Venue: Bucks Head
Sun 13th October 2002, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Rain before the match and during the first half
Ground: Slippery, surface water appearing in a few places by half time

Nationwide Conference :
Telford United 0 – 5 Yeovil Town

Att: 1,509 ( including approximately 650 Yeovil supporters )

Referee: Mr G Chapman

Bookings:
Yeovil: Red card: Pluck (16, violent conduct)
Telford: Palmer (37, unsporting behaviour), Fitzpatrick (81, unsporting behaviour). Red card: Edwards (20, professional foul)

Line up : (3-4-1-2)


12. Jon Sheffield

2. Adam Lockwood

14. Roy O’Brien

5. Colin Pluck

10. Nick Crittenden

6. Darren Way

8. Lee Johnson

11. Michael McIndoe

20. Gavin Williams

16. Andy Lindegaard

23. Howard Forinton

Substitutes: 1. Chris Weale, 9. Carl Alford (71, for Forinton), 12. Chris Giles (77, for Lockwood), 15. Steven Reed, 24. Abdelhalim El Kholti (46, for Way)

Telford United: 1. Paul Edwards, 5. Mark Foran, 16. Matthew Bloomer, 6. Grant Brown, 2. Ashley Wooliscroft, 7. Gary Fitzpatrick, 22. Martin Barlow, 11. Steve Palmer, 3. Gareth Hanmer, 9. Peter Smith, 19. David Brown
Subs : 15. Dean Spink, 4. Kevin Davies (72, for Palmer), 14. Jordan King (45, for Wooliscroft), 21. Craig Jones (20, for Bloomer)

Scorers: Nick CRITTENDEN pen (22, 0-1), Adam LOCKWOOD (23, 0-2), Andy LINDEGAARD (32, 0-3), Howard FORINTON (40, 0-4), Gavin WILLIAMS (84, 0-5)


This report courtesy of Tony Elbourn:

Yeovil’s win against Southport was a victory over an opponent’s skills. This win was a triumph over an opponent’s spirit.

Play started with both sides literally trying to find their feet on a slippery and increasingly watery pitch. Telford had a couple of chances in the early minutes, including a free kick from just outside the area that was charged down by a packed Yeovil defence. In a taste of things to come Lindegaard led the break upfield for an attempt on goal by McIndoe. Play moved from end to end for the next few minutes, until Pluck received a straight red for appearing to stamp on Brown after a tackle that left Brown on the floor. Telford’s attempts to make the extra man count were to no avail. Just four minutes later a Yeovil attack ended with Edwards pulling Forinton down in the area and being dismissed. Craig Jones was subbed for Bloomer to face the penalty, but Nick CRITTENDEN made no mistake with his well-placed kick. Two minutes later another Yeovil attack led by Lindegaard and Johnson ended with a corner headed home by Adam LOCKWOOD, to fairly vocal appeals from Telford that the ball had not crossed the line.

From here on Yeovil exerted increasing pressure on a sagging Telford, with attack after attack helped by numerous defensive errors. More goals were always on the cards, and Andy LINDEGAARD obliged shortly with a powerful drive into the top of the net after a smooth build up from midfield. Yeovil’s confidence was blossoming by the minute, making every move look easy, whilst Telford were visibly wilting under such a powerhouse demonstration of quality football. Howard FORINTON was the next to find the net, again after a superb build up and another defensive error.

Just before half time Sheffield had to make the save of the day against a low, hard drive from Telford’s last real opportunity of the game.

Half Time : Telford United 0 Yeovil Town 4

Telford began the second half brightly enough, but within 10 minutes Sheffield and O’Brien were the only players in Yeovil’s half. Only once were they put under real pressure, and that ended in comedy when Crittenden’s attempted clearance ricocheted off a Telford player straight into the arms of Sheffield.

Yeovil’s pace and passing were a world apart from Telford’s. Lindegaard and El Kholti were ripping the defence apart, ably backed by Crittenden, McIndoe, Johnson and Williams. The Glovers always seemed to have time and space, whereas Telford seemed to be playing “pass the bomb” with the ball. I filled a whole page with notes about Yeovil attacks, but suffice it to say that the opposition were broken. In the end it was yet another defensive error that led to the final goal, nicely played around the edge of the area by several players and slotted home by Gavin WILLIAMS.

Credit must go to Telford for not quite giving up the ghost, but the laurels for this game definitely go to the victors.

Full Time: Telford United 0 Yeovil Town 5

Tony Elbourn

Internet Man of the Match Voting Result:

Player MOTM Score
Andy Lindegaard 14 581
Roy O’Brien 5 356
Gavin Williams 6 263
Adam Lockwood 4 219
Nick Crittenden 2 181
Michael McIndoe 75
John Sheffield 1 50

Overall match rating: 9.3 / 10
Performance: 9.4
Entertainment: 9.2

32 votes received.