Matt Worthington

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Captain Matt Worthington has said his Yeovil Town team-mates will be looking to maintain their winning mentality when they finish their National League South campaign this weekend.

The champions travel to already relegated Dover Athletic on Saturday knowing that victory will see them reach 95 points and 29 wins for the campaign and, despite the game not having any influence on either side’s season, the skipper is still looking for the win.

Speaking on Thursday, he said: “We have built a winning mentality all season and that is not just something you turn on and off and that has helped us win the league.

“So we will be looking to win another game of football. As players you always want to win, it does not matter if you safe, not playing for anything or you are promoted, you still want to win a game of football. That leads on to next season, if you finish on a high, we can all go and enjoy our summer.

He added: “It starts from the training ground and then leads to on a Saturday. A winning mentality has been built up all season and we will be looking to take that in to next season.”

Worthy began last weekend’s win over Dartford on the bench.
📸 Gary Brown

Worthington, who started last weekend’s 3-1 home win over Dartford which ended with him lifting the championship trophy on the substitutes’ bench, completed a full training session on Thursday and said he will be available for selection.

Asked about next season back in the National League Premier, the 26-year-old said he believes that the team is capable of pushing towards the top of the league.

He said: “With the team we have got we are capable and if anyone comes in, it strengthens it more. We have got a really good core signed on for next season and there is no reason we cannot be pushing for play-offs and to go again, that is the target for everyone. We have winners in the changing rooms and that will carry on next season.

“Looking at the league, it is anyone’s league, there will be lots of teams pushing for those top places and it will hopefully be an exciting season.”

He admitted he was looking forward to taking a well-earned break over the summer and said he would begin his personal preparations for the next campaign from the middle of May.

Worthington was speaking on Thursday, a year to the day since Yeovil were relegated out of the National League Premier with a 3-0 defeat at Wrexham, and reflected on the changes at Huish Park since the past year.

He said: “It is crazy how much this club has come on over that year. It has been a fun day back in training today and preparing for Saturday and everyone has been in high spirits. The club has come so far in that year, it is complete change and something everyone is really enjoying.”

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Title-winning captain Matt Worthington spoke of his delight for Yeovil Town supporters after a 2-0 win over Truro City secured the National League South title and promotion at the first time of asking.

The skipper was part of the Glovers’ sides relegated from the Football League in 2019 and then during the turbulent season off-the-field last season and admitted he was thrilled to put smiles back on to fans’ faces.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the win in Gloucester, he said: “I never thought I would be in this situation when I first joined. To be captain of this amazing football club. It is just so emotional because I have had some bad times here, stuck with it and I am just really happy we got it done.

“Last summer was very difficult and I had a decision to make whether to stay or whether it was my time to stay on and I am just so happy that I stayed. I love this club, I love the town and I am just happy I can be part of a promotion side.

“It was just amazing to see everybody so happy. A lot of people have come up to me and said ‘thankyou’ because they have been through a lot at this club and they deserve some happiness and I am glad that I can be part of that happiness. It is just an amazing feeling.”

Echoing the words of his manager Mark Cooper he said he was now looking forward to being presented with the championship trophy at Huish Park on Saturday when relegation-threatened Dartford come to town in the final home fixture of the season.

Worthington, who has played more than 100 games for the club, admitted it would have been nice to have sealed it on home soil against Worthing last weekend, but was just happy to be a champion.

He said: “I have been here four or five years now and the fans have always been with us through good and bad. This season they have been unbelievable home and away. So it is just so nice to give them back something to enjoy and I hope we can all celebrate on Saturday with the trophy as well. I have dreamt about lifting the trophy for weeks! It has gone on longer than I wanted it too, we have made hard work of it but I am thankful we got the job done.

“It would have been nice to have done it last Saturday with everyone there, but at the end of the day we have done it. It does not matter how we do it, we have done it and now everyone is looking forward to another game at Huish Park and we can all celebrate.”

