Woking (Page 2)

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It was a first match up against Darren Sarll since he left back in March, and the Glovers’ former manager got one over his old team guiding Woking to 1-0 win in Mark Cooper’s second match in charge of Yeovil Town.

A late Padraig Amond goal was the difference between the two sides in Surrey but only after he had seen a penalty saved by Grant Smith.

Sheridan Robins from her usual vantage point watching Yeovil Town from the BBC Radio Somerset commentary box.

BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins was in the commentary box at Kingfield and here are her five conclusions.

It is plainly obvious the issues stem from not scoring goals.
Woking are a good side. They have goals all over the pitch, but Yeovil kept them at bay through some excellent one-on-one defending and a superb penalty save. But, when you have little up front, one mistake and the game is gone.

Sticking your centre back up front when chasing a goal tells you all you need to know about the lack of attacking prowess, but Mark Cooper was right, he was a threat. However, you don’t want to rely on that. The lack of natural goal scorers all over the pitch is the killer.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Grant Smith has had a superb season – but is not getting the plaudits he deserves.

And that is not a criticism of supporters, it is natural because the team are in the bottom four. However, he has continually kept the Glovers in games, and now saved two penalties this season. He did not deserve to be on the losing side last night – and that has been true multiple times this season.

Alex Fisher, Chiori Johnson and Max Hunt applaud the fans at Maidstone
? David Coates

Players will be given a chance under Mark Cooper and Max Hunt being back in the side showcases that.

He mentioned post match that there are still players vying for a place. I think this week is a big week for him to properly assess what he has at his disposal. He also said it is his job to get the best out of this squad which has been assembled. There will be changes and additions – I have no doubt about that – but it is also about instilling belief into the players currently wearing the shirt.

I think this is obvious and has been for a while but Yeovil are in a relegation battle. After Torquay’s storming win last night, things are getting tight at the bottom. The poor start to the season has put them in this position and a change has been made. The priority now has to be to pull away from that drop zone – experience is crucial in this division and the man in the dugout has plenty of that. I felt the fans were behind him last night – that can only be a positive. One game at a time, as they say!

We all wanted to be in the first round of the FA Cup, but maybe with everything that has happened a full week on the training pitch could be just what the Glovers need.

I will be commentating on MK Dons v Taunton, but I imagine Yeovil will be in a lot over the next week and it is a chance for new and fresh ideas.

With two home games in a row coming up – it might be just the reset they need to get results over the line.

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Venue: Kingfield
Tuesday 1st November, 7.45pm kick-off

Conditions:
Pitch: Soggy after a pre-match downpour

Scorers:  Padraig Amond 84

Bookings:

Yeovil Town: Jamie Andrews 30, Ben Richards-Everton 40, Ewan Clark 45, Jamie Reckord 61
Woking: Ricky Korboa 86, Rohan Ince 87

Referee: Lloyd Wood

Yeovil Town:

Substitutes: Gime Toure (for Chiori Johnson, 62), Will Dawes (for Malachi Linton, 62), Sam Perry (for Ewan Clark, 82). Will Buse (not used), Ollie Hulbert (not used).

Woking: Ross, Moss, Cuthbert, McNerney, Casey, Ince, Anderson, Kellerman, Korboa (for Vokins, 90), Clarke (for Roles, 69), Amond (for Bilongo 90+3). Substitutes (not used): Wady Roberts.

Match Report

Yeovil Town remain in the National League relegation zone after a late winner from Padraig Amond saw El Sarllico go the way of the former Glovers’ boss.

It was a case of third time lucky for the Irishman who was denied by the impressive Grant Smith in a one-on-one opportunity and moments later the keeper kept out a tame penalty, but with six minutes remaining the big money summer signing was on hand to tap home the winner.

Another blank in front goal means Mark Cooper’s men remain the lowest scorers in the National League with just 13 goals in 17 games and that was what cost us – again.

 

First half

The first 15 minutes did not offer much from either side finding out a pitch which was drenched by a downpour just ahead of kick-off, despite it being relatively dry in Surrey come 7.45pm.

Ricky Korboa forced the first save – albeit a fairly routine one – out of Grant Smith in the visitor’s goal after 14 minutes but, against a side on a good run of form, they managed to hold their own and rarely looked like they were being too threatened.

As the game approached the half-hour mark, there was a little sustained pressure from Yeovil, but did not do a great deal to threaten Craig Ross in the hosts’ goal.

