2002-2003 Season » Match Report: Yeovil Town 2-1 Morecambe

Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 1st Feb 2003, 3.00pm kick-off.

Conditions: Sunny and fresh.
Ground: Perfect with significant bare areas in goalmouths

Att: 3,984

Referee: Mr B.Desmond (Swindon)

Bookings:
Yeovil: Colin Pluck (77 mins, foul)
Morecambe: D.McKearney (18 mins, foul), D.Carlton (66 mins, foul)

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

		1. Chris Weale
	2. Adam Lockwood	4. Terry Skiverton	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: 10. Nick Crittenden, 14. Roy O’Brien 17. Tom White, 18. Kim Grant (sub 83 mins for Lindegaard) 22. Stephen Collis.

Morecambe: (3-5-2)
1. Craig Mawson,
4. Jamie Murphy, 2. David McKearney, 14. Iain Swan,
12. Neil Uberschar, 15. Alan Morgan, 23. Lee Elam, 16. David Perkins, 3. Lee Colkin,
21. Wayne Curtis, 11. Gary Thompson,
Subs : 5. Jim Bentley (82 mins for Swan), 9. Robbie Talbot, 17. Danny Carlton (65 mins for Curtis), 19. Ryan Black (57 mins for Uberschar), 20. Nick Rogan.

Scorers: Kirk Jackson (1-0, 44 mins), Ryan Black (1-1, 69 mins), Terry Skiverton (2-1, 85 mins)

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This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:

CAPTAIN SKIVO KEEPS GLOVERS ON COURSE

Yeovil captain Terry Skiverton saved his side from a return trip up north with an 84th minute winner. It was no more than a below par Yeovil deserved for the possession and chances they had created. But Morecambe boss, Jim Harvey, will be disappointed after his side had cancelled out Kirk Jackson’s opener with a well-taken Ryan Zico Black lob.

A minutes silence observed by the 3984 Huish Park crowd left an uneasy atmosphere that neither team seemed to overcome until later. Yeovil opened the first half the more positive but Craig Mawson took his first cross comfortably and Yeovil wondered if he would be the same obstacle he was two weeks earlier. Both teams were composed but tentative in the opening minutes: neither over-committing themselves in the quest for an opening goal. The home team held the majority of possession, probing for any weaknesses, but their passing often went astray and Morecambe took control of the game when in possession. They moved the ball skilfully but up against a solid Yeovil defence Morecambe looked short of ideas.

Despite Yeovil’s possession after five minutes it was Morecambe who first seriously tested the opponent’s keeper; Chris Weale saving from Wayne Curtis. Yeovil countered immediately and Gavin Williams broke from his own half before going down in the Morecambe box. Referee Mr Desmond ignored Yeovil’s penalty appeals, a habit he seemed to repeat throughout the afternoon.

Yeovil came closest after 13 minutes when Mawson was forced to punch clear in a crowded box; Jackson’s resulting lob was headed off the Morecambe line. Morecambe cleared again seconds later when Johnson’s corner was flicked on.

After 21 minutes Morecambe had their best chance to open the scoring. Following a period of patient build-up Perkins, who battled in the Morecambe midfield all afternoon, unleashed a low, powerful shot that beat Weale all ends up. Unfortunately for him his shot struck the inside of the right-hand post and rebounded back across the Yeovil goal.

Lee Johnson, who ran the Yeovil midfield for the first half, was instrumental in creating Yeovil’s next chance, but Mawson was once again in command as he collected Williams’s shot at the near post. Johnson then combined with McIndoe to cross for Lindegaard, but the Yeovil man’s header went wide. Yeovil were undoubtedly in control but their final pass lacked punch, that was typified by Way’s lob into Mawson’s arms after an excellent Yeovil break from defence.

Way and Williams then managed to get in each other’s way as Yeovil attacked; Skiverton was forced to concede a corner as Morecambe counter-attacked. While Yeovil undoubtedly enjoyed the best of the possession, they were by no means firing on all cylinders. The chances they did create were at best half-chances and the Yeovil crowd must have wondered where a goal would come from.

