Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 18th January 2003, 3.00pm kick-off.

Conditions: Overcast with light drizzle turning to sheeting rain
Ground: Perfect with significant bare areas in goalmouths

Nationwide Conference :
Yeovil Town 2 Morecambe 0

Att: 4,353

Referee: Mr F Graham. Assistants: M.Gooding (Yellow), F.Knapp (Red).

Bookings:
Yeovil: Colin Pluck (1 min, foul)
Morecambe: D.Perkins (9 mins, foul), A.Rigoglioso (22 mins, foul), M.Stringfellow (73 mins, foul), S.Drummond (74 mins, foul)

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


1. Chris Weale

2. Adam Lockwood
14. Roy O’Brien
5. Colin Pluck

24. Abdelhalim El Kholti
6. Darren Way
8. Lee Johnson
11. Michael McIndoe

20. Gavin Williams

25. Kirk Jackson
16. Andy Lindegaard

Substitutes: 4. Terry Skiverton (sub 57 for Colin Pluck), 17. Tom White, 18. Kim Grant, 22. Stephen Collis, 26. Jimmy Aggrey (sub 70 for Abdelhalim El Kholti)

Morecambe: (4-5-1)
1. Craig Mawson,
2. David McKearney, 4. Jamie Murphy, 14. Iain Swain, 16. David Perkins,
11. Gary Thompson, 6. Stewart Drummond, 7. Adriano Rigoglioso, 18. Michael Stringfellow, 23. Lee Elam,
17. Danny Carlton.
Subs : 9. Robbie Talbot, 15. Alan Morgan, 19. Ryan Black, 21. Wayne Curtis, 24. Keith Hill.

Scorers: Andy Lindegaard (1-0, 73 mins), Kirk Jackson (2-0, 90 mins)

This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:

LINDEGAARD AND JACKSON CONFIRM STRIKE PARTNERSHIP.
(MAN WITH YELLOW FLAG SEEN WANDERING AIMLESSLY IN SOUTH SOMERSET)

Today’s Conference game between Yeovil Town and Morecombe at Huish Park simmered for over seventy minutes before a well-worked Yeovil free kick for Andy Lindegaard to open the scoring from close range. In front of a crowd of 4353 Morecambe had ridden their luck up to that point and, although looking a well-organised side, rarely troubled Weale in the Yeovil goal. With that score the game exploded into one of this season’s most enthralling climax with Morecambe throwing caution to the wind. They pummelled the Yeovil goal for significant spells in that final twenty minutes but the Yeovil defence, bolstered by the introduction of Skiverton and Aggrey, held firm and Kirk Jackson snatched a decisive second goal deep into injury time and give the score-line a comprehensive look.

Gary Johnson, the Yeovil boss, was forced to name a line-up without Nick Crittenden who picked up an ankle injury in mid-week. Johnson brought in Yeovil’s left-sided utility man Abdelhalim El Kholti into Critt’s right-wing spot in a straight replacement.

The first action of the game centred on Mr Graham’s attempt to stamp his authority on the game when showing Yeovil’s Colin Pluck for the first challenge of the game. His authority was shot to pieces when he let Pluck’s second, and worse, challenge go unpunished. Mr Graham was unwilling to bring the wrath of the Yeovil crowd on himself with what could have been an early exit for Pluck.

El Kholti created the first dangerous move of the game, but the Morecambe defence managed to scramble his cross away. Morecambe then forced their first corner but could only manage to hook the cross wide. El Kholti was then the victim of a dangerous challenge that earned Morecambe’s Perkins their first booking. El Kholti struggled to shake off this injury throughout the game. The injuries effects were visible from the bloodstain on his white shorts. El Kholti managed to put in a man-of-the-match performance before being substituted after 69 minutes.

Kirk Jackson had a number of good chances throughout, the first after 13 minutes from a Williams’ through-ball. But Jacko was far too optimistic in trying to beat Mawson from outside the box. Four minutes later Jackson had his second, and best, chance of the game. Breaking in behind the Morecambe defence Jackson had only Mawson to beat, but his shot was too close to Mawson and the Morecambe keeper’s touch was enough to deflect the shot away for a corner.

