Match Report: Southend United 3 Yeovil Town 2

Yeovil Town’s unbeaten start to the new season came to an end as Southend United grabbed three goals in the second half to take the points at Root’s Hall on Saturday lunchtime.

The Glovers looked to have pulled off a perfect away performance as they led 2-0 in Essex courtesy of a first half goal from Archie Davies and a second on the counter attack from captain Luke McCormick with an hour on the clock.

But, when midfielder Darren Oldaker lifted in a superb free-kick eight minutes later. That upped the volume levels inside Root’s Hall and the home side grabbed the three points through Leon Chambers-Parillon and then substitute Promise Omochere, the striker on loan from Bristol Rovers.

First half

Yeovil boss Billy Rowley brought defenders Jordan Norville-Williams and Archie Davies and midfielders Zain Westbrooke and Ryan Jones were all in to the starting XI, having started the quartet on the bench for the 3-2 home win over Tamworth on Monday. There was no place in the squad for on loan Crawley Town defender Ben Radcliffe, who was taken off early in the second half earlier this week, and defender Jack Kingdon returned to the squad. For the home side, former Glovers’ winger Lewys Twamley started for Southend with on loan Bristol Rovers striker Promise Omochere on the bench.

Yeovil started with what appeared to be a flat back four with Norville-Williams and Davies on the left and right with ex-Southend man Joe Gubbins and Joy Mukena in the middle. The opening 15 minutes lived up to Rowley’s pre-match prediction of “a chess match” of an encounter with Southend enjoying the better of the territory and possession, but neither side doing anything to force either keeper in to action.

The first meaningful chance for either side saw Yeovil take the lead with their first shot on target after 25 minutes. A good run forward from Archie DAVIES saw him run on to a Westbrooke pass, beat Southend defender Harry Taylor and lift the ball over keeper Joe Duncan.

That seemed to spark Southend and Ryan Colclough had the first chance which caused Yeovil keeper Jos Barker to have to make a save. The 20-yarder from the edge of the box was well caught by the visiting stopper.

Leon Chambers-Parillon had a good run and shot which warmed the palms of Barker just after the half-hour mark and the forward had another effort which he hit in to the ground and the keeper had to dive for although the ball went wide without the keeper’s help. Southend are getting in behind Yeovil quite easily wide Colclough down the left and Twamley down the right having some joy.

It’s not been the end-to-end basketball match which we saw against Tamworth in the previous game, but, as predicted by Billy Rowley ahead of the game, this has been a game for admirers of the technique with two sides who want to play the ball around.

Half-time: Southend United 0 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

Southend started the second half like they had got a flea in their ear from manager Kieron Dyer and took just three minutes for Colclough to try another effort from the edge of the area which Barker had to turn wide. Moments later there was a huge shout for a penalty as Colclough went down under a tackle from Norville-Williams. Referee Tolu Sangowawa was unmoved, with my green-tinted spectacles on it looked like a good tackle, but fair to say the majority of Root’s Hall disagree with him.

Chambers-Parillon dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box on 54 minutes and there are some loose passes from Yeovil which is giving Southend the opportunity to attack us. A minute before that opportunity Ste Walker replaced Slavi Spasov.

On 57 minutes, the hosts should have levelled, a ball lifted in to the box deflected off Mukena and Chambers-Parillon totally fluffed his header. Yeovil broke and the Ryan Jones picked it up on the right side, skipped in to the box and laid it off to Luke McCORMICK who placed a beautiful effort past the keeper. It has been complete one-way traffic this half with Southend in complete control, but this has been a textbook away performance from Yeovil up until this point.

Twamley had an effort tip over the bar by Barker and that turned out to be the ex-Glover’s last action of the game as Southend made a triple substitution on 63 minutes. On loan Bristol Rovers striker Promise Omochere was one of those arriving as the home side looked to get back in to this game. For Yeovil, James Daly and Hayden Muller replaced Ryan Jones and Brett McGavin.

They did exactly that three minutes later. A free kick just outside the penalty area and Darren OLDAKER did superbly to get it over the defensive wall and in to the far corner. You have to take your hat off to that type of quality. Root’s Hall is awake again.

The wasteful finishing from the home side continued when Harry Cardwell spurned a great opportunity with a header from a cross on 77 minutes, but two minutes later they pulled level. Good play from substitute Omochere saw Southend break in to the box and the ball got laid back to Leon CHAMBERS-PARILLON and he placed an effort through a crowded penalty area and past Barker.

The comeback was completed with five minutes to go. A great ball in to the box found Promise OMOCHERE who rolled Joe Gubbins and absolutely smashed a strike in to the net. It has been all Southend this half and they have pulled it back.

With three minutes to go, Yeovil had a huge shout for a penalty when Johl Powell was caught by a wild kick from Vontae Daley-Campbell inside the area. There will be no sympathy from the home fans given their ire against the referee, but that was a stonewall penalty.

Having been 2-0 up with 30 minutes to go, even against a side who will undoubtedly be pushing for promotion places come the end of the season, will be hugely frustrating for manager Billy Rowley and the travelling supporters.

For probably the first time this season, the second half substitutions seemed to disrupt us more than they helped us and the loss of McGavin and McCormick in midfield in particular had an impact.

Full time: Southend United 3 Yeovil Town 2

Substitutes: Ste Walker (for Slavi Spasov, 53), James Daly (for Ryan Jones, 60), Hayden Muller (for Brett McGavin, 60), Charlie Lennon (for Mason Obeng, 74), Johl Powell (for Luke McCormick, 74), Jack Kingdon (not used), Loick Ayina (not used).

Southend United: Joe Duncan, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Harry Taylor (for Rayan Oyebade, 63), Daniel Cox, Kyle McAdam, Oli Coker (for Promise Omochere, 63), Darren Oldaker, Lewys Twamley (for Josh Popoola, 63), , Leon Chambers-Parillon, Ryan Colclough (for Anthony Hartigan, 87), Harry Cardwell (for Sam Austin, 88).

Substitutes (not used): Jack Sims, Zavier Massiah-Edwards.