Torquay

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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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Yeovil Town head back to Plainmoor just eleven days after the first National League South league clash, but this time, there are no points, just prizes on the line with the FA Trophy taking centre stage. 

Since that fixture, Torquay United got a tough win over Havant and Waterlooville, beating the south coast strugglers 2-0 with second half goals from Tom Williams and Brad Ash. 

This second round tie is worth £3750, whilst losers receive £1000, as a reminder, there is no replays or extra time in the case of a draw at 90 minutes, we’ll be straight to penalty kicks to determine a winner. 

Yeovil Town News

Mark Cooper has suggested that changes could be imminent for the Glovers with a number of players needing a chance to impress whilst others could do with a Saturday off.

New loan signing Duncan Idehen is expected to be involved, whilst the latest HP Source had Charlie Cooper front and centre as he continues his recovery from injury. Following Tuesday night’s 4-2 home win over Farnborough, the manager said he expected the midfielder to be available for selection this weekend.

Defenders Jake Wannell, who limped off after 26 minutes in midweek, and long-term absentee Jamie Sendles-White remain the only certain absentees, with Alex Whittle back from his one-game ban. Jordan Young can play too, his suspension kicks in on Tuesday at his former club Chippenham Town.

Jake Wannell goes off with an injury which led to his substitution.

Torquay Team News

Gary Johnson – who if you recall, has some fond memories of this competition – might also make some changes, but more because of players returning.

Mark Halstead may return in goal after a spell off with concussion, Defender Ross Marshall (who left the field early in the League match up) and Tom Lapslie are described as ‘touch and go’ for the game.

Fleetwood Town loanee Callum Dolan has been suffering with an illness and might miss out.

Top scorer Aaron Jarvis (injury) and Ethon Archer (cup tied) are definitely out, whilst midfielder Brett McGavin, who scored when the two sides met in league action earlier this month, returns from suspension, 

The Gulls bolstered their ranks with the loan addition of AFC Bournemouth defender Archie Harris on Friday. His announcement on the Torquay website suggest he will be available to play in the tie.

 

 

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has challenged his team to be be ‘relentless’ in the search for more wins.

The Glovers have gone 12 (twelve) wins in a row across league and FA Cup with a 3-1 win over pre-season title favourites, Torquay on Tuesday night.

Despite a faultless first half, the manager thought they could have caused the Gulls even more damage.

“First half, I thought we were outstanding, I thought we totally controlled the game with the ball, passed and played and created some unbelievable chances, the only frustration for me was that it was 2-0 (at half time) because it’s a crap score line. Because then the mentality at half time is ‘Do we hold what we have?’ or ‘Do we go?’, and I wanted us to go and push and score more, but we went into our shells a bit, and didn’t dominate the ball and gave Torquay encouragement to attack us.

“I’ve just raised that with the players, we have to be braver than that, keep passing the ball and opening chances and go and score four, five and six if we can, rather than be 2-1 and we’re having to make changes and we’re hanging on a bit, with long balls and crosses into the box.”

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Goals from former Torquay player (ahem) Frank Nouble and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, gave the Glovers a 2-0 lead, but the gaffer seemed to suggest he really wanted to see his side dominate the second half as much as the first – but in failing to do so, gave Gary Johnson’s side a chance to get back into the game.

“But, every time we win a game, the pressure intensifies, and you can see the players ‘We’ve got to get over the line” rather than going and expressing ourselves.

(The first two goals were) brilliant plays, pass, move, one-twos, I thought we should have been four up at half time, Murph missed – unlike him – missed a couple of great chances, I thought the game should have been won at half time and like I said, when it’s 2-0 you give a good team a bit of encouragement.

We were negative instead of forward, we stepped backwards in our general play rather than stepping on to them and we were too far away from the ball to get pressure on the shot, he has a free shot and it’s a great strike, but that was just our mentality at the time.”

