Match Report: Yeovil Town 1 Maidstone United 1 (Yeovil Town win 4-2 on penalties)

Goalkeeper Jed Ward was Yeovil Town’s hero again as he saved two penalties in a shoot-out against Maidstone United to book a place in the fourth round of the FA Trophy.

The Bristol Rovers loanee saved the first two spot kicks he faced from Antony Papadopoulos and David Sesay and saw his team-mates convert all their efforts to seal the victory after a thoroughly forgettable 90 minutes at Huish Park.

The game did not burst in to life until one minute from the end of normal time when substitute midfielder Josh Tobin, signed on loan during the week, headed home a James Daly cross and looked to have sealed the win, only for a defensive lapse from the Glovers to gift visiting substitute Hamzad Kargbo an equaliser to force the shoot out.

First half

With ten minutes gone, Aaron Jarvis got his first sight on goal. James Daly showed good persistence to keep a lost cause alive, but Jarvis could not get enough power on it to trouble Lenny Holden in the visitors’ goal. Daly has had a lively started and is repeatedly screaming at his team-mates for the ball.

The ‘press’ adopted by Maidstone was evident from the off as they regularly tried to press the Yeovil backline as they continued to play the ball out from the back. There is a noticeable patience for a patient start from the home side in the Huish Park stands which would certainly not have been there with a different manager in the dug-out – but the opening half-an-hour has been…..quiet! Get McCormick on the ball, Yeovil!

On the half-hour mark something happened. Alex Whittle, who appeared to have taken a knock in a collision earlier in the game, was replaced by Michee Efete with Daly swapping from the right to the left. 

The best move of the game (not that that is saying much) came shortly after. Efete knocked the ball inside, Luke McCormick back-heeled it to Brett McGavin who hit it left-footed towards goal, it took a deflection and went out from a corner. From the resulting corner, grappling inside the box led to a free-kick for Maidstone. 

Aaron Jarvis got a booking in the 38th minute and then seemed to want to ‘get involved’ with the Stones’ defence for the remainder of the half. Referee Lewis Sandoe did not exactly cover himself in glory either breaking up an already bitty first half and that gave the home crowd something to shout about – or shout at, really – until the half-time whistle sounded. A very 0-0 0-0.

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Maidstone United 0

Second half

Perhaps unsurprisingly the second change of the game came at the start of the second half as Tahvon Campbell replaced Jarvis, who was one tackle, grapple or comment away from getting his second booking.

Campbell was almost gifted a goal when the Maidstone defence, which had been organised and solid throughout the first half, allowed the ball to box inside the 18-yard box and the striker almost got in. The visitors managed to scramble it away. A brighter start to the second half.

Things have definitely picked up from Yeovil this half – and the Thatcher’s End has responded – and just before the hour mark Kyle Ferguson headed wide from a McGavin free-kick. On 63 minutes, manager Billy Rowley made two changes with loanees Andrew Oluwabori and Josh Tobin, signed on loan from Bromley during the weekend, replacing Harvey Greenslade and Leo Ramirez-Espain.

On 64 minutes, James Daly had a good run and flashed a shot from the edge of the box just past the post. There’s still not been a meaningful chance from either side and, as the game rolls on, the spectre of a penalty shoot-out is looming. No extra time in this one.

Neither Oluwabori or Tobin have really made any kind of impact on this game, it all been not quite there and lacking some positivity against an opponent who appears to 

Then on 85 minutes, chances at either end. Hamblin got a good ball in towards substitute Hamzad Kargbo who could not get his header on target and the ball broke to Jephte Tanga who went down under a tackle from Ferguson. Shouts for a penalty, nothing given. At the other end, McCormick was picked out by an Efete ball but his shot went wide.

Then suddenly a breakthrough and a goal with one minute of normal time remaining. A great run down the left from Daly who put a high cross in to the back post and there was Josh TOBIN whose header bundled its way past a couple of Maidstone defenders on the line.

That’s it right? Wrong. Two minutes in to five added on at the end of the game, the Yeovil defence switched off at the back post and a good ball in from Maidstone found Hamzad KARGBO who could not miss from inches out. Ugh.

After 90 minutes of basically nothing, all the action came in the final six minutes of the game. Penalties. Double ugh.

Substitutes: Michee Efete (for Alex Whittle, ), Tahvon Campbell (for Aaron Jarvis, 46), Josh Tobin (for Leo Ramirez-Espain, 63), Andrew Oluwabori (for Harvey Greenslade, 63), Dan Ellison (for James Daly, 90), Josh Sims (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Maidstone United: Lenny Holden, David Sesay, Leo Hamblin, Lexus Beeden, George Fowler, TJ Bramble (for Hamzad Kargbo, 71), Jephte Tanga, John Gilbert (for Sam Corne, 64), Dajon Golding (for Deon Moore, 64), Riley Court, Antony Papadopoulos.

Substitutes (not used):  David Agontohoma, Taylor Foran, Nathan Harness.