Winger Ewan Clark did suffer some rough treatment winning a number of fouls which referee Lloyd Wood not picking up on any…..until debutant Jamie Andrews picked up a yellow for a 30th minute foul on the dangerous Korboa, who we struggled to contain.

Yeovil began to find their way in to the game as it progressed towards the interval, however, there was little in the way of quality from either side. Scrappy to put it politely.

It took a moment of superb defending from Max Hunt to clear from the middle of a sea of Woking players in first half injury time and then again rose highest to had another ball in. For a player who was completely out of favour under previous manager, Chris Hargreaves, he will have got plenty of confidence from that impressive piece of defensive play.

Half time: Woking 0 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

The scrappiness continued as the second half got underway along with the lightweight feel to the Yeovil frontline alongside

But, with ten minutes of the second half gone, the game sprang in to life. Woking striker Padraig Amond found himself one-on-one with visiting keeper Smith, who got a leg out to deny the Cardinals’ big money summer signing. Once again, Smith showing the quality he has displayed all season.

The defensive slip was the first blip in an otherwise controlled display from the visitors, but on 59 minutes a clumsy tackle by Owen Bevan on Jermaine Anderson saw a second penalty in three days awarded against the Glovers. It looked as if Anderson was going to take it only for Amond to grab the ball off him and his poor spot kick was saved by Smith.

With FC Halifax Town, the second lowest scorers in the National League, postponed due to the poor weather, Mark Cooper chucked on Gime Toure and Will Dawes in place of Chiori Johnson and Malachi Linton in an attempt to improve his side’s woeful attacking performance this season.

The response saw the game turn in to a real end-to-end affair but without much to trouble either Smith or Ross in the opposing goals.

But, with six minutes remaining, the defensive solidity which had been a hallmark of the visitors’ performance deserted them and gifted Woking the lead. They hesitated as Jack Roles’ ball fizzed in to the box and AMOND was at the back post to turn the ball home. When your luck’s not in, it’s not in.

Smith, a player who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side if ever there was one, pulled off a smart stop to deny Jim Kellerman in second half injury time.

Don’t score goals, you don’t win football matches.

Full time: Woking 1 Yeovil Town 0

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Ahead of El Sarllico at Woking, Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper spoke to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins. He’s what he had to say…..

Jamie Andrews who joined on loan from West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

SR: You have made three changes, but I understand a couple of those are enforced?
MC: That’s right. Morgan Williams is out with an ankle problem, Matt Worthington is out with a heel problem, so we have had to rejig a little bit. We managed to get Jamie (Andrews) in from West Brom, so he will come in and make his debut in midfield. Staunts (Josh Staunton) was touch and go, but he’s going to play.

SR: I suppose you don’t have a game at the weekend (due to the lack of FA Cup involvement), so the players just have to put their bodies on the line tonight?
MC: That’s it. They have got a week from tonight until the next game, so they have a week after today to get rested and I am hoping the majority of the injured boys will be back for the Maidenhead game (at Huish Park).

SR: What are you expecting from Jamie Andrews tonight?
MC: He’s an elegant, 6’1″, 6’2″ left-footed midfield player and he can run as well. I think he will give us a little bit of quality in the middle of the pitch and some good set-piece delivery as well, so I am excited to see him play.

Chiori Johnson. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

SR: Both Jamie Reckord and Chiori Johnson are natural wing-backs, so it must be good to have them back in the side.
MC: With the personnel we have got available, it makes sense for us to play wing-backs. I am not massive on formations, it’s about the mentality. But with the players we have got available, that is the best balanced team we can pick at the moment.

SR: Woking are on a good run and fifth in the table, but they have a few injuries as well. It must all be about your players proving themselves to you tonight, isn’t it?
MC: I think it’s important that we concentrate on ourselves. We know against Darren Sarll’s team we have to compete and stand up, man for man, win our duels and the bits and pieces of tactical stuff we have worked on we need them to come to the fore. But first and foremost we need to compete.

SR: There seems to be a good following tonight, it’s not far from Yeovil, it must be good to see them tonight.
MC: I think when you come to a London club there’s always a few fans who lives in London that have moved away from Yeovil, so I am sure it will be a good following.

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Ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Woking in the National League, new Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has been speaking with the media about his first few days in charge. Here is his discussion with BBC Somerset reporter, Sheridan Robins…..

