Yeovil Town began their pre-season preparations on a positive note with a 1-0 victory against Exmouth Town, thanks to an early goal from summer signing Tahvon Campbell. The forward made an instant impact, finding the net just eight minutes into the match, marking a promising start to his return with the Glovers.
Manager Mark Cooper fielded a mixed squad featuring new recruit James Daly alongside three trialists in the first half, giving fresh faces an opportunity to impress. The breakthrough came when Alex Whittle delivered a precise cross from the left flank, allowing Campbell to latch onto it and score with a deft looping strike over Exmouth goalkeeper Aaron Dearing.
Following the opener, Yeovil dominated much of the game, creating multiple chances. James Daly’s relentless work rate earned the Glovers their first corner, while a low cross from him led a trialist to hit the crossbar. Another trialist showed skill with a curling effort that narrowly missed, and Campbell came close to doubling the score on several occasions. Brett McGavin also tested the opposition keeper with a deflected free-kick that demanded a diving save.
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The second half saw a completely refreshed Yeovil line-up, including the return of Kyle Ferguson and further trialists. Despite the changes, the team maintained their attacking momentum. Exmouth’s Ed Butcher forced a quick reaction save from substitute goalkeeper Matt Gould, but Yeovil continued creating opportunities. Lewys Twamley impressed with his pace on the left, while trialists combined effectively to threaten the goal repeatedly. Harvey Greenslade came closest to extending the lead with a curling shot saved brilliantly by Dearing, and Josh Sims also had a chance late on, but his effort lacked the necessary power.
Reflecting on the performance, manager Mark Cooper emphasized the importance of fitness at this stage of pre-season. “It’s only our fourth session, so we’re still early in the process. There were some good moments, but also areas to improve. We could have scored more, but the goalkeeper was excellent. The key is to get through these games injury-free so players can recover before another demanding week ahead,” he said. Cooper stressed that the priority is fitness and health over rushing into full competitive sharpness too soon.
Yeovil Town’s encouraging start to pre-season sets a solid foundation as they build towards the upcoming season, with fitness and squad readiness the main focus.