Match Report: Chippenham Town 2 Yeovil Town 3

A late goal from Aaron Jarvis seconds before the final whistle saw Yeovil Town keep their 100% pre-season friendly record with a narrow victory at Chippenham Town on Saturday.

The Glovers trailed to a Tom Owen-Evans goal at half-time before trialist Luke McCormick pulled them level two minutes in to the second half. Former W*ymouth player Ezio Touray put the National League South side ahead again on 51 minutes before Tahvon Campbell spurned a great chance to make it level as he rolled a penalty kick in to the chest of Chippenham keeper Will Henry five minutes later.

The hour mark led to a flurry of changes from both sides and it was two of the Yeovil substitutes who got the goals which won it as Harvey Greenslade pulled Yeovil level in the 83rd minute heading home a corner from trialist Teo Kurtaran before Jarvis nodded in another Kurtaran corner to win it late on.

The starting line-up saw trialists former Bristol Rovers pair striker Jevani Brown (Number 20) and McCormick (Number 8) paired together with former Swindon Town striker Abu Kanu, Plymouth Parkway forward Kieran Edworthy and midfielder Kurtaran all appearing on the hour mark.

All five substitutes have featured in both the Glovers’ first two pre-season friendlies, the 1-0 win at Exmouth Town last weekend and Wednesday night’s 2-1 win at Sherborne Town. You can find about them all in our Spot the Trialist special feature – here.

First half

With no recognised right back in the Yeovil squad, the visitors started with a back three of Morgan Williams, Kyle Ferguson and Jake Wannell with James Daly – a recognised forward/winger – and Alex Whittle playing as wing-backs from the kick-off. Tahvon Campbell played as a lone striker with trialists Jevani Brown and Luke McCormick behind him and Charlie Cooper and Brett McGavin in the centre of midfield. 

The temperature was well about 30 degrees Celsius when this match got underway and only likely to get hotter, so expecting regular drinks breaks and lots of personnel changes.

The first opportunity fell to Yeovil after four minutes as Campbell intercepted the ball on the halfway line, beat the final Chippenham defender but dragged his shot wide. Three minutes later, Charlie Cooper got caught in possession from a corner to allow a breakaway led by Harry Parsons who took his run wide and was denied by Aidan Stone.

Stone was in action again on 12 minutes when Wannell failed to make a clearance giving 13 time and space to get a shot away. A comfortable save by the keeper.

The better opportunities were going the way of the home side and they took the lead a minute later. Tom OWEN-EVANS was allowed to make a run in to the area and hit a low shot in to the far corner, it looked as if Stone thought it was going wide but it kissed the post on its way in.

On 19 minutes, Brett McGavin’s ball was met by a great header from Wannell which turned on to the post by Will Henry. Great cross, great header, great saved – but the offside flag was up. Five minutes later McCormick was denied by another smart stop from Henry before having a follow-up effort blocked.

There was another great opportunity for Chippenham who found Owen-Evans and one of their own trialists two on one with a Yeovil defender just before the half-hour mark, but the trialist got it all wrong and it went high over the bar.

Stone had to make another fine stop with seven minutes of the half remaining after Parsons’ shot from point blank range. Campbell had a good opportunity minutes later after McCormick jumped on a Chippenham mistake and fed the striker whose effort was not enough to test Henry.

There was a pre-season collectors’ item on 44 minutes when McCormick was brought down who got a booking. McGavin’s effort from the resulting free-kick looked to be dipping under the bar but Henry made a great two-handed save to deny him.

Some great saves made by both goalkeepers, but Owen-Evans’ goal divides the two sides at the half-time break on a sweltering afternoon in Wiltshire.

Half-time: Chippenham Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

There was only one change at half-time with goalkeeping coach Matt Gould replacing Stone in goal whilst former W*ymouth and Poole Town forward Ezio Touray replaced Parsons in the only change for Chippenham.

Two minutes after the restart the trialists, Brown and McCormick, combined with Brown moving down the left and feeding Luke McCORMICK whose effort went past Henry. 

But the lead lasted just four minutes when Kyle Ferguson got himself in a tangle, there was a suggestion of handball from the defender but the referee waved play on. A good ball in to Ezio TOURAY who fired past Gould. 

On 56 minutes, Yeovil were awarded a penalty after Cooper went down in the box, Campbell stepped up, stuttered his run up and rolled the ball tamely in to the chest of Henry. Oh dear.

On the hour mark, both teams made a flurry of changes with only Morgan Williams surviving the cut for Yeovil. Under-18s captain Corey Koerner and Josh Sims took up the left and right back positions with Finn Cousin-Dawson and Williams making up a back four. Abu Kanu, who was wearing no number, played up front with Aaron Jarvis with Greenslade, trialists Teo Kurtaran (Number 15) and Kieran Edworthy (Number 16) in midfield, and Harvey Greenslade and Lewys Twamley in wide positions.

On 64 minutes, one of the Chippenham substitutes Olaf Koszela had an effort deflected over the bar, but the only threat on goalkeeper Josh Sawyer, who replaced Henry after 81 minutes, came from Greenslade who was denied by the keeper and the offside flag.

The forward did get himself on the scoresheet with seven minutes remaining though. A corner from trialist Kurtaran was headed home by GREENSLADE from inside a crowded penalty area.

Since arriving on the hour mark, Greenslade looked lively and almost added a second on 85 minutes, but just before the final whistle went (literally) Yeovil took the lead. Another corner from Kurtaran was headed home by Aaron JARVIS. Literally seconds after the ball crossed the line, the final whistle blew.

The stadium announcer had to confirm the final score over the public address system. Peak pre-season.

Full time: Chippenham Town 2 Yeovil Town 3

Teams:

First half – Yeovil Town: Aidan Stone (for Matt Gould, 46), Morgan Williams, Jake Wannell, Kyle Ferguson, Alex Whittle, James Daly, Charlie Cooper, Brett McGavin, Luke McCormick (Trialist), Jevani Brown (Trialist), Tahvon Campbell. 

From 60 minutes – Yeovil Town: Matt Gould, Corey Koerner, Josh Sims, Morgan Williams, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Lewys Twamley, Teo Kurtaran (Trialist), Kieran Edworthy (Trialist), Aby Kanu, Harvey Greenslade, Aaron Jarvis.

Chippenham Town: Will Henry, Lewis Colwell, Ethan Vaughan, Canice Carroll, Freddie Grant, Jake Evans, Caine Bradbury, Quevin Castro, Tom Owen-Evans, Harry Parsons (for Ezio Touray, 46), Trialist.

From 60 minutes – Chippenham Town: Will Henry (for Josh Sawyer, 71), Harry Messenger, Freddie Grant, Luke Haines, Fleet, Tom Mehew, Trialist (for Ollie Smith, 70), Trialist, Olaf Koszela, Harlee Vozza, Enzio Touray.