17th September 2015

So we are now seven games into the season – SEVEN?! When did that happen?

What a start it has been to this Football League season but I just wish that we had more to cheer about.

However, we did get a valuable point on Saturday against a strong Wimbledon side.

I say it is a point gained because the injury witch once again cast an evil spell over Huish Park. This time she hit Alex Lacey, Omar Sowumni and, to shake things up a little bit, the referee!

If it wasn’t so heart breaking it would be almost laughable – we have had 13 players injured just seven games in – you couldn’t write it!

But unfortunately, I have to write it and along with that fact I will say that we are now out of the bottom two and hopefully that will be where we stay.

I thought our first half performance against Wimbledon was strong and we finally looked like a home team and Ryan Bird flew in again to head home. He works very hard on the pitch and it is nice to finally have a striker in form.

Speaking of strikers, even our makeshift forward, Omar Sowumni, is improving every match and he was causing the Dons defence all sorts of problems before he was stretchered off.

It looked like a nasty tackle and equally a really nasty injury but thankfully Paul Sturrock’s “project” will be available in three weeks instead of three months as feared.

So all in all I think a point was fair and with a number of injured lads looking to return to training imminently – and who is excited about the roar Kev will get when he makes his comeback?!- The only way is up!

Sturrock has done remarkably well with what he has got and new loan signing Jake Howells looked a class act and gave us some much needed width and creativity.

I am not sure how Luton have let him go but I am not complaining!

As for the rest of the football world I thought I would take a look at how some ex-YTFC players are doing this season at a range of different levels. I am always very proud to see the talent we have had here go on to bigger things.

Asmir Begovic – Many frowned upon his move to Chelsea as he looked destined for an extensive spell on the bench. However, Begovic has become the champions number one but not in the best of circumstances. No one likes to see a player suffer with injury but Courtois is facing three months on the side lines with a knee injury. But our former loanee has now played Champions League football and I cannot say I am that surprised. I will always remember a cold Tuesday night in Huddersfield when Asmir Begovic’s heroics single handily gave us a point away from home. I could not feel my feet but I could feel how important that 0-0 draw was!

Paddy Madden – Not that this young man needs an introduction but the 25-year-old striker, who made all our dreams come true by firing us to the Championship, has been continuing to hit the back of the net for Scunthorpe United. With five goals already this campaign-can he re-claim the League One golden boot as he did in 2013? I would suggest he can. Scunny have inconsistency to blame for their lacklustre start. However, with Paddy banging the goals in, they will no doubt propel themselves up the table and improve on their disappointing campaign last season.

Gozie Ugwu – Our joint top scorer from last season has joined Wycombe Wanderers and made his first start on Saturday. He was unable to score on his debut but the striker has joined a very strong League Two side and we know better than any club that when he gets a chance he more often than not he takes it. I would like to see Gozie do well as he always worked extremely hard in a Yeovil shirt-let’s just hope he is not on form against us!

Lee Morris – “IT’S LEEEEEEE MORRRRRRISSSS FOR YEOVIL!” Who could forget that iconic commentary as the “former Derby man” put us ahead on aggregate for the first time in the Play-Off semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Well, Lee was part of a joint management team at Evo-Stik Northern Premier side Loughborough Dynamo but has left his position as he is focusing on his role at Derby County. Lee was always a fantastic reader of the game so it is not surprising that he has turned to coaching. I hope Lee progresses and who knows maybe we will face him in the dugout next season.

As for Yeovil Town, we now face a tricky (well they are all tricky aren’t they?) away trip to Crawley Town as two relegated sides meet again.

Each of us won our home fixtures last season so let’s hope we can capitalise on their 4-1 drubbing last time out and inflict another defeat on them.

It will not be easy as Crawley Town are always strong and physical so we will need to be at our best. But when we have a warrior who plays at centre back with a broken wrist-who says we aren’t strong too?! Jakub was outstanding on Saturday and I hope he continues that – pain or no pain!

Keep smiling and cheer on those boys as I unfortunately cannot make the match!

Come on you GREEEEEENS!