Yeovil Town suffered their first pre-season defeat at home on Tuesday night, surrendering a two-goal advantage to lose to Cardiff City U21. The Glovers started brightly, with Josh Sims opening the scoring on 26 minutes before Harvey Greenslade doubled the lead three minutes later. However, Cardiff fought back, reducing the deficit to 2-1 before halftime and eventually leveling the score early in the second half.
Despite Yeovil’s early dominance and several opportunities to extend their lead, the visitors capitalized on a late lapse. Trey George equalized in the 61st minute, and as Yeovil appeared to tire, Cardiff secured a winning goal in the final moments through Morgan Wigley.
Manager Mark Cooper reflected positively on large parts of the performance despite the defeat. He praised the team’s front-foot approach and aggressive play that led to the opening goals but acknowledged that fatigue contributed to defensive errors late in the game. Cooper also confirmed that the pitch at Huish Park had been deliberately shortened to improve the team’s playing style and intensity for the upcoming National League season.
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Separately, Yeovil announced their squad numbers for the new campaign. New signings James Daly (11), Kyle Ferguson (26), and Tahvon Campbell (29) have been assigned numbers, while Harvey Greenslade has switched from 27 to 21. Goalkeeper Aidan Stone remains number one, with several squad numbers still to be confirmed.
The Glovers’ season begins at home against Hartlepool United, mirroring last year’s opening fixture. Their first away game is against Forest Green Rovers, the former club of manager Mark Cooper. The busy fixture schedule continues with matches against Brackley Town, Braintree Town, FC Halifax Town, and Gateshead throughout August.
Yeovil will compete in the FA Cup and FA Trophy but have confirmed they will not participate in the National League Cup this season. The club cited a focus on league performance and other key competitions as the reason and noted that the National League Cup has not been a priority for many clubs recently.
With three and a half weeks remaining until the season opener, Yeovil Town looks to build fitness and sharpen their squad to convert promising performances into consistent results.