SR: Tell us what it was that made you choose Yeovil.
MC: I wanted to get back to work. I spoke to one or two clubs and this just seemed right. I could have waited for another League job or a ‘better’ non-League job but I wanted to get back to work.
Whenever I have been to Yeovil I have enjoyed the atmosphere, so it’s a job I am looking forward to.
It is very rare you go in to a job where everything is right and everybody is smiling, you usually go in to a job where somebody has been sacked for a reason.
It’s a difficult job, but I am looking forward to it.

SR: What can supporters expect from a Mark Cooper team?
MC: My teams have always tried to dominate opposition with the ball, but at the moment it is about simple, clear messages and trying to get confidence back.
When you are on a bad run, people lose confidence so it is about trying to play in the opposition’s half, get crosses in to the box and sustain some attacks and try and get supporters behind the team.

SR: Did you see that, particularly in the first half, against Maidstone?
MC: In the first half, sure. Second half there was a little bit of fear because (we felt like) we’re not supposed to be winning, so we take a step back rather than take a step forward.
The first half was really encouraging, the players gave a great effort and if we can replicate that effort and keep adding layers to our work and showing the players what we need, we will be alright.

SR: It was a penalty decision which cost you three points, but is it just a confidence thing that you couldn’t put the game to bed?
MC: Of course, we had a couple of chances where you think ‘if you get the second goal, that is game over.’ We can talk about the penalty decision all you like, but I’ve made a promise to myself to not get in trouble and be a good boy!

SR: Fans can be impatient and they want to get out of the bottom four, but is it a case of taking it game by game and learning to walk before we can run?
MC: It is important we go game by game, that is the only way we can approach it. Over the last few years that impatience grows and if you don’t win one game, there’s people shouting for you to be out.
That is social media, that’s the way it is now, and we have to accept that.
But if fans are seeing that players are giving everything they have got and they want to do their best, that can forgive a lot.

SR: You brought in a number of players at Maidstone who had not been in the team with the previous manager, are you wanting to see all the players you have at your disposal?
MC: When a new manager comes in, some players automatically see it as an opportunity if they have not been playing. I feel sorry for Chris, I have watched a lot of games back and at times he was unlucky with some results.

Mark Cooper watches on from the stand at Maidstone United.

SR: Is one of the benefits of your ban being that you can get a better view from the stands?
MC: My ban is served, it was served before Saturday. You see so much more from up there. It’s something I have done over the years, I have watched part of the game upstairs to try and get a good overview of the pitch.
It can be difficult down there to see from the dug out, so I will watch different parts of different games from that position because you see so much more.

SR: You were able to give messages to Chris Todd who has obviously been here all season which must be a positive as well.
MC: The staff have been great, they all want to do well for the club and to learn – and Chris got plenty of phone calls on Saturday, that is for sure.

SR: The atmosphere here before Chris lost his job was pretty poor and you know the situation with the ownership, everyone has to come together, haven’t they?
MC: Ideally, yes. You can’t succeed with a disconnect between fans and players because players need backing. I don’t think (the form) has been down to a lack of effort, it is very rare you see a player not trying.
It’s about uniting the players and the staff, whatever goes on above us we can’t affect that but what we can affect is out there on the pitch.
Every team I send out there will give 100%, we won’t win every game, we might draw a few and lose a few, but they will give 100%.

SR: At Forest Green Rovers you had that winning mentality and at Yeovil at the moment that
MC: You have to build from the bottom, put the processes in place. That doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time, you have to get everything right, your recruitment, to get that winning mentality and formula. That has to be the

SR: Do you have the backing of the board to bring new players in?
MC: If we do bring players in, we might have to move a couple on. The squad is big enough, I think we just have to add a bit of freshness and athleticism.
But, goals are a difficult one. If you want a 25-goal-a-season striker, you have to pay a lot of money. Fish (Alex Fisher) scored a good goal on Saturday, he’s not been scoring (this season) but he looked a really good player on Saturday.

SR: We seemed to struggle with set pieces which are particularly important in the National League, aren’t they?
MC: We have got a really big team, but I’ve been told we’ve not scored from a set piece this season. I have just been talking to Toddy (Chris Todd) down in the office and we need to really look on that. It’s something to work on.

SR: Chris Todd and Marcus Stewart are going to be important for you going forward, aren’t they?
MC: They are great football people. Chris was a really good centre back at this level and he’s been invaluable for me for getting to know the squad and those little intricacies of how players work.
Marcus was a fantastic centre forward. If he was ten years younger we wouldn’t be struggling for goals.