El Kholti was a constant worry to Morecambe, he never appears in a rush and his close control set up numerous Yeovil attacks throughout the afternoon. After 37 minutes he won possession on the right and appeared to have set Williams up with a clear chance, but Jackson’s dummy fooled his teammate and the chance was gone. Yeovil’s best chance came after 39 minutes. Lindegaard harried the Morecambe defence to win a ball on the right, his cross found McIndoe unmarked at the far post, but Macca’s powerful left foot shot smacked the underside of the Morecambe bar, and Mawson collected gratefully.

At set pieces Morecambe’s penalty box seemed like a battle zone, Mawson was often troubled when attempting to punch clear. One clearance fell to Colin Pluck who managed to slice his shot in the wrong direction. However Pluck made amends in the 44th minute when sending in a super low cross in from the left. Kirk JACKSON got in behind the Morecambe defence and stabbed the ball inside the left-hand post while Mawson was rooted firmly to his goal line. No less then Yeovil deserved but the relief around Huish Park could be felt. Yeovil 1 Morecambe 0.

Only minutes left in the half but time for Yeovil to cause panic as the Morecambe defence desperately blocked shots in quick succession.

Half Time: Yeovil Town 1 Morecambe 0.

Yeovil stormed out for the second half and could have made the game safe with numerous chances: first Lindegaard’s shot was blocked; Lindy’s cross was then headed off Jackson’s forehead as Jacko looked to be pulling the proverbial trigger; Mawson blocked Williams’s shot after the Welshman broke from deep; Lockwood forayed down the right and crossed, but this time Lee Johnson was inches away from a decisive header.

Yeovil dominated the opening twenty minutes of the second half and at times the Morecambe penalty box rocked with such an onslaught. Mawson’s goal did remain secure, but surely it was just a matter of time. Harvey had introduced Black and Carlton for Uberschar and Curtis to stem the tide but Morecambe continued to be restricted to long balls from their own half just to relieve the pressure.

It was almost inconceivable that Morecambe might score but in one isolated illustration of their skilful interplay on 68 minutes they moved the ball swiftly down the left hand side of the park. On the edge of the Yeovil box Ryan Zico BLACK struck the ball first time, it curled skyward, looping over the stranded Weale. The Yeovil keeper scrambled back to the far post but the ball was destined for the back of the Yeovil goal and Weale could only look on helplessly. Yeovil 1 Morecambe 1. Morecambe now enjoyed their best spell of the game and Weale was forced to make an excellent full length save as Black shot from the edge of the Yeovil box.

Jackson replied with a shot across the Morecambe goal but it looked as if Yeovil would regret those earlier misses. Yeovil’s frustration was illustrated by Pluck’s petulance – earning himself his tenth card of the season for dissent.

Morecambe replaced Bently for Swan and Yeovil swapped Grant for Lindegaard. On 84 minutes it was the Yeovil man who played a decisive part in the build-up to the winning goal. El Kholti and McIndoe had switched wings at the beginning of the second half and it was El Kholti who now found Grant wide on the left. Grant broke into a crowded Morecambe box and managed to find McIndoe on the penalty spot. It was a good ball and allowed Macca to unleash a powerful left-footed shot, but somehow the Morecambe defence deflected the ball away for a corner. Macca swung his left-footed corner to the far post towards Skiverton and the ball hung in the air for, what seemed an eternity. All could see it was destined for Terry SKIVERTON and when it eventually dropped the Yeovil skipper powered a trademark header through a crowded goal line. We knew it was all over now. Yeovil 2 Morecambe 1.

Four minutes later Jackson could have added his second: beating the Morecambe offside trap and latching on to a McIndoe chip he controlled the ball on his chest beautifully before turning goal-ward and volleying onto the outside of the Morecambe post. During three minutes of added time both teams came close: Ways shot trickled past Mawson’s post, and at the other end Carlton side-footed his shot beyond Weale’s far post. This was not a supreme Yeovil performance but it is Yeovil who are in the hat for the next round.

Final Score: Yeovil Town 2 Morecambe 1.