On a day when points were more important than performance, sadly, for Yeovil and Swindon one each will not do the end of season nerves much good at all. More worryingly, for the home side at least, on today’s evidence you can see why these teams are at the wrong end of the table!

Following Yeovil's fine win at Saltergate, and an encouraging display against high flying Brentford midweek, most Glovers thought that 3 points today against a stuttering Swindon side were a forgone conclusion, how wrong we all were. Granted, Yeovil have an injury list that they could well do without, and the cause wasn’t helped when Captain Terry Skiverton left the field in the first half, but none more so than today did the Glovers lack self belief and the passion to drag themselves away from a relegation battle that they still find themselves firmly involved in.

Right from the word go this game had scrappy written all over it. From the kick off, Cohen's first touch and the game's second saw Swindon gain a goal kick as the loanee’s pass whistled down the ground with no player in sight, and then Collis, in for the unfit Weale, seconds later let a cross slip through his fingers to concede a corner. The game was only a minute old and the lack of quality was already on show!

Yeovil’s best chance of the game came on 12 minutes after Lockwood fed Davies, and his right wing cross was met by the glancing head of Paul Terry, his deft touch beat the keeper, but the post got in the way and the Robins were saved.

On 28 minutes Steve Thompson was forced to reshuffle his side. Gall stripped down on the touchline and such was the performance you guessed the substitution would be a tactical one, but sadly the Yeovil skipper, back after a double hernia op, left the field in a gingerly fashion. Fortunately with Lockwood at right back it meant that the Yorkshireman could drop back into the centre, and Lindegaard would fill the space that Locky vacated, and it was Lindegaard who nearly gifted the visitors the lead within a moment. An innocuous ball into the box was met by the local boy and his defensive header missed the post by a whisker and went out for a corner, the utility man's confidence, which looked shaky before that was given a pretty stern reminder then.

On 35 minutes Swindon’s Andy Gurney then had a go for goal himself. Following a corner, the centre back on the edge of the Yeovil box met the ball with power on the volley, but his well taken effort fortunately for the Westland Stand ended up with them. Yeovil then had another chance, Davies who worked hard all game, fed Gall down the right and the winger's cross was met by Matt Harrold, but his weak effort, although on target was easy meat and drink for Rhys Evans in goal.

On the stroke of half time, Swindon looked odds on to take the lead, when Jamie Cureton, formerly of Bristol Rovers and Reading was put through on goal after Yeovil lost possession in the middle of the park. As he pulled away from the defence and bore down on goal with only the keeper to beat, he did just that but luckily his shot squirmed low past the wrong side post of the post. It was a warning to Yeovil that unless they improved in the second half one slip of concentration, or one misplaced pass could undo them, it was certainly something that both managers would have observed and discussed with their players over a half time cup of tea.

As the second half got underway it was the hosts who came out of the blocks the brighter, Cohen, who wasn’t his usual self today, pressed the keeper into making a rash clearance after closing him down, maybe Thommo’s words were still ringing in his ears, and then Poole, who was lacklustre fired a shot in on goal, but his effort again was comfortable for Evans. Arron Davies then showed a glimpse of his talent as he jinked his way down the right, with plenty of time he cut the ball back to the far post where Paul Terry, with plenty of time and space took too long over his shot and his feeble effort was mopped up with ease. That effort personified the Londoner's performance, for some reason he looks out of sorts, out of breath and a yard shorter on pace than he was this time last season. Always tough in the tackle and usually the winner in a 50-50 he’s definitely not the Paul Terry of old. Whether it be the fall out recently with the manager, whether it be contract issues, or whether it be the pace of the game; with a Premiership midfielder on loan and surprisingly warming the bench, if its not an injury that’s hampering PT’s game, then he’ll have to impress on the training ground this week else his position at Bournemouth next week could be in jeopardy.

If Yeovil started the half brighter, it was they who started to fade first, and Swindon, who looked an awful side early on, began to find an inner belief that it was they who could win the game. Poole again committed the cardinal sin and conceded possession, and as Swindon broke Adam Lockwood was on hand to block a driving shot from inside the penalty area. Seconds later Steve Collis made a fantastic save with his legs to deny the visitors, and then, with the game beginning to open up, the Glovers thought they had taken the lead: Lockwood fed Gall, Gall crossed to Davies, and as the Swindon defence stood still, they, unlike the Westland stand had seen the linesman’s flag go up well before the little striker smashed home a disallowed goal. That was probably Yeovil’s best chance gone, and Swindon now looked like they could go on and score. Lee Peacock whipped in a dangerous cross that flashed across the face of goal, seconds earlier he was deep back in his own half defending with gusto, you had to admire his work rate.

Yeovil needed to change things, and instead of trying to conjure up a goal, it looked more like we were trying to batten down the hatches when the next substitution arrived. Off went left winger Poole and he was replaced by Colin Miles, with Nathan Jones pushing up. Adam Lockwood then appeared to be leaving the field following a clash of heads, but he, unlike Amankwaah on Tuesday, came back onto the field after pushing away the stretcher and getting the all clear from the Yeovil Club Doctor. Moments later, his defence was breached, and the impressive Cureton was away on goal, his shot somehow managed to stay out after hitting the bar and bouncing down before being hacked away to safety. At the other end Davies had a chance to head the winner but his effort again was tame and the keeper saved easily.

As the game drew to a close Steve Thompson made his third and final change, replacing Matt Harrold with Daniel Webb. Webb could have made himself a hero with a goal but with only a few minutes remaining he was never going to have enough time, although in the short period he did have, he showed that he has just as much about him as any other forward we have at the club, and to be fair, he unsettled the Swindon defence with his aggressive nature probably more than his predecessor did in the whole of the game before him!

As the final whistle blew, although a point isn’t much good to them, it’s probably the visitors who will feel slightly happier with their performance. Yeovil on the other hand still have a lot of work to do to avoid the drop. We have the players, we have the ability, we have a confidence coach, we have an Argentinean!! OK, we have a few injuries, but that does not mean we can’t close, hustle, stop allowing teams to build from the back and create. The players, and the fans, have to have belief…seeing hundreds leave early does not help the cause!

Jeremy Gear

MOTM Vote Result:

Player MOTM Score Chris Cohen 8 406 Scott Guyett 9 363 Arron Davies 7 356 Adam Lockwood 5 331 Nathan Jones 2 131 Steven Collis 1 56

Overall match rating: 3.9 / 10
Performance: 3.7
Entertainment: 4.1

32 votes received.

Any comments/questions please email yeo.motm@ntlworld.com

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