Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 19th April 2003, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Overcast with strong cold breeze.
Ground: Perfect: bare in goalmouths.
Nationwide Conference :
Yeovil Town 6 Burton Albion 1
Attendance: 5,691
Referee: Mr R East (Wilton)
Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Burton: None
Line up : (3-4-1-2)
 1. Chris Weale |
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14. Roy O’Brien |
4. Terry Skiverton |
5. Colin Pluck |
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16. Andy Lindegaard |
6. Darren Way |
8. Lee Johnson |
11. Michael McIndoe |
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20. Gavin Williams |
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25. Kirk Jackson |
9. Kevin Gall |
Substitutes: 2. Adam Lockwood (50, for Williams), 10. Nick Crittenden, 12. Chris Giles (67, for Pluck), 22. Steven Collis, 24. Abdelhalim El Kholti (42, for Jackson)
Burton: (5-3-2) 1. Matt Duke 2. Terry Henshaw 5. Mark Blount 27. Stuart Reddington 11. Aaron Webster 22. Sean Gummer 19. Paul Wraith 26. Ben Petty 3. Paul Talbot 8. Dale Anderson 23. Andrew Ducros
Subs : 13. Daniel Robinson 17. Craig Dudley 20. Nigel Clough (79, for Anderson) 18. Andy Garner 21. Craig Swinscoe (70, for Ducros)
Scorers: Kevin GALL (6 mins, 1-0), Sean Gummer (17, 1-1), Kevin GALL (24, 2-1), Gavin WILLIAMS (45, 3-1), Chris GILES (71, 4-1), Kevin GALL (74, 5-1), Kevin GALL (81, 6-1)
This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:
EVERY ONE A WINNER
For obvious reasons Kevin Gall’s name will be remembered after this trouncing of a spirited and able Burton Albion side. But Burton were just not in the same class as Champions Yeovil Town.
The roll of honour as the Yeovil players took to the field one by one could have come across as mere hype. But this squad has achieved more than any other Yeovil team before them and they deserved the accolades that Yeovil contingent of today’s 5691 crowd were happy to bestow on their winners.
Terry Skiverton lead his squad out and one star after another joined him in the centre spot. When it seemed as if all the heavens themselves were gathered in the centre circle, more stars continued to stream from beneath the Yeovil Main Stand, until, finally Michael McIndoe trotted out. Well he’s pretty good – isn’t he? Abdoulai Demba made a guest appearance. The last time Demba made such an appearance Yeovil stuck six past Southport. Or am I just making that up?
After such an introduction it would have been excusable if the game itself failed to live up to its billing. But this is Yeovil Town, Champions: confident, supreme, and going places.
Gary Johnson stuck with the side that had started at Doncaster the previous week. Nigel Clough’s team were struggling with injuries, Stride and Sinton were unavailable, and Clough himself started on the bench. Aaron Webster was the only Burton player to watch. On paper it looked bleak for Cloughie.
The visitors started brightly, but after 5 minutes it looked bleak for Cloughie on the pitch as well. Yeovil had put together a couple of good moves: but just failing to find that telling ball. A quick throw-in by Andy Lindegaard, deep on the right, led to Yeovil’s opener. Kirk Jackson nodded on and while Duke dithered, Kevin GALL nipped in behind a Burton defender and hooked the ball in for the first goal. Yeovil 1 Burton 0.
Webster responded quickly with a long-range effort that Weale blocked. Yeovil piled on the pressure and Lindegaard, Williams and Pluck came close.
The Westland Terrace were in confident mood and the next score was only going to be in front of them, surely. We know football is not quite like that and, after 16 minutes; Burton broke to the other end and equalised. Despite O’Brien’s last ditch tackle the ball ran loose on the right of the Yeovil penalty box. Sean GUMMER’S powerful right-footed shot across Weale’s goal flew inside the far post: the Yeovil keeper had little chance. Yeovil 1 Burton 1. The Burton contingent enjoyed their moment but it was only a blip for the Yeovil steamroller.
