Venue: Huish Park
Saturday October 15th, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: Dry but blustery wind
Pitch: Heavily watered, but held up okay
Attendance: 3,093 (964 away supporters)
Scorers: None
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Taunton Town: Lee Lucas 78, Zac Smith 80
Referee: Daniel Middleton
Yeovil Town : (3-5-2)
Grant Smith
Owen Bevan Josh Staunton Ben Richards-Everton
Morgan Williams Chiori Johnson
Sam Pearson Sam Perry Matt Worthington
Charlie Wakefield (for Jake Scrimshaw, 79) Malachi Linton (for Alex Fisher, 61)
Substitutes: Will Buse, Max Hunt, Callum Rowe, Ollie Haste, Will Dawes.
Taunton Town: Bycroft, Foulston, Grimes, Ball, Chamberlain, James, Jarvis, McCootie (for Guest, 87), Stearn (for Morgan, 66), Smith, Lucas (for Budd, 87). Substitutes: Warwick, Staley, Sims-Burgess, Staley.
Match Report
Yeovil Town face an FA Cup replay at Somerset rivals Taunton Town on Tuesday night after being held to a stalemate at Huish Park.
The National League South side, who sit 17th in their division as the Glovers do one tier higher up the pyramid, dominated the opening 45 minutes but could not turn their dominance in to a goal.
In the second half, the Glovers at least created a couple of opportunities to test the visiting keeper with Matt Worthington and Charlie Wakefield both going close.
But, the final whistle was met by boos from the Yeovil Town supporters in the biggest crowd of the season at Huish Park and raucous celebrations from the visiting supporters who will welcome their Somerset rivals to Wordsworth Drive in 72 hours time.
First half
It was the visitors who started the stronger with Nat Jarvis heading a Lloyd James free-kick over after just five minutes, but on 16 minutes Taunton’s best chance fell to Ross Stearn. The midfielder was found five yards by Jarvis’ nod down from an Ollie Chamberlain cross, but inexplicably his effort came off the post and away.
The Peacocks’ bright start was exacerbated by a sluggish one from Yeovil as they grew in to the game a little with Sam Pearson’s ball almost finding Morgan Williams. Not quite though.
Chamberlain’s effort forced a stop out of Grant Smith on 27 minutes, turning the half-volley over the bar and a goal would have been nothing more than the National League South side, separated by 24 league places from the Glovers, deserved having dominated the first half to this point.
As so often has been the case this season, on loan Bristol City winger Sam Pearson was the catalyst for Yeovil’s best chance on 34 minutes when his cross was headed over by captain Josh Staunton, and four minutes later fellow loanee Sam Perry had a great opportunity having been found by a ball from Charlie Wakefield.
But, half chances were as good as it got for the home side whilst Taunton will have gone in the more frustrated to be goalless at the half-time interval.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Taunton Town 0
Second half
Yeovil came out for the second half stronger than the finished the first half and carved out their first meaningful chance when Williams beat his marker to get on to a pass from Matt Worthington to force visiting keeper Jack Bycroft in to action.
Sam Perry had a shot blocked on 52 minutes after impressive play by Pearson and two minutes later a speculative effort by Wakefield tried to catch Bycroft off his lead – speculatively, it is fair to say.
In the middle of the park, there was more impetus from Worthington and just before the hour mark his strike took a deflection and went just wide.
Stearn had another good opportunity on 63 minutes which was palmed wide by Grant Smith who needed Williams to clear for a corner with Zac Smith closing in.
With the wind in their favour in the second half, the visitors had a string of corners which Yeovil had to defend before Wakefield, still looking to get off the mark having had a prolific Cup campaign last season, had a gilt-edged chance. On 67 minutes, Pearson found him within six yards but the frontman’s effort went tamely wide.
Taunton striker Jarvis had a great opportunity with 78 minutes on the clock, but a combination of Ben Richards-Everton and Smith were enough to deny him. Another good opportunity for the visitors.
Worthington headed over with seven minutes remaining and Williams put a tame header wide as the game crept in to injury time.
But, the game finished goalless, deservedly for the visitors who were more than good enough to deserve a replay at Wordsworth Drive on Tuesday night.
The result was a repeat of the last time the two sides met in a competitive fixture back in September 1996 – with a goalless draw at Huish Park followed by a 5-3 win in the county town in that second qualifying round tie.