United 1
(McGavin 61′)
Yeovil Town 3
(Nouble 23′, Lo-Everton 34′, Hyde 69′)
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Yeovil Town came out on top on Tuesday evening, as United slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Plainmoor.
It was a former Gull, in Frank Nouble, that opened the scoring, and that lead was soon doubled by Sonny Lo-Everton. Brett McGavin’s strike dragged his team back into the match, however Jake Hyde put the Somerset side back in charge not long after to secure victory for the visiting side.
United boss Gary Johnson made one change to the side that beat Bath City at Plainmoor on Saturday, with Fleetwood Town loanee Theo Williams coming in for his full debut in place of Tom Lapslie. An ever newer addition to the United squad, Ethon Archer, took his place on the bench following his arrival from Three Bridges FC, with Dillon De Silva also making a welcome return amongst the substitutes.
The early stages confirmed just what everyone expected, with every individual battle being keenly fought over, amid a feisty and vociferous atmosphere generated by all four sides of the ground.
It was the visitors who created the first chance, with a 19th minute right-wing cross finding its target in the shape of Sonny Cox, who headed over from fifteen yards out.
Midway through the first half, Yeovil broke the deadlock through a familiar source.
Nouble, seizing upon a moment of indecision in the centre of United’s backline, barged his way into The Gulls’ 18-yard box, before slamming a shot high into the net past Rhys Lovett.
Dean Moxey nearly drew his side level in spectacular fashion just past the half-hour, with a ferocious drive from 30 yards out that whistled just past Joseph Day’s left-hand post.
Town responded by making it 2-0 moments later.
Having exchanged passes with a Yeovil teammate, Sonny Lo-Everton was allowed time and space to run towards the United goal, before drilling a low shot past Lovett from 20 yards out.
The deficit should have been halved soon after, as Brad Ash nipped in quickly to dart round the advancing Day, but with the glovesman stranded, Ash could only send his effort over the crossbar.
0-2 at the change of ends.
Johnson’s men went close to reducing the arrears again four minutes into the second period, when following a half-cleared Jack Stobbs corner, Ross Marshall rose to meet the ball at the far post. Sadly, the Torquay defender was off-balance, with his header therefore off-target.
Just past the hour mark though, United did hit back.
Asa Hall, on as a sub, ventured into the box before drilling the ball across to the edge of box, where McGavin added to growing collection of fine goals with a drilled efforts that beat Day all ends up.
Yeovil look determined to re-establish their two-goal advantage, and Lovett twice came up with excellent saves to deny Jordan Young and Hyde.
Lovett’s low save to deny Hyde only delayed a third Town goal for a matter of seconds though, as from the resultant corner, Hyde rose highest to glance home his firm header to make it 1-3.
The men in yellow continued to battle on, and although there was a smattering of half-chances at both ends, the scoreline remained in place, as The Glovers left Plainmoor with all three points.
UNITED: 22. Rhys Lovett, 6. Ross Marshall (8. Asa Hall, 60′), 10. Lewis Collins, 11. Brad Ash (17. Dillon De Silva, 74′), 14. Brett McGavin, 16. Shaun Donnellan, 19. Theo Williams, 20. Callum Dolan (7. Ryan Hanson, 24′), 21. Dean Moxey (c), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 27. Jack Stobbs.
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Filip Chalupniczak, 30. Ethon Archer.
YEOVIL TOWN: 21. Joseph Day, 2. Morgan Williams, 3. Alex Whittle, 6. Jacob Wannell, 8. Matthew Worthington (c), 11. Jordan Young (17. William Dawes, 80′), 16. Sonny Lo-Everton, 19. Sonny Cox (7. Jordan Stevens, 73′), 23. Michael Smith, 30. Frank Nouble, 39. Rhys Murphy (9. Jake Hyde, 65′).
SUBS NOT USED: 15. Joshua Owers, 20. Zachary Bell.
Yellow Card: Whittle 64′
Attendance: 2,817 (563 away)