Venue: Huish Park
Sat 24th July 2004, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Warm, sunny
Pitch: Perfect
Scorers: Paul Heffernan (35, 0-1), Paul Heffernan (47, 0-2), Christian Roberts (57, 0-3)
Attendance: 3,749 (including 862 Bristol City fans)
Referee: Mr I Williamson (Berkshire)
Bookings:
Yeovil: Pluck (80, foul)
Bristol City: (Orr (56, foul)
Badger’s view on the game
Both managers appeared to adopt their strongest available line-ups for this West Country derby friendly, as the game kicked off in near perfect conditions. The Glovers opted for their usual 4-4-2 formation, with City going for a more attacking 3-5-2 line-up.
There was little doubt that the visitors started off by dictating the game. Kevin Gall got in the first chance for the Glovers but their more illustrious opponents went on to create a series of excellent chances during the first 20 minutes. Chris Weale had to block a Bradley Orr effort with his feet as the ball was driven in on the angle. A few minutes later a Scott Murray free kick was deflected off a Yeovil defender and Weale was again on hand to react and push the ball round for a corner. Murray fired over the bar from the corner.
Orr failed to take advantage of poor marking on 14 minutes when he was gifted the ball inside the penalty area but Scott Guyett reacted brilliantly to deflect the shot away for another Bristol corner.
It took until midway through the first half for the Glovers to seriously react to the early City onslaught. Good link-up with Kevin Gall and Gavin Williams on the left wing allowed Williams to break through the City midfield but his end shot was fired into the side netting.
Michael Rose had to clear the ball off his own goal-line on the half hour mark but after 35 minutes the deadlock was finally broken in the simplest of fashions. City worked the ball down the left flank and when the left-wing cross was put into the box, a deflection saw the ball float down to a totally unmarked Paul HEFFERNAN who merely needed to nod the ball goalward for a training ground goal.
Perhaps disappointingly, the Glovers didn’t show the kind of reaction that home fans are used to. The half finished with some fairly quiet looking midfield play, and with the Bristol club good value for their 1-0 lead.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 0-1 Bristol City
Any plans Yeovil might have had to get back into the game were more or less ended just 90 seconds into the second half. A through ball to Scott Murray saw him quickly touch the ball on to Paul HEFFERNAN who just helped the ball on it’s way and past a surprised Chris Weale, who got a hand on the ball, but looked to have been taken aback by how quickly the move had developed.
Gary Johnson allowed his starting eleven ten minutes of the second half before a whole raft of changes were made – mainly one-for-one swaps with the players that had failed to perform.
Not that it made much difference – on 57 minutes, City got their third of the afternoon and again simplicity was the key. Scott Murray was fouled outside the area by Michael Rose, and Christian ROBERTS curled and placed a shot over the wall, giving Chris Weale little hope of making up the ground.
City substitute Joe Anyinsah dashed down the left wing and forced Wealey into a block on the angle, before Yeovil had a brief rally. A last ditch tackle stopped Simon Weatherstone getting in a shot, whilst Darren Way’s turn-and-volley shot stretched Steve Philips at last. Kevin Gall had a shot deflected for a corner after a couple of goalmouth scrambles saw the City defence worried. Adam Lockwood superbly beat his marker on a left wing cross by chesting the ball down and half-volleying the ball but unfortunately into the side netting.
But that was as good as it got, and Yeovil ended the game well beaten by City. The substitutes did give the game a bit of a spark, but that spark only came after the game was won and lost. Yeovil failed to impose themselves on the game, allowed City far too much possession and failed to step up a level when they went behind. Much of the reasons for that must be acknowledged towards a City side that looked a class above Bournemouth on the previous weekend. But even if Yeovil would not have been expected to beat a full strength Bristol City side, Gary Johnson will not have enjoyed seeing his side beaten with a whimper rather than with a bang, and that will account for why his squad were still out there doing sprint runs up and down the pitch, 30 minutes after the game had ended.
Badger
Full Time: Yeovil Town 0-3 Bristol City
Any plans Yeovil might have had to get back into the game were more or less ended just 90 seconds into the second half. A through ball to Scott Murray saw him quickly touch the ball on to Paul HEFFERNAN who just helped the ball on it’s way and past a surprised Chris Weale, who got a hand on the ball, but looked to have been taken aback by how quickly the move had developed.
Gary Johnson allowed his starting eleven ten minutes of the second half before a whole raft of changes were made – mainly one-for-one swaps with the players that had failed to perform.
Not that it made much difference – on 57 minutes, City got their third of the afternoon and again simplicity was the key. Scott Murray was fouled outside the area by Michael Rose, and Christian ROBERTS curled and placed a shot over the wall, giving Chris Weale little hope of making up the ground.
City substitute Joe Anyinsah dashed down the left wing and forced Wealey into a block on the angle, before Yeovil had a brief rally. A last ditch tackle stopped Simon Weatherstone getting in a shot, whilst Darren Way’s turn-and-volley shot stretched Steve Philips at last. Kevin Gall had a shot deflected for a corner after a couple of goalmouth scrambles saw the City defence worried. Adam Lockwood superbly beat his marker on a left wing cross by chesting the ball down and half-volleying the ball but unfortunately into the side netting.
But that was as good as it got, and Yeovil ended the game well beaten by City. The substitutes did give the game a bit of a spark, but that spark only came after the game was won and lost. Yeovil failed to impose themselves on the game, allowed City far too much possession and failed to step up a level when they went behind. Much of the reasons for that must be acknowledged towards a City side that looked a class above Bournemouth on the previous weekend. But even if Yeovil would not have been expected to beat a full strength Bristol City side, Gary Johnson will not have enjoyed seeing his side beaten with a whimper rather than with a bang, and that will account for why his squad were still out there doing sprint runs up and down the pitch, 30 minutes after the game had ended.
Badger