Venue: Huish Park
Saturday September 3rd, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: Unpredictably windy
Pitch: Looking good
Attendance: 2294 (127 away supporters)
Scorers: Lennell John-Lewis 80
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Lawson D’Ath 15,
York City: Fraser Kerr 36, Lennell John-Lewis 42
Referee: Aji Ajibola
Yeovil Town : (3-5-2)
Grant Smith
Max Hunt Josh Staunton Ben Richards-Everton
Morgan Williams (for Sam Pearson, 60) Lawson D’Ath Sam Perry Jamie Reckord
Charlie Wakefield
Alex Fisher (for Chiori Johnson, 81) Malachi Linton (for Gime Toure, 60)
Substitutes: Owen Bevan, Jake Scrimshaw.
York City: Ross, Kouogun, Kerr, Sanders, Fallowfield, Pybus, Dyson, Hancox, Hurst (for Boden, 65), Kouhyar, John-Lewis. Substitutes: Whitley, Whittle, Greaves, Duku.
Match Report
A frustrating afternoon saw Yeovil Town outclassed by a York City side who were unfortunate to only go away from Huish Park with a 1-0 victory.
It looked like the Glovers might have got out of jail after a lacklustre showing when Grant Smith saved a penalty from visiting striker Lennell John-Lewis on 70 minutes, but ten minutes later the experienced striker was found inside the box and fired the opener.
The sponsors’ man of the match was awarded to Smith who made two impressive saves to deny John-Lewis whilst at the other end one tame effort from Alex Fisher was all the hosts offered.
Not a good day at the office, here’s how it went…….
First half
Yeovil Town made three changes from the Bank Holiday Monday stalemate at Wealdstone with Charlie Wakefield returning in a more advanced possession in place of Gime Toure who dropped to the bench.
The other changes was Max Hunt return in place of Alfie Pond, whose loan stay was cut short by his deadline day move from Exeter City to Wolves, and Lawson D’Ath replaced Matt Worthington who boss Chris Hargreaves said was injured albeit “not serious.”
On-loan Bristol City winger Sam Pearson returned to the bench having missed the previous three matches through injury. He was joined by Owen Bevan, the teenage centre half who joined from AFC Bournemouth on Friday.
After a bright start from the home side without threatening on goal, visiting midfielder Alex Hurst had a ninth-minute shot just over had Grant Smith scrambling in the Yeovil goal and moments later striker Lennell John-Lewis forced a fine stop out of the keeper, albeit the linesman’s flag was raised.
Linton, who missed a penalty five days earlier at Wealdstone, had an opportunity denied by the flag on 15 minutes, but it’s fair to say opportunities were at a premium in the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
The assistant was involved again four minutes later when Reckord’s free-kick was well met by Ben Richards-Everton, and a minute later Hurst was denied by a well-timed tackle.
On 39 minutes, a quick throw caught the Yeovil defence napping and John-Lewis nicked the ball over the leg of Josh Staunton and fired in a shot which Grant Smith did well to deny the powerful striker. Far and away the best chance of the match.
Three minutes later, John-Lewis was at the heart of the action soon after he caught Sam Perry with what looked like a stray elbow. There were cries for a red card from the home crowd although it looked as if a heavy landing was more damaging for the Walsall loanee. He was eventually fine to continue.
On 44 minutes, it was John-Lewis who was at the heart of a quick break and was forced wide and had a shot block, it dropped to Dyson whose effort went wide.
The issue for Yeovil was a lack of creative spark and energy in the centre of midfield (again, I know!) with D’Ath lying deeper and the absence of the industrious Worthington, there was not much forward play from Perry and Wakefield isolated in a more central role.
Goalless at the break. Very goalless.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 York City 0
Second half
There were no changes for either side at the break and with the exception of an Alex Fisher flicked header flicked which went over there was not a meaningful opportunity for either side by the time we reached the hour mark.
It was the visitors who looked the more cohesive in their play and showing some attacking intent which was sorely lacking from the home side.
On the hour mark, Pearson and Toure entered the fray in place of Morgan Williams and Linton.
Alex Fisher forced York keeper Ethan Ross in to his first meaningful action of the match when he picked the ball up on the edge of the box and fired in an effort.
The changes failed to have an instant impact with neither Toure or Pearson unable to become the player able to get on the ball and cause a threat.
On 69 minutes, Staunton looked to go to head a ball away, it struck his arm and the referee awarded a clear-cut penalty. John-Lewis took the ball but also took an age to take the spot kick and, when he eventually did, Smith saved with his legs.
Sloppy play from Yeovil gifted John-Lewis an opportunity to rectify his mistake soon after, but he headed his effort wide. On another day, the former Grimsby man could have had a hat-trick and no-one could have grumbled.
The penalty miss did not deter York with substitute Scott Boden heading wide and then Smith denying Dyson with Yeovil dropping deeper and deeper against the frantic waving of Chris Hargreaves in the opposite direction. The frustration around Huish Park was audible.
With ten minutes gone, the inevitable happened with York taking the lead and it was the outstanding Lennell JOHN-LEWIS who got it. A low cross from the man they call ‘The Shop’ inside the box, he got a bit of luck with a deflection past Smith, but you could not deny the visitors deserved their lead.
In the first minute of stoppage time, substitute Chiori Johnson header a D’Ath corner against the crossbar. It could have been an equaliser but it would have been completely undeserved.
The final whistle was met by boos from the Huish Park crowd and you can’t blame them on that performance. For York City, well played, thoroughly deserved it.
Good report – thanks for writing, I enjoyed the read
Well balanced report good to read thanks