After 25 minutes it was Mawson, again, who thwarted Jackson’s fellow striker, Lindegaard. Lindy was under extreme pressure as he broke for goal, relying on his speed and strength he managed to get a shot on target, but again Mawson’s touch ensured a corner. Seconds later Roy O’Brien rose with Mawson at a corner. The later was happy to see O’Brien’s header deflect off his arm for another Yeovil corner. Next up was Darren Way, but his shot from the edge of the box drifted wide of the far post.

Morecambe attacks were few and far between, but when they countered they moved the ball from defence swiftly and O’Brien and Pluck needed to be on their best after 34 minutes.

As halftime approached Yeovil stepped up the pressure but continued to hit the proverbial brick wall in the shape of the Morecambe defence. By this time Morecambe were keeping ten players behind the ball and Carlton became a lonely figure up front.

Yeovil pressed for the opening goal before half-time: Jackson broke from just inside the Morecambe half and was unlucky to see his shot flash past Mawson’s left hand post. As the first half entered added time the Yeovil crowd thought Lindegaard had broken the deadlock. A super diagonal cross-field ball by McIndoe set Lindy down the left wing, charging into the Morecambe penalty box he cut the ball back onto his right foot and leased what seemed an unstoppable shot. But, again Mawson did his job well and deflected the ball away for yet another corner, thus ensuring the scores were level at the break.

Half Time: Yeovil Town 0 Morecambe 0.

The half time interval became more significant for Yeovil as Pluck went through a fitness test. He began the second half but was eventually replaced by club captain Terry Skiverton after 57 minutes. El Kholti switched to a more familiar role at left back as Yeovil adopted a 4-4-2 formation. Yeovil begun the second half nervously and despite Skiverton returning for Yeovil, Morecambe enjoyed their best spell of the game. They maintained possession for significant periods and won a number of corners and free kicks around the Yeovil box. But despite such pressure Yeovil kept Morecambe at distance, any Morecambe shots rarely troubled Weale.

El Kholti was eventually replaced, the central defensive pairing of Skiverton and Aggrey looked awesome. That awe seemed to spur the Yeovil attack and the battling Way set up one of the best moves of the day. O’Brien set McIndoe down the left and his cross was met by Williams whose shot was close but just wide.

Almost immediately Yeovil won a free kick on the edge of the Morecambe box. The kick was taken quickly: Lee Johnson found Andy LINDEGAARD in space, just outside the goal area, and although his left foot shot took a deflection off Mawson and his right hand post, the ball nestled in the back of the Morecambe net and Yeovil had broken the deadlock. The Yeovil crowd rose in relief as much as in celebration. Yeovil 1 Morecambe 0.

Morecambe were stunned into action and pushed forward for an equaliser. They soon replaced Carlton and Rigoglioso with Talbot and Curtis but Jimmy Aggrey was in majestic mood and thwarted Morecambe time and again. Morecambe were restricted to long-range efforts and Chris Weale was more than equal to anything that came his way.

Lindegaard came close as he beat Mawson to a long clearance, but he was unable to control his shot at speed. Yeovil played keep ball in the corner to hang on for their win, but one just felt there was another goal in this game, fortunately that fell to Yeovil’s Kirk JACKSON. Since taking the lead Yeovil’s midfield engines of Way and Johnson had chased and battled for every ball. As the game ticked into four minutes of added time it was the midfield midgets that battled for a lost cause in the centre spot. They came away with their prize and fed Jackson inside the Morecambe box. Jackson had plenty of space and time and took revenge on Mawson’s first half heroics and beat the Morecambe man with little fuss. Yeovil 2 Morecambe 0.

Final Score: Yeovil Town 2 Morecambe 0.

A well deserved win at “fortress” Huish Park. Yeovil are now winning the league whilst their nearest rivals are losing it. Another win, another three points in the bag, a clean sheet and eight points clear. Does it get any better? You bet.

If Yeovil have ever suffered a striker crisis, no one has told Jackson and Lindegaard. Yeovil are top goal scorers in five leagues and Jackson and Lindegaard have bagged seven goals in the last three league matches. Crisis? What crisis?

Oh, the man with the yellow flag was a referee’s assistant – Mr N O Gooding, late, wrong, overruled by the referee, don’t give up the day job.

Programme Cover

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