Yeovil Town turned in a performance as damp as the weather at Huish Park as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Wealdstone on a miserable Tuesday night.

The Glovers failed to take advantage of the wet and windy conditions being in their favour as they failed to trouble the visitors’ goal and then in the second half Wealdstone showed them how it should be done and goals from Dominic Hutchinson and Max Kretzschmar sealed the win.

There were boos around the stadium at the final whistle and, having been forced to watch a poor performance in terrible conditions, you cannot blame the home crowd.

First half

The game started in atrocious conditions with strong wind and driving rain working against Wealdstone who were attacking the Thatcher’s Stand from the kick-off.

Jake Wannell was the first Yeovil player to try his luck from distance with a wind-assisted effort from fully 30 yards after seven minutes, it went high over the bar in the away end but worth a goal in these conditions. Wealdstone had a lot more of the ball in the opening 15 minutes with ex-W*ymouth midfielder Omar Mussa dominating in the middle of the park whilst Yeovil tried to play the ball over the top without much success. You’d need rockets on players’ boots to get on the end of those balls.

With 16 minutes gone, Dom Hutchinson got away and it required a good block from Miche Efete to deny Wealdstone an opportunity at the back post. It all feels a bit too easy for the visitors who appear to have played in the wind and rain before, not sure our players have on these opening exchanges.

The first moment came just before the half-hour when Wannell moved forward and took us higher up the pitch, suddenly we had more players in the attacking third and broke to Jarvis and the ball went out for a corner. That’s about the nearest to anything we have managed in this opening 30 minutes. One moment of aggression and something happens. 

To say we have not adapted to the conditions would be an understatement whereas Wealdstone have been dynamic and not been afraid to press higher up the pitch. We have sat back and tried to catch them on the counter attack, but every ball forward has been overhit. Everything we have not been, they have been. That said, there’s not been any real saves from either goalkeeper.

Half-time goalless. Need to something better from us against the wind in the second half than we did with the wind in the first.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Wealdstone 0

Second half

In under two minutes of the second half, James Plant drove forward, Luke McCormick clipped the ball in to the box almost found the chest of Aaron Jarvis, just millimetres away. Moments later, a long George Nurse throw broke to McCormick on the edge of the box, his effort flew wide but we are already showing some attacking intent which is an improvement.

On 51 minutes, McCormick squared a ball from the right and picked out Jarvis in front of goal, his effort went wide. As close as we’ve come even if that is a low bar. But we are looking more aggressive and on the front foot.

But, on 57 minutes the visitors took the lead. Wealdstone won the ball back and Sak Hassan got away down the left, whipped a ball in and it came to Dominic HUTCHINSON on the spin at the far post and he fired a shot in to the near post. A very clever finish and you cannot say Wealdstone do not deserve it.

Richard Dryden did not hang about to respond to going behind with Junior Morias replacing James Plant. The substitute was involved in a good moment on 68 minutes when he fed in Andrew Oluwabori who powered forward, fed the ball out to the right side where Campbell had a shot from a tight angle which was deflected away for a corner.

Moments later, Micah Obiero got away with just Efete between him and Jed Ward and flashed his effort just past the post and then on 70 minutes the ball broke to McCormick inside the box and his powerful effort was pushed away by Dante Baptise in the Wealdstone goal. I think that is the first time I have mentioned the visiting goalkeeper. More of that.

On 73 minutes, it was 2-0 to Wealdstone. Yeovil did not clear the danger and two headers from the visitors landed to the feet of Max KRETZSCHMAR who smashed home the second from point blank range. Heads are down.

A poor back pass from Baptiste gifted the ball to Oluwabori, he weaved towards goal but rather than going further forwards he laid it off to McCormick who tried to find Campbell but lost possession. Sums us up. That was the last action for Oluwabori as he was replaced by James Daly with nine minutes remaining. Pretty late to make any changes.

The second half was an improvement from the first, not that that is saying much. But for many of those 90 minutes there was a lack of intent to either put pressure on Wealdstone or look to take the game to them. They had both those things and were worthy winners.

Substitutes: Junior Morias (for James Plant, 58), James Daly (for Andrew Oluwabori, 81), Alex Whittle (not used), Dan Ellison (not used), Kyle Ferguson (not used), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Wealdstone: Dante Baptiste, Jack Cook (for Steven Turner, 71), Anthony Georgiou, Omar Mussa (for Eddy Nsasi, 71), Enzio Boldewijn, Max Kretzschmar (for Nathan Tshikuna, 76), Sak Hassan (for Olufela Olomola, 90+4), Micah Obiero (for Daniel Nkrumah, 76), Dom Hutchinson, Connor McAvoy, Terrell Agyemang.

Substitutes (not used): Hubert Graczyk, Moussa Diarra.