“Jake told me he always scores at Torquay so it seemed apt to put him on”

But, it was the subs bench to the rescue as Jake Hyde, fresh from replacing Rhys Murphy, nodded home a set piece to put the game beyond doubt. 

“Jake told me he always scores at Torquay so it seemed apt to put him on, and Murph put a great shift in on Saturday and Hydey’s come on and got us the goal that’s sealed it.

“They (the fans) were great and so they should be, their team has won twelve on the trot and like I’ve said before, I don’t care what level of football you play at, to win twelve games in a row takes a hell of a lot of doing and full credit goes to the players, they’ve been absolutely magnificent. We want to keep going, I said to them in there, who’s to say you can’t keep going? Go for it, let’s keep going.”

“It’s still only three points, if we got ten points for it, we’d be really, really happy, listen, it’s another three points, we have to keep focused, we have to keep humble and we have to keep working and training hard… the key word for us is relentless and that’s our word that we use everyday.”

 

You can listen to full interview with Tom Seymour and Mark Cooper Here.

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Yeovil Town face a short trip to Devon on Tuesday night as they face Torquay United down on the English Riviera. The fixture will see the two pre-season title favourites go head to head for the first time this season, with Town sitting top of the National League South currently seven points ahead of the Devonshire side.

After another successful weekend in the FA Cup, it’s back to league action for the Glovers who will want to make it 12 consecutive wins against former boss Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson during his first spell at Yeovil

The Gulls will be hoping the impressive home form they have shown this season will continue and secure them the three against their West Country Rivals.

Yeovil Town News

Over the last 11 games, the Glovers have been the in-form team not only in the league but the country and even Europe with only The New Saints Víkingur and Bayer Leverkusen able to match Towns winning record. This form can be attributed to several key factors, the main one being the attacking line. With 28 goals scored in the league alone this season, which makes Town the division’s top goal scorers. The defense has been solid too, only conceding 16 (the fifth-best in the league).

The Somerset side’s key man for the game is talismanic striker Rhys Murphy, who has bagged eight goals in thirteen games since re-signing for the side. The 33-year-old has always enjoyed facing his former team, scoring many important goals including the last-minute winner on a wet New Year’s Day in 2020.

Another one of Town’s important figures is midfielder Matty Worthington. Almost an unsung hero outside of the Huish Park faithful, Worthington’s emergence as a goalscoring midfielder under Mark Cooper has been impressive.

Yeovil Town celebrate Matt Worthington’s opening goal.
Picture courtesy of Debs Curtis.

Speaking of Cooper, he has never been beaten by Gary Johnson in the six times the pair have faced each other, with the Yorkshireman winning three and drawing three.

Other than Sendles-White, the Glovers have no players missing.

Torquay United Team News

The Devonshire side’s form this season has been very sporadic, with the majority of their wins coming at home, having not lost at Plainmoor in the league since a 0-3 defeat to Worthing in August. However, Gulls fans have not been happy in recent weeks even calling for boss Gary Johnson to be sacked after only winning one from five through October.

Torquay did though pick up all three points against Bath City in their last game, thanks to a goal from former Glover Shaun Donnellan.

Ex-Yeovil player Shaun Donnellan. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

United’s key man is a striker, in the form of Bradley Ash. The 27-year-old has found the net four times so far this season in the absence of Aaron Jarvis.

Two former Glovers players to watch out for are centre-back Shaun Donnellan and midfielder Kevin Dawson.

Aaron Jarvis misses out through injury.

 

 

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Captain Luke Wilkinson is missing from the Yeovil Town side for the return fixture with Gary Johnson’s Torquay United at Huish Park today (3pm kick-off).

On-loan goalkeeper Dillon Barnes makes his debut in place of the suspended Grant Smith and defender Jack Robinson returns to the side after injury along with Tom Knowles and Jordan Barnett, who both started on the bench on Boxing Day.

We are assuming that Morgan Williams will fill in at right back with Robinson and Max Hunt in the centre of defender and then Barnett on the left – but we’ll see how it looks in 40 minutes or so!