The 26-year-old also paid tribute to Cooper, adding: “He is an amazing guy, someone I am really happy to have work with. If he and Martin (Hellier, the chairman) had taken charge last season we would not have been here, there is no way that would have happened. I am just really thankful they showed faith in us this year, made me captain. I cannot talk more highly of him, he is an amazing man first and foremost but he is also an amazing coach and I am looking forward to working with him for the next few years.“

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Captain Matt Worthington has spoken about his pride at being handed the Yeovil Town armband this season as he looks to lead his side to the National League South season.

The 26-year-old was handed the captaincy after the departure of former skipper Josh Staunton at the start of this season and has repaid the faith of manager Mark Cooper by playing more games in a single season that he has managed in the rest of his career.

Having been part of the squads which took the club out of the Football League in 2019 and the National League Premier last season, he admits he wants to get the title secured as soon as possible. He could do it this weekend with the Glovers needing just three more points to be crowned champions when fifth-placed Worthing visit Huish Park on Saturday.

Speaking on Thursday, Worthington said: “I am massively proud to be captain of this football club. I was really grateful for the Gaffer for giving me the opportunity, it is a massive personal achievement.

“It would be a massive achievement personally but more importantly for the club because we need promotion. We will be looking to get that done as soon as possible.

“I can’t describe the feeling I get when I walk out with the armband on, I have been here so long, so it is a dream come true. There is a lot of lads in there that are leaders, I wear the armband but with the likes of Coops (Charlie Cooper), Frank (Nouble), Smudge (Michael Smith), Joe Day, Morgs (Morgan Williams) there are plenty of characters in there.
When we all come together and help the team out there, it is important we help the team out.”

He admitted he had questioned his own future at Huish Park following last season’s relegation with the club in a state of flux as former ‘stewards’ SU Glovers, the group operated by now-York City owner Matt Uggla, abandoned their takeover plans. But, the takeover by local businessman Martin Hellier and the decision to keep Cooper as manager convinced Worthington to sign a new two-year contract in June.

The midfielder said: “It was a very tough few weeks in the summer, I did not really know whether it was time to move on but I made the decision to stay after conversations with Martin and the Gaffer. I am really thankful I did now and hopefully we can get the job done.

“It was tough last season and it was difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel with the way the club was going. Thankfully Martin (Hellier) took over, kept the Gaffer which was massive for us, and signed some really good players.

“It comes down to the complete change we have seen that from top to bottom and it is important that we finish the job.”

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

In his press conference, Cooper was full of praise for the player who he signed on loan as manager of Forest Green Rovers in the 2018-19 season before taking charge of him again when he arrived in Somerset.

The manager said: “He is a winner, he does not even like losing at five-a-side or even games of Tiddlywinks. He is a good character and I think Matty before was a midfield player who was just going to run all over the place with his energy.
We have tried to give him a structure and a discipline to his play which allows him to show off his qualities and I think he has shown us this season.”

The ex-Bournemouth academy graduate scored the first of his four goals this season at Worthing in the 2-1, sealed by an injury time winner from Morgan Williams, and is expecting a tough game from the visitors to Huish Park on Saturday.

He said: “They had a bit of a dip in form when they lost their manager (Adam Hinshelwood to York City in February), but they seem to have picked up now. They are a good footballing team and everyone knows that. They play total football.

“It was a tricky game at their place on an artificial surface which is always tough, but we are at home so we are full of confidence that we can put on a good performance and get the win.

“Previous to the Torquay game (which the Glovers won 3-0 on Good Friday) we lacked a bit of confidence and it is natural that at some stages of the season you have more confidence than you do in others, but Friday was a really good performance. We looked back to ourselves and we have to take that in to Saturday.”

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Captain Matt Worthington apologised to supporters after a poor performance saw Yeovil Town’s unbeaten home record ended by a 1-0 defeat to Welling United at Huish Park.

The midfielder admitted the side never got going following the loss of influential full-back Michael Smith after just 16 minutes.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Tom Seymour after the game, he said: “We are really disappointed. We were not good enough today. We did not click and did not look like scoring, I think we had a couple of chances in the first half, but in the last few games we have not taken those chances when they have come.

“If we are not playing great, you have to take those chances to get anything out of the game. I think it is just not going our way, we are working hard on it in training. We will look to work on the training ground and turn it around and look to create the chances we missed and score them in the next game.”

