, except the one where (Dover midfielder Emmanuel Gyasi had the ball in the net) was offside, but apart from that I felt strong all day.”

He said his side were deserving of their goals from free-kicks for the opportunities they had failed to convert this season.

Barclay’s opener came after Jordan Barnett’s free-kick was touched on by Adi Yussuf to reach the on loan Stockport County player and then Gorman scored direct from a free-kick.

Sarll said: “The deliveries we have put in week in and week out has deserved goals from set plays and it’s something we have not been good at.

“Ben is a very good technician and we know Dale has got that type of quality. It was quite fun because a fan said to me before the game about the future and he said ‘I really like Gorman, but he’s too selfish with those free-kicks’.”

Sarll gave second debuts to returning goalkeeper Ted Cann, who started in place of first-choice Grant Smith who is suffering with a groin injury, and midfielder Josh Neufville, who rejoined on Friday from Luton Town.

It was the 20-year-old’s first appearance in green-and-white since he left the pitch on a stretcher having suffered a broken ankle at Altrincham in the penultimate game of the season. Yeovil travel to Altrincham on the final game of this season.

Speaking about his return, the Glovers’ boss said Neufville had pushed for the move: “He drove it. We’ve been in touch the whole season and you do feel partly responsible when players get bad injuries playing for you.

“Luton have been great and (manager) Nathan Jones and (first-team coach) Chris Cohen, obviously two ex-Yeovil men, were fabulous with us again and we are the last stage of Josh’s rehabilitation before next season.

“He came in Friday and he was so excited to be back. He said ‘Altrincham away on the last day, I will be ready for that’ – that is his determination and you don’t get too much of that.

“To have that courage and confidence to go back to a place which holds so many bad memories was quite something.”

Neufville came on after 73 minutes in place of Charlie Wakefield and showed enough in 17 minutes to believe he can rediscover the form which made him a fans’ favourite last season.

Sarll said: “Yesterday in training he absolutely tormented a player, I kept him away from Mark Little just in case, but they’re going to come up against each other very soon.

“He looks bigger physically and he’s going to be a weapon for us, but we have to build him slowly.

“There were a few cobwebs today and he was a bit rusty so we are going to have to go back to what the plan and remind him.”

Asked about the decision to bring in Cann on loan instead of giving an opportunity to number two Max Evans, the boss said the West Bromwich Albion youngster had impressed him during his previous loan spell at Huish Park.

He played three times during Sarll’s first season in charge in 2019/20.

The manager said: “Ted played for us two years ago and made a big impression on me back then because he played in front of a very experienced back four which could have been quite intimdating for a young man.

“I have tried to recruit him every season since then, so it was nice to bring him. Grant needs to clear his groin up and needed that change and that feeling of change in the dressing room.

“When you recruit players, you give everyone a wallop up the backside.”

He added that the deals for both Neufville and Cann were “no brainers“, suggesting the parent clubs are footing the wage bill for both players during their time in Somerset.

Of Evans, the manager said: “I wanted to have five outfield subs. I think if you asked all the National League managers something they would change, 20 managers out of the 23 would say ‘can we have an extra sub?’

“Every year we ask, every year we get turned away, but because of the run of form we were in I thought it would be really unfair to put a teenager in goal away at Dover.“

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Goalkeeper Grant Smith seems likely to be out of tomorrow’s visit to bottom club Dover Athletic with loan signing Ted Cann expected to fill his gloves.

Manager Darren Sarll said the first-choice keeper had been playing with a groin injury which has kept him out of training ahead of recent matches and the arrival of West Brom youngster Cann provided the opportunity to rest him.

Grant Smith, who is expected to miss out against Dover this weekend. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The boss also revealed that captain Luke Wilkinson, who came off in the second half of last weekend’s defeat against Grimsby Town, midfielder Dale Gorman and on loan defender Jack Robinson are all “touch and go” for the weekend.

Speaking about Smith’s injury ahead of the long trip to Kent, Sarll said: “Grant has been carrying a groin injury over the past two or three weeks and it was getting to the point where I thought it was starting to effect his distribution.

“We know Ted from my first season at the club (2019-2020) was available and I thought it was good timing and a chance to make sure Grant could properly recover and rehabilitate his groin.”

He added: “I thought we needed to address the injury Grant has. He’s been spending quite a few games not training and coming in to the games without a full week behind him.

“At this point of the season, Ted was available and he performed really well for us when he was here with us last time when he was only 19 and he played behind an experienced back four – Lee Collins, Luke Wilkinson, Carl Dickinson.

