Venue: Huish Park
Sat 4th Sept 2004, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Hot, sunny
Pitch: Very good
Scorers: Gavin Williams (85 pen, 1-0)
Attendance: 5,826 (including approx 800 Jacks)
Referee: Jarnail Singh (Middlesex)
Assistants: Edward Martin (Somerset); Steve Tomlinson (Hampshire)
Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Swansea: Martinez (17, foul), Forbes (31, dissent), Robinson (90, dissent). Red Card: Monk (84, professional foul)
Yeovil Town : (3-4-3)
1. Chris Weale
14. Roy O’Brien 4. Terry Skiverton 25. Liam Fontaine
7. Paul Terry 6. Darren Way 8. Lee Johnson 3. Michael Rose
9. Kevin Gall 11. Phil Jevons 18. Bartosz Tarachulski
Subs: 13. Steven Collis 10. Adrian Caceres 12. Simon Weatherstone (87, for Terry) 20. Gavin Williams (45, for Gall) 27. Andrejs Stolcers (45, for Tarachulski)
Swansea City : (4-4-2)
27. Willy Gueret
2. Samuel Ricketts 16. Garry Monk 22. Izzy Iriekpen 3. Kevin Austin
11. Adrian Forbes 4. Kristian O’Leary 6. Roberto Martinez 18. Andy Robinson
10. Lee Trundle 17. Paul Connor
Subs: 7. Leon Britton 8. Kevin Nugent (72, for Bradley Maylett) 14. Bradley Maylett (55, for O’Leary) 15. Gary Fisken 19. Andy Gurney (41, for Connor)
Badger’s View of the Game
Gary Johnson kept faith in the eleven players that had seen a mad five minutes at Mansfield destroy their winning run on Monday and trusted them to put it right. Perhaps more interesting was the selection of four playmakers on the bench, with Colin Pluck’s withdrawl meaning that Gavin Williams got a surprise early recall to the team following his broken finger, whilst Latvian International Andrejs Stolcers was another one to surprise those arriving at the ground by also gaining a position on the bench. Both were to prove crucial selections in the game that unfurled.
It was a curious start to the game, with plenty of midfield hustle and bustle, but with neither side seemingly able to work out where the goals were. The first half saw Swansea gain a slight territorial advantage, but without really threatening the Yeovil goal until midway through the half.
Roberto Martinez was booked for barging Paul Terry off the ball, before Andy Robinson produced the first chance of the half for the visitors. He produced a shot from the edge of the area which Chris Weale was forced to palm round his post for a corner. Phil Jevons replied at the other end with a drive from the corner of the area but visiting keeper Willy Gueret comfortably saved.
But it was Swansea just edging it. Izzy Iriekpen produced a repeat save from Chris Weale with once again a low shot being pushed round the post for a corner. Then Lee Trundle wasted a golden opportunity after a quick free kick from Andy Robinson put him into a one-on-one with Weale, but the shot was spooned well wide.
Swansea’s Adrian Forbes was the second player to land in the book when he committed an awful tackle on Phil Jevons. Referee Mr Singh allowed an excellent advantage to take place thanks to Kevin Gall gaining possession, but still remembered the foul a minute later much to the distress of Swansea’s visiting supporters.
Bartosz Tarachulski flashed a half-chance across the face of goal and Darren Way flashed a 25 yarder over the bar as Yeovil finally began to get a grip on the game in the lead up to half time. Swansea were a bemusing sight as despite having had the upper hand for most of the first period, their timewasting, particularly from goalkeeper Willy Gueret, suggested a collective lack of ambition. They probably weren’t helped by the early withdrawl of striker Paul Connor, who Yeovil once tried to sign – with the target man limping off with a hamstring injury. Former Swindon man Andy Gurney replaced him and he provided the final action of the half with a long range drive that went wide of the target.
