Venue: Huish Park
Sat 16th Oct 2004, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Very heavy showers, cold
Pitch: Excellent
Scorers: Terry Skiverton (og, 24, 0-1), Darren Way (51, 1-1), Jonathan Parkin (86, 1-2)
Attendance: 5,313 (including approx 100 Macclesfield fans)
Referee: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Andrew Turner (Devon); Roger Vaughan (Somerset)
4th Official: S Hollick
Bookings:
Yeovil: Paul Terry (26, foul)
Macclesfield: Simon Weaver (3, foul), Matthew Tipton (72, foul), Mark Bailey (77, foul)
Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
1. Chris Weale
7. Paul Terry 4. Terry Skiverton 25. Liam Fontaine 3. Michael Rose
9. Kevin Gall 6. Darren Way 8. Lee Johnson 20. Gavin Williams
11. Phil Jevons 27. Andrejs Stolcers
Subs: 5. Colin Miles 10. Adrian Caceres (74, for Gall) 13. Steven Collis 14. Roy O’Brien (72, for Skiverton) 18. Bartosz Tarachulski (65, for Stolcers)
Macclesfield Town: (4-4-2)
1. Alan Fettis
4. Matthew Carragher 26. Simon Weaver 5. Tony Barras 3. Graham Potter
2. Mark Bailey 12. Danny Whitaker 11. Tommy Widdrington (C) 7. Paul Harsley
8. Jonathan Parkin 9. Matthew Tipton
Subs: 13. Steve Wilson (GK) 10. John Miles 14. Mike Sheron (67, for Widdrington)) 15. Michael Welch 19. Michael Briscoe
Robin Evans’ View of the Game
Early disappointment for me when my entire list of pre-planned jokes for this report bit the dust before kick-off; the ones about the awful Macclesfield away kit (bright orange) were scuppered when they played in blue and white, and any references to grannies and brothels were entirely dependent on the appearance of Tommy (cousin of Wayne) Rooney – and he was not in their sixteen. As events would unfold, mere disappointment was actually the best part of a bloody awful day…
The Macc lads started as they meant to go on, with Phil Jevons being clattered inside their half within the first minute. The free kick, taken by Lee Johnson, was headed on by Terry Skiverton and then headed out for a Yeovil corner. Gavin Williams took the free kick from the right, which was headed out for another which Johnson took short to Darren Way from the left.
As early as the third minute Macclesfield’s physical approach earned them a yellow card, with Simon Weaver apparently being the player cautioned (although my notes suggested that Danny Whitaker was the culprit). If Macc set out their game plan from the start – very physical, long ball game – then the Glovers unintentionally set their mood for the afternoon with Williams shooting over the bar from distance. Kevin Gall then had a better effort with a sixth minute volley, but although nearer than Gav’s attempt it was still the side of the crossbar favoured by Jonny Wilkinson.
Soon after this, and following a free kick in their own half, the visitors had their first attack. Mr Hill spoke to Jonathan Parkin after a foul on Liam Fontaine, but did not caution him. A nice one-two between Skiverton and Way ended with Way shooting past the post on the left of goal. Ten minutes into the game Jevons seemed to be brought down just outside the opposing penalty area, but nothing was given. A good run from Michael Rose saw him beat several players, but ultimately the attack fizzled out.
A foul on Andrejs Stolcers about 35 yards out gave Johnson another chance with a free kick, but it was a free kick the other way which resulted in a break away with Williams freeing Gall, although his attempted cross to Way was intercepted. At the other end a solid save by Chris Weale was required after a quick Macclesfield break. A free kick from about 40 yards out was touched to Graham Potter by captain Tommy Widdrington, but Potter’s ball into the area was not controlled by the Macc forward and went out for a goal kick.
A Johnson free kick found Stolcers, but his shot was very well blocked by Alan Fettis for a corner. Good work from Jevons earned a fourth corner, and this narrowly missed the head of Fontaine. 20 minutes in a free kick midway into the Yeovil half taken by Paul Harsley and headed on by Tony Barras was cleared for the visitors’ first corner. Harsley took a short corner to Mark Bailey, who was unmarked and allowed to run several yards before flicking the ball toward goal, which Way headed out.
Midway through the half torrential rain began to pour, and this continued for about ten minutes, and then rain fell less heavily for the rest of the first period. Early on during the heaviest of the rain poor defending from Yeovil on the right of defence allowed Macclesfield room, and the ball was played across to Harsley on the other side of the area. His attempt to either shoot or cross the ball came off the unfortunate Terry SKIVERTON and into the Yeovil net, very much against the run of play. 0 – 1.
The Glovers’ afternoon became even more miserable a couple of minutes later when Paul Terry was given a yellow card for a foul midway in the Yeovil half, although the resulting free kick went straight to Weale. Soon after the otherwise reliable Terry played a good ball to Stolcers, who in turn found Jevons but his shot was comfortably taken by Fettis. Half an hour into the match a Matthew Tipton free kick was blocked by a Yeovil wall, and soon after the same player shot over from the edge of the area on the right. For Yeovil Stolcers broke through and seemed to have an excellent opportunity, but after delaying his shot he was beaten by an excellent tackle in the penalty area. Williams then tried from 25 yards out, but shot to the right of goal. Another good Glovers move ended with a low shot from Stolcers, but Fettis saved well, and yet another Stolcers effort drifted past the post.