Smith was replaced by Jay Foulston with the Glovers initially switching to a back five before reverting back to a back four just a few minutes later with the left-footed Foulston playing at right-back.

After the defeat, manager Mark Cooper confirmed the Northern Irishman, who has been suffering with a hamstring injury since the 1-1 draw at St Albans City at the end of January, was a doubt for the visit of Chippenham Town to Huish Park on Tuesday night.

On the loss of Smith, Worthington added: “He is such a big personality and such a good player for us. Obviously Jay (Foulston) had to come in and he is left footed, playing on the right, so it was going to be difficult for him. It took us too long to get to grips with it, so it is a disappointing day but we have a chance to put it right on Tuesday.”

Matt Worthington.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

With third-placed Worthing going down to a shock 3-1 defeat at home to Taunton Town, Yeovil’s lead at the top of National League South remains 12 points. Second-placed Chelmsford City take on Truro City at their temporary ‘home’ in Gloucester this evening.

Worthington added: “Worthing dropped points tonight, but ultimately we have to regroup, look on Monday at what went wrong. We have been very honest with each other all season. It was tough and I apologise on behalf of the whole group for the performance which was not good enough, but we have been very good all season. It is just one game and we will do everything we can to put it right on Tuesday.”

One small silver lining to the cloud of defeat was that both Worthington and Charlie Cooper got through the game without incurring the censure of card-happy referee Craig Scriven. That means both players avoided a two-match ban which would have come with a booking which would have been their tenth of the season.

The captain added: “It was difficult, but thankfully Charlie and I both got through it. It was difficult because there are challenges out there that you could go and win and put a bit more pressure on the opposition, but it is always in the back of your mind that if you slip up or catch them you will be missing for two games. At this point of the season, nobody wants to do that.“

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Yeovil Town captain Matt Worthington admitted he may have had a couple of cross words at some of his team-mates who spurned glorious opportunities to make a 1-0 home win over Havant & Waterlooville more convincing.

Strikers Frank Nouble and Sam Pearson and substitute Jordan Stevens all had great opportunities to make it 2-0 in the second half at a rain-soaked Huish Park, but a first half Jake Wannell goal from a well-worked set piece was the difference.

Speaking to our man Ian Perkins after the game, the skipper said: “In the heat of the moment you probably say a few things you shouldn’t, but it’s very difficult. They are chances we should have scored and they know that, they didn’t mean to miss. As long as we are creating the chances, we know the goals will come.

“Toddy (assistant manager, Chris Todd) is massive on set pieces and, in any league, you have to score goals from set-pieces to be successful and we’ve done that really well today.”

The midfielder said his team-mates had expected Havant, who belied their position second-from bottom of the National League South table with a committed second half showing, to come out strongly with the wind behind them after the break.

He added: “I think first half we were really in control,  everything we had worked on really came out, playing from the back and getting space out wide with the full-backs which I thought we did really well.

“Second half was much more difficult of the wind and the conditions, so we had to win ugly in the second half and sometimes it is that way.

“I have played here enough times to know that it’s really difficult when there’s a lot of wind at that end, but we had to battle it out and it was a good result in the end.

“They have nothing to lose where they are in the league and we knew that coming out for the second half, they were going to gamble and put everyone forward which they did.”

The win keeps Yeovil ten points clear of second-placed Worthing, who picked up a 4-1 win at W*ymouth despite ending the game with nine men. Third-placed Chelmsford City, who host the Glovers next weekend, earned a 3-0 win at Eastbourne Borough.

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Weston-super-Mare, who grabbed a late winner to seal a 2-1 victory away at Hemel Hempstead Town this afternoon, visit Huish Park in an all-Somerset clash on Tuesday night.

Worthington said: “We are taking every game as it comes, we have a good, level-headed group in there and we will look to go out on Tuesday and hopefully get another three points. I know a few Weston players, but we are not worried about anyone else, as long as we do that.“

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Yeovil Town Skipper Matt Worthington has said he’s going to feel it in his legs for a few days after filling in at Right Back in the Glovers 3-1 win over Slough.