“I thought he handled himself well. He’s a good cross taker, he has good distribution and he’s a good goalkeeper.

“West Brom see this as a real benefit for Ted’s development.”

Cann’s return on a short-term loan was announced on Friday morning and follows a previous spell the 21-year-old has had at National League North strugglers AFC Telford United.

Wilkinson’s calf injury is one of a string of niggles that the defender has been suffering with this season, albeit he has already played six more matches than he managed last season.

When he departed against Grimsby last weekend, Morgan Williams moved in to a back three formation alongside Ben Barclay and Mark Little. Sarll spoke about “experimenting” with formations in what remains of the season, and if Wilkinson misses out at Crabble that could be something we see him try.

Gorman’s injury seems to have been picked up in training during the week whilst Robinson’s is a reoccurrence of the injury which has plagued him this season.

A win at the weekend would confirm the long-awaited relegation of Dover to National League South, but Sarll says his side will not be thinking about anything except their own form.

The Glovers have managed just one National League win since December 18 – the 1-0 success at Woking at the end of January – and have managed just ten goals in that time.

Sarll said: “We have enough to worry about in our own camp, we need to make sure we need to improve our individual and collective performances to get back to what we know we can be.

“It’s been a longer process than when you have the experienced players because (the younger players) have not had the life experience of seeing their way out of these dips in form.

“All these trial and error times are testing for them, but they have to go through this. They will come out of stronger for the experience.”

The manager said the training ground had been “nice and calm” this week with he and his assistant Charlie Lee working with individuals who are out of form.

He added: “We have spent quite a lot of time this week working with individuals and pick aspects of their game and lift them to bring out things we have not seen lately and Charlie’s been excellent with that.

“We want to finish the season strongly, everyone knows how excited I am about this group and how exciting they can be in the long term, but to take care of that long term we have to do something sooner rather than later.

“Tomorrow is another opportunity to do that.“

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Darren Sarll confessed his Yeovil Town side were “well beaten” as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night.

The Glovers went behind after just six minutes when Paul McCallum struck before a mistake by goalkeeper Grant Smith gifted the visitors a second on 22 minutes. Junior Morais added a third in the second half.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after more than an hour with his players in the dressing room, he said the squad had been working on trying to create more goal-scoring opportunities. with the returning Olufela Olomola at the heart of the attack.

Darren Sarll speaking after the 3-0 home defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge.

The manager said: “We have tried to change to change the page with our attacking play and trying to create more chances and get more attempts on goal.

“Whenever you do that, you reverse some of the great qualities you have on the other side of the field, so that’s a balance I need to find.

“But we were well beaten by an experienced side that were probably very happy to accept the gifts we gave them.

“We have too many learning how to create chances and if you haven’t got an immediate solution it becomes a massive problem.

“But all three goals were from turn overs of us having the ball and when the back four, when they are in such a giving mood it makes things harder.

“It underlines how that defensive shape is to us, it’s okay being open and creating chances, but you stay open for the opponent so you have to make sure you are creating a plethora of chances.

“The facts are we are not that team.”

Another blank from Yeovil means they have now scored just 28 goals in 31 National League games, conceding 33, and Sarll added that his biggest disappointment was that his side “did not implement anything we wanted too.”

He said his side have to “stare the problem in the face” as they prepare for the visit of Grimsby Town to Huish Park on Saturday.

The Glovers now have the third worst home form in the division – surpassed only by bottom club Dover Athletic and Aldershot Town – and they are fourth from bottom of the form guide over the past six matches which have heralded just three points.

Sarll said: “Grimsby is massive. We have to come and stare the problem in the face and make sure we replicate the away form.

“We will be fresher on Saturday and have more punch to us. I learnt a lot about whether the future of this team, some players can go for 40 games every week.

“We have spoken at depth and that will remain in the dressing room. Nothing too animated because I want to be balanced, I don’t want to be too damning.”

He revealed that right back Mark Little sat out the defeat having played five of the last six National League matches – completing 90 minutes for five of them – and loanees forward Sonny Blu-Lo Everton and defender Jack Robinson were both left out of the squad.

The boss said Sonny has been suffering with tonsillitis whilst Robinson has only trained for three days after returning from his latest injury.

Josh Staunton was taken off after 77 minutes against Dagenham and Sarll said the player has “a problem with a hernia.“

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll was very positive about the Glovers’ 1-1 draw with Notts County on Saturday.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he said whilst the players might be ‘gutted’, he wasn’t and he sang his team’s praises.

