Yeovil Town lost 1-0 at home to Rochdale on Bank Holiday Monday.
A single Connor McBride goal on the stroke of 90 minutes was all that seaparated the sides on a roasting hot day at Huish Park.
First half
The opening changes suggested Yeovil were looking to press their opponents far more than they had been in the previous outing at Huish Park, the 3-2 win over Ebbsfleet United last Tuesday night. Frank Nouble was at the heart of it pressuring the Rochdale backline.
With eight minutes gone, Yeovil spurned two great opportunities to take the lead. Rochdale captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell pulled up with an injury and the Glovers capitalised with Young bearing down in goal, it bounced around inside the box until eventually Charlie Cooper hammered in a shot which was saved by Luke McNicholas.
It bounced out to the right side where Michael Smith lifted it in and picked out Aaron Jarvis on the back post, but he could not get enough power on it and it was hacked off the line. Those are exactly the type of chances we have to be taking at this level.
Ebanks-Landell went off, replaced by Kyle Ferguson before the visitors had a good opportunity of their own after ten minutes. A moment of hesitancy from goalkeeper Ollie Wright who hesitated on his line as visitors’ striker Kairo Mitchell broke through and Morgan Williams had to make a last ditch dash to bail out his keeper.
This was definitely a game of two sides who showed in the opening 20 minutes that they like to keep the ball down.
With just under half-an-hour gone, a great turn in the middle of park from Frank Nouble saw him set Josh Sims away, but the winger could not get his shot away and Rochdale shepherded the ball out for a corner. From the resulting Brett McGavin flag kick, Williams’ got his head to it but could not control it.
On 38 minutes, Yeovil came about as close to taking the lead as is possible. McNicholas’ attempted to clear it and Jordan oung managed to get a header on it from fully 40 yards out, the ball lofted over the keeper and bounced towards the goal as McNicholas scrambled back to clear it. Assistant Oliver Taylor judged it did not cross the line despite him being at least ten yards behind the ball with the only people able to tell you whether it did cross the line being the away supporters.
Two minutes later visiting midfielder Tarryn Allrakhia fed an inch-perfect ball through to Kairo Mitchell who beat the offside trap and the striker fizzed a shot just over the bar, literally centimetres over the bar.
A pretty even first 45 minutes with both teams trying to move the ball quickly past each other, not end-to-end but a good standard of football on show for the Bank Holiday crowd.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Rochdale 0
Second half
The visitors made two substitutions at the start of the first half with former Glovers’ loanee winger Courtney senior replaced by Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Finlay Armstrong coming off in place of Connor McBride. No changes for Yeovil.
With five minutes of the half gone, Nouble did superbly to take the ball forward down the right-hand side and fizz a ball in where Aaron Jarvis was arriving, but the striker could not bundle the ball past McNicholas in front of the Thatcher’s End.
McGavin lashed one over from distance a couple of minutes later, but a hat tip to the build up largely involving Josh Sims which led to that chance. Judging from McGavin’s YouTube reel, you can’t blame him for having a go from 30-odd yards.
With 64 minutes on the clock, Jordan Young, who had become a father on Sunday, and Josh Sims were withdrawn in place of Sam Pearson and Harvey Greenslade. Sims had not had the impact that he had in his previous appearances and the arrival of Pearson and Greenslade should offer additional pace.
Three minutes Greenslade had a great chance chipping one towards the back post which caused problems without getting over the line in front of a very noisy sounding Thatcher’s End.
On 73 minutes, it was the visitors’ chance to have a go at goal having worked the ball in nicely from the right-hand side and Aaron Henry’s effort went just over the bar. Sam Beckwith had an opportunity soon after and the danger was definitely coming down that flank with Araoye and Greenslade finding themselves in problems.
The game was starting to slow at this point with chances coming at a premium.
Morgan Williams blocked a fierce shot from a Rochdale forward and the impact seemed to really rock the defender, after a couple minutes of treatment on the pitch, he was replaced by Finn Cousin-Dawson for his home debut.
Aaron Henry saw an effort sail wide with a few moments left, the visitors enjoying the majority of the ball in the latter stages.
Then, no sooner had the fourth officials board gone up to signal seven additional minutes, did Connor MCBRIDE fire home. The ball broke loose to the forward on the edge of the box, he had time to his spot down to Ollie Wright’s right hand side and the keeper, at full stretch was unable to get close.
The Glovers upped the urgency for the remainder of added time, even Wright found himself forward for a last ditch free kick, but there was nothing more significant than an Aaron Jarvis booking to speak of as the ref sounded for full-time.
A frustrated Huish Park streamed for the exits; what might have been.
Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Rochdale 1
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Monday 26th August – 3pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier
Pitch: Superb, as we have come to expect
Conditions: Red hot
Attendance: 3,686 (182 Away)
Scorers: Connor McBride (0-1 ’82)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Aaron Jarvis ’95
Rochdale: Tarryn Allrakhia 40, Aaron Henry 47.
Referee: Alan Dale
Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Sam Pearson (for Jordan Young ’64), Harvey Greenslade (for Josh Sims ’64), , Matt Worthington (for Michael Smith ’69), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (for Charlie Cooper ’78, Finn Cousin-Dawson (For Williams ’83), Dylan Morgan (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
Rochdale : Luke McNicholas, Kyron Gordon, Finlay Armstrong for Connor McBride, 46), Ryan East, Aaron Henry, Ethan Ebanks-Landell (for Kyle Ferguson, 10), Tarryn Allarakhia, Kairo Mitchell (for Ian Henderson ’69), Courtney Senior (for Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, 46), Jake Burger (for Devante Rodney ’82), Sam Beckwith.
Substitutes (not used): Bradley Kelly, Ody Alfa,