Match Report: Yeovil Town 2 Braintree Town 0

Yeovil Town stretched their winning run to double figures in all competitions with a 2-0 win over Braintree Town in atrocious conditions at Huish Park.

It was on-the-pitch captain Matt Worthington who opened the scoring with a superb lob after a blunder by visiting keeper Vicente Reyes after 29 minutes following a bright start from the visitors.

The second half saw Braintree continue to press, but manager Mark Cooper introduced Frank Nouble and Jake Hyde on the hour mark and in the final minute of normal time the pair combined for Hyde to round Reyes and score his third of the season.

In front of a crowd of 3,708 supporters – many of whom were decked out in pink for the Paint The Park Pink appeal to raise money for Yeovil Hospital Charity’s drive to raise money for a new breast cancer unit – the three points moved the Glovers six points clear at the top of National League South.

Here’s how it unfolded in the rain at Huish Park.

First half

Mark Cooper three changes from the 2-0 home win over W*ymouth in midweek with top-scorer Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble and Josh Owers replaced in the starting line-up by Sonny Cox, Will Dawes and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.

But it was the visitors who made a start as bright as the kits worn by the two sides. After just two minutes, it was Shaquile Coulthirst, signed in the week from National League Ebbsfleet United, who had the first sight of goal as he turned well inside the box and flashed a shot just wide of the post.

On nine minutes, a nice one two between Coulthirst and Will Davies cut through Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell in the middle of the Glovers’ defence. Goalkeeper Joe Day had to come out quickly and get a leg on the effort from Davies and collected the follow-up effort from the Iron frontman.

Then three minutes later, Aaron Blair’s cross in to the box skimmed across Day’s crossbar. Braintree definitely living up to manager Angelo Harrop’s pre-match promise that his side would “have a go.”

For Yeovil, Jordan Young was at the heart of everything which was good about their attacking play in the opening exchanges with Cox looking bright, but not able to force visitors’ keeper Vicente Reyes in to meaningful action.

Jordan Stevens had the hosts’ first meaningful effort having been rolled the ball from a free-kick, but his chance was blocked after 20 minutes.

On 26 minutes, Young showed his quality from set pieces again with a ball in from a similar position to the one which led to the first goal against W*ymouth four days earlier. Will Dawes connected with it but his header went wide and the flag was up for offside anyway.

In the pouring rain, you always felt it was the side which made a mistake first would be the difference and that mistake came from Braintree goalkeeper Vicente Reyes. The Norwich City loanee inexplicably came to the edge of his box to try and punch though a crowd of players, but his connection ball dropped to Matt WORTHINGTON who did superbly to loft the ball over the stranded keeper and in to the net ahead of the visiting defenders rushing back (in vain) to try and rescue Reyes. That looked lovely from the Thatchers’ Stand.

Matty ? @YTFC pic.twitter.com/Seo8SRrDvb

— sophie (@sophieyeo94) October 28, 2023

That gave Yeovil confidence with some great passes from Young and Lo Everton splitting the visitors’ defence, something picked up by manager Harrop who made a change in the 39th minute as attacker Tom Blackwell replaced midfielder Ben Watt. That change saw Braintree go like for like in midfield against Young and Lo Everton with Alfie Payne and Reggie Lambe sitting deeper in midfield.

The final action of the match saw Day forced in to a phenomenal stop to keep his side ahead at the interval. A ball in to the box from a free-kick was met by a neat header from Will Davies and the on loan Newport County keeper had to get down quickly to deny him.

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Braintree Town 0

Second half

As the rain got heavier in the second half, it was the Thatcher’s end which of Huish Park which saw more of the action with Braintree not giving up on putting pressure on a surface which was churning up.

We may need to extend Rule 1* to cover assistant referees after this one. On at least two occasions, Braintree were inexplicably awarded throw ins. The Yeovil bench left all the officials in no doubt about their feelings on the decision.

As the game progressed, Yeovil switched to a back five which Will Dawes dropping back to a left wing-back position as the visitors piled forwards in to the box and the energy of Jordan Stevens and Sonny Cox looked to be lacking.

Mark Cooper reacted to this introducing Jake Hyde, who scored his second of the season in the midweek win over W*ymouth, and Frank Nouble in place of Young and Cox on 60 minutes. A bit of physical presence to put some pressure on the Braintree defence.

It was a terrific ball in from the box by Blair, who switched to the right side of the visitors’ front three, who cut inside and whipped one in towards the back post but there was (luckily) no-one to turn it in.

On the hour, Josh Owers replaced Jordan Stevens straight after the chance with Yeovil switching formation again to bring an extra body in to midfield with Nouble and Hyde as a front two.

On XX minutes, good play by Nouble got a ball and cut the ball back to Morgan Williams in an advanced position, but the defender could not quite open his body up enough to get a proper connection on the ball.

Until that point, neither Nouble or Hyde had much of an impact on the game looking fairly isolated at the top end of the pitch, but as the game ticked in to the 90th minute the pair combined to double the lead.

Nouble somehow in the left back position drove forward before finding Lo Everton in the middle of the park, he then  threaded a great ball through to HYDE who rounded Reyes to add the second. 

The Braintree Town official X (formerly known as Twitter) account will tell you Hyde “looked offside”, but the replay will prove to you that when Sonny played the ball, he clearly wasn’t.

Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Braintree Town 0

* – Rule 1 of the Gloverscast – Don’t complain about National League referees, they are all useless.

Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 28th October, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: Feeling the impact of its 12th match of the season, cutting up early and only deteriorating from then
Conditions: Did not stop raining.

Attendance: 3708 (57 away supporters)

Scorers: Matt Worthington 29 (1-0), Jake Hyde 90 (2-0)

Bookings: 
Yeovil Town: Jordan Young 22, Will Dawes 79, Jake Hyde 
Braintree Town: Reggie Lambe 29, Ben Mason 33, Ben Tompkins 40, Alfie Payne 50

Referee: Samuel Read

Yeovil Town (4-3-3)

Substitutes: Frank Nouble (for Sonny Cox, 60), Jake Hyde (for Jordan Young, 60), Josh Owers (for Jordan Stevens, 64), Zac Bell (not used), Rhys Murphy (not used).

Braintree Town: Vicente Reyes, Ben Mason, Leon Davies, Ben Watt (for Tom Blackwell, 39), Joe Grimwood, Ben Topping, Reggie Lambe, Alfie Payne (captain) (for Marvin Herschel, 89), Will Davies, Aaron Blair, Shaquile Coulthirst (for Gianni Crichlow, 68).
Substitutes (not used): Josh Blunkell, John White.