“I’m not (gutted), the players are and it’s my job to ensure they understand the fruits of their labour, and that’s a magnificent performance, again.

“This is a process, we’ve got young players that are developing, they are exactly where they should be and this is about their journey long term”

The manager went on to make comparisons to Sutton United, who won the National League in 2020/21, but not before building a young squad who finished mid-table in the curtailed 2019/20 season.

Sarll spoke of his side’s endeavour and spirit – something all Glovers’ fans know is second to none.

“I’ll be surprised if anyone has come here this year and stuck it so boldly to Notts County. I told them, and I mean it, I’m not playing games, I was delighted with them. I can see in our attacking play, that we are getting better.”

There was praise for Alex Bradley whose second start of the season brought his first goal and for Jordan “Gareth Bale” Barnett who found himself as part of a front three citing their athleticism, hard work and determination to play for the team.

“I think the chaps have shown an incredible amount of desire and I think we’ve given something back to the people, to the supporters who have travelled so far and spent so much money and that’s all I can ever ask of them.

“I think if we have longevity with the team, I can start to ask a bit more, but right now they are exactly where they are and exactly where I think they should be, and they’re growing week in, week out.

“It’s very ballsy to come here and play in that manner, we didn’t sit off like 90% of the teams, we went after Notts County, and we went after Notts County with all of the things we know are against us.”

Sarll also confirmed that on loan striker Olufela Olomola, who missed out at Meadow Lane, should be available to make the squad for the visit of Dagenham & Redbridge to Huish Park on Tuesday night, and that there is no long term concern over forward Tom Knowles who limped off at the end against Notts.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, Darren Sarll hoped that the Huish Park faithful would see more of the same, even if he wasn’t overly enamoured with having to play on Tuesday after two long away days… and Dagenham having a weekend off.

“I just hope the home support sees the growth in the team, I hope we show them that there’s growth in the team.

“We need to be very very careful, physically with the team, because it’s a long journey, I didn’t want this game on this Tuesday (vs Dagenham) I thought it was unfair after two long away trips to put another game in, the league voted against us… we always seem to lose those ones… but we’ll go.

“This team can be such a good team, such a good team, and I love working with them and I really do hope people can see their progress, because they are fighting for dear life, bless ’em.

“Once we break the ceiling of those two goals in a game, I think we will unleash a war chest of other attributes we haven’t seen yet. We are pushing, we are really pushing and I’m really proud of them today.”

 

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Yeovil Town forward Tom Knowles and goalkeeper Grant Smith are injury doubts ahead of Saturday’s trip to promotion-seeking Notts County.

Manager Darren Sarll said that Knowles had been suffering with “sickness” after taking a blow to the head in the 1-0 defeat at Chesterfield last weekend, whilst Smith had not yet trained this week.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking on Thursday, the Glovers’ boss confirmed that on-loan striker Olufela Olomola and defender Jack Robinson, who both missed the last match, had both trained and he would leave a selection decision late on all four players.

Sarll said: “Knowles took a free-kick right on the chops and had a little bit of delayed sickness and a headache, so he’s gone through certain concussion protocols.

“Grant Smith has not trained all week, but I think he’s planning to train tomorrow (Friday).

“Jack Robinson has trained for the first time today (Thursday) as is Olomola. We need to see how they come out of those sessions and we will pick a squad late before we travel.”

He added that playmaker Lawson D’Ath, who came on as a 68th minute substitute at Chesterfield, was continuing to find his way back after nine months out with a knee injury, and added he was still looking for ways at getting Alex Bradley in to his starting XI.

The manager added: “For the first time in the season, I have to manage players that are not getting games and justify why they are not playing.

“I think there is room to bring one more in, one may need to go the other way, but I think there is room for no more.”

The manager said he would not be appealing to chairman Scott Priestnall for clarity around the future of the club with the never-ending takeover talks still rumbling on.

This week, the Glovers’ Trust gave an update on what it knows about the discussions, including that Greg Baker, of London-based finance group, ESE Capital, is backing the Simul Sports Group which is talking about buying the club.

The last public statement from owner Scott Priestnall from a video posted on the club’s YouTube channel in July.

Asked if he could say anything further on the situation, Sarll said: “There’s no way I am going to make an appeal to my owner who pays my wages!

“I have said all along, it’s his business, not my business, I’m an employee trying my very best to navigate through this season and make sure I have employment for the following season.

