United enter into FA Trophy action this weekend as they take on Yeovil Town at Plainmoor.
Gary Johnson’s men will be looking to set the record straight after suffering defeat to the Glovers at Plainmoor 10 days ago, as they look to progress to the Third Round of the FA Trophy.
Who’s the Boss?
Mark Cooper was appointed as Yeovil’s new boss following ex-Gulls manager Chris Hargreaves’s short tenure in charge, and despite being unable to maintain Town’s National League status last term, the backing of the new regime at Huish Park appears to already being paying dividends following a strong start to life in the sixth tier.
Having clocked up over 800 games as manager Cooper’s managerial career began with Tamworth, before the former Exeter and Birmingham midfielder moved on to take the reigns at Kettering.
After making his name in non-League circles, Peterborough came calling in 2009, and although his stay at London Road was a brief one, his next job at Darlington saw him mastermind their 2010 FA Trophy success, before a return to Kettering followed.
Short tenures at Telford and Notts County bookmarked a two-year stay at Swindon Town, before his longest spell, at Forest Green Rovers, would ultimately see him make history by leading them into the EFL for the first time in their history in 2017.
Barrow would be Mark’s next port of call, before the call from Somerset saw him head for the other end of the country for his latest quest.
How have they been doing?
2023/24 can hardly have gone better so far for the Huish Park-based outfit, with Mark Cooper’s men top of the National League South after amassing thirteen wins and two draws from their opening seventeen outings.
FA Cup victories over Southend and Gateshead – both in the division above see Town arrive at Plainmoor on the back of a superb fourteen-match winning run, with their only reverses this season coming in the opening month of the season, at Hemel Hempstead, and surprisingly, at Havant & Waterlooville – bottom of the table, and with no further victories to name. Tuesday night saw their latest victory, that being a 4-2 home win against Farnborough at Huish Park.
Played for Both
Chiori Johnson came through the youth ranks at Arsenal before signing for Bolton Wanderers on youth terms, although this was shortlived and Johnson signed for Welling United in November 2019 where he stayed until the end of the 2020/21 season. Plainmoor was next for the right back as Gary Johnson brought him in for the 2021/22 season where he made 29 appearances and scored one goal, that being in his final game for United in their 1-1 draw on the last day of the season at Southend. A move to Huish Park followed his exit from Torquay, where he played 17 games and scored one goal as the Glovers slipped to relegation from the National League.
Player to Watch
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton came through the youth ranks at Watford, and while there had a loan spell at Wealdstone and his first spell at Yeovil Town, also on loan. Upon his release from Vicarage Road Everton headed to Derby County but failed to make an appearance for the club which lead to a second loan spell back at Wealdstone. After leaving Pride Park at the end of last season the midfielder returned to Huish Park, this time on a permanent basis.
Previous Encounter
Torquay United 3 – 0 Yeovil Town | National League | Sunday 26th December 2021
United put an end to Yeovil Town’s unbeaten run and extended their own winning sequence by condemning their Westcountry rivals to a 3-0 defeat at Plainmoor on Boxing Day 2021. After a decidedly nick & tuck first half, the match turned on Sonny Blu Lo-Everton’s straight red card for an off-the-ball incident midway through the second period. Seizing the initiative, two goals in four minutes from Ben Wynter and Jack Sparkes saw the men in black & white stripes take control of proceedings, with Joe Lewis applying further gloss with his side’s third four minutes from time.