Speaking to the Perkins Twins after the game, Worthy said how he was pleased to get his goal early in the second half in a game that took some winning.

“It was a tough game, they set up to stop us playing and almost went man-for-man in the first half, but we had quite a few chances (that) again we didn’t take, so we came in at half time a little frustrated that we didn’t take the chances. 
We stuck to the game plan and knew that with the quality we’ve got in the team that we’d score eventually.”

Matt Worthington celebrates his opening goal.

Worthy’s goal opened the scoring for the Glovers, latching onto a sumptuous pass from Charlie Cooper, a chance the Skipper was happy to take.

“I made a couple of runs in the first half and couldn’t quite get it, but I knew as soon as he (Charlie Cooper) got it, he was going to look for the back post and I made a run and luckily I got a touch on it.”

The game was poised at 0-0 at the break, and a strong start to the second half gave the Glovers a foot in the game, it was a case of trusting the process as the game wore on.

“The Gaffer just said (at half time) that we needed to be more clinical and ruthless, which the last game as well, we didn’t take our chances, but he said stick to the game plan and like I said, we’ve got players who can finish and we got the result in the end.”

Worthy, sitting in for Michael Smith on the right side of the back four said he was going to be feeling the burn for a couple of days after smashing turf down the right flank for 90 minutes.

“It was tough, physically it was very tough, mentally as well you have to be more switched on with defensive duties, it was tough and I think my legs will be feeling it for the next few days, but it was a good experience and I got a goal!”

“Smudge (Michael Smith) is a very good player at right back, I hope he’ll be back very soon, that’ll be good.”

“It was difficult, because there was times I was pushing forward and thinking ‘oh god, don’t lose it, I’ve got to get back in’, we always stick to the way we play, the gaffer as got full faith in us and said he’d take responsibility if we end up losing the ball and I think that’s what we’ve done well all season, playing it out from the back, up the pitch and then fed the players that are going to score us goals, we stick to the game plan”

The win took Yeovil 13 points clear at the top of the NLS, with fellow promotion hopefuls Maidstone on Saturday to come, another tough away day says Worthy,

“It’ll be a difficult game, they’re up there as well, we just have to keep pushing on, concentrate on ourselves, keep picking up points, we’ll look to go there and get all three points.”

You can listen to the entire interview with Josh and Ian Perkins (no relation) below

 

 

 

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Matt Worthington echoed the sentiment of his manager following the 1-1 draw at St Albans City this afternoon, assured supporters that the Glovers would turn it around this Tuesday.

Speaking BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the skipper said the side were kicking themselves: “We had quite a few chances and we come in after half time, quite disappointed that we haven’t took the chances. [When] you come away from home, you don’t take the chances [it] always becomes a tough game. So yeah, we kick ourselves a little bit because yeah, like you said it should be out of sight in the first half.

“Fair play to them. They brought the game to us, but I thought I thought we defended really well. We just gave the ball away a few too many times. I think cheaply, which gave them a bit of a foothold in the game. It’s unlike us. We’ll turn around Tuesday.

Skipper Matt Worthington
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

On the disappointing start to the second half, he said: “We’ve looked at training this week to start the second-half fast and be better than what we have done. And again today, we sort of started a bit slow. So yeah, we’re disappointed, but we’re going to brush shelves off and go again Tuesday.”

Such at the high standards this season, anything but victory is disappointing, but Worthington seemed to tolerate a point: “I always said that’s it’s a sign of a good team. If you’re not playing well, you still end up getting points on the board. We had spells, we played really well and we should have been out in the first half, should have been three of four but it wasn’t. We didn’t lose the game. We got a point on the board and yeah, we’ve got to get all three on Tuesday.”

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Yeovil Town captain Matt Worthington has challenged his team to start killing teams off as the Glovers head into a busy festive schedule.
 
Speaking to the media before the Saturday game against Eastbourne Boro, he said that things were in a good place at Huish Park, but he thinks there’s more to come.
 
“I’m really enjoying it, I think the lads are doing really well and as a team I think we’re where we want to be at the moment but we have lots still to to improve on and points to pick up so yeah, it’s going really well.”
 