SR: Tuesday is going to be another tough game against Darren Sarll, an opponent we know well. Are there players who will be wanting to prove to you they deserve a start?
MC: I am yet to experience an easy game in football, because somebody always wants to beat you. But you are playing against another 11 players, so the first thing we have to do is compete.
I want us to be really front foot, intense and play in the opposition’s half. It will be a tough game, they are flying, Darren’s done a really good job there, like he did here, and he’ll be desperate to beat Yeovil.
But we need to have something to say about that.

SR: How much time have you had on the training ground with the team since arriving?
MC: I have had probably 30-40 minutes on Friday morning, but I liked what I saw in the first half on Saturday. The fans that went will have seen the effort and commitment and a little bit of what we are trying to do.
We need to improve and that is the aim.

SR: It seems to be just about getting the team over that line and getting that first win, doesn’t it?
MC: I was hoping we could get over the line (at Maidstone). We should have had a corner, but it was a goal kick, they kick it down the pitch and we get a decision against us.
But that happens and now we have to react to that and I’m looking forward to that first win.

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To be honest, the headline kind of said everything you need to know, but you’ve scrolled down so I better pad it out a bit here.

Yeovil Town’s game against Woking (with him, that other fella and the other one) has been rearranged for Tuesday 1st November.

The game, scheduled for September 10th was postponed as the game paid its respects after the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The new date comes with a 7.45pm kick off and any pre-paid tickets are still valid. The Cards advised that any other ticket enquiries should be directed to tickets@wokingfc.co.uk. If you had a ticket for the original date and can’t make this one, you can get the cost refunded, just contact Woking and ask them.

Ticket prices are:

Adult: £20.00 (£22.00 walk up)
Concession (65+): £15.00 (£17.00 walk up)
Next Generation (aged 16-22): £12.00 (£14.00 walk up)
Under 16: £5.00

For anything else you need to know about visiting Kingfield, don’t miss the Ciderspace Away Travel Guide – here – once we’ve whipped Huish Hugh to update it with the new date and ticket details!

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Yeovil Town‘s trip to Woking has been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of The Queen on Thursday.

However, a statement from the National League confirming the postponement of the full schedule of fixtures for the weekend suggests next Tuesday’s trip to Eastleigh will still go ahead.

It added that no sporting events would be permitted on the day of The Queen’s funeral which is presently expected to be Monday, September 19.

In a statement on Friday, the National League said: “Further to this morning’s statement by Debbie Hewitt, chair of The Football Association, all National League System, FA Trophy, and grassroots fixtures scheduled for this weekend will not take place as a mark of respect. The Queen was the FA’s patron, and Prince William is its President.

“At this moment National League fixtures will go ahead as planned from Monday 12 September onwards although we understand no sporting event of any kind will be permitted on the day of The Queen’s funeral.

“The decision to postpone this weekend’s fixtures is taken in line with guidance from the FA in consultation with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The League fully supports this stance.”

Earlier in the day the DCMS had said there was “no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures, or close entertainment venues during the National Mourning period.” However, soon after the Premier League and EFL both confirmed they were cancelling their weekend fixture schedules – with the National League following suit.

Yeovil Town Under-18s‘ fixture at Salisbury City has also been postponed with the South West Counties Youth League calling off its schedule, along with the opening weekend of the Junior Premier League where a number of age group teams represent the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust.

There are no details about what happens to match tickets for those who bought them for the trip to Woking – but we would expect such information to appear in the fullness of time.

The last time we can recall the death of a member of the Royal Family leading to a cancellation was the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997 when we made a long trip to Halifax Town (before they were FC Halifax) on a Friday night to avoid the clash with the funeral on the Saturday.

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The statistics make grim reading for W*ymouth going in to the Easter Monday visit from their old rivals across the border.

The Good Friday defeat at Maidenhead United stretched the Terras’ winless run to eight games and means boss David Oldfield has just one win from 16 games.

They have also not scored in seven of their last eight matches with their only goals coming in 3-2 defeat at Wealdstone.

Only already relegated Dover Athletic have scored fewer fewer goals (32 to their 31) while their have conceded the fourth most goals with the two they let in against Maidenhead taking them to 71 conceded. Only Dover (85), Barnet (76) and King’s Lynn (72) have let in more.

Oldfield said “In my mind, it’s the next game so it looms right into focus in terms of the importance.

“Obviously, for everybody involved it’s a derby game which is fantastic and we need to make sure we’re looking forward to that.

