Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has said that he does not want tonight's match against Colchester United to be treated as another pre-season friendly. The Glovers and other Football League sides face a unique situation with the 2012-13 season opening with a League Cup First Round tie, with their game against the Essex club taking place at Huish Park tonight, kick-off 7.45p.m. four days ahead of the League One season proper.
Johnson has told BBC Somerset that he realises that the season proper is more important in the wider scheme of things, but wants his players to take tonight's game seriously:
"We don't want to treat it as a pre-season friendly, because it's an important cup. But it's certainly a real proper dress rehearsal for the League game four days later. Everybody wants a run in the cup. We're at home. I know Colchester have brought in some players, as we have. So they'll be an unknown quantity, as we will be to them."
For tonight's match, Yeovil Town will be without Rohan Ince (shin) and Gavin Williams (torn calf), leaving them down to sixteen recognised first team players. Colchester's squad is a little larger at 20 players, and only Ben Coker is absent from that list, after suffering a dead leg.
Colchester United played ten pre-season friendlies leading up to this match and recorded the following scores: Heybridge Swifts (W6-0), Vitesse Arnhem (W3-2), West Ham United (L1-2), Witham Town (L1-4), Maldon and Tiptree (W2-1), Brentwood Town (W2-1), Needham Market (L1-3), Derby County (D2-2), Ipswich Town (L1-2), Bishop's Stortford (W1-0).
The Essex side's new signings over the summer include strike pair Clinton Morrison (ex-Sheffield Wednesday) and Freddie Sears (ex-West Ham United), midfielder Marcus Bean (ex-Brentford), full-back Jackson Ramm (ex-Blackburn Rovers) and midfielder Merrick James-Lewis (ex-Southend United).
Tonight's match kicks off at 7.45p.m. with tickets available from the Huish Park Ticket Office right up until kick-off. If you can't get to Huish Park then BBC Somerset are broadcasting all games again this season - Chris Spittles and Chris Sweet are your hosts on 95.5FM, with coverage starting just after the 7.00p.m. news. Meanwhile we'll be tweeting and retweeting on our @ytfcciderspace account.
Link: Ticketing For Yeovil Town vs Colchester United.
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14 August 2012 : 
