Yeovil Town secured their first National League points of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Braintree Town, thanks to a second-half goal from Morgan Williams. The win, which took place on a challenging pitch under difficult weather conditions, was praised by manager Mark Cooper, particularly for the team's improved performance in the second half.
Post-Match Reaction: Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the match, Cooper expressed his dissatisfaction with the first half, describing it as a tough period due to the pitch and weather. “We had a few words at halftime and just wanted a bit of enthusiasm. I wasn’t asking for anything too scientific, just a bit of enthusiasm. I thought we started the second half really well and performed much better,” Cooper said.
Cooper also lauded his team's defensive resilience against a physical Braintree side, singling out the back four for their solid display. “The back four, back five, were heading every ball that came into the box. With players like Akinde and Iffy Effiong, who are probably the biggest footballers I’ve ever seen, our defense had to be at their best, and they were,” he added.
New Signings Impress: New signing Josh Sims made an exciting debut off the bench, showing glimpses of his quality, while Raphael Araoye also made his debut. Cooper praised both players, noting that Araoye has the potential to be a significant player for both Yeovil and Bristol City. He added, “With Josh Sims, you saw real quality in his cameo. It’s brilliant from the Chairman to bring in a player of that caliber, and hopefully, he can make a big impact.”
When asked about potential future signings, Cooper mentioned that he is “always looking” and is preparing for another tough match on Tuesday when Ebbsfleet visits Huish Park. “At this level, every game is tough. You saw that today with Braintree; they’re a physical outfit, and you have to deal with that in every game.”
Match Recap: The decisive moment came on the hour mark when Morgan Williams converted a corner to score Yeovil’s first goal of the season. His effort was nearly followed by another, but a Braintree defender blocked his header from a subsequent corner. Sims, who entered the game in the 76th minute, quickly made his presence felt, narrowly missing a goal after linking up with Nouble.
Despite a slow first half where chances were limited, Yeovil showed more attacking intent after the break. Neat footwork from Nouble and Jarvis led to early opportunities, and the introduction of Sam Pearson and Sims injected additional energy into the side. In the end, Yeovil’s first win, first goal, and first clean sheet of the campaign marked a positive step forward, with Williams’ goal proving the difference in a closely contested match.
Kazbar Yeovil
First Half: The opening ten minutes saw some promising link-up play between Nouble and Jarvis, but it didn’t lead to a clear-cut chance. Yeovil’s best opportunity came around the 30-minute mark when Matt Worthington blocked a shot from Inih Effiong, preventing a dangerous situation.
The parched state of the pitch at Cressing Road, which hadn’t seen water in some time, contributed to a challenging first half for both teams. Yeovil struggled to create meaningful efforts on goal, with their movement up front lacking until the final moments of the half when Michael Smith’s quality cross went unconverted.
Second Half: The second half saw a marked improvement in Yeovil’s play. Just two minutes after the restart, Jarvis had a shot blocked following good work from Nouble. The breakthrough finally came in the 60th minute when Williams capitalized on a corner to give Yeovil the lead. Sims almost doubled the advantage late on with a shot that went just wide, and the visitors held on to secure a vital win.