Venue: Huish Park
Saturday, 22nd April, 3pm kick-off
Pitch: Slippy
Conditions: Dark clouds overhead which burst in the second half
Attendance: 4,016 (480 away supporters)
Scorers: Devarn Green 8 (0-1), Mike Fondop 74 (0-2), Mike Fondop 88 (0-3)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Reo Griffiths 45, Charlie Cooper 78
Oldham Athletic: Liam Hogan 34, Nathan Sheron 45
Referee: Paul Johnson
Yeovil Town (4-4-2)
Substitutes: Max Hunt (for Jamie Reckord, 46), Zanda Siziba (for Reo Griffiths, 60), Young (for Matt Worthington, 64) Pollock (not used).
Oldham Athletic: Norman, Hogan, Sheron, Sutton, Reid (for Fondop, 58), Green, Kitching, Chapman (for Couto, 75), Yarney, Nuttall (for Sambou, 58), Gardner. Substitutes: Tollitt.
Match Report
Yeovil Town’s final home game of the National League season served up another dismal performance as they rolled over to gift mid-table Oldham Athletic a comfortable afternoon at Huish Park.
In front of a crowd of more than 4,000 supporters, an early goal from the visitors Devarn Green set the tone as an hopes of the players (with the usual honourable exceptions) playing for any kind of pride evaporated with a completely lacklustre performance.
In the second half, substitute Mike Fondop added two late goals to set the seal on a dismal day and a dismal season at Huish Park.
Here’s how it went down and kept dropping…..
First half
Yet again there was a changed starting XI named by manager Mark Cooper with first choice goalkeeper Grant Smith coming in place of Will Buse, who had appeared in the previous two matches, who had a heavily strapped hand ahead of the game.
You know what we’re going to say here, don’t you? The script was the same as almost every other one written from a Yeovil Town matchday this season and in the first minute a mistake by Miguel Freckleton gave Oldham a chance in the opening minute. Striker Joe Nuttall took up possession and fed Ellis Chapman, on loan from League Two Cheltenham Town, whose effort was deflected wide.
Six minutes later, the visitors were ahead. Try and act like you are shocked. A fantastic cross from the left hand side found Devarn GREEN on the back post and he fired home from close range. Good cross, good finish but non-existent defending from Yeovil. Captain Josh Staunton berated his team-mates, many of whom just trudged back to the halfway line. Same old, same old.
It took until 13 minutes for the first opportunity to fall the way of the Glovers. A mistake by Joseph Yarney gifted the ball to Matt Worthington whose effort was blocked by Yarney.
So we’ve had a slow start, a sloppy goal and very little going forward, what are we missing? Oh, a great save from Grant Smith. That came on 24 minutes when he made a smart stop to deny Oldham captain Liam Hogan, the ball looped up and Josh Staunton was there to clear it.
For the first half hour, there was no doubt which team was in charge of this. The visitors looked well-drilled, every player knew where their team-mates were and crucially they took their chance. For Yeovil, the passes were a yard short and there was no desire to make life easy for one another and there was zero going forward. Any kind of pride the home players were supposed to be playing for, it was sadly lacking.
To quote our very own Ian Perkins who was co-commentator for BBC Radio Somerset: “That’s why we are where we are and why we are going where we are going.”
Charlie Cooper had a couple of opportunities from free kicks. On 33 minutes, his ball across the box failed to find anyone in a green-and-white shirt and three minutes later after good play from Chiori Johnson saw Cooper attempt a shot – but it wasn’t on target. Sigh.
Cooper seemed to be on a mission to score against the club and on 43 minutes a good combination with Worthington presented him with an opportunity a fair way out. High, wide and not so handsome.
Going forward, the only piece of enthusiasm from Reo Griffiths, who appeared to be playing in behind Malachi Linton and Andrew Oluwabori, came when he squared up to an Oldham player and got his name taken by the referee.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Oldham Athletic 1
Second half
Max Hunt replaced Jamie Reckord at half-time with a flat back four being retained (something to cheer about, at least) as Freckleton moved across to the right and Chiori Johnson shifted across to the left.
On 49 minutes, Cooper conceded a free-kick and Oldham took it quickly, despite referee Paul Johnson not sounding his whistle, and Smith had to scramble back as the effort from Mark Shelton looped over him and came off the top of the bar. A couple of inches lower that was 2-0.
A chance opened up for Reo Griffiths soon after but the on loan Doncaster Rovers man tried the delicate side foot rather than just putting his laces through it. Add that one to Yeovil Town 2022/23 Bingo card – anyone got a line yet?
If you wanted a bit of a sign there was some passion in this side, there was a bit of a dust up on the touchline when visiting boss David Unsworth and Yeovil assistant Chris Todd. That led to the pair of them being yellow carded before shaking hands.
On the hour mark, Zanda Siziba replaced Reo Griffiths with Malachi Linton moving in to the middle of a front three along with Andrew Oluwabori. Then two minutes later Matt Worthington went down – never a good sign – and was replaced by Jordan Young. Worthy walked past the Thatcher’s Stand on his way round to the Yeovil technical area. If that is the last we see of him at Huish Park, what a shame.
On 74 minutes it was absolutely over. A ball over the top of Max Hunt sent substitute Bassala Sambou away and he ran towards Smith before cutting the ball back and setting up strike partner Mike FONDOP-TALUM who slotted in to an empty net. Some home supporters headed to the exits at that point and it’s hard to argue with them.
Smith made a good save to deny Sambou on 87 minutes before FONDOP completed the rout with his second and Oldham’s third. The big striker side-footed in the third. So, so easy.
From the first minute until the last minute, it was another dire performance from Yeovil. Big changes need to happen in every department of the club before a competitive ball is kicked at the start of next season.
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