The game was brought forward 24 hours at the request of the visitors, who had a League One match at Swindon the following day. Yeovil lined up with three trialists, the returning Sosthene Yao (West Ham), his team mate David Shaw, and David Poole of Manchester United. The young Bristol City side included trialist Dave Burborough, a striker from Bishop Sutton.

I have listed both sides as playing 4-3-3, but there was much discussion with those sitting around me regarding the formations! For the Glovers Poole and Yao were slightly withdrawn from Brown, giving almost a 4-3-2-1 set up, while City seemed to begin with a 4-4-2 but Ballinger soon moved up alongside the other two strikers giving the positions detailed above.

Andy Lindegaard started well, and had the first crack at goal after his pass to David Poole on the right was returned to him, but his shot sailed over the bar. The first corner was won by Yeovil in the 8th minute, and taken by Poole. Ten minutes into the game Sosthene Yao just missed a chance of a header after a good cross and soon after the Glovers earned a second corner. When City did press forward Dave Woozley made a fine tackle on Luke Ballinger to thwart an attack. Poole impressed for Yeovil, both with his direct attacking play and hustling and closing down the Robins defence.

It was just over a quarter of hour into the match when City won their first corner, which was soon followed by Yeovil’s third. City were having trouble getting out of their own half, but when Elliott Benyon did run toward the Yeovil goal a foul by Colin Miles earned the visitors a free kick 25 yards out and Miles a yellow card.

After 20 minutes a good ball by Lindegaard led to a Yao cross, but Marvin Brown was unable to keep his header down. A lovely turn and shot by Andrejs Stolcers was well saved by Clint Davies diving to his right. Both Poole and David Shaw continued to impress for Yeovil, and with City not getting much of the play a little frustration saw fouls on Brown and Lindegaard in quick succession.

Stolcers played in Lindegaard, and he ran at goal, riding a couple of challenges, and when the ball fell to Brown his close range shot was well stopped by Davies. Within a minute Yao tried a shot, but it was again well blocked. Past the half hour a rasping shot from Brown narrowly missed the left hand upright, and good work from Stolcers and Brown let Lindegaard try a shot which cleared the crossbar.

A great run by Yao saw him beat Griff Jones before running into the City penalty area. After an Amankwaah run, his cross was headed out for a throw by the corner flag. A left foot shot after a good run by Poole went just over the bar. Woozley again excelled in preventing City from getting a chance to go for goal, and although the visiting attack had not shown much of note I felt this was largely down to him and I had him marked as the Man of the Half!

With five minutes of the first period remaining Shaw tried his luck from about 30 yards, but keeper Davies saved easily. Another fine run from Poole was followed by a pass to Yao on the left, and he slid the ball into Stolcers in the centre but an offside flag ended the move. On the stroke of half time Chris Weale chested the ball down and it ran out play, giving City a corner which Stolcers was back to head clear.

The Glovers won a corner within a minute of the restart. Stolcers continued to control the midfield, and with no real threat against the Yeovil goal Lindegaard took every opportunity to push forward to harass the City defence.

The Robins continued their stubborn defence, with there usually being eight men behind the ball, and ten minutes into the half a Stolcers shot was very well blocked, and a Lindegaard turn and shot, after a good ball from Poole, narrowly missed.

Steve Reed had a great game, with a superb second half, and a cracking shot from him from the edge of the area was tipped over by the excellent Davies. Bristol City made a change with Tom Osman replacing Danny Wring, and Yeovil kept the same eleven players but Yao and Poole switched wings. On the hour lovely skills from Yao put away Stolcers on the right, and his attempted cross was well blocked for another corner.

City made a second change with the fantastically named Jennison Williams coming on for Ballinger, and Yeovil won yet another corner as City defended desperately but well. Shaw shot well over, and then volleyed above the bar from a good Lindegaard cross. The final Robins change saw Ryan Harley replace Benyon, and Woozley followed the example of Amankwaah to run at the City defence, but his cross was taken by the in form Davies.

With twenty minutes remaining the Glovers made a double substitution, withdrawing Brown and Miles and introducing Gavin McCallum and Nicolas Mirza. Stolcers moved up front, with Mirza going into midfield and McCallum taking a place in the back four – which was pretty much a back three now as Lindegaard was allowed to spend more time attacking than defending! Yao won yet another corner, which was taken by Poole and punched out by Davies.

For the last quarter of an hour Richard Cullingford replaced Shaw. Mirza “stole” the ball from a City defender and played a quick 1 – 2 with Stolcers before his low shot went just left of the post. Another Reed blaster – this time from almost 35 yards – was very well saved by Davies at the cost of another corner. In the final ten minutes a cracking shot from Stolcers just inside the area was touched around the post by the diving (and seemingly unbeatable!) Davies. He then made a good save from a left foot shot by the excellent Poole.

In the last minute of the match (and Mr Probert did not seem to add on any stoppage time) Bristol City had their one shot on target, which Dave Burborough fired from distance and Chris Weale took well.

Yeovil dominated the game from virtually start to finish, but the City side defended superbly and have goal keeper Clint Davies to thank for several excellent saves which earned them a hard fought point.

Final score: Yeovil Town Reserves 0 Bristol City Reserves 2

Excellent showings from trialists Yao and the classy Poole will have impressed the Yeovil management, but I am sure they will have been equally delighted by the performances of the already contracted players – in particular Lindegaard, Stolcers and Reed who were outstanding tonight.

Robin Evans

Back to Top of Page