Preview: Yeovil Town vs. Bromley - prediction, team news, lineups

Yeovil head into the encounter looking nervously over their shoulders, with only four points separating them from the drop zone, while Bromley are nine points behind the playoff places.

Match preview

Having briefly been a Championship team as recently as 2014, it has been quite the fall from grace for Yeovil across the last decade, with three relegations within six seasons seeing them drop out of the EFL entirely in 2019.

After missing out an instant return to League Two via the playoffs in the 2019-20 season, the Glovers have endured two successive campaigns mired in mid-table mediocrity, but they are facing relegation danger this time around.

Former Swindon Town boss Mark Cooper has failed to improve results since taking over as manager in October last year, winning only six of his 25 games in charge so far, although Malachi Linton's 89th-minute equaliser away to Halifax Town last weekend could prove to be the boost which the club has desperately required in recent weeks.

With 21st-placed Gateshead possessing two games in hand on Yeovil and Dorking Wanderers, Cooper's side are clearly far from having their neck out of the woods just yet, so they will be targeting all three points at home against out-of-form opponents on Saturday.

Indeed, just one win in their last six games has almost certainly ended Bromley's hopes of finishing inside the playoff spots this season, with a nine-point deficit to Boreham Wood in seventh surely too much to overturn with only nine games remaining.

While Bromley's home defeat to Wrexham last time out was to be expected given the disparity in resources between the two clubs and the Red Dragons' irrepressible form this season, the 3-0 loss to York City in their previous match at Hayes Lane represented a hugely damaging blow, even if Reice Charles-Cook's dismissal clearly provided mitigation for it.

The Ravens are now competing in the National League for an eighth consecutive campaign after gaining promotion from the National League South in 2015, but they have only managed to snatch a playoff spot on one occasion during their lengthy spell in England's fifth tier, which was when they lost to Hartlepool United at the quarter-final stage two seasons ago.

However, Andy Woodman did lead the club to their maiden FA Trophy title last season by beating Wrexham in the final, so the 51-year-old will be demanding that his players do not give up on their primary objective between now and the end of the season.

After all, returning from Somerset with all three points this weekend could dramatically alter the complexion of the table depending on results elsewhere.

Yeovil Town National League form:

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Bromley National League form:

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Team News

After coming off the bench to secure a vital point for his side away to Halifax last weekend, Linton may expect to receive an opportunity from the start in attack against Bromley.

That could mean Alex Fisher dropping to the bench to make way for his fellow forward, but Cooper is unlikely to make any other changes as he attempts to ensure that his team remain tough to beat.

Bromley, meanwhile, may restore Billy Bingham to their engine room after their No.4 was an unused substitute against Wrexham, with Ryan Stirk potentially sacrificed from the visitors' midfield.

Woodman may also decide to bring Louis Dennis into his attack having seen his side struggle to provide much offensive threat across recent weeks, with Charley Kendall the most likely candidate to drop to the bench.

Yeovil Town possible starting lineup:

Smith; Agbaje, Staunton, Bevan, Law; Maguire-Drew, Cooper, D'Ath, Worthington, Oluwabori; Linton

Bromley possible starting lineup:

Long; Sowunmi, Elerew, Reynolds; Fisher, Bingham, Arthurs, Topalloj; Dennis, Cheek, Whitely

We say: Yeovil Town 1-1 Bromley

Despite their relatively lowly position in the table, Yeovil have drawn 17 of their league matches this season, suggesting that they are undoubtedly a tougher team to overcome than their fellow relegation candidates.

However, Cooper's side have struggled to turn those draws into victories all season long, while Bromley may be content to avoid defeat having been beaten in each of their last two games.

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