Yeovil Town have been drawn at home to Weston-super-Mare in the second round of the Somerset Men’s Premier Cup.
The Seagulls, who today announced the signing of winger Sam Pearson just 24 hours after the termination of his contract at Huish Park, will visit South Somerset in the competition.
No date or kick-off time has been set for the match yet.
Yeovil Town winger Dylan Morgan has joined National League South side Weston-super-Mare on a three month loan deal.
The 21-year-old, who arrived at Huish Park from Taunton Town in January, Morgan, has only made two appearances in the Glovers’ opening five National League Premier matches, having picked up a knee injury during pre-season.
Speaking about the signing on Friday, Weston boss Scott Bartlett said the arrival would fill a void in his squad left by an injury to midfielder James Waite.
He said: “I signed Dyl from Southampton to FGR when he was 15 so he is well known to me.
“He has done brilliantly and earned promotion from this division last season. He can play anywhere across the front four and is powerful, can dribble and will make things happen. It’s an exciting signing and one that makes a lot of sense given the recent injury to James.
“We are very fortunate to be able to have him in on loan and delighted to welcome him aboard.”
He started the opening day defeat against Hartlepool United before being substituted after 56 minutes, and appeared as a 61st-minute substitute at Gateshead last weekend.
Weston already have goalkeeper Will Buse on loan from Yeovil and it seems likely Morgan will join him in the squad for tomorrow’s home match with Hornchurch.
All the best with the Seagulls Dylan!
Yeovil Town goalkeeper Will Buse has joined National League South Side Weston-super-Mare on a one-month loan.
Buse, who is essentially surplus to requirements at Huish Park, spent the majority of last season with Bath City and was not given a squad number at the start of this campaign.
The arrival of goalkeeper/goalkeeper coach Matt Gould last month means Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper has cover for number one, Ollie Wright, who has joined on loan from Premier League Southampton.
Buse heads to the seaside will go straight in to the Seagulls’ side for their opening fixture at home to Worthing on Saturday with first-choice gloveman, Kelland Absalom, who joined from Welsh side Bala Town at the start of June, missing through suspension.
Seagulls’ manager Scott Bartlett said: “Will is a very good goalkeeper with good experience of the level.
“He is someone we know well and with Kelland suspended for the first league game, Will’s arrival adds competition to an important area of the pitch.
“I’d like to thank Mark Cooper and Yeovil for helping us at short notice.”
All the best, Will.
Striker Aaron Jarvis said he was pleased to have got through a full pre-season for Yeovil Town without any injury concerns.
The summer signing missed large periods of last season with Torquay United with a knee injury which restricted him to just 19 appearances in National League South.
He played his first full 90 minutes in the 2-0 win at Weston-super-Mare in the final pre-season friendly before the National League Premier season gets underway, and capped his appearance off with the opening goal.
Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel after the game in north Somerset, the 26-year-old said: “I have managed to get the minutes in, I missed a lot of last season out with injury, so the main target was to get a good pre-season under my belt and I am glad to have done that.
“It is a completely different style of play to Torquay and you can see the patterns we are trying to work on, we showed that today with some good moves and I was delighted to hit the net as well just to get that confidence back.
“I am feeling really positive about (the new season), there is a good group of lads here, the Gaffer has recruited well and I think it could be a really positive season for us.
“I am only going to get fitter as we go in to the season and hopefully I will get better at bringing other players in to the game, that is my main role in the team, to be a link to the front men and hopefully I can do much more of that.”
In the 64th minute at Weston, the striker controlled a forward pass from Michael Smith and finished nicely across the keeper to give Yeovil the lead. The goal was his third in five friendly appearances having netted early in the campaign at Melksham Town and Frome Town.
He admits manager Mark Cooper has a range of options in his forward line with fellow new arrival Harvey Greenslade, who has scored five times in pre-season and came off the bench at Weston, complementing those already in the squad which lifted the National League South title last season.