It took Yeovil seven minutes to re-establish their lead; again Lindegaard was involved in its inception. Gathering a Burton attack inside his box he found Jackson up field. The ball was fed to McIndoe who, from the halfway line, dropped a pass behind the Burton defence. Kevin GALL’S pace took him to the pitch of the ball and, with a perfectly weighted header, guided it gently over the oncoming Duke. The move was just exceptional: clinical, of the highest quality. Yeovil 2 Burton 1.
The Yeovil players sensed a landslide and Darren Way wanted some of it. His twenty-five yarder after 26 minutes was pretty close. Minutes later his determination set Kevin Gall clear in the Burton box, but this time Duke did well to block at Gall’s feet. The ball broke to Way, but his chip was too high with Lindegaard screaming that he was free at the far post. The Burton defence did well to thwart Gall again after 37 minutes, appearing favourite to convert McIndoe’s cross.
Burton efforts were limited: a couple of long-range shots. Their build-up play was impressive: Clough’s passing ability has undoubtedly influenced his squad. But the Burton attack all too often ran out of space, or simply ran into the wall that is the Yeovil defence.
Jackson had been struggling with a knock and was replaced by El Kholti after 39 minutes; El Kholti took up the midfield right hand spot, Lindegaard moved up front. Kirk Jackson has undoubtedly been a major success story at Yeovil this season but Lindy’s move up front added extra pace and movement. It was just such movement that helped create the third Yeovil goal after 44 minutes. With Gall, Lindegaard and Williams running along the Burton back line, it must have been difficult to pick out who to mark: Lee Johnson had no difficulty in deciding who to pick out: finding Gavin Williams with a delicate lob. WILLIAMS simply helped the ball on, flicking it over the advancing Duke. Yeovil 3 Burton 1.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 3 Burton Albion 1.
Yeovil dominated the opening minutes of the second half. Gall’s cross was just too high for Lindegaard following a good break down the left. McIndoe then came close with a left footed shot. Lockwood soon replaced Williams, slotting into the centre of the back four as Yeovil switched to a 4-4-2.
McIndoe had had a quiet first half, but was now getting back to his usual best, firing in a cross at the near post for Lindegaard to flick on. That was cleared but fell to Way whose shot was also blocked. McIndoe’s next cross found Lindegaard at the far post, Duke parried his shot but Lindy was first to the loose ball and should have done better than to blast over.
At the other end Webster’s free kick forced Weale to tip his shot over: but that was about the limit of Weale’s contribution in the second half.
Giles replaced Pluck who today, currently on fourteen bookings, avoided a three-match ban that another booking would have earned him, Lindegaard moved back to the right hand side, El Kholti filling in for Pluck, Chris Giles joined Gall up front.
Giles was soon in action, and doing his future no harm after 71 minutes: majestic in the air, GILES’ header looped over Duke to put the result beyond doubt. Yeovil 4 Burton 1.
Yeovil, supremely confident, now put on an exhibition. But they say pride comes before a fall, and there were red faces as Yeovil conceded possession. But the Burton stuffing was well and truly knocked, and they in turn soon conceded possession. As quick as lightning GALL was down the left, cutting into the box and unleashing an accurate right-footed shot that curled past Duke’s left hand. Yeovil 5 Burton 1.
Clough had replaced Ducros with Swincoe and now put himself on in place of Anderson. But an aging, unfit Nigel Clough is no match for the Champions: Yeovil continued to sweep forward. Yeovil switched the ball from side to side with consummate ease, striking forty-yard passes at will. Johnson found O’Brien wide on the right, across to McIndoe on the left, a first time volley to find GALL in the penalty box, a fierce right-footed strike to complete a perfect day. Yeovil 6 Burton 1.
Final Score: Yeovil Town 6 Burton Albion 1.
A supreme performance by the Champions: passing, movement, work-rate, and finishing. The history books will record Gall’s four-goal tally, but it won’t show the class of each goal. Every one a winner.
Noddy Elms
Internet Man of the Match Voting Result:
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Overall match rating: 9.3 / 10
Performance: 9.4
Entertainment: 9.2
40 votes received.