“But in terms of the reality of the situation it is our next game. We need to get ourselves ready to fight as much as we can.

“We’re aware how big the game is and we need to make sure we look after our supporters as much as we can with a performance that does ourselves justice.”

 

FROM THE MANAGER

Following the defeat at Maidenhead United on Good Friday, Terras’ boss David Oldfield admitted his side were now facing an uphill battle to survive, he told the Dorset Echo: “We knew how difficult the task was when I first came in to the group. I haven’t managed to affect the results enough, that’s absolutely plain and clear.

“Whatever happens now is a moot point, we can’t control anything but ourselves. For us to perform as we did is another missed opportunity and a reality check about exactly where we are.

“I can’t comment on other teams, we have to take responsibility, keep working and fighting until the very last kick of the season.”

 

TEAM NEWS

W*ymouth captain and striker Josh McQuoid is back after serving a two-match suspension.

But winger Tom Blair, who had a trial with Yeovil in the summer of 2021, will miss out serving the final match of a four-game suspension.

Midfielders Ollie Harfield and Omar Mussa are both doubts through injury.

Both Andreas Robinson returned after a foot injury on Good Friday and Xander McBurnie played the full 90 minutes against Maidenhead.

Josh Leslie-Smith (head) and striker Martell Taylor-Crossdale (knee) continue to be assessed.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

With the geographical location of both teams, there are a lot of players who have seen service with both these clubs.

However, the only one who is likely to feature in the latest meeting of Somerset-verus-Dorset is Brandon Goodship.

The striker played eight times for Darren Way’s Yeovil in 2017, scoring a crucial goal in a 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge which helped keep us in the League.

He was released at the end of that campaign and dropped down to the Wessex Stadium where he scored 38 goals in his first season and 39 in his second campaign in the Southern League Premier earning him a move in to the Football League at Southend United.

Despite making more than 50 appearances for the Shrimpers, he was released following their relegation to non-League and returned to W*ymouth last summer.

Goodship has been a regular starter for the Terras in recent weeks and would be expected to feature against one of his former clubs.

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Darren Sarll has left Yeovil Town to take up the manager’s job at National League rivals Woking, ending nearly three years in charge at Huish Park.

The club confirmed the departure “with immediate effect” and confirmed assistant manager Charlie Lee will be in charge for “the forseeable future.”

Darren Sarll. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

It is understood senior players were told about the decision following the 2-0 home win over Southend United at the weekend and Woking confirmed his appointment with their own statement.

In a statement, the Glovers said: “Yeovil Town can confirm the departure of Darren Sarll with immediate effect. 

“Sarll, who has been at the helm since 2019, has accepted an offer from another National League side. 

“All at Yeovil Town would like to place on record our thanks to Sarll for all his efforts over his three seasons in charge. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours. 

“Charlie Lee will take interim charge of the football club for the foreseeable future.”

Woking Chief Executive John Katz said that the Cards’ board had received dozens of applications for the job and considered Sarll “a top candidate from the moment we reviewed his CV.”

He added: “We were extraordinarily impressed with his aggressive playing style, budget maximisation, and the table positions he has achieved in his time at Yeovil, including reaching the play-offs in his first season.”

In a statement, Sarll added: “I am very honoured and proud to be offered the Manager’s position at one of the last great Non-League institutions.

“For years Woking has found success at the very top of Non-League, and in tandem with John, Drew (Volpe, the Woking co-owner) and the Board, my ambition is to close that gap that exists right now within what is a very competitive division.

“After 20 years of working in this industry, I hope my experiences can accelerate the professional on-field growth of the football club. I am looking forward to meeting the players and staff and all of you – the supporters.”

Sarll is out of contract at the end of this season and last month he spoke openly about the uncertainty which the on-off takeover was causing.

It is now three-and-a-half months since chairman Scott Priestnall set a seven-day deadline to conclude a deal. However, then, as it is now, it appears no employees at the club have been given any kind of update.

Speaking about the impact on his players and himself last month, Sarll said: “As a father, as a husband, and all the other fathers and husbands in our squad, not having an idea of where you are going to be working in five months time can be unsettling and it can be beneficial to know.”

Sarll has been linked with other jobs during his time in charge having been among the favourites with at least one bookmaker for the job at League Two Carlisle United last October.

The former Stevenage manager was appointed at Huish Park on June 19, 2019 following our relegation out of the Football League and reached the National League play-offs in the first season, cut short due to COVID-19.