Jarvis added: “We have got a great selection of players across the frontline, really creative players which is great for me because I know they are going to find me and link up with me, so I am really looking forward to the season getting started next week.
“I am buzzing and can’t wait to get going and we have a good group of boys who are raring to get started as well.”
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said he gave minutes to those players he expects to start next weekend’s National League Premier opener as his side ran out 2-0 winners at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.
Of the players who many would expect to be in contention for a starting place against Hartlepool United next weekend only Dylan Morgan and Charlie Cooper were missing.
Morgan at the match with strapping on his knee whilst Cooper did not feature in the 5-0 win at Buckland Athletic in midweek having come off with a tight hamstring in the win at Farnborough Town seven days ago.
Against Weston, Sam Pearson was replaced by Harvey Greenslade after 62 minutes, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton replaced captain Matt Worthington on 73 minutes and Jordan Thomas and Finn Cousin-Dawson replaced Alex Whittle and Jake Wannell with four minutes remaining.
That meant a full 90 minutes for summer signings striker Aaron Jarvis, who opened the scoring, and midfielder Brett McGavin – make of that what you will.
Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel after the match, the manager said: “With a week to go, the people that are getting close to start are getting close to 90 minutes, so it’s a case where some are going to be upset they are not getting the minutes they wanted, but we have to make some decisions.
“We have got a really competitive squad and they understand that if they don’t play the first game, there is a chance they will play the second game.
“We have to keep that harmony and unity which we have got, I thought they worked hard today and we controlled large parts of the game against a good Weston-super-Mare team.”
He added: “We wanted a really competitive, realistic game and we got that. We said wanted the players to treat this like a league game with our preparation, training leading up to the game, and the way we played.
“It is still pre-season so it gets a bit slow at times, but the pitch was really good, not as hot as it has been, ideal conditions for a competitive game.
“The way we want to play was clear today. I want to control the game as much as possible, I don’t want the game to be end of end, I don’t want there to be lots of chances in our box, I want it to be us that has the ball and we did that for large parts of the game.”
Jarvis showed great chest control to collect a Michael Smith ball in the 64th minute at Weston before finishing nicely across the keeper to give Yeovil the lead, before Lo-Everton settled proceedings with the second five minutes from time.
Cooper was impressed with Jarvis, who missed large parts of last season with Torquay United through injury, and the boss admitted they have managed the 26-year-old’s minutes during pre-season.
He said: “We have been careful to manage his minutes and get him through. If you asked their centre backs, they will tell you he is a handful because he roughed them up at times and scored a goal and that is why we brought him to the club.
“We want him to be that focal point at the top of the team who we can play balls longer at time up to him.”
There were no trialists involved in the squad with the left-backs who had been auditioning early in pre-season, Charlton Athletic academy graduate Jacob Roddy and ex-Portsmouth man Brandon Haunstrup, having moved on. Roddy signed for National League South side Oxford City whilst Haunstrup was on trial at Gateshead on Saturday.
Cooper reiterated that he is still hoping to strengthen his squad further with a his sights set on players who are still looking for a club on the eve of the start of the new season.
He said: “Once we get this late in to pre-season there are going to be players that do not get fixed up and they are the ones that we are targeting.
“If you look at last year, we got Michael Smith and Joe Day in really late on and they made a huge difference and we are looking for a signing of that quality and impact.”
The manager agreed a new three-year contract at Huish Park in the week with chairman Martin Hellier also announcing that there would be further budget made available to strengthen the squad.
Cooper said: “I’m really happy and thank the owner for having that faith. I have always had a really good relationship with him. We are aligned with where we want to do, we want to organically build the football club. It is going to be slowly, slowly and we want to be competitive.
“Once we had that alignment it was a no brainer for me, I am happy, I just want the football club to be united, everyone be together and the most importantly thing for me is that the fans, who have been amazing when I have been here, get behind the players, because it makes such a difference when they do.”