In the 37th minute after a fortunate ricochet the ball fell to Jevons with only Fettis to beat, but his low shot was very well stopped by the diving keeper. A long shot at the other end forced Weale to make a good save, tipping the ball around the post for a corner at full stretch. More poor defending by the home side let a Macclesfield player have a free header, but this went over the bar.
With five minutes remaining to the break a free kick was given against Terry 35 yards out, and this was defended at the cost of another Harsley corner. Macclesfield followed this with a good spell with a succession of throw-ins in the Yeovil half, ultimately earning another corner taken by Widdrington.
In the two minutes of added time Johnson flicked the ball to Way, and his headed was deflected for a corner. Johnson took the corner, which was met by a thundering Skiverton header blocked by a defender. The rebound was headed back in by Fontaine, and cleared as far as Skiverton, but his overhead kick went straight to Fettis.
Half-time: Yeovil Town 0 Macclesfield Town 1
The heavy rain stopped during the interval, but the surface was still slippery from the earlier downpour. No changes were made at half time.
Yeovil took the game to the visitors straight from the kick-off. Two minutes into the second period Stolcers passed to Williams who carried the ball 20 yards before shooting across goal, but his excellent strike went just the wrong side of the post. After a Macclesfield free kick, awarded against Rose, another home attack saw a flurry of activity in the area after a teasing low cross from Gall, with the ball coming back out to Johnson, and his scorching shot was well saved by Fettis. Seconds later Fettis was finally beaten buy a 20 yard shot from the left, capping a fine performance by Darren WAY. 1 – 1.
Yeovil now had their tails up, and within a couple of minutes of the equaliser a Williams lob was punched out for a corner, and a move involving Terry and Williams saw a Jevons shot curl past the right post. Ten minutes into the half Rose brought the ball from deep in the Yeovil defence to the halfway line, and he passed to Williams who found Terry in space on the right. His cross was met by Gall with a turn and shot, but this went wide of the target.
Yeovil continued to press and a good ball from Jevons to Gall saw the Welshman’s cross blocked for a corner. Johnson floated the ball in and a scramble in the area saw the ball again pass on the wrong side of the post. Stolcers was withdrawn for Bartosz Tarachulski, but the next action saw Tipton break away for Macclesfield. He was closely tracked by Terry, but it was an excellent tackle from Skiverton which ended the attack. Another good Yeovil attack earned yet another corner, but without success.
Macclesfield brought Mike Sheron on to replace captain Widdrington, and then Tarachulski got on the end of a Gall cross but Fettis saved. Terry Skiverton went down after an injury and left the field for treatment. Harsley shot well over before Skiverton returned, but after Tipton was yellow carded for pulling at Darren Way’s shirt Gary Johnson withdrew the Yeovil skipper and sent on Roy O’Brien. O’Brien’s first touch was a back header after a Rose free kick, but Fettis took the ball comfortably.
The last Yeovil change saw Adrian Caceres replace Gall with just over a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining. Earlier substitute O’Brien soon settled in with an excellent tackle on Tipton, but at the other end Bailey’s tackle on Rose was less precise and he earned a booking for it. Johnson’s resulting free kick was defended before finally reaching Fontaine who shot well from distance, forcing a fine save from Fettis who touched the ball over for a corner.
Inside the last ten minutes a Macc free kick reached Parkin, who held onto the ball through two challenges and passed across the area, but the ball was flicked over the bar from what looked to be an excellent position. A foul on Williams about 30 yards from goal saw Rose tap the ball to Johnson who ran toward goal before releasing a shot which cleared the crossbar.
Into the last five minutes and a simple move from the visitors on the break saw Carragher play the ball through to Tipton, and his square ball to Jonathan PARKIN allowed him to slot past Weale. Very simple but very effective. 1 – 2. With Yeovil again playing catch up an excellent Jevons shot was well taken by Fettis. Another good move ended with Rose shooting wide of goal from distance. A last minute free kick just outside the Macclesfield area allowed Rose another shot at goal, but this missed to the right. Three minutes of added time failed to find an equaliser and it was the Silkmen who earned the three points on offer.
Full-time: Yeovil Town 1 Macclesfield Town 2
The first home defeat in the league this season for Yeovil, and a second successive loss. How could things get worse? Well, for me, having to detour several miles to drive home due to a road closure is no more than an inconvenience, but the puncture suffered (in the middle of nowhere) during my detour after the game really finished off the day the only way it could have gone after that loss [Were you tyred when you eventually got home Robin? – sympathetic ed.]. Roll on Tuesday and a chance to turn things around with a visit to the Gas!
Robin Evans
MOTM Vote Result:
|
Overall match rating: 4.6 / 10
Performance: 4
Entertainment: 5.2
26 votes received.