Match Report: Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0

Venue: Huish Park
Tuesday 31st January, 7.45pm kick-off

Conditions: Dry and cold
Pitch: Heavily sanded in front of the Thatcher’s End

Attendance: 1,996 (84 away supporters)

Scorers: 

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Edwin Agbaje 77
Wealdstone: Dom Hutchinson 90+1

Sendings off:

Yeovil Town: Owen Bevan, 54

Referee: Scott Jackson

Substitutes: Alex Fisher (for Jordan Young, 50), Ben Richards-Everton (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 65), Charlie Wakefield (for Charlie Cooper, 72), Chiori Johnson, Jack Clarke.

Wealdstone: Howes, Cook, Freckleton, Allarakhia, Ferguson, Andrews, Obiero, Dyer, Ilunga, Barker, Habergham. Substitutes (not used): Hutchinson (for Habergham, 39), Kretzschmar (for Obiero, 72), Olomola (for Allarakhia, 82) Charles, Barrett.

Match Report

Yeovil Town recorded their third goalless draw against Wealdstone as on loan defender Owen Bevan was sent off on a cold night at Huish Park.

The on-loan AFC Bournemouth player saw red after 54 minutes having lunged in to try and win an overhit ball which derailed the Glovers’ hopes of going for the win after an impressive first half performance.

Here’s how it happened….

First half

After an end-to-end start, the first real chance fell to the visitors as a fast-flowing move down the right caught Morgan Williams out at left-back as Brooklyn Ilunga found Tarryn Allarkhia breaking in to the box and forced a fine save out of Grant Smith…..thought everyone except for the match officials who did not give Wealdstone the corner they obviously deserved.

Ilunga was involved again on 14 minutes putting a ball in towards striker Corrie Andrews, but Yeovil captain Josh Staunton was just in time to get in ahead of him.

If there was one thing noticeable about the opening attacks for Yeovil it was the state of the Huish Park pitch which was heavily sanded (to put it mildly) in front of the Thatcher’s Stand, and one at least two occasions it led to the home players losing their footing.

Despite the visitors having the better chances, it was the home side who had the lion’s share of possession and pressure and their best chance fell to Andrew Oluwabori. A fantastic ball through from Edwin Agbaje put the Peterborough United loanee in on goal, but he dallied too long allowed the Wealdstone to nick in and clear.

One thing which was evident was the quality in the middle of the park with Jordan Maguire-Drew, Charlie Cooper, Lawson D’Ath and Jordan Young all looking exceptionally comfortable on the ball. What was missing was the finish….perhaps not surprising from the National League’s lowest scorers.

Two chances fell to Maguire-Drew, scuffing one and then putting another high and not so handsome, then with three minutes of the first half remaining Oluwabori cut inside and smashed a shot……..high over the bar.

In terms of possession and intent, that was Yeovil’s half – such a difference to the last match at home to Torquay United on New Year’s Day. But the missing element was a goal – how many times have we said that this season?

Half time:  Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0

Second half

Wealdstone started the second half brighter – as they had done in the opening 45 minutes – and with just five minutes played, Mark Cooper introduced Alex Fisher in to the fray in place of Jordan Young.

Young is definitely not an out-and-out centre forward, preferring to drop deeper and link up with his team-mates, notably Maguire-Drew, but in Fisher Cooper introduced more of a focal point.

But on 54 minutes, the game changed when Owen Bevan went bursting forward and appeared to overhit his touch and lunged in to try and win it back. It took a little while but the inevitable red card soon came from referee Scott Jackson.

On the hour mark, a rare Yeovil break saw Fisher and Maguire-Drew bursting forward and the play-maker spotted Howes off his line but lofted his effort over.

Two minutes later, great vision from Matt Worthington saw him pick out Maguire-Drew coming in from the left-hand side but his blazed his effort over.

Then it was Wealdstone’s chance to have a go, midfielder Alex Dyer broke in to the box and his effort looked like it was heading for the bottom corner before an outstretched hand from Grant Smith turned it away.

On 67 minutes, Oluwabori fired a ball across the face of goal with Fisher closing in…..just throw yourself at it, Alex! He didn’t and the game remained goalless.

Grant Smith was called in to action with ten minutes of the match remaining when defender Charlie Barker forced a fine stop out of Yeovil’s number one and then as the game ticked in to 90 minutes substitute Dom Hutchinson pulled one wide.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0