Venue: Meadowbank
Tuesday October 4th, 7.45pm kick-off
Conditions: Dry but a little chilly
Pitch: Plastic
Attendance: 1,525 (no away attendance given, but something like 150)
Scorers: Sam Pearson 3 (1-0), Jack Muitt 53 (1-1)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Chiori Johnson 29, Josh Staunton 87
Dorking Wanderers: Bobby-Joe Taylor 40
Referee: Matthew Russell
Yeovil Town : (3-4-3)
Grant Smith
Owen Bevan Josh Staunton Max Hunt
Morgan Williams Matt Worthington Lawson D’Ath (Sam Perry 80) Chiori Johnson (Alex Fisher 75)
Sam Pearson Malachi Linton Will Dawes (Charlie Wakefield 55)
Substitutes (not used): Oliver Haste, Jake Scrimshaw.
Dorking Wanderers: Lincoln, Fuller, Gallagher, B. Taylor, McManus (for Jebb, 75), J.Taylor, McShane, Muitt (for Mekki, 66), Bowerman, Ottaway, Seager (for Egan, 59). Substitutes (not used): El-Abd, Quick.
Match Report
This game, which Yeovil Town’s players and management has described as “must win”, ended in the seventh draw of the season as the Glovers slid in to the National League drop zone.
Having taken an early lead through Sam Pearson, the visitors reverted to type defending against a Dorking side more than happy to press their advantage and draw level early in the second half through Jimmy Muitt’s goal.
With Yeovil chairman and owner Scott Priestnall watching on from the stands at Meadowbank, the game concluded with angry chants directed at him at the final whistle.
Here’s how Dave saw another night filled with the F word…..
First half
Having dominated the opening exchanges, a ball forward found Sam PEARSON bursting through to hold off his marker and slam a powerful effort so far in to the corner it stuck there.
Far from looking like the side out of form against their in-form opponents, it was the visitors asking the questions.
But, after a muted speech start, Dorking began to work their way in to the game with some hectic defending from the Glovers to clear a barrage of balls in to the box.
On 18 minutes, Grant Smith was forced in to a point blank save from Grant Smith to deny Harry Ottaway followed by a scramble to clear
Even more worryingly, a slip on the artificial surface saw Smith go down for treatment. Cue a terrace discussion about why we won’t have a keeper on the bench.
Luckily the keeper stayed on and on 23 minutes he got down smartly to turn an effort from Ryan Seager. Yep, that Ryan Seager.
Possession was undoubtedly in favour of the home side (67% in favour of the hosts according to Statman Ben) with the early pressure applied by Chris Hargreaves’ side switching to playing on the break. I mean, when has sitting back ever failed us before, right?
However, for all their possession, it took until the 41st minute for Dorking to create a meaningful chance – and they did it twice in a matter of seconds.
First was a speculative high ball from the right side seemed like it was going out of play, only to come back off the bar and bounce away and eventually land to Seager whose effort was turned aside by Smith.
Two minutes later it was Smith to the rescue again, this time saving with his legs from a point blank effort header from Ottaway.
The half-time whistle was met by a sigh of relief from the away support who began a period of silent prayer that Smith would return after the break.
Half time: Dorking Wanderers 0 Yeovil Town 1
Second half
The artificial surface at Meadowbank certainly got some questioning looks from the Yeovil players in the first half and seven minutes after the restart it committed a heinous foul to deny a good break forward from Dawes, who stumbled and fell.
The second half started in a similar fashion to how the first half ended with the home sides on the front foot and the visitors on the back foot. The result was inevitable and on 53 minutes Dorking drew level.
More last ditch defending saw the ball pinball around inside the area and it was Jimmy MUITT who turned it home.
The instant response was to replace Dawes with Charlie Wakefield and the substitute almost immediately found Worthington who wasted his opportunity to test the keeper.
That seemed to spark a lacklustre Yeovil who started to venture forward a little more, but a couple of speculative Malachi Linton efforts were all we had to show for it.
Dorking seemed happy to sit back and let us enjoyed possession without any cutting edge.
It took until the 71st minute to force Dorking keeper Dan Lincoln in to a save. Wakefield’s cross was met by the head of Pearson who effort was turned over.
But that was it as far as meaningful chances for the visitors went as chairman and owner Scott Priestnall, watching from the stand at Meadowbank alongside club ‘volunteer’ Martyn Starnes, was the target of chants calling for him to go from a section of the away support.
The hosts, who were playing nine tiers lower than the Glovers less than a decade ago, continued to press for a winner with substitute Adam Mekki shot wide and Bobby Joe Taylor bent a free-kick just over the bar.
As the game crept towards the final whistle, a group of supporters approached the stand to voice their displeasure at Priestnall, who sat impassive before departing with a member of club security at the full-time whistle.
The response to the players was mixed with applause for some – not least Smith, without whom the hosts would have been out of sight by half-time – but angry words for others including some directed at manager, Chris Hargreaves.
Drawing a must win game is truly peak Yeovil.