Match Report: Yeovil Town 1 Altrincham 0

A Morgan Williams header in the first half saw Yeovil Town pick up three points against Altrincham at Huish Park.

After a slow start, the Glovers were driven forward by a front three of Andrew Oluwabori, Junior Morias and Tahvon Campbell who were in scintillating form and it was the Exeter City loanee whose ball was nodded home by Williams.

The second half saw the home side tire as they fought for everything against an impressive Altrincham whose passed the Glovers to death with Jed Ward pulling off a number of critical saves at vital moments.

Huish Park was rocking at the final whistle with around 2,600 home supporters playing their part in ensuring that a difficult week ended with six points – who saw that coming? 

First half

The visitors started at a furious pace with panic inside the Yeovil area from an early corner which saw Jed Ward fail to deal with a corner played deep to his back post and the ball landed to Altrincham’s Keaton Ward who fortunately could not get a decent strike in and our Ward was able to parry it away.

The opening quarter-of-an-hour was played at a million miles with both sides keen to press their opponents whenever they had the ball and it was the lively Andrew Oluwabori who was the big threat for Yeovil. On 16 minutes, he picked the ball up on the right side, cut inside and fired a beautiful shot dipping over the head of Luke Hutchinson in the visitors goal, but it rattled the crossbar. 

Great running by Junior Morias after a wonderful touch from Tahvon Campbell, Morias sped forwards, put it through the legs of an Altrincham defender and was felled by visiting captain Lewis Baines, who was booked for the foul. It was Brett McGavin range, but sadly he was on the bench and Luke McCormick put the free-kick in to the defensive wall.

On 26 minutes, Morias was involved again flicking the ball up and smash a thunderous shot which Dan Sassi did superbly to step up and block the shot with “a tender area”. James Plant grabbed the ball (the football, that is) but referee Wayne Cartmel stopped the play much to the annoyance of the Port Vale loanee and the Thatcher’s End.

After an opening ten minutes where Altrincham were all over the Glovers, the following 20 minutes has been far more solid defensively from Yeovil and there’s been some great opportunities to get a breakthrough. That breakthrough came on 32 minutes and no surprise it was Oluwabori who was at the heart of it. Great play down the right ended with a delicate ball across the area where Morgan WILLIAMS arrived to flick it at the back post.

Oluwabori was at it again on 42 minutes when he burst forward, taking Altrincham defenders on again and smashed an effort in but it was straight in to Hutchinson. The visitors just cannot cope with the Exeter City loanee when he runs at them.

At the other end, Sassi curled an effort just around the post a minute before half-time. Think that one was closer to creeping inside Jed Ward’s post than it first looked, but it would have been harsh on Yeovil, who have dominated the game since the tenth minute.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Altrincham 0

Second half

With four minutes of the second half played, Yeovil had a great opportunity to double their advantage.  Junior Morias found himself in space down the left side bearing down on Hutchinson, but his touch let him down and allowed the Altrincham keeper to deflect it as far as Josh Sims whose effort was hacked off the line by Lewis Banks. That should be 2-0 to Yeovil.

There was a real chance for the visitors when Charlie Kirk put a beautiful ball across the face of Jed Ward’s goal on the hour mark, but none of the Altrincham strikers anticipated to level the scores and Sims hacked it away. It has been a cagey start to the second half in comparison with the blood and thunder way the first 45 minutes ended.

With Altrincham starting to look more of a threat as Yeovil’s legs started to tire, Richard Dryden made two changes with Aaron Jarvis and Alex Whittle replacing Campbell and Jake Wannell. Whittle dropped in to the back line with Jarvis taking Campbell’s place in the forward line.

In the 70th minute, Brett McGavin replaced Morias before Yeovil were indebted to Ward after the defence fell asleep from an Altrincham short corner and Banks found himself in lots of space but was denied by the on loan Bristol Rovers keeper.

McGavin almost made an instant impact when he found himself in space after a deft cushioned touch from Jarvis, but his effort flew over the bar. Shortly after, Finn Cousin-Dawson got caught out of position and Altrincham worked a good opportunity which Jimmy Knowles put millimetres past the post. Jed Ward was not getting to that.

Oluwabori, who had been quieter in the second half after a full speed first half, was replaced by Harvey Greenslade with ten minutes remaining.

Another big opportunity for Altrincham and it was Sassi again who flicked a header which crept just wide of the far post with Tom Crawford arriving. Luckily for Yeovil he was unable to get a touch, but the visitors are passing the ball beautifully here and causing Yeovil real problems.

As the game moved in to three minutes of injury time, the visitors continued to turn the screw. Banks had a great opportunity to get the leveller and then Knowles could not quite get to the loose balls.

When the final whistle eventually blew, Huish Park was in full cry as several Yeovil players dropped to their knees. If anyone ever doubted it, these players gave every last drop of energy to earn those three points and end a crazy week with six points in the bag.

This club, ladies and gentlemen, you’ve got to love it!

Substitutes: Alex Whittle (for Jake Wannell, 67), Aaron Jarvis (for Tahvon Campbell, 67), Brett McGavin (for Junior Morias, 70),  Harvey Greenslade (for Andrew Oluwabori, 80), Byron Pendleton (not used), Ben Wodskou (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Altrincham: Luke Hutchinson, Lewis Banks, Samuel Reed, Lewis Baines, Isaac Marriott, Keaton Ward, Jimmy Knowles, Matty Kosylo (for Elliot Osborne, 70), Tom Crawford, Dan Sassi, Charlie Kirk

Substitutes (not used): Jake Cooper, Owen German, Louis Fallon.