Next up, former Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll brings his Hartlepool United side to Huish Park for the National League Premier curtain-raiser.
On Saturday, the North East side signed former Yeovil loanee, goalkeeper Adam Smith, who had three spells on loan in Somerset during Sarll’s reign, and he was named among the substitutes for their 3-1 defeat at home to B side from Premier League Nottingham Forest.
Speaking after that game, Sarll called the performance his side’s “worst of pre-season” with the boss dropping a number of players expected to start at Huish Park.
Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper paid tribute to Morgan Williams as he went from villain to hero after scoring the winner in a 2-1 home win over Weston-super-Mare at Huish Park tonight.
The defender headed home an 83rd minute goal to grab a vital three points having been at fault for Weston’s first half goal in the first half on a night that second-placed Worthing slipped to a 4-1 defeat at Welling United.
That means the Glovers moved 13 points clear at the top of National League South table going in to Saturday’s trip to third-placed Chelmsford City.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall said: “You see again tonight that another team have come here with no pressure, with really good players and they can go and express themselves and I thought Weston were brilliant tonight in the way they played.
“We started great, played some brilliant football and got in front and then conceded a rubbish goal. Morgs got done, I just said to him that his character and personality has won us that game. He refuses to give in and he goes and gets the winning goal.
“Fair play to Toddy (assistant manager, Chris Todd), because he works really hard with Morgan and Jake Wannell on the set-pieces and it’s another one tonight that got us over the line. You can talk about how well you have played but it’s a winner from a set piece again and we have scored a lot of them and winning teams score from set pieces.”
The boss challenged his side to do more to put their opponents to the sword after creating a number of chances to make their win more convincing, as they had in the 1-0 win over Havant & Waterlooville last weekend.
Cooper said: “The only thing I am a little bit peeved about is the fact we create so many chances and we are not putting them away at the moment. We are having to rely on one or two goals when we should be scoring four and that gives the opposition a chance. If you look at the gilt-edged chances today through Youngy (Jordan Young) and Stevo (Jordan Stevens), they get brilliant chances and we are relying on a header from a centre half to win us the game.
“We miss a lot of chances, look at Youngy’s chance, he is in the six-yard box and he dribbles it out of play when he can just roll it under the keeper. But you have to remember what they have done, as well as what they haven’t done.
“You also have to remember that these players have to deal with the expectancy every game that they have to win and the opposition are not getting relegated or promoted and that is a really dangerous recipe to play against a team which has so many technically-gifted players on a really good pitch. So credit to our boys. I thought in the last seven or eight minutes when we went 2-1 up, we defended our box brilliantly.
“I’m so pleased for our boys, I am really proud of them because they stood up once again.”
Yeovil named only four substitutes on the bench tonight and Cooper admitted he did not want to bring on striker Frank Nouble, who arrived with the game tied at 1-1.
He is hoping to have midfielder Charlie Cooper and left-back Alex Whittle, who were not in the squad through injury and illness respectively, back for the visit of third-placed Chelmsford City on Saturday, when they will be without the suspended Jordan Young. He is also hoping on loan Bristol City striker Olly Thomas is close to a return for action.
The manager said: “We didn’t want to lose Frank as well as Youngy, so we tried to get some rest back in to Frank’s legs tonight. The idea was not to use him and save him for Saturday, but we have had to put him on.
“He made a big impact when he came on with a great run and shot. I am hopeful Whittle and Cooper will be fit to play on Saturday which gives us a big lift and adds to those numbers and I think Olly Thomas will be back within the next ten days.
“I thought that was more like it tonight from our fans. There was an energy from them and it made for a good atmosphere and they have got as big a part to play now as us. I have been speaking about it for weeks, not in a conceited or arrogant way, but successful clubs have that real energy between players and fans and it was there tonight.“
Yeovil Town match winner Morgan Williams has said some half time words of encouragement helped the Glovers grab all three points against Weston Super-Mare.