Looking back on last weekend’s 0-0 draw, the midfielder, who had a sniff at goal himself still considers the game a missed opportunity.
 
“I think as players we’d always think it’s two points dropped, we definitely had more than enough chances to win the game so the only sort of criticism would be we have to take those chances and really kill games off and start to kill games off, but it’s a point, it’s a point in the right direction so yeah, all positive.”
 
“We had we had multiple chances, but like we said as a team and the Gaffer said, as long as we’re making those chances we’re doing we’re doing well so we need to keep making them and hopefully we’ll start finishing them.”
 
Worthington and Murphy. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
 
Looking ahead to the game against Eastbourne, Worthy said that the team will look to keep it simple, keep a clean sheet and build from there.
 
“The thing we always try and do is keep a clean sheet, if you keep a clean sheet in a game, you’ve got a good chance of winning it, we need to start taking our chances, dominating games and really killing them off.
No game is going to be easy, it is going to be a tough test for us, but it’s something we’re really looking forward to and hopefully we can get the three points.”
 
With three games in quick succession, with a double header against Taunton to squeeze in between Christmas and New Year, Worthington said that the team were looking forward to the busy period.
 
“It’s always nice, you’re not too far away from your family, which is a nice thing and it’s local derbies, the games you want to be playing in, we’re really looking forward to it.”
 
 

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Yeovil Town’s Matt Worthington has said that despite crashing out of the FA Trophy at the hands of Torquay, the focus won’t drop as the Glovers try and go full steam ahead into getting promoted.

Talking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall, Worthy said the side improved in the second half of the game, but left themselves with too much do after a slow first 45.

“I think it’s always going to be a hard game. They were looking to to win a game of football as were we, but they, In recent weeks, haven’t picked up the points they probably probably wanted, so they’ll be definitely up for it. I think first half we weren’t sort of good enough. And then second-half, we definitely picked it up, especially towards the end we’re pushing for that second goal. We nearly got it. But we’re we’re out of the cup and it’s full focus on the league”

I think we left it a bit too late. Like you said, if you get that (goal) in the 60th, 65th minute it becomes more of a game that we can go and really win”

The game at Plainmoor saw Mark Cooper make seven changed from the league game against Farnborough, one of which saw Worthington drop to the bench, something which may have disrupted the side in the early exchanges.

“I think it’s it’s always difficult when you make a few changes, a lot of the lads needed minutes today that haven’t been playing and maybe the sort of connections haven’t been made yet between a lot of the lads and I think it looked a bit disjointed at times, but no second-half, we’re much better.”

The game represented a milestone for the former Bournemouth man, his 200th appearance for the Glovers, a milestone which puts him 49th in the list of highest Post-War appearances – and just 182 behind Terry Skiverton – Worthy said it was a proud day for him, and one he wants to add to.

I did know, I was not 100% sure but, I’m just delighted. I’m really happy to get that 200 mark. Really enjoyed my time here. I’m hopefully have many more games.

My personality is I was part of that downfall in the recent years. I was involved in the squads that that got relegated and for me, I would never jump ship when it gets hard and I would love to be part of this club for all the success it’s going to have going forward.

Matt Worthington in action vs Dover

Back to the current campaign and the Vice Captain said that focus switches immediatley on Chippenham on Tuesday and take it game by game… with the league title firmly in the club’s sights.

“I think everyone can see that we’re really starting to click and we’ve sort of got ourselves in a really good position and we need to keep going. Every league game we need to go and win as much as we can really and keep pulling away from the rest.

[Six Points] the target [For the next two games] … we look at the next next league game and after we get through that one, we go to the next one. I think this team has stayed really sort of level headed and and we know we’ve still got a long way to go to succeed and we at the end of the day, we want to win the league and the quicker we can do it the better, 

I think in this league the games come around thick and fast, and I think it’s perfect for us on Tuesday, to go get another good result and another three points.”

A Huge Congratulations on your milestone Matt, here’s to 300 and beyond!

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After opening the scoring out the weekend, Glovers midfielder, Matt Worthington has been named in the official Vanarama team of the week.

Worthy’s Worthing goal makes him worthy of a spot in the side below;