A superb hat-trick Jordan Young took Yeovil Town nine points clear at the top of the National League South with victory over Farnborough at Huish Park on Tuesday night.
The Glovers took the lead in familiar fashion with top scorer Rhys Murphy bagging his 12th goal of the season after 20 minutes, before a great bit of footwork for Young saw him double the advantage minutes only for Selim Saied to pull one back in first half stoppage time.
Perhaps the most worrying moment of the first period saw central defender Jake Wannell go off with an injury, he was replaced by Zac Bell with Michael Smith going in to the middle of defence.
Just before the hour mark, Young added his second with an outrageous free-kick with deceived visiting keeper Jack Turner, hit the post and went in. Young added his third with some more excellent footwork as second half injury time began and a mistake by Smith gifted Farnborough a consolation second scored by substitute Connor Cullen.
But, with second-placed Aveley losing 24 hours earlier, the Glovers extended their advantage to nine points at the top of the division.
First half
The first chance of the match fell to the visitors when striker Michael Folivi found himself in space on the edge of the box and fired a shot wide. The striker will have been disappointed not to get a shot on target and, if he had been successful, Joe Day might have been struggling.
On the ninth minute, a foul led to a booking for Jordan Young, his fifth of the season meaning that he is likely to miss the visit to his old club Chippenham Town next week, if the FA process the booking within seven days as is the standard.
The first effort of the game fell to Young on 13 minutes when he was found inside the Glovers’ half, but he lifted his shot over the bar. Young then turned provider with a great turn and pass to find Murphy who strode forward and unleashed a shot which fizzed just past the far post.
The visitors showed they were not here to make up the numbers and when Young tumbled inside the box under pressure from Will Dawes referee Richard Eley had to make a decision. Young’s theatrical fall probably did it for him, but put that in ‘seen them given’ territory.
But it was a wonderful team move which led to the opening goal for the home side. The play started with Sonny Blu Lo-Everton bursting forward, he found Nouble who in turn found Young and the forward picked out MURPHY inside the box, the striker turned surperbly and arrowed home an opener.
There was a slightly worrying moment soon after when Jake Wannell went down and required some treatment. The central defender, who has been in outstanding form since joining from Taunton Town in the summer, returned to the fray, but very quickly went back down again.
He was replaced by Zac Bell, despite club captain Josh Staunton being on the substitutes’ bench, with Michael Smith reverting to the centre of defence and the on-loan Bristol City player coming in at right-back.
This is a challenge for Yeovil Town with their settled back four, with Wannell and Morgan Williams at its heart, unsettled for the first time. Let’s hope Wannell’s injury is not a serious one.
Murphy did superbly to play in Young on the edge of the box and bent a left-footed shot just past the post again.
Farnborough perhaps recognising the change in the back line as a point of weakness, took advantage with a spell of possession and had a great chance to pull the game level. A corner from Olly Pendlebury landed towards Aaron Kuhl, Murphy slipped inside the box and the midfielder on loan from Dorking Wanderers fired over. Golden opportunity.
For the first time, Yeovil looked shaky at the back and Folivi had another strong claim for a penalty as he was bundled to the ground inside the box. Again, referee Eley immediately waved away appeals.
Sonny Cox had a great opportunity when he powered forward showing electric pace from the middle of the box, he could (probably should) have played in Frank Nouble, but having got there he took a shot which rose over the bar.
On 41 minutes, a spell of great possession which began by fine play from the non-stop Nouble ended up with Sonny Blu Lo-Everton having a shot wide but the ex-Watford youngster was the creator for Yeovil’s goal three minutes before half-time.
He played YOUNG in the box and the forward showed fantastic footwork to wriggle his way through a mass of bodies inside the six yard box and the hammered in his fifth goal of the season.
But, I mentioned the visitors were not here to make up the numbers, and they got one back as the game ticked in to first half stoppage time. The ball broke to Selim SAIED who hammered a shot past Day.
Referee Eley, who had let a lot go in the first half, was at the heart of the action again when he missed a full-blooded tackle from Kuhl in the middle of the pitch. He may have got the ball, but – as co-commentator Chris Weale said on BBC Somerset commentary – if you go in with both feet you cannot claim to be in control.
Mark Cooper will have been glad to get his side, definitely unsettled at the back by the loss of Wannell, in ahead at the break, but he will have been telling them to keep doing everything they have been doing going forwards.
Half time: Yeovil Town 2 Farnborough 1
Second half
It was the visitors who started the the brighter after the interval, but the first chance of the second half came for Yeovil on 53 minutes. Nouble played Young in and he was brought down by Norville-Williams right on the edge of the box. If anything it was too close in for the left foot of Young of lifted his shot over the bar.
But, the forward made no mistake six minutes later – the mistake was that of Farnborough keeper Jack Turner. From a position way out on the right side, YOUNG whipped one in to the mixer, the gloveman left the Glovers’ man’s effort to go out of play, it came off the inside of the box and in to the net.
Cox was looking in menacing form and had a good opportunity which he fired straight at Turner on 64 minutes before Murphy was replaced by Josh Owers and then on 71 minutes Jake Hyde replaced Cox.
The former Wrexham man was straight in the thick of the action. First being bundled to the ground after good tenacity inside the box (seen them given, again) but then bundling an effort over the bar from Owers’ ball from the left.
Farnborough had not done anything to really test Joe Day despite having some good possession in the second half, but on 76 minutes substitute Connor Cullen found space inside the box and his effort rattled off the bar and four minutes later Matt Worthington had to clear one off the line.
@mattyworthy88 goal line clearance ? pic.twitter.com/ZoDgvrx74f
— sophie (@sophieyeo94) November 14, 2023
To their credit, the visitors are not giving not up and Yeovil were struggling to get hold of the ball here.
But, Young ensured the points stayed in Somerset as he completed his hat-trick as the game ticked in to second half injury time. Worthington picked the ball up down the left and fed the ball in to the box where YOUNG showed superb composure to shimmy it round the keeper and complete his hat-trick.
That was not the final moment of the game – unfortunately for Michael Smith. The usually reliable defender showed he is human afterall gifting Connor CULLEN an open goal to fire in to.
Full time: Yeovil Town 4 Farnborough 2
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Tuesday 14th November, 7.45pm kick-off
Pitch: Cut up a bit but held up well
Conditions: Clear cool night
Attendance: 3,206 (61 away supporters)
Scorers: Rhys Murphy 20 (1-0), Jordan Young 42 (2-0), Selim Saied 45+1 (2-1), Jordan Young 59 (3-1), Jordan Young 90 (4-1), Connor Cullen 90+3 (4-2).
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Jordan Young 9, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 56
Farnborough: Sid Nelson 34, Aaron Kuhl 49, Norville-Williams 52,
Referee: Richard Eley
Yeovil Town (4-4-2)
Substitutes: Zac Bell (for Jake Wannell, 26), Josh Owers (for Rhys Murphy, 65), Jake Hyde (for Sonny Cox, 71), Josh Staunton (not used), Jordan Maguire-Drew (not used).
Farnborough: Jack Turner, Jordan Norville-Williams, CJ Fearn, Ollie Robinson, Michael Folivi (for Connor Hall, 74), Reggie Young (for Connor Cullen, 68), Olly Pendlebury, Selim Saied, Aaron Kuhl, Ricky Holmes (for Taylor Maloney, 68), Sid Nelson.
Substitutes (not used): Adam Mekki, Jaden Perez.
Need to proof read your work.