Last season, the Glovers finished 16th with the season rocked by the death of captain Lee Collins, and presently sit 12th after 35 matches including three back-to-back victories.

Woking have been without a manager since the start of March when they sacked Alan Dowson and are in 15th in the National League, five points behind Yeovil having played a game more.

Ironically, the Cards have lost three times against Sarll’s Yeovil, twice in the league and once in the FA Trophy.

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As far as form goes, our ‘friends’ from down the road in W*ymouth arrive at Huish Park for the Somerset-Dorset derby without any.

Without a victory in their last six matches and without three points in the National League since the end of October, the Terras have changed managers since our FA Cup encounters from earlier in the season.

David Oldfield, who made nearly 700 League appearances as a player with Leicester City among others, replaced the luckless Brian Stock – who presumably now knows this match is a derby – in mid-January.

Oldfield had been at National League South side Oxford City who he left in fourth position to move seven players up the football pyramid.

However, it appears he does know it’s a derby, speaking to the Dorset Echo, the Terras’ manager said: “It’s a very important game for us on many levels.

“From our point of view it’s a very big game, we know that within the club. We need to make sure we’re as ready as possible.

“But also, it’s our next game. We need to grab any opportunity we can to play, try and improve and move forward.”

Transfer deadline day did see Oldfield add a player to his ranks in the form of striker Manasse Mampala.

The 21-year-old joined on loan from League Two Carlisle United late on Monday night having not made a league appearance for the Cumbrians since the end of November.

Speaking about the former Everton academy prospect’s departure on loan, Carlisle boss Keith Millen said: “He hasn’t played enough first-team games, and has to go and learn how to play week-in, week-out and show people what he can do.

“It’s not so much the level, it’s more about him playing consistently and showing people what he can do, getting some confidence and belief, and scoring some goals.”

Having suffered late heartbreak in their last two matches, not least on Saturday when an injury time own goal from former Glovers’ striker Brandon Goodship saw them go down 1-0 at home to Aldershot Town, managed by former boss Mark Molesley.

FROM THE MANAGER

Speaking about the derby, Terras’ boss David Oldfield told the Dorset Echo: 

“It would mean a lot of the club. We know how important it is to the supporters, we want to reflect that.

“But also make sure we’re working as hard as we can collectively.

“It’s a big challenge, Yeovil are a good team and had a great result at the weekend – but we’ll be ready.”

 

TEAM NEWS

Striker Ben Thomson could be available for selection having been missing since the middle of November.

The 33-year-old has been suffering problems with his Achilles and calf since pre-season which has limited him to just six appearances, albeit he has scored twice in those outings.

He has been involved in training and led the pre-match warm-ups in recent weeks, so it is a question of whether manager David Oldfield picks him.

Defender Josh Leslie-Smith (head), and striker Martell Taylor-Croasdale both seem unlikely to feature, whilst midfielder Andy Robinson (hip) and striker Brad Ash (ankle) have all been missing through injury in recent weeks and will be late calls for the boss.

Omar Mussa returned for the defeat to Aldershot having suffered a shoulder injury in the draw at Boreham Wood.

The Belgian, who Glovers fans will recall shushing the Thatcher’s End after the Terras’ late equaliser in the first FA Cup game, went off in that match complaining of breathing issues.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

With the geographical location of both teams, there are a lot of players who have seen service with both these clubs.

However, the only one who is likely to feature in the latest meeting of Somerset-verus-Dorset is Brandon Goodship

The striker played eight times for Darren Way’s Yeovil in 2017, scoring a crucial goal in a 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge which helped keep us in the League.

He was released at the end of that campaign and dropped down to the Wessex Stadium where he scored 38 goals in his first season and 39 in his second campaign in the Southern League Premier earning him a move in to the Football League at Southend United.

Despite making more than 50 appearances for the Shrimpers, he was released following their relegation to non-League and returned to Weymouth in the summer.

 

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Highlights of the first win of 2022 for Yeovil Town are available now on the club’s YouTube channel, including a lovely finish from Charlie Wakefield (45 seconds) and a silly second booking for Mark Little (2 minutes, 35 seconds).

Also, if anyone didn’t understand Dave’s random reference to Woking being “unable to eat their own dinner” on today’s podcast (think he meant “finish their dinner”) then skip to the two minute mark to see Cards’ striker Inih Effiong’s ‘effort’.