Williams’ late winner sent the Glovers 13 points clear at the top of the table, but it wasn’t without being tested for large parts of the game.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall after the game, the defender said; “I think I needed it, after the start, I didn’t play too well today, but, the result is what matters and we got that.
Today was probably my worst game possible, but credit to the players and the gaffer and all the staff, they all backed me at half time and just said ‘you’re better than that, you know that’ and they just gave me the confidence to go believe and Toddy even said it to me, he said ‘you can go and redeem yourself by getting a goal’ and that’s what I did”
The corner that saw the winner scored came from Sonny Blu Lo Everton, one of many players who had been creative, without being ruthless, but a moment of quality was all it took
“It’s a beautiful ball, we’ve got players with that quality, and we’ve just got to get on the end of it, obviously Jake Wannell has got on the end of a few lately, so it’s my turn to try and catch up with him”
“It’s not always going to be pretty, teams come back and have a game plan to sit back against us and it’s hard to break them down, but we’re finding a way to win and that’s the most important thing,
We had a few chances and we knew we should have taken them, we did it in the end and we’re really happy with that.”
The win, combined with Worthing slipping up 4-1 at lowly Welling means that the Glovers are now 13 points clear at the top of the NLS, with a game in hand… (if Truro ever get round to sorting a date out), the news trickled through to the group at full time.
“Absolutely buzzing, but the changing room was just saying we have got to focus on ourselves and just keep winning games… we’ve just got to focus on Chelmsford now, try and beat them on Saturday and keep going.
We’ve got a real tight group, the staff are close with us, we know what we have to do and we just keep churning out games, big games coming up, but we’ve just got to go game by game, we’ll look at Chelmsford and focus on the rest of them after.”
Morgan Williams was the hero with an 83rd minute header to take all three points in a 2-1 home win over Somerset rivals Weston-super-Mare at Huish Park, but who was your Man of the Match tonight?
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.A second half Morgan Williams goal earned Yeovil Town a gritty win in the all-Somerset clash with Weston-super-Mare at Huish Park on Tuesday night.
The Glovers made a perfect start when Sam Pearson opened the scoring after 50 seconds but the visitors pulled level when Jacob Cane took advantage of a mix-up between Williams and Joe Day to lift the ball over the keeper with 23 minutes played.
It took until seven minutes from time for Williams to head home a corner to maintain a magnificent home record with yet another win.
Here’s how Ian saw it from his spot in the stands…..
Yeovil Town were forced into changes and named just four players on the bench. Jay Foulston came in for Alex Whittle who missed out completely, Will Dawes came in for Dylan Morgan and Jordan Stevens started in place of Frank Nouble.
It took less than a minute for the Glovers to open the scorning. Neat interplay between Young, Smith and Stevens saw the winger played through into space on the right hand side and his low delivery was flicked home by SAM PEARSON. 1-0
The familiar pattern of patient play emerged following the goal with Yeovil probing their opponents and in the 12th minute green shirts flooded forward and Matt Worthington drew a save from Max Harris after being played through.
In a game Yeovil had total control of, a moment of misjudgment by Morgan Williams allowed JACOB CANE to get in behind the Glovers backline and loop the ball over Joe Day into the back of the net to equalise.
Three minutes later, Jordan Young came close to restoring Yeovil’s advantage after a cross from Will Dawes, but his left-footed effort was wide of the mark.
The equaliser seemed to spark a bit of life into Mark Cooper’s side as they upped the tempo around the Weston box. They had to keep their wits about them though, as a fierce left-footer from Rex Mannings flashed wide of Day’s post.
Yeovil regained control again, with patient play. But as Weston prevented Yeovil playing through the lines, the Huish Park crowd grew restless and the composure began to fade. A loose long pass from Williams allowed Weston to get forward, but the final ball was lacking.
A late set piece after a Jake Wannell foul got the hearts racing a bit, but the header from Humphries was high and wide.
