Yeovil 2
(Worthington 81′, Maguire-Drew 90+4′)
United 0
In a closely fought encounter, it was the Glovers who went on to strike twice, to take all three points at Huish Park on New Year’s Day.
In a hard-fought encounter it was the home side who were able to eventually break the deadlock with less than ten minutes left on the clock, Matthew Worthington bundled home a cross from the far-post, before in the fourth minute of additional time, Grimsby Town loanee Jordan Maguire-Drew made it 2-0. United looked to have made it 2-1 with seconds left on the clock, but Kieron Evans saw his goal chalked off for offside.
Six days after the meeting between the two sides at Plainmoor, the Gaffer made four changes to the side that shared the spoils, with Dean Moxey, Ali Omar, Asa Hall and Tom Lapslie coming into the starting line-up, at the expense of Mark Ellis, Dylan Crowe, Ben Wyatt and Brett McGavin.
Following a quiet opening spell in which there was a period of a significant amount of end-to-end play, and the first chance of the game came for Gary Johnson’s side on 17 minutes. Shaun Donnellan drove down the right wing, before cutting central and playing a long pass forward for Kieron Evans, who controlled the ball well before firing a low effort towards the right-hand side of goal, forcing Grant Smith to push the ball around the post.
Three minutes later it was the men in pink who went close once more. Stephen Wearne picked up the ball down the left wing and squared the ball for Aaron Jarvis on the end of the Yeovil box, before United’s number 9 laid the ball back for Hall, whose low-drilled effort was straight at Smith who was able to gather.
In the 26th minute it looked as if the home side were going to take the lead when on the counter, Ben Richards-Everton picked up the ball and drove through the United half, as Yeovil’s number 6 made his way into the box, and a one-on-one situation with Mark Halstead, Richards-Everton slipped, allowing a retreating Tom Lapslie to clear.
Following an onslaught of United pressure, the home side went close to establishing the lead five minutes before the halfway mark. A long pass forward tried to pick out Jamie Reckord arriving at the far-post, but Halstead was alert and off his line quickly to smother the ball as Yeovil’s number 3 arrived.
Four minutes later it was United’s skipper Hall who got another shot on target. This time Hall picked the ball up on the edge of the Yeovil box before firing a low effort towards the right-hand post, with the Yeovil ‘keeper watching the ball carefully as it took a bounce before Smith eventually punched clear. Following the home sides first corner of the game in the third and final additional minute of the half, the game entered half time with the deadlock unbroken.
Following a double substitution during the interval, it was the side in green and white who were quick to pressure the United defence in the opening stages of the final 45. Moments after the restart Jordan Maguire-Drew saw his shot on goal deflected off a pink shirt and just wide of the left-hand post.
On 62 minutes the home side progressed down the right flank before substitute Lawson D’Ath picked up the ball inside the United box, and from an angle could only find the side-netting. One minute later Donnellan drove through the Yeovil half, and after assessing his options, fired his shot from outside the box, which had to be carefully watched by Smith, who eventually punched the effort away.
In the 70th minute substitute Andrew Oluwabori steered the ball down the left wing before cutting inside and from the edge of the box, fired his shot wide of the far-post. Two minutes later however, it was Cardiff City loanee Evans who went close to opening his scoring account for the Gulls. Following good work down the right flank, the ball was squared for Evans whose low shot was just wide of the right post. Moments later it was Evans who went close once more, this time his shot from the edge of the box was just saved by Smith.
As Gary Johnson’s side continued to press the Yeovil defence, on 81 minutes it was the home side who broke the deadlock. After progressing down the left wing, a cross into the box went beyond the far-post and found Worthington arriving at pace, who was able to bundle home, 1-0 to the Glovers.
Full of confidence after taking the lead in front of their support, the home side continued to put United under pressure, and in the fourth minute of additional time, made it two. Substitute Alex Fisher drove down the right wing before squaring the ball for Maguire-Drew who was able to calmly loop the ball up and over Halstead to make it 2-0. With moments left on the clock, Evans bundled the ball into the back of the net, only to see the referee’s assistant’s flag up for offside, before the final whistle came.
Onto Halifax at Plainmoor on Saturday.
Yeovil Town: 1. Grant Smith, 2. Morgan Williams, 3. Jamie Reckord, 5. Max Hunt (27. Andrew Oluwabori HT’), 6. Ben Richards-Everton, 7. Matthew Worthington, 10. Jordan Maguire-Drew, 14. Malachi Linton (9. Alex Fisher 71′), 18. Jamie Andrews (8. Lawson D’Ath HT’), 26. Owen Bevan, 32. Josh Staunton (c)
SUBS NOT USED: 17. Chiori Johnson, 20. Will Buse.
Yellow Cards: Andrews 25′, Linton 60′, Worthington 67′
United: 1. Mark Halstead, 4. Tom Lapslie (7. Ryan Hanson 84′), 5. Ali Omar, 8. Asa Hall, 9. Aaron Jarvis, 11. Kieron Evans, 12. Stephen Wearne, 16. Shaun Donnellan, 19. Will Goodwin (10. Corie Andrews 84′), 21. Dean Moxey, 27. Dillon De Silva (15. Ben Wyatt 73′).
SUBS NOT USED: 6. Ross Marshall, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Attendance: 3,907 (802 away)