Venue: The Hive
Saturday, 2nd April, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: All four seasons in one
Pitch: “Crumbly” – Reuben Reid.
Attendance: 1,393 (288 from Yeovil)
Scorers: Tom Knowles (0-1) 8, Ephron Mason-Clarke (1-1) 23, Adam Marriott (2-1_) 70, Reuben Reid (2-2) 82.
Bookings:
Yeovil: Wakefield ’30, Gorman ’36, Gorman ’85, Wilkinson ’90
Barnet: Beard ’26, De Havilland ’29
Referee: Tom Bishop
Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
Ted Cann
Mark Little, Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams
Matt Worthington, Dale Gorman, Lawson D’Ath (for Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 62), Tom Knowles
Charlie Wakefield (for Josh Neufville, 72), Reuben Reid (for Olufela Olomola, 86)
Substitutes: Jordan Barnett, Alex Bradley.
Barnet: Askew, Richards-Everton, Hall, Marshall, Mason-Clark, Marriott, Greenidge, Fonguck, Beard, Woods, Grego-Cox. Subtitutes: Howe (for Hall 82) Walsh (for Marshall 87) De Havilland (for Woods ‘3), Granville, Azaze.
Charlie Lee’s first game in caretaker charge of Yeovil Town saw him earn a point after an action-packed draw at Barnet.
Having taken the lead when Tom Knowles robbed the hosts from a hapless free-kick, burst forward and smashed home an eighth minute opener, only for Ephron Mason-Clark and Adam Marriott to put the Bees ahead with a goal in each half.
But, with just eight minutes remaining and the visitors finishing strongly, Reuben Reid grabbed his second in as many games to grab a well-earned point.
The travelling contingent from Somerset were in fine voice at The Hive and our own David Coates (who didn’t travel from Somerset, of course) was among them – here’s how he saw it…..
Match Report
Caretaker boss Charlie Lee changed absolutely nothing about the line-up – and why would you after three wins in your last three? – and stuck with the same squad which beat Southend United seven days earlier.
He and his ‘assistant’/injured midfielder Josh Staunton arrived on the the touch line to chants of ‘Charlie Lee’s green and white army’ from the away end, and the players he put out showed from the off that they were picking up where they left off.
Matt Worthington burst forward from the kick-off and within seconds of the start and testing Barnet keeper Jake Askew with an early effort.
If that was a signal of intent that Yeovil Town were not changing, Barnet boss Dean Brennan’s frustration will have grown after seeing Sam Woods limp off after just three minutes. Brennan had vented his anger at the number of players in the treatment room in his pre-match interview and there was another.
Six minutes later he had even more to complain about as Yeovil took the lead. Barnet made a complete hash of a free-kick and Tom KNOWLES’ pressure saw him win the ball, burst forward and smash a beautiful angled shot home for the opener.
On 15 minutes, Luke Wilkinson headed wide from a Dale Gorman set piece before the centre half was the vital at the other end clearing, off the line as Barnet began to turn up the pressure.
It was a Gorman who had the next effort with a trademark free kick from range, albeit he forced Askew in to a smart stop after 22 minutes.
But two minutes later, a quick Barnet break led by Rob Hall saw the ball drop to Ephron MASON-CLARK who smashed a ball home off the underside of the bar to draw the hosts’ level. Morgan Williams was certainly struggling with the pace and trickery of Mason-Clark, so it was no surprise the see a goal come from that side.
Adam Marriott flashed a shot just wide shortly after and from there the game became a lot more even with Yeovil’s best opportunities coming on the break.
On the stroke of half-time, a set piece found the head of Ben Everton-Richards whose effort was easily stopped by Ted Cann in the visitors’ goal. It seemed both teams were waiting for a offside flag which ultimately never came.
But, the final chance of the half fell to Wakefield. Following good hold up play by Worthington saw him find Mark Little who broke in to the box and his shot was deflected out to Wakefield whose effort was tipped over the bar.
Half- time: Barnet 1 Yeovil Town 1
Second half
The second half started with Knowles, the highlight of the first half, having a shot just wide before having another blocked.
But, as the game progressed, neither side did too much to threaten with an effort wide from Knowles and one over the bar from Marriott the best the game had to offer.
If a goal was going to come, it would be a mistake and that was how it proved with the Bees taking the lead on 70 minutes. A loose ball in midfield gave Hall the chance to break forward and, having been allowed to walk through the Yeovil midfield, the ball broke to MARRIOTT who shrugged off Mark Little to fire Barnet in front.
The response from Lee was instant sign was instant with Josh Neufville coming off the bench for Wakefield.
Within minutes of coming on, the Luton Town loanee was involved breaking forward and playing in Reid whose laid the ball off to Gorman whose effort was turned aside well by Askew.
From the resulting corners, Luke Wilkinson appeared to take at least two arms to the head, but referee Tom Bishop was unmoved.
But on 82 minutes Yeovil drew level after constant pressure saw the ball ping-pong around the box before Gorman’s ball in from the left break to REID who smashed it home.
Three minutes later the striker found himself in a great position again but took one touch too many and opportunity disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
Great play by Neufville moments after let substitute Sonny Blu Lo-Everton who jinked his way past two defenders but his shot came back off the post.
Moments later Ben Barclay rose highest from a corner and inexplicably headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
If there was a team who was going to win it at the end it was Yeovil, but a point a piece was probably a fairer result.