Neither side many any changes at half time and Yeovil came out stronger of the two teams. It wasn’t until the 54th minute when a decent chance opened up. A good ball over the top found Sam Pearson who had to cut back onto his left foot. Pearson sliced his effort wide when he had support from Dawes to his left.
Another chance came soon after with a dangerous ball into the box that a falling Jordan Young couldn’t connect with inside the six yard box.
The gloves of Joe Day were called into action moments later from a stinging Dayle Grubb shot.
On the hour mark, Stevens drew another save from Harris with a low shot, but he had options square to him as well.
Young crept through inside the box and instead of shooting when the chance was there, he tried to round the keeper and couldn’t bundle in. Yeovil’s number 7 appealed for the penalty, but the referee waved them away.
In the 62nd minute, Mark Cooper introduced Frank Nouble for Jordan Stevens and in the 69th, Will Dawes made way for Dylan Morgan.
There was a nervy moment for Yeovil when Wannell conceded a free kick in a promising position for Weston. After what felt like an eternity, Grubb skied it into the away end.
Nouble got the supporters going with a ranger from distance with his left foot that had Harris panicking. He composed himself and parried away as Alex Fisher put on the pressure.
Yeovil regained their lead from another set piece special in the 83rd minute. MORGAN WILLIAMS rose above everyone to power a header past Harris in front for the Thatchers! 2-1
After the goal, Weston took control as they searched for a leveller. Yeovil were penned back and were defending for their lives at times.
The Glovers held on scored another valuable win!
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Tuesday 20th February – 7:45pm
Competition: National League South
Pitch: Held up in places and showing a little wear and tear in goal-mouth
Conditions: A cold, clear night under the lights
Attendance: 3,390 (208 away supporters)
Scorers: Sam Pearson 1, (1-0), Jacob Cane 23, (1-1), Morgan Williams 83, (2-1)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Weston-super-Mare: Jacob Cane
Referee: Shelby Elson
Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Dylan Morgan (for Will Dawes 69), Frank Nouble, (for Jordan Stevens, 62), Alex Fisher (for Jordan Young, 77), Josh Owers (not used).
Weston-super-Mare: Max Harris, Keiran Thomas, Jason Pope (for Jordan Bastin 64), Raphael Arayoe, Lloyd Humphries, James Dodd, Jacob Jagger Cane, Dayle Grubb, Robbie Willmott (Sam Avery, 90+3), Marlon Jackson, Rex Mannings (Bailey Kempster, 83). Substitutes (not used): Jamie Soule, Alex Fletcher.
Striker Frank Nouble has been rested for tonight’s all-Somerset clash with Weston-super-Mare in National League South at Huish Park tonight.
Manager Mark Cooper said the 32-year-old was being taken out of the starting line-up with a visit to third-placed Chelmsford City coming up on Saturday.
Dylan Morgan also drops to the bench with Jordan Stevens and Will Dawes brought in to a pacey line-up to face the Seagulls. The other change sees left back Alex Whittle, who has come off early in the previous two matches, replaced by Jay Foulston.
Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset reporter Ian Randall ahead of the game, Cooper said: “We don’t want to lose Frank and (Jordan) Young for the weekend, so we have Dawes on the left with Pearson up top with Youngy in behind him and Jordan Stevens on the right.
“We think (Alex Whittle) has some kind of virus that makes him light-headed and when he gets to the stage he has exerted himself we can’t carry on. So we have to give him a week’s rest to see if it settles down.
Cooper also insisted that has said the season will had “loads of trials and tribulations” yet to throw at his team and reiterated his comments after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Havant & Waterlooville that the Huish Park crowd can play a major role in the rest of the campaign.
He said: “We have to keep going, it’s still February. (The fans) still have a massive part to play, they have to get behind us, we need that. They can roar us on to where we need to go to. Massive, not passive.
“We’ll find out (whether this is a derby or not) when the game starts and see what the atmosphere is like.“
