Match Report: Yeovil Town 0 Woking 1

Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 4th March, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: Good – and now with a new groundsman.
Conditions: Overcast
Attendance: 3,237 (323 away supporters)

Scorers: Kyran Lofthouse (0-1)

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Jamie Reckord 17, Charlie Cooper 26, Josh Staunton 68, Morgan Williams 79.
Woking: Rohan Ince 49.

Referee: Elliot Swallow

Yeovil Town (5-3-2)

Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Edwinn Agbaje, 65), Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Alex Fisher, 83), Chiori Johnson, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Josh Owers.

Woking: Jaaskelainen, Lofthouse (for Simper, 80), Casey, Cuthbert, McNerney, Amond (for Sass-Davies, 90+1), Moss, Nwabuokei, Kellermann, Dackers, Ince  Substitutes (not used): Ross, Korboa, Simper, Nelson, Sass-Davies.

Match Report

A masterclass in the true spirit of Darren Sarll’s sh*thousery was enough to see his Woking side complete the double over Yeovil Town in front of a big crowd at Huish Park.

More than 3,000 turned out buoyed by the start of a new era of ownership of the club following the takeover by SU Glovers in the weekend and they witnessed a typically lacklustre first half from their side which saw Kyran Lofthouse open the scoring on 14 minutes.

To add insult to insult, Jordan Young had a glorious opportunity with a header moments before the opening goal and it was the striker who had the game’s final chance in injury time at the end of a disjointed second half, but his dinked effort over the keeper trickled wide.

A late Chesterfield goal condemned Gateshead to defeat and meant they remain a point inside the National League relegation zone with the Glovers hovering just above the dotted line.

First half

New owners Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey were introduced to the crowd before the match and Huish Park was in the kind of voice not seen for at least two seasons – maybe more!

But it was a familiar theme early on as a good header from Marcus Dackers was superbly saved by Grant Smith, but the keeper could only push it as far as the striker who scuffed his effort in to the grateful hands of the best keeper in the National League – don’t @ me!

On 15 minutes, great play by Edwin Agbaje on the counter attack, who looked to have a great opportunity to have a shot as he went in to the penalty area, but he held it up and crossed it for Jordan Young whose header was straight at Will Jaaskelinan.

But, at the risk of saying ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’, the visitors broke straight down the other end and took the lead.
Owen Bevan was at fault (not often we have said that) for not clearing a ball convincingly and it broke to Kyran LOFTHOUSE who thundered home on the half-volley.

It was a sloppy goal and so disappointing after a decent opening 15 minutes from Yeovil. Well, we’ve seen them play a lot worse this season.

But the visitors took confidence from that opener and on 22 minutes a great attacking move found Dackers almost on the penalty spot, but he shanked his effort wide with Smith beaten. Big let off.

On 27 minutes, Cooper went down under a challenge, jumped up and squared up to his aggressor, Jim Kellermann, and ‘got in his face’ – literally. It was a yellow card from referee Elliot Swallow, but let’s call that a dark orange card! Darren Sarll, now obviously in the away dug-out, made his feelings known to the official and ended up with a yellow card of his own.

Three minutes later, Smith was in action again after a nicely worked move by Woking saw Dackers nod the ball down to Ince whose thunderous effort was superbly turned aside by the keeper at full stretch.

With ten minutes of the half remaining, a chance (half chance?) fell Yeovil’s way when a good cross by Matt Worthington almost found Alex Fisher. The striker went down claiming a push in the back……yeah, probably not, Alex.

There was little else to write home about in the rest of the first half and it is probably fair to say Mark Cooper was glad to get his side back in the dressing room. Changes afoot in the second half, perhaps.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Woking 1

Second half

Well, no changes in personnel, but a change in intent. From the kick-off, a good ball over the top from Bevan and Fisher got away from his marker Scott Cuthbert and hit a shot which didn’t really test Jaaskelinan. Bit better though.

On 51 minutes, a powerful free-kick from Young clipped the crossbar with the keeper expecting the cross. It could have gone anywhere but unfortunately it did not quite dip under the bar.

Jordan Stevens had an effort blocked four minutes later but there was not much more in terms of attacking threat and on 65 minutes Andrew Oluwabori came on in place of Edwin Agbaje.

Now remember how when Darren Sarll was our manager we used to laugh about other fans raging as our players sh*thoused to disrupt and frustrate our opposition? Well, now we are the “other fans”. Referee Elliot Swallow did not offer any kind of response.

Oluwabori could not really make an impact with his team-mates unable to find him in exactly the type of disjointed second half the away dug-out would have loved to have seen.

With seven minutes remaining Seb Palmer-Houlden, the young striker on loan from Bristol City, replaced Fisher and within two minutes of his arrival he released Oluwabori, but the Peterborough United loanee could not get a shot off. Two minutes later he was unable to get a header on target after a ball in from Cooper.

As the game crept in to two-and-a-half minutes as Jordan Young beat Cuthbert for pace and dinked it over the keeper……but it just crept agonisingly past the post. That would have taken the roof off the Thatcher’s End.

Another second half where we were in the ascendency in the second half late rally was too little, too late.

Full time:  Yeovil Town 0 Woking 1