“My duty as the manager of the club is to win as many games as I can, and it’s my duty as a father and a husband to ensure I have a job.

“Would it mean we score more goals if we knew what was happening? I don’t think it would. It would settle people down.

“But I have to concentrate on getting us a win and trying to build on that win and I think we are really close to being a good side.

Of his side’s next opponents, Notts County the boss said he is expecting “a tough game” against a side who he expects to dominate possession.

But, he believes his side still has another run of form left in them before the season come to an end.

The manager said: “(Notts County) play with big distances between units and individuals on a big pitch, so it will be a tough game.

“We hope our attitude and intensity will be greater than their talent and technical ability which is what we have relied on when we have got results with this group.

“That gives us a chance in every game, I think we are really close, the strength and excitement of this team could be a long-term one, not a short-term one.”

Returning to the point he made in his post-match comments after the loss at Chesterfield last weekend, Sarll said that holding on to as many players from the current squad would put Yeovil in a strong position.

He added: “The exciting thing is to have a small turnover at the end of the season and add to this really good foundation.

“The long-term goal should be growing this team organically and not relying on the millions that some people are in this league, but is a team that has the right qualities to compete. I think we are building that here.”

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll believes the return to fitness of playmaker Lawson D’Ath has helped change his side’s attacking mentality as they look to find some scoring form.

The Glovers are now the third-lowest scorers in the National League with just 27 goals in 28 matches with only the division’s bottom two, Dover Athletic (21 goals) and King’s Lynn Town (24), having scored fewer.

D’Ath has shown his quality in his first start of the season at Maidenhead United in midweek where he played 62 minutes, having played 68 minutes in the goalless draw at home to Solihull Moors earlier in the month.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s trip to Chesterfield, Sarll said: “Lawson has been a breath of fresh air and when I talk about us working on the attacking side more, it’s because of Lawson.

“The fact we could re-sign him meant we had a really good attacking, constructive player and he gives us a different feel. That is what squad depth gives you when you can have it.”

Lawson D’Ath talking to the media ahead of the trip to Chesterfield.

D’Ath also faced the media on Friday morning and described his own performance as “average” saying he could have done more in the attacking third.

But, he said that the responsibility for finding more goals had to be a collective one, saying: “You need that responsibility and you take that on, that’s what we’re paid to do. But it’s not just strikers and midfielders, it’s about all areas of the pitch.”

The Maidenhead match was the former Reading youngster’s third appearance, having come off the bench on two previous occasions against W*ymouth and Solihull, and he admits it has been a baptism of fire.

Those minutes were his first for nine months having suffered a knee injury in the final game of last season against Stockport County.

D’Ath said: “I want to play as many minutes as I can, it’s about building them back in to my body. I was training for a month but that is not the same as a pre-season when you do a lot of running and hard graft.

“You can’t replicate that and you can’t replicate the build-up of minutes you get in pre-season, so I have had to come in full throttle. It’s going to take a few games to get back to fitness.”

Asked whether he felt the Glovers could still make the play-offs this season, he said: “Of course we can, why not? I got through nine months of not being paid and grafting to get back so anything is achievable!”

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On-loan striker Olufela Olomola is expected to miss tomorrow’s trip to high-flying Chesterfield, Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has said.

The Hartlepool United man came off after 56 minutes of the 1-1 draw at Maidenhead United after a heavy challenge.

Olufela Olomola. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking ahead of the televised trip to the Peak District, the manager said he was trying to build the frontman up having played just over two games worth of football since the start of December.

Sarll said: “Fela has been great. He needs resilience in games and his fitness which was a tell-tale the other night when we had to bring him off.

“I don’t think he’ll make Saturday, but that will be beneficial for the long run in the way we have with Lawson (D’Ath).

“He’s not played (regularly) for three years, he’s not played more than 15 games in the season, so we need him to be resilient and robust to carry on for the rest of the season.”

The news is a blow for the Glovers with Olomola having scored his first goal in his third spell at the club in the week, leaving Reuben Reid and Adi Yussuf, who both came off the bench in Berkshire, as attacking options alongside Tom Knowles and Charlie Wakefield.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, who was an unused substitute, is the other option.

There were no questions asked in the pre-match ‘presser’ on Friday morning about whether on-loan central defender Ben Barclay would remain beyond his initial loan spell, which is up after the trip to Chesterfield.