There is also a place for top-scorer Joe Quigley on the bench having been missing for more than a month through injury.

For the visitors, top-scorer Armani Little is missing through suspension, full-back Joe Sparkes is missing with COVID-19, and their is no place for Tom Lapslie, who was involved in the incident which saw Sonny Blu Lo-Everton red carded at Plainmoor in a decision, which was overturned on appeal.

Captain Asa Hall returns to the starting line-up along with defender Joe Felix who joined from National League South side Billericay Town last month.

Yeovil Town (4-3-3): Dillon Barnes, Jack Robinson, Max Hunt, Morgan Williams, Jordan Barnett, Dale Gorman, Josh Staunton, Matt Worthington, Tom Knowles, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield. Substitutes:  Max Evans, Alex Bradley, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Joe Quigley, Reuben Reid. 

Torquay United: MacDonald, Wynter, Martin, Lemonheigh-Evans, Hall, Wright, Johnson, Lolos, Moxey, Felix, Lewis. Substitutes: Halstead, Omar, O’Connell, Armstrong, Holman.

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Visiting Plainmoor - Torquay UnitedTorquay United have issued a strong statement saying that they will be ‘launching a full investigation’ after reports relating to fan behaviour during Yeovil’s Boxing Day visit to Plainmoor,

The statement reads: “The Club would like to stress that whilst the vast majority of supporters in attendance for this match were once again a credit to our Football Club, Torquay United AFC has a zero-tolerance policy regarding any behaviour of the nature being reported.

Any so-called fans identified as partaking in these acts will never be welcome at Plainmoor, and the Club will be issuing any perpetrators with life bans from the stadium accordingly.

Torquay United AFC prides itself on being a family-focused club at the heart of our local community, and we will not allow the mindless actions of a few to tarnish our proud reputation.”

Reports emerged on social media regarding disgraceful chants from a minority of Gulls’ supporters, which prompted a letter to the Green and White Supporters Club.

Any supporters who witnessed these actions, or have any information regarding them, are asked to report them to the Club via yellowarmy@torquayunited.com, in order to further assist with this investigation.

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On loan midfielder Sonny Blu Everton has had his suspension confirmed by the FA following his red card vs Torquay.

The FA have confirmed that the 64th minute sending off has been classed as ‘Violent Conduct‘ and as such comes with a three game, cross competition suspension.

He will miss games with Torquay and Southend in the league and also the FA Cup 3rd Round tie with Bournemouth.

The attacker is back for the FA Trophy tie with Needham Market on January 15th. His original loan deal was due to expire on January 16th.

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Josh Staunton.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town midfielder Josh Staunton fronted up to the media after the 3-0 Boxing Day defeat to Torquay United and couldn’t hide his disappointment  at the result or performance.

He told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “We weren’t anywhere near our best today, but we were still competing for probably 65 minutes, and then we’re disappointed at the ending, because we’ve been finishing games so strongly, the way we’ve come to the end of the run is really disappointing.

“I think it’s important as a group, we don’t feel like it’s the end of the world, it gives us a chance to start a new run. We’ve got a chance to put it right after New Year’s Day”

When asked about the impact of Sonny Blu Lo-Everton’s red card on 64 minutes with the game still goalless, he said the team could have responded better.

He added: “I think that’s where we have to take a bit more responsibility, remain calm, I think we lost our composure and that’s something which we haven’t done the last two months even when we’ve faced a bit of adversity, we’ve stood up to it, and today we didn’t.

“We let the red card (for Lo-Everton) really affect us, not in terms of numerical advantage, but in terms of mentality on the pitch. It’s something which we can’t allow to happen again.”

Staunton was questioned on what he and the side would take away from the defeat and he was adamant that the team would be stronger for it.

“You learn from every loss and every win, and unfortunately today, we’ve learnt the hard way. It’s a good lesson for us as a group, in terms of – we went behind against Woking but managed to come back – but we just lost our composure and lost our cool and it just goes to show, at this level, you can’t afford to have those days.

