Venue: Huish Park
Saturday September 24th, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: Cloudy and cool
Pitch: Soft and cut up as the match went on
Attendance: 2,146 (65 away supporters)
Scorers: Alex Fisher 39 (1-0), Jack Payne 45 (1-1)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Morgan Williams 62
Boreham Wood: Zac Brunt 45, Dion Kelly-Evans 77
Referee: Scott Jackson
Yeovil Town : (3-4-3)
Grant Smith
Morgan Williams Josh Staunton Ben Richards-Everton
Charlie Wakefield Matt Worthington Lawson D’Ath Jamie Reckord
Sam Pearson (for Jake Scrimshaw, 80)
Alex Fisher (for Malachi Linton, 80) Gime Toure
Substitutes: Will Buse, Fin Craske, Max Hunt.
Boreham Wood: Nathan Ashmore, Dion Kelly-Evans, Femi Ilesnanmi, Will Evans, David Stephens, Josh Rees (for George Broadbent, 61), Tyrone Marsh, Danny Elliott (for Newton, 54), Dennon Lewis, Jack Payne, Zak Brunt (for George Williams, 85).
Substitutes: Connor Stephens, Jude Murphy.
Match Report
It was a yet another case of what might have been as Yeovil Town’s search for their second National League win of the season continued with a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Boreham Wood.
And, it was not for a want of opportunities being carved out by the host, but repeatedly they were denied by visiting goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore.
Ironically it was a mistake by the gloveman on 39 minutes which gifted Yeovil their opener with striker Alex Fisher on the spot to take advantage after the keeper spilled a tame Gime Toure shot, but on the strike of half-time Jack Payne equalised.
The Glovers pushed in the second half and limited Boreham Wood to few chances, but it was another case of so close, but yet so far. Six draws from the opening ten games of the season for Chris Hargreaves’ side.
First half
The opening exchanges were a bit of a non-event with neither side particularly looking to take the game to their opponent with the nearest Yeovil got to carving out a chance came after 12 minutes when a ball over the top set Sam Pearson away, but he was denied by visiting midfielder Jack Payne.
At the other end, Dion Kelly-Evans found himself in a good position before Jamie Reckord’s covering tackle denied him. Can you tell it was a struggle to talk about things happening in the opening third of the first half?
The visitors began to up the ante and the best chance came on 16 minutes with Yeovil temporarily down to ten men with Lawson D’Ath off the pitch getting treatment for a bloodied nose. A well worked move; by the visitors found Femi Ilesanmi who put the ball in to Danny Elliott whose effort went over from close range.
Moments later, Gime Toure broke clear of the visitors’ defence and found himself one-on-one with Wood keeper Nathan Ashmore, but rather than taking a shot he tried to round the gloveman who made a superb stop to deny him.
? Keep pushing lads! pic.twitter.com/mBCg2JP4jI
— Yeovil Town F.C. (@YTFC) September 24, 2022
On 21 minutes, Matt Worthington had a low shot from the edge of the box which Ashmore did well to get down to and turn around for a corner and Wakefield called the keeper in to action again two minutes later.
In a five minute spell after Elliott’s opportunity, it was Yeovil who were in the ascendancy with the game picking up after a slow start. Other than Toure’s chance our efforts were at probably half chances, but there seemed to be opportunity in getting at the visiting defence with some pace.
Having kept his side in the game with some decent stops, it was a mistake by Ashmore which led to the Glovers taking the lead on 39 minutes. Toure fired in a shot from distance which was spilled by the big keeper and Alex FISHER was in the right place to fire home his first goal in his second spell at the club.
The previous weekend, Yeovil had twice failed to hold on to a lead against league leaders Chesterfield and just as the game ticked in to added time at the end of the first half – they did it again.
Matt Worthington swung a leg to make a tackle and the ball broke to a visiting player, the Yeovil defence switched off and the ball broke to Jack PAYNE free at the back post to fire home the equaliser.
The half-time whistle was met with a muted response from the Huish Park crowd frustrated at a seeming inability to hold on to a lead. Cue Ben Barrett’s dog walking puns.
Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Boreham Wood 1
Second half
Ashmore was back in action to tip a thunderous strike from Lawson D’Ath over the bar on 52 minutes before Ben Richards-Everton flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box.
A lovely lay-off by Matt Worthington found Sam Pearson whose effort was superbly stopped by Ashmore (yep, him again) who did not know the assistant referee’s flag was up.
There seemed to be a desire to get the ball forward quicker in the second half with any effort to retain possession changed for getting the ball up the field as soon as possible.
With 67 minutes played, a corner found the head of Fisher whose goal-bound header was superbly denied by you know who. Yes, Nathan Ashmore who came to the rescue of the Wood again. How many opportunities do we need? No, you know what, don’t answer that.
With ten minutes of the game replacing, Yeovil manager Chris Hargreaves made a double substitution with Malachi Linton and Jake Scrimshaw replacing Sam Pearson and Alex Fisher, clearly not keen to add to the draws column of the National League table.
But, even with plenty of attackers on the pitch, it was giant centre half Richards-Everton who again found himself in space on the edge of the box to warm the palms of Ashmore.
Six draws from the opening ten matches of the National League season. Remarkable. Not good remarkable, but remarkable.