Yeovil Town fell to another league defeat courtesy of a first half strike from FC Halifax Town’s Angelo Capello on the notorious surface at The Shay on Saturday.

The winger fired a strike which seemed to go straight through Glovers’ keeper Aidan Stone with just 13 minutes played and that was enough to earn the hosts the three points.

Brett McGavin rattled the crossbar early in the second half with an effort from the edge of the box, but Yeovil did little to test Halifax keeper Sam Johnson.

First half

The first opportunity fell to the home side after four minutes when Cappello clipped a ball from the left side towards Adam Senior, but the combination of Aidan Stone and Frankie Terry put it off.
 
The ominous surface at The Shay surface, heavily watered just before kick-off, quickly showed its ‘quality’ with the majority of players looking a lot like Bambi on ice. You could tell that even the home side were uncertain which way the rutted surface, which is also the home of rugby league side, Halifax Panthers, was going to bounce.
 
It took 13 minutes before the home side found a breakthrough. The Glovers lost two battles in midfield before Leeds United loanee Luca Thomas pressed forward and laid the ball off to Angelo CAPELLO down the left and he drilled a shot which beat Aidan Stone far too easily. The ball flew through the keeper’s legs.
 
 
Five minutes later, a lucky bounce on the pitch set Ryan McLean away down the right, but his ball into the area was just behind Frank Nouble who could not rotate himself enough to get an effort in on goal.
 
On 25 minutes, great play by Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, the only player who appears to be able to control the ball on this surface, brought it under his spell, fed Brett McGavin who in turn found McLean, he stepped inside his man but his effort went over. That should have been at least on target.
 

On 35 minutes, Capello got away from Lavinier down the left side (again) and fed Florent Hoti who fired in a shot which Stone beat away.

The possession stats will (probably) tell you that Yeovil controlled more of the ball throughout the first half, but in terms of shots on target it was Halifax in the ascendancy.
 

Half time: FC Halifax Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

Halifax made two substitutions at half-time with Jamie Cooke and Lewis Leigh coming on, whilst the visitors remained unchanged.
 
The first chance of the second half fell to Yeovil when good play down the left saw the ball find its way across to Brett McGavin, he turned his defender and thumped a shot off the crossbar.

Cooke had the ball in the net on 53 minutes, but Thomas’ slipped ball found the substitute in an offside position as he lifted the ball in to the net.

Ciaran McGuckin replaced McLean after 57 minutes, taking up a position on the left side and within three minutes of arriving, he found a shooting opportunity from the edge of the box but fired over the bar.
 
McGuckin lifts an effort over the bar on the hour mark.
 

On 64 minutes, a Jamie Cooke free kick from the edge of the area was pushed away by Stone. From one of the resulting corners, Finn Cousin-Dawson went down injured whilst Sean McGurk replaced Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.

As the game pressed in to the second half of the second half, Yeovil’s defence lived a charmed life. Firstly when Capello went down inside the box followed what looked like a push from Whittle and the referee saw no offence. Then on 73  minutes, Yeovil failed to make any impact from a corner and then allowed Halifax to sprint forward through Owen Bray who exchanged passes with Emmanuel but lifted his shot over the bar from inside the box.

Probably the best attacking opportunity since McGavin rattled the woodwork fell to McGurk with 15 minutes remaining. His effort from inside the box dropped to the substitute inside the box but was blocked. Moments later, the Swindon Town loanee was replaced by Lewys Twamley and appeared to be hobbling as he came past the away supporters. 
 
The Shaymen almost doubled their advantage with two minutes of normal time remaining, a free-kick from the left found defender Festus Arthur at the back post, but his header was cleared off the line by Alex Whittle.
 
With seconds of normal time remaining, a long throw from Charlie Cooper was flicked on by Nouble before dropping to Twamley on the far post, but he could not get it under control and lifted it over the bar.
 
Sadly, that was the story of the Glovers’ attacking intent. 

Full time: FC Halifax Town 1 Yeovil Town 0

Match Details

Venue: The Shay
Date: Saturday 8th March, 3pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Angelo Capello 13 (0-1)

Pitch: Would make a Sunday league team blush
Conditions: Dry and sunny

Attendance: 1688 (144 away supporters)

Bookings: 
FC Halifax Town: Angelo Capello 54
Yeovil Town: Text

Referee: Dean Watson

Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)

 

Substitutes: Ciaran McGuckin (for Ryan McLean, 58), Sean McGurk (for Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 68), Josh Sims (for Kyrell Wilson, 77), Lewys Twamley (for Sean McGurk, 81), Harvey Greenslade (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

FC Halifax Town: Sam Johnson, Adam Senior, Festus Arthur, Ryan Galvin, Harvey Sutcliffe (for Josh Emmanuel, 58), Jack Jenkins (for Jamie Cooke, 46), Jack Evans, Angelo Capello (for Tom Pugh, 76), Florent Hoti (for Oli Bray, 61), Zac Emerson (for Lewis Leigh, 46), Luca Thomas.

Substitutes (not used): Nathaniel Ford, Adam Alimi-Adetoro.

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Essex Glover
1 month ago

Same old story.Toothless.

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