Match Report: Yeovil Town 3 Gateshead 0

A second half double from captain Luke McCormick saw Yeovil Town pick up their first win of the season with a dominant performance against Gateshead at Huish Park.

The Glovers made a fast start and took the lead after less than just two minutes when striker Ste Walker coolly slotted home and should have been further in front at half-time having created multiple openings to add to the scoreline.

Having continued to control proceedings after the break, McCormick doubled the advantage when he latched on to a through ball from substitute Slavi Spasov to fire home with nine minutes remaining and wrapped it up with a second late on.

First half

The team news saw Yeovil boss Billy Rowley make two changes. The first was enforced with Joy Mukena coming in for the suspended Joe Gubbins whilst Barnsley loanee Charlie Lennon came in on the wing with Mason Obeng dropping to the substitutes’ bench.

In his pre-match remarks, Rowley said his side wanted a fast start and they got it. Great play down the right side saw Ryan Jones’ touch release Archie Davies down the wing, he laid it back to Ste WALKER who placed it coolly past the Gateshead keeper. As he showed last weekend against Carlisle, he is clinical in those positions.

Less than two minutes later, a charge forward from Lennon down the left saw him pick out Jones who moved just inside the area and unleashed a shot which was straight in the midriff of Gateshead keeper Peter Jameson.

Looking so sharp, knocking the ball around quickly in midfield with the Jones-Davies combination down the right side looking dangerous every time they get on the ball. Luke McCormick seems to have a free role in the midfield, he is dropping deeper and then looking to make things happen at the top end of the pitch as well.

In the 23rd minute, Gateshead had a good chance to level when Michael Spellman’s ball found Luke Supyk with a free header, but luckily the visiting frontman’s effort was soft and Jos Barker made an easy save. Two minutes later, good play between Lennon and McCormick saw the latter pick out Jones on the far post, he tried to place a shot between Jameson’s legs but the keeper got enough on it to deny him.

With 32 minutes, more terrific play with Jones skipping in from the right side, he picked out Lennon bursting in to the box from the left and his ball went straight across the face of goal. Seconds later, Lennon picked the ball up inside his own half and left his defender in his wake, he clipped it in to the box but only found a Gateshead head and the ball dropped to Jones whose venomous shot rattled against the underside of the bar and away. Unbelieveable running from Lennon, Jones’ first touch was superb and so unlucky not to double the advantage.

This swift attacking football is a pleasure to watch but if there was a criticism of Yeovil it would be that we are not more than one ahead. Archie Davies was the next to have a go after another great forward charge down the right, he unleashed a shot which Jameson did well to get down and turn away for a corner.

Two minutes before the break, referee Richard Aspinall penalised Jameson for taking too long over his goal kick and awarded Yeovil a corner under new rules brought in this season. The resulting corner almost picked out Walker at the back post but former Glovers’ loanee Jack Robinson was there and got just enough on it to put the striker off.

It should be more than one at the break, but we were 3-0 up against Gateshead around this time last season – and no-one needs reminding how that worked out.

Half-time: Yeovil Town 1 Gateshead 0

Second half

Gateshead made two changes at half-time with David Egyuaibor and Fenton John coming on. No changes for Yeovil.

There were two glorious openings with seven minutes of the second half gone. First it was more great running from Lennon bursting in to the box and Gateshead did well to get it away for a corner from which McCornmick’s effort was well saved by Jameson, the ball pinged around inside the area and a ball to the back post dropped to Ben Radcliffe at the back post but his effort was over the bar.

A great run from Zain Westbrooke saw him find Lennon on the left side of the box, but the Barnsley loanee’s effort was weak and easily held by Jameson.

Just before the hour mark, Gateshead manager Lee Cattermole made another double change with Billy Chadwick and Josh Anifowose coming on.For Yeovil, Mason Obeng replaced the impressive Lennon, who has put in a shift and shown what he is all about. Minutes later, a mistake from Alex Lankshear saw Walker bearing down on goal, but the striker tried to take it on himself with McCormick tearing past him ready to go through on goal.

The summer signing has looked less lively in the opening 15 minutes of this half and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Slavi Spasov. More worrying was an injury for Radcliffe who went down off the ball and was replaced by Loick Ayina.

Huish Park is quieter in this half, probably due in part to the fact we are attacking the away end in this second half, but also maybe more than a little to do with memories of the late equalisers in the previous two games. Gateshead have slowed the game down and it took until 75 minutes for the next opening. A great ball forward from Brett McGavin picked out Jones down the right, he flashed a ball across the face of goal where Spasov was arriving, but the striker could not get anything on it.

On 77 minutes, there was a coming together between McCormick and his former team-mate Kyle Ferguson. The defender body-checked the Yeovil captain with absolutely no eyes on the ball. Luckily for the Scostman, neither referee Richard Aspinall or his assistants saw it.

Then with ten minutes of the game left, it was 2-0 to Yeovil. Spasov moved forward in midfield, played it through to Luke McCORMICK and the skipper coolly slid it past Jameson with Ferguson watching on. Fergie, what’s the score?!

The feud between McCormick and Ferguson continued to bubble and with five minutes remaining, McCormick picked up a booking for a hefty tackle on the defender. Ferguson definitely raised his hands to his former team-mate in the aftermath, but it is only one yellow card shown by the referee. Perhaps sensibly, Ferguson was substituted soon after.

Then, to rub salt in to the wounds, Luke McCORMICK added his second with a minute of normal time gone. Yeovil pressed the visitors to go back and Gateshead captain David Ferguson stumbled on the ball just enough to allow his opposing skipper to steal the ball off him and fire his second across Jameson.

Full time: Yeovil Town 3 Gateshead 0

Substitutes: Mason Obeng (for Charlie Lennon, 59), Loick Ayina (for Ben Radcliffe, 65), Slavi Spasov (for Ste Walker, 65), Johl Powell (for Ryan Jones, 82), Hayden Muller (for Brett McGavin, 82), Jack Kingdon (not used) Matt Gould (not used).

Gateshead: Peter Jameson, Alex Lankshear, David Ferguson, Kyle Ferguson, Jack Robinson (for Fenton John, 46), Josh Home, Keon Lewis-Burgess (for Josh Anifowose, 60), Harry Chapman (for David Egyuaibor, 46), Michael Spellman, Luke Supyk (for Billy Chadwick, 59), Ashley Boatswain.

Substitutes (not used): Dan Cameron, Tom Lavery, Sam Bowen.