Match Report: Yeovil Town 1 AFC Fylde 4

Yeovil Town suffered their first home defeat of the new season as they were undone by National League new boys AFC Fylde at Huish Park on Saturday.

The visitors, who won National League North by 100 points last season, took the lead when midfielder Greg Olley who tapped in a cross before Luca Thomas added a second in first half injury time, set through by former Glovers’ loanee Millar Matthews-Lewis.

Thomas ended the game as a contest when he added a third goal six minutes after the break. Luke McCormick pulled one back with his sixth goal of the season on 75 minutes, but Olley danced through the Yeovil defence to set a seal on the result five minutes later.

First half

The Glovers looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the new season at Southend United last weekend, made three changes. Ste Walker replaced Slavi Spasov up front with Hayden Muller coming in to midfield in place of

From the off, Fylde showed they had no plans to park the bus at Huish Park as they came out flying with a high tempo start. When Yeovil got on the ball in the early exchanges, there was a yellow-and-black wall in midfield preventing the home side from playing it through.

The result was no real chances of either side with the first half-opening for the Glovers came after 14 minutes courtesy of a bit of Ryan Jones magic to pick out Archie Davies and his cross was well cleared by Fylde with Ste Walker lurking. Jones and Davies linked up again for a couple of impressive moves down the right in the next five minutes and that might be the key to unpicking the Fylde lock. Still nothing to test Zac Jones in the visitors’ goal.

With 25 minutes gone, Fylde lost full-back Adam Lewis and perhaps perplexingly replaced him with striker Millar Matthews-Lewis, the man who endured a goalless spell at Huish Park at the end of last season on loan from Burton Albion. It required a reshuffle of Harvey Broad, who switched from right wing to left-back, with Luca Thomas going on the flank whilst Matthews-Lewis took over from him up front. Within minutes of that change, Broad was booked for a foul on the dangerous Jones and five minutes later Ben Radcliffe went in to the referee’s book, his fourth of the season – one away from a suspension.

The pre-match billing of this one as another game for admirers of football tactics is proving to be true, but it took until 35 minutes for either side to carve out a meaningful chance and it led to an opening goal for Fylde. Broad had time and space down the left wing and he fired in a wicked ball in and Greg OLLEY was there to turn it home. There will be questions about how Broad had such an opportunity to put even an impressive cross in.

Yeovil came within inches of levelling a minute before half-time as Archie Davies got away down the right and really showed his pace, cut inside and side-footed it towards goal, but his effort cannoned back off the post.

The Yeovil defence looked to switch off and allowed Matthews-Lewis to play a perfectly-time through ball to Luca THOMAS who finished coolly to double the advantage. There was maybe a minute between Davies’ chance coming off the woodwork and Thomas’ goal.

The two Fylde goals and Davies’ effort off the post were about all the goal-mouth action there was, but it is fair to say this has been a perfect away performance from the visitors who have held the hosts at bay and clinically taken their opportunities.

Half-time: Yeovil Town 0 AFC Fylde 2

Second half

Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley made a double substitution with Slavi Spasov coming on in place of Walker and Radcliffe was replaced by Johl Powell. Hayden Muller moved in to the backline to replace Radcliffe, who missed last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Southend United through injury, whilst there was clear frustration from Walker at the end of the first half.

The first chance of the second half saw the Yeovil midfield and defence carved part by another great move from the visitors as Matthews-Lewis went through, but the striker tried to lob Jos Barker in the hosts’ goal and he did well to claim it. A minute later, good wing play by Mason Obeng picked out McGavin inside the box and Zac Jones saved a weak effort before denying a follow-up from substitute Powell. Neither had enough power on it.

But on 51 minutes, Fylde added to their advantage and it was so easy again. Olley found his way past Joy Mukena and played in Luca THOMAS whose effort took a wicked deflection past Barker. To add injury to insult, Mukena limped off immediately after to be replaced by Joe Gubbins adding to the departure of Radcliffe at the break.

Fylde are cutting through Yeovil at will with first Olley and then Thomas carving out further opportunities, whereas Yeovil have looked sluggish and devoid of ideas to get their way past Fylde who have completely dominated. Rowley tried to make a change with Muller pushing up in to midfield alongside McGavin with Gubbins, Davies and Jordan Norville-Williams making up a back three, whilst Powell and Jones took up the wide positions.

Charlie Lennnon replaced Mason Obeng on 65 minutes before Zain Westbrooke replaced McGavin on 71 minutes. With 15 minutes remaining, Yeovil got a goal back and it was a great goal with Jones weaving some magic with an excellent run before playing a pass through in to Luke McCORMICK who finished with a trademark cool finish from the edge of the box. It has not been a good day for the Glovers, but that is McCormick’s sixth goal in seven games this season.

But any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished as Greg OLLEY netted his second of the season. The former Gateshead man has dribbled through the Yeovil defence with ease, rounded Barker and slotted home. Great skill from Olley, but it is so soft from us. Huish Park is emptying and it is hard to blame any of the departees.

Full time: Yeovil Town X AFC Fylde X

Substitutes: Slavi Spasov (for Ste Walker, 46), Johl Powell (for Ben Radcliffe, 46), Joe Gubbins (for Joy Mukena, 53), Charlie Lennon (for Mason Obeng, 65), Zain Westbrooke (for Brett McGavin, 71) Loick Ayina (not used), James Daly (not used).

AFC Fylde: Zac Jones, Adam Lewis (for Millar Matthews-Lewis, 25), Will Lancaster, Corey Whelan, Aaron Drewe, Chris Merrie, Greg Olley (for Jack Morris, 85), Ethan Mitchell (for Luke Butterfield, 85), Theo Upton (for Tom Whelan, 71), Harvey Broad, Luca Thomas.

Substitutes (not used): Patrick Boyes, Max Taylor, Danny Mayor.