Despite having won last week's game 1-0, manager Russell Slade made numerous changes for the visit of Doncaster Rovers in a match that stood to guarantee the Glovers a playoff position if they could get all three points against their former Conference rivals - the very side that saw Yeovil celebrate promotion to the Football League four years ago. The replacement of Matthew Rose was expected with Andy Lindegaard coming in at right-back. However, Terry Skiverton had also apparently recovered enough to displace Scott Guyett, who could count himself unlucky to be back on the bench again. A third change was for Wayne Gray to come into the starting line-up as a right-winger, with Adam Rooney dropping to the bench.

The match opened up in cagey fashion. Whilst both sides played a 4-4-2, Doncaster's formation was far deeper and invited Yeovil to come onto them, generally keeping everyone bar Jonathan Forte and Lewis Guy firmly behind the ball. That made it difficult for Yeovil to attack and the best they managed was from set pieces such as Chris Cohen's low free kick that got past the wall but was deflected out for a corner.

Some of Yeovil's own passing out of their own defence was a little too inviting of trouble - the odd square ball along the eighteen yard line, a backpass to Steve Mildenhall where he looked for one second like he was going to re-enact Tony Pennock's worst moment against Cardiff City in the FA Cup. It wasn't really that Doncaster were creating chance after chance - they weren't in the slightest - it was just that the situation and circumstances made it tense. In reality the closest the visitors came was when Adam Lockwood looped a header over the Glovers bar and a slightly underhit Andy Lindegaard backpass that Mildy had to take evasive action on to block an incoming Donny defender.

On the half hour mark though, the Glovers breached the Doncaster defence with a brilliant piece of play. Arron Davies fed Lee Morris down the left flank and as he cut inside, he fired a shot across the face of the Doncaster goal. Keeper Jan Budtz was left sprawling and helpless, but the back post came to his rescue and the loose ball bounced out into no-man's land with no Yeovil player able to slot home the rebound.

Almost immediately after that incident though, the Glovers suffered a blow, with Terry Skiverton appearing to fall awkwardly following an aerial challenge. A lengthy delay ended with a stretcher being brought out, and suffering from what looked to be a reoccurrence of his groin injury, the skipper had to come off, replaced by Scott Guyett. That could have rattled the Glovers but it didn't to any great extent. That said, the delay did disturb the rhythm of the game somewhat and the half closed in a slighty low key manner with neither side really imposing themselves on the goals. Not a bad half, but certainly Yeovil needed to carve out more chances and get through a resolute Doncaster defence.

Attacking the Westland Stand end, it always seemed likely that the Glovers would go out on the offensive. Oldham Athletic were winning at Brighton which meant matters were heading to the final day of the season with Yeovil's fate still undecided. They weren't being helped by a double-substitution made by Sean O'Driscoll with Doncaster becoming even more defensive, adoptiong a 4-5-1 formation and trying to crowd Yeovil out in midfield.

Lee Morris decided the only way to get through the packed line of nine outfield players was to dribble his way through rather than pass, and five minutes into the half he weaved his way through the Doncaster back-line, even getting as far as away keeper Jan Budtz, but his final weave had taken him a little too wide, and Budtz was able to block his near post attempt out for a corner.

The Glovers took a while to get going in the opening period and it was Doncaster who initially looked the stronger, with Mark Wilson producing the best out of Steve Mildenhall as he was forced to single-handedly palm the looping ball over his own crossbar in emphatic fashion.

But gradually Yeovil began to get back on top and Gareth Roberts became the game's only booking when he cynically tripped Marcus Stewart after the striker had been put away into clear space - Roberts didn't even attempt to go for the ball, taking his man out whilst the ball was 5 yards away at the point where he knew he'd lost his marker. For some reason Roberts appeared to think the decision was harsh! From the free kick, Chris Cohen fired narrowly wide of the target, with keeper Jan Budtz left scrambling to try and recover the ground. Had it been a foot inside the post then it didn't look like Budtz would have got there in time.

With eighteen minutes left though, the growing territorial advantage finally reaped its reward. Donny had scrambled away one of several balls into the box and it almost looked as though the visitors were going to break out of defence. However, with the ball loose, in slid Terrell Forbes, who had a masterclass in the art of "mopping up" all afternoon, and Terrell's sliding tackle suddenly turned into a pinpoint 30 yard pass straight into the path of Wayne GRAY.

Showing superb instincts, the pacey striker needed just a single touch to help the ball on and lift it over the advancing Budtz and into the back of the net and to produce the biggest roar Huish Park has had during 2007. Unsurprisingly, the goalscorer was swamped by his team-mates who executed a "playground bundle" to such great effect that you wondered if anyone would come out from the bottom with their limbs in the right places! Right at the bottom, Gray emerged with a huge grin on his face matching the 6,000 Glovers fans who were now starting to believe that the League One playoffs were a reality.

There was of course the minor matter of the remaining 18 minutes to play out - plus an eventual five minutes of injury time to handle. But they did so without too many fluttering hearts, at one point keeping the ball for around three or four minutes as the Glovers fans cheered every pass as it went from player to player. Time seemed to pass in slow motion, but there was little that Doncaster could come up with that could spoil the party. A totally professional performance, a deserved win, and for the first time this season the Glovers can allow themselves 90 minutes worth of relaxation and the freedom to play their game without pressure. Congratulations to Russell Slade and the players - if you spend nearly the whole season in the top six then it is because you deserve to be there and the playoffs is exactly what they deserve.

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