Yeovil’s fine midweek result at Walsall was followed up this afternoon with a point against fellow relegation battlers Tranmere at a wet and windswept Huish Park. A point in truth probably won’t do either teams any favours as both try and get away from the incredibly tight lower echelons of league one.

Away from home, and coming from behind twice will probably make Brian Little, Tranmere’s boss, a little more contented over his glass of wine later tonight - Steve Thompson on the other hand will be cursing the two goals that Yeovil conceded, both from set pieces, and both a little soft. Soft is not the option when you are fighting for your lives! From a Tranmere point of view, they too will tell you that the home team’s goals were soft, and as welcome as they were, fact is they’d be right. I guess that’s why both sides are where they are in the table.

Yeovil started the game with 3 at the back and five across the middle, Andy Lindegaard continuing in the absence of the injured Kevin Amankwaah, and new loan signing Craig Rocastle lining up alongside Chris Cohen and Paul Terry, who, with some stiffer support, was much improved on recent performances. It was Rocastle, putting no end of pressure on the visitors centre half, who played a big part in the Glovers opening goal, Tranmere failed to clear a low ball across the face of the box and a defensive mix up between the highly respected Matt Murray, on loan from Wolves, and Ian Goodison saw Matt Harrold sneak in and slot the ball calmly into the back of the net to score his second goal in a week to give Town the lead after only 6 minutes. Harrold, hungry for more, then had a good chance to double his and the Yeovil tally, but this time, following some clever link up play with Davies his low shot sailed narrowly wide after being deflected and Yeovil won the first of a flurry of corners, none of which converted into any clear cut chances.

Although Yeovil had the most of the play, Tranmere looked capable of nicking a goal, and they very nearly did when a sweet curling cross from the experienced campaigner Jason McAteer was met skilfully on the volley first time by Chris Greenacre and his powerful effort flew just past the post. Shortly afterwards, after having an earlier effort ruled out for offside the Merseysider’s got themselves back into the game. Gareth Roberts, an accomplished left back put a deep swirling cross towards the back post, and although under no pressure Steve Collis failed to hold the greasy ball and could only watch as it slipped through his gloves and out for a corner. Roberts again, with a fine curling ball saw his corner flicked on at the near post by Sharps, one centre half, and Goodison, the other, raced in at the far post and headed home to make up for his earlier error and draw his side level 5 minutes before the break. Two important lessons that can be learnt from that, firstly, simple basics errors can be so costly, and second, that’s the way to take a corner! Yeovil had three or four more before the interval and not one caused a problem.

As the teams came out for the second half, unchanged, it was the officials who made a swap, Mick Fletcher the ref being replaced rather unfortunately, as his substitute, Mr Tomlinson, for some reason looked a little out of his depth!

Terry Skiverton, Yeovil's rock, was the Glovers first casualty, following a crunching 50-50 block tackle, immediately you sensed that Skivvo had come off worst, and although he persevered for 10 minutes or so, he wasn’t moving well. Hopefully it will be a precautionary change but the way he kept rubbing his knee just hope and pray it's not cartilage damage or worse. To lose the captain again at this stage of the season will hurt, without him at the back, especially when we play with three, we do look a little more vulnerable. [3-4 weeks out with knee ligament damage according to Thommo at the press conference after the match, it could be worse.- Ciderspace]

Not only do we look vulnerable, we also look a little less fluent. Skiverton may not have the vision of Beckham, but rarely does he lose possession, Guyett and Lockwood on the other hand don’t have the distribution talents of the skipper, keeping the ball is paramount, and as the half wore on big balls from the back rarely threatened.

When Yeovil kept the ball on the ground they looked more likely to score, the midfield looked, after a disjointed start to the half, more fluent, Lindegaard in an advanced position picked out Nathan Jones on the edge and his first time shot was deflected for a corner. Cohen’s persistent cross to the far post was cleared, again, but only as far as Paul Terry, and his immediate ball back into the box should have been mopped up by Murray but he elected to palm the ball away, and his attempted clearance sailed narrowly wide of his post and out for yet another corner, which once again bore no fruit.

On 68 minutes though, Yeovil did take the lead, and it was that man Harrold, barren for so long, who did it again. After being awarded a free kick in the arc of the penalty area for a foul, Harrold took the kick himself. Although his shot lacked power, it had the accuracy, and Murray, whose kicking had been woeful, will be just as upset with his handling this time as he let the ball squirm out of his grasp low down to his left and trickle over the line to give the Glovers a 2-1 advantage on 68 minutes.

Yeovil and Harrold now pressed for the third, and it was the latter who was now on fire, he sprayed a fine ball across the length of the pitch into the path of Jones who was upended. Unfortunately Yeovil’s free kicks in dangerous areas proved, like the corners, to be of little advantage.

Then, on 75 minutes, to rub salt into the wound, from a set piece of their own, Tranmere plucked an equaliser out of nothing. Nathan Jones, just inside his own half gave away an innocuous free kick, the ball was played into the danger area and Yeovil failed to deal with it. Bish bash bosh, back of the net, and Tranmere and Chris Greenacre had equalised, from nothing. Lesson number three, avoid giving away silly free kicks! Lesson number four, when in doubt, row 20 Yeovil College Stand!

On 80 minutes, Thompson made his changes, Rocastle, who tired was replaced by the youthful Marc Wilson in midfield, and Arron Davies, who had a neat and tidy game was replaced by the fit again Phil Jevons, having Jevo back will be like signing a new player!

Jevo in fact made an immediate impact, a fine searching cross field ball found Jones on the left flank, his cross to the far post was met with precision by Paul Terry and his downward header back across the goal had Murray beat all ends up, but agonisingly for the Londoner the ball reared up and hit the bar and bounced back on the goaline before being hacked to safety, and with that went Yeovil's best chance of winning the game.

The Glovers fans in the 5409 gate, although disappointed not to bag maximum points will be heartened with the performance today, a huge improvement on Swindon and Bournemouth respectively, and a good confidence booster going in to the encounter with the ever improving Bristol City. Improved they may have, but following the Ashton Gate side's defeat at lowly Rotherham this afternoon, it will be the green and whites hoops of Somerset that go to the city next weekend in finer fettle!

Jeremy Gear

MOTM Vote Result:

Player MOTM Score Matt Harrold 18 864 Chris Cohen 5 416 Paul Terry 1 176 Craig Rocastle 1 120

Overall match rating: 6.5 / 10
Performance: 6.5
Entertainment: 6.5

25 votes received.

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

Back to Top of Page