Half-time: Yeovil Town 0 Swansea City 0
The sight of Andrejs Stolcers kicking a ball about at half time, fully dressed in his Yeovil kit made it fairly obvious that one change was going to take place during the break. Instead we got two, with a fairly tired looking duo of Kevin Gall and Bartos Tarachulski being replaced by Stolcer and Gavin Williams, who supported a cast on one hand to protect his finger.
The result was absolutely stunning. With Phil Jevons playing a slightly more forward role than in the first period, Williams and Stolcers proceded to combine with Jevons and Lee Johnson to produce a series of one-touch football that left Swansea only able to watch and admire. Stolcers could have scored within 60 seconds of his arrival when a neat one-two with Phil Jevons saw Yeovil carve the Swansea defence in two, with the Latvian’s 15 yard shot going just over the bar.
Jevons then performed another one-two with Gavin Williams with Willy Gueret being forced to bravely save at the Welshman’s feet as he came close to teeing up his shot. Lee Johnson was the next man to be fed through the gaping holes in the visitors defence and his deep right wing cross was only cleared as far as Darren Way, whose first time shot just missed the target. Yeovil’s passing and movement was outstanding and it wasn’t long before Swansea manager Kenny Jackett decided he had seen enough, adding Bradley Maylett to introduce some bite into the Swansea centre.
Not that it stopped the Yeovil rollercoaster. Gavin Williams put Phil Jevons through straight down the centre but he fired over the top of the bar. Swansea’s chances were largely being restricted to breakaway attempts, and Trundle still showed he could be dangerous when Chris Weale was forced to beat out a narrow angled drive when most ordinary strikers would have only thought of the cross.
Roy O’Brien of all people, created Yeovil’s closest chance of the half, when the central defender had advanced so high up the field that his run to the edge of the box forced goalkeeper Gueret to tip the ball onto his own crossbar and ultimately over for yet another corner. The closeness of the Irishman’s strike turned up the noise in the Westland Stand, and Swansea seemed to shrink further into their shells as they clung on for the point.
The Glovers then went on to have a mass of penalty appeals as bodies, arms and legs were used by the visitors to try and keep the inevitable out. Garry Monk’s mistimed attempt to head the ball caused him to miss it entirely and instead barge Andrejs Stolcers. Izzy Iriekpen appeared to shove Phil Jevons off the ball when he was racing to get to a ball before it went out of play. Then Samuel Ricketts appeared to trip Gavin Williams as he cut towards goal. Three big appeals but nothing given from referee Mr Singh and his linesman Andy Turner.
At the other end, Yeovil were grateful to Chris Weale once more when Swansea went for the Route One approach – a huge heave-ho up field letting in substitute Kevin Nugent, but Weale did brilliantly to stall the experienced striker by standing up to him and eventually seeing the striker run out of room, blasting the ball straight at the Yeovil keeper who parried for a corner.
Just when you felt that Swansea were going to go home with a point, they were undone by yet another magical pass by Gavin Williams. Referee Mr Singh once again excelled himself, giving Yeovil the advantage after Williams was cut down by a two-footed tackle by Roberto Martinez. With the ball running through to Phil Jevons, the Yeovil striker headed straight down the middle only to be upended by another dreadful tackle – upending Jevons on the edge of the penalty box. Many felt the tackle was committed outside, but linesman Mr Turner flagged for a penalty. The only decision that was never in doubt was Garry Monk’s exit from the field, with perhaps Martinez – already on a yellow card – lucky not to be joining him.
After a lengthy delay and plenty of gamesmanship from Swansea players, Gavin WILLIAMS stepped up and sent keeper Gueret the wrong way right in front of the Westland Stand. With the Jacks now down to ten men, and looking dead on their feet, the Glovers finished the game easily in control. Though Chris Weale’s nomination as the VP’s man of the match was a reminder that the game was not quite as one-sided as it had ultimately turned out to be.
Full-time: Yeovil Town 1 Swansea City 0
Badger
MOTM Vote Result:
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Overall match rating: 7.4 / 10
Performance: 6.9
Entertainment: 7.9
59 votes received.