Talking after the Maidenhead draw, Sarll said he was waiting on “the big man” to sign off on an extension to the loan – we’ll wait and see on Saturday if anyone asks him about it.

But, the boss did say that he would not be giving undue attention to former Yeovil man Joe Quigley who is likely to be in the opposition squad at the weekend.

Joe Quigley celebrates vs Bournemouth

He said: “There’s ten other players aside from Joe, he’s less than ten per cent of the team. You have to plan for how a team plays, not just Joe.

“We obviously know Joe and his attributes, but they may use him in a different way that we used them. Unless you are on the training pitch with the squad he’s in, they might want something completely different from what I wanted.

“There’s no acceleration in getting a plan of how they are going to attack because Joe is in there.”

Sarll also revealed the club was facing a disciplinary charge after the incident which saw Knowles booked in the goalless draw at Eastleigh following a clash with the hosts’ Ryan Hill.

The incident – watch it again here at 02:22 – appeared to show Hill shove Knowles to the floor in retribution for what he saw as a late challenge on Spitfires’ keeper Joe McDonnell.

Both Hill and Knowles received yellow cards for their part in the scuffle.

Sarll said: “We are talking to the FA now about a punishment to our players because Tom Knowles got thrown to the floor against Eastleigh.

“We went over to the referee to say ‘you can’t do that!’, if he ran up in the street and did that, that’s assault.

“I just can’t work out where they are coming from. I’m 19-1 down to the FA now!”

That response came to a question about the two goals we had ruled out at Maidenhead in midweek with the manager concluding that Reid was offside for a late ‘winner’.

But, he questioned how defender Luke Wilkinson‘s first half header was ruled out for a foul on Magpies’ striker Nathan Blissett.

Sarll said: “The second goal is offside. I have watched Wilkinson’s goal a million times and that was a perfectly good goal.

“That is a side of our game that we are improving on in recent weeks, our attacking set plays have got better.”

 

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Yeovil Town Manager Darren Sarll said he was frustrated to come away with only a point on Tuesday night against Maidenhead.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he spoke of his disappointment at not picking up the win.

“I was disappointed in the end that we haven’t won the game, I’m frustrated we haven’t won the game because the players and I are hugely ambitious, we don’t want to be a mid table team, our play is improving, but I want us to be more than that.”

“I don’t want to keep leaning on age, or resources, because that’s not fair to the supporters who travel so far and spend so much money. 

The last two away games, that should be six point rather than two.”

The Glovers had two goals ruled out during the game, one for a foul by Luke Wilkinson in the first half and a late strike by Rueben Reid ruled out for offside.

Luke Wilkinson and Reuben Reid celebrate the FA Cup win over Stevenage. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

In all, Sarll was disappointed by the officials.

“I thought the first goal – the Wilkinson header – was a goal, he’s just more aggressive and builds momentum from the delivery and heads it in. If you’re going to give free kicks for that then oh my life.”

“He (the Ref) was poor all night, some of the decisions were astronomical, they were really poor and it just spoils the game”

“We’ll look at it, report it and nothing will get done”

On a brighter note, Olufela Olomola scored his first goal of his third loan spell with a neat finish, unfortunately his match was cut short by injury in the second half.

“He’s got good technique, I’m a little bit worried about what he’s come off for… but it was a good strike, he was a threat, a real threat and he’s got that capability of receiving back to goal and being strong and also really threatening in behind”

Regarding the injury, Sarll says he expects the on loan Hartlepool front man to get a scan ahead of the weekend trip to Chesterfield.

“I’d be a little bit concerned about that right now… or he’s a wimp and I don’t know him well enough and he rocks up fit for Saturday”

  • Ben Barclay‘s loan is expected to be extended until the end of the season, we reported earlier that the Manchester Evening News had reported that an extension was on the way, but Sarll himself confirmed he was waiting on the final paperwork to be completed. “I think that’ll go through tomorrow (Wednesday), we’re just waiting on the big man (we presume he means Scott Preistnall, rather than God, Santa Claus or Peter Crouch) to authorise it. Ben wants to stay, he’s been fantastic for us, I think we’ve conceded something like three goals since he’s been with us.”
  • Lawson D’ath completed 60 minutes and the manager was pleased as he continued his recovery from long term injury. “He’s fabulous, some of his touches and awareness. I just thought the 60 minute mark was enough because he started to look fairly frail, bless him, but he will push with that game time he will push, the great thing with Lawson is he is a big player for us, even in that 60 minutes, it’s better for us to have Lawson out there”