A single Lloyd Matthews goal scored just eight minutes into the game was enough to see off Cheltenham Town this morning, as the elements dominated a tight game. The Robins had gone into the match today in 4th place in the League table, with the Glovers four places and nine points behind.
They took the lead early on when a Lloyd Matthews shot was fumbled by the Cheltenham keeper, and that was the way it stayed in the first half, with Yeovil playing into some high winds, but playing some great football, albeit without troubling the visiting keeper too much.
The unusual 3-4-4 formation, had Rob Clowes acting as a makeshift centre-back, and that was disrupted further during the second period when his fellow centre-back Sam Ford had to limp off injured just before the hour mark. Shortly after, Cheltenham picked up their first booking of the game when their No.2 fouled Tyler Sheppard and from the resulting free kick, Johnny Oliver was just inches over the bar with a header.
Driving rain in the second half made the game even more difficult. Cheltenham had the wind at their backs and pressed forward occasionally with little cohesion, and Yeovil still playing well considering the conditions.
With five minutes remaining, Cheltenham's hopes of getting back into the game were more or less extinguished, when their goalkeeper committed a two-footed tackle outside his area on Corrie Lewis. A flag from the linesman was followed by a straight red from the referee for the reckless challenge, and despite Cheltenham's furious protests, they were never likely to change the referee's mind, with Lewis left hobbling with a gaping hole in his sock as a souvenir.
Considering the team played into strong winds in the first half and driving rain in the second period, this was a good disciplined performance, and they handed the conditions far better than their opponents did. The main two strikers were outstanding, as were the back three, but it would be hard to single out individuals on a day when the lads functioned very well as a team.
Final Score: Yeovil Town Under 18s 1 Cheltenham Town Under 18s 0.
Scorer: Lloyd Matthews (1-0, 8 mins)
Yeovil Town Under 18s:
1. Steve Boore 2. Sam Ford 3. Rhys Baggridge 4. Rob Clowes 5. Joe Grimshaw 6. Tom Gallagher 7. Tom Hopkins 8. Johnny Oliver 9. Tyler Sheppard 10. Corrie Lewis 11. Lloyd Matthews
Subs: 12. Adam Wakley 14. Adam Baker 15. Sam Lanahan (58 mins for Sam Ford) 16. Steve Harris.
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21 November 2009 : 