“Even for 65 minutes we weren’t at our best, but still competing, and we were in the game. We didn’t agree with things on the pitch and it’s cost us today. It’s important we learn those lessons that not everything is going to go our way, but we remain as a group and stand up and face them head on.”

Attention turned to the reverse fixture with Torquay again in the Glovers’ firing line, this time at Huish Park next Sunday.

“We take every game on it’s merit, but it (playing Torquay again so quickly) adds a bit of fuel to the fire, because, just like when we played Weymouth (in the FA Cup) we’ve got a point to prove.

“It’s disappointing, we haven’t got the game on the 28th to have a quick rebound, so we have got to hang fire for a week, but it gives us chance to right some wrongs in training, work hard and get back to what we have been doing previously.

“The most important thing is that we don’t get too down after today, because over a campaign you have ups and downs and today, we’ve had one of those downs.”

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Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll talks to BBC Radio Somerset

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has challenged his players to overcome their “biggest test” after a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Torquay United on Boxing Day.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, he encouraged a level of ‘balance‘ after seeing the unbeaten run of 12 matches halted – but promised the side had a big week ahead.

“The important thing is, is to stay balanced, with this result… the season is a long season, it’s a marathon.

“What we’ve done very well (before today) is not allow crosses coming into the box, we’ve not allowed that happen. But today we were poor at it, especially down this right hand side, I think all the goals came down the similar angle of this right hand side, and we didn’t stop crosses well enough and what you have to then do is stop the outcome of the crosses.

“I think we’ve played a lot better than that, but the manner of the defeat left a very sour taste in my mouth, which is why we had a gentle conversation at the end.”

Sarll promised that his side would be in for a big week of training ahead of the return fixture with Gary Johnson’s Gulls at Huish Park next Sunday.

“I said to them ‘this could be your biggest test so far, it’s alright to call yourself special when things are going well, and tweet and all that malarkey that that lot do now, these are challenges, and you have to stand up to challenges in the same way you stand up to diversity.

“That was my biggest disappointment today. At 1-0 stay in the game, even at 2-0  (if)Matthew (Worthington) scores, we have a great chance. Our set plays weren’t good enough, our work in and around the box wasn’t good enough, we fired high and wide too often, when corridors of opportunity opened up, when you do that, and don’t defend your box, I don’t think it’s too hard to see why you concede three and don’t score any. “

“We have to make sure we have a good, strong week now, reassert those principles of firstly, how you behave when you play for Yeovil, that’s the most important thing. Then secondly, just this group of players will be bubbling by next (Sunday), they’ll be desperate to get back out there.”

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Morgan Williams. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Yeovil Town have named a slightly altered side from the FA Trophy win over Woking with goalkeeper Grant Smith, defender Morgan Williams, midfielder Josh Staunton and forwards Adi Yussuf and Charlie Wakefield all returning to the starting line up.

Tom Knowles and Reuben Reid, who were  both in contention to continue their starring run in the side drop to the bench, along side new loan signing left-back Jaheim Headley and alongside Jordan Barnett, who has had a spell of illness in recent weeks.

Williams continues at left back, keeping both Headley and Barnett out of the side in their preferred position, which says a lot about his performances at full back.

For the home side, midfielder Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, who has barely featured for the past month, returns to the starting line-up.

On-loan QPR striker Sinclair Armstrong misses out isolating with COVID-19, but on-loan Exeter City full-back Jack Sparkes starts.

Yeovil Town (4-3-3): Grant Smith, Dan Moss, Luke Wilkinson, Max Hunt, Morgan Williams, Dale Gorman, Josh Staunton, Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Adi Yussuf, Charlie Wakefield. Substitutes: Evans, Barnett, Headley, Knowles, Reid. 

Torquay United: MacDonald, Wynter, Martin, Lapslie, Lemonheigh-Evans, Wright, Little, Lolos, Moxey, Sparkes, Lewis. Substitutes: Omar, Hall, Johnson, O’Connell, Holman.