Saturday 26th July | Pre-Season Friendly | Attendance: 853

Goals from Morgan Williams, James Daly, and Josh Sims inside a lively first half ensured the Glovers earned a convincing win on the road, despite a late consolation for the hosts.

With the squad now taking shape and the number of trialists reduced to just two, manager Mark Cooper fielded a largely familiar line-up, including summer arrivals James Daly, Kyle Ferguson, and Byron Pendleton.

Yeovil made a purposeful start and had the first chance of the afternoon inside three minutes. Daly and Jarvis combined well on the left before Daly took aim from distance, but his low strike flashed wide of the near post.

Bath responded quickly. Joe Raynes broke down the right and saw two efforts blocked in quick succession before the danger was eventually cleared. The hosts continued their bright spell when former Yeovil youth player Mitch Beardmore cut in from the opposite flank, but his shot was gathered by Matt Gould at the second attempt.

As the early intensity settled, Yeovil began to find their rhythm. A Charlie Cooper free-kick struck the wall before a follow-up corner was scrambled away, but the breakthrough came on 14 minutes. Excellent work from Byron Pendleton saw him burst into the area before picking out Morgan Williams at the back post, and the captain made no mistake – steering a volley into the net to give the Glovers the lead.

With momentum firmly in their favour, Yeovil doubled their advantage just 13 minutes later. A flowing move down the right saw another dangerous cross sent into the box, and this time it was James Daly who timed his run perfectly to fire home his first goal for the club.

Yeovil continued to threaten, with Pendleton once again causing problems on the right. He skipped past his marker and fired in a teasing delivery, which narrowly evaded the onrushing Trialist.

The third goal arrived on 38 minutes. A quick throw-in sparked a clever exchange between Daly and a Trialist, with the ball eventually worked to Josh Sims, who cut inside and drilled a low shot beyond the Bath keeper into the bottom corner.

Sims nearly added a second moments later after linking up again with the Trialist. A deflection off the Bath defence almost led to an unlikely goal, but Harvey Wiles-Richards did well to backtrack and claw the ball off the line.

As half time approached, Yeovil came close once more. A corner was cleared off the line before dropping to Williams, whose low strike was safely gathered.

Half Time: Bath City 0–3 Yeovil Town

With a healthy lead secured, Yeovil approached the second half with control and composure. The first chance after the restart fell to Aaron Jarvis, who met a loose ball on the edge of the area but couldn’t generate the power to trouble the Bath goalkeeper.

The game settled into a quieter rhythm as the Glovers managed their lead, focusing on structure and discipline rather than chasing further goals. The first change came with just under 20 minutes to play, as Harvey Greenslade replaced Jarvis up front. Shortly after, James Daly made way for a Trialist.

Bath managed to pull a goal back in the 81st minute. Will Jenkins-Davies picked up possession on the edge of the box and curled a fine effort into the top corner past Gould to reduce the deficit.

There was still time for one final substitution, with Under-19s prospect Ollie Hughes coming on for Ferguson in the closing minutes. The final chance of the afternoon fell to a familiar face, as former Glover Alex Fisher rose to meet a cross from the left and headed goalward, only to be denied by a sharp save from Gould, tipping the ball over the bar.

Yeovil saw out the final moments without fuss, returning to winning ways in the Roman City and continuing to build towards full sharpness ahead of the new season.

The Glovers now turn their attention to a behind-closed-doors fixture against Championship opposition in midweek, before rounding off pre-season with a trip to Weston-super-Mare.

Final Score: Bath City 1–3 Yeovil Town
Scorers:
Yeovil Town – Morgan Williams (14’), James Daly (27’), Josh Sims (38’)
Bath City – Will Jenkins-Davies (81’)