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Mon 27th August 2001, 3pm kick-off.

Att: 2,782

Line up : (3-5-2)

		Jon Sheffield
	Terry Skiverton	Tom White	Anthony Tonkin
Nick Crittenden	Darren Way	Lee Johnson	Michael McIndoe	Andy Turner
	Carl Alford		Scott Ramsay

Subs used: Barrington Belgrave (63 mins, replacing Scott Ramsay), Chris Giles (63 mins, replacing Carl Alford)

Hayes:
Bossu, Ashton, Sterling, Brown, Dyer, Highton (sub 80 mins for Everitt), Molesey, Warner, Clarke, Hodge (sub 46 mins for Jollie), Currie (sub 74 mins for Coppard)

Scorers: Andy TURNER (1-0, 36 mins), Barrington BELGRAVE (2-0, 74 mins), Mark Molesey (2-1, 90 mins)

This report courtesy of Fe7:

On a hot Huish Park afternoon Yeovil Town entertained Hayes. Following good performances at Telford and Doncaster it was expected that Yeovil would gain three points from this contest.

Back to the game.

Gary Johnson kept faith with the Alford and Ramsay partnership that had performed so well over the two last games. However, with injuries to O'Brien and Pluck there was no cover on the bench for central defence and one wondered how cover would be provided if needed. With a more recognised 3-5-2 Crittenden was employed in his more preferred role of right wing.

The match started lively and it was not long before Yeovil threatened Hayes' goal: a clever head-on by Turner resulting in McIndoe heading closely over the bar. Shortly after Way bursting into the box won Yeovil their first corner.

Hayes could have been down to ten men in the opening minutes. Ramsay was penalised for a challenge in the Hayes box. Bossu, the Hayes keeper, took exception to the challenge, and appeared to head-butt Ramsay. It was worse then the Viera / Wise incident but the referee adjudged that a booking for both players was appropriate.

Yeovil continued to dominate. Ramsay headed over a Turner cross. McIndoe's snaking run resulted in a free kick on the edge of the box. Johnsons free kick rebounded off the wall to Way whose shot flew just over Bossu's bar. Hayes continually failed to effectively clear Yeovil's attacks. Yeovil's midfield continually mopped up their clearances, setting up attack after attack. Sheffield, in the Yeovil goal, was now relegated to no more than a spectator.

However, apart from a Way shot on 15 minutes, Yeovil failed to hit the target, and rarely forced Bossu to make a save, consequently the score remained even.

Yeovil's best chance of the game came on 17 minutes. Alford, free in the box, failed to connect cleanly with a difficult ball dropping over his shoulder, his shot ballooning tamely over the bar.

Hayes made trouble for themselves: a quick free-kick going terribly wrong. Hitting a Yeovil player and falling to Way, from twenty-five yards out, attempted a lob that was just too long, but Bossu was back-peddling and beaten.

Hayes seemed to realise they had weathered the storm, and began putting a few passes together as the game moved into the last fifteen minutes of the first half.

Yeovil often pumped long balls up to Alford and Ramsay, and in the tiring heat both of Yeovils big strikers began to jade as the half wore on. Yeovil's midfield continued to dominate, a number of Hayess men ended up in the referee's book, and Hayes must have wondered what they had to do to avoid the incessant onslaught. Yeovil always looked the most likely to score and so it was on 36 minutes. Way's dogged determination and perfect quick through ball to Turner changed all that. Andy Turner turned onto his left foot and shot in one move, the shot flashed past Bossu and into his goal. Yeovil 1 Hayes 0.

Yeovil continued to push for a second goal, McIndoe, in particular making life difficult for the Hayes defence. However, it was the combination of Ramsay and Alford that could have added a second. Ramsay found himself with space on the right deep inside the Hayes box, bearing down on goal, with Alford along side him in front of goal. Whether he shot or tried to connect with Alford, his effort eluded Alford and zipped past the far post. Shortly after, Ramsay set up Crittenden; his shot beat the keeper, but not the defender on the line.

Towards the end of the first half Hayes won their first corner. Sheffield gathered the ball well, but appeared to take a nudge as he attempted to throw the ball out, the Yeovil defence scrambled the ball away for a corner.

The half-time whistle blew and Yeovil received a standing ovation as they left the pitch. If points were awarded for effort and domination, Yeovil would have picked up six points already.

Half Time: Yeovil 1 Hayes 0

Although Yeovil had dominated they only led by the odd goal and it was all to play for in the second half. It was imperative they carried on in the second half where they had finished in the first. That said, it was surprising, if not understandable because of the heat, that the pace was a little slower in the second half. Consequently, Hayes came more into the game; Sheffield was forced to make his first good save of the match on 53 minutes.

In general Yeovil continued to be in control and it appeared that a second goal was imminent. That should have been realised when an Alford header left Ramsay clear and dribbling to the edge of the Hayes box his shot beat Bossu but it failed to stay on target and flew past the left hand post.

Around the hour mark Giles and Belgrave replaced the tired Alford and Ramsay, who received generous appreciation from the Yeovil crowd.

Giles started putting himself about and immediately won a free kick.

For the second Yeovil/Hayes game in a row, Yeovil's opponents were reduced to ten men. Manually shrugging off Giles on the left-hand touchline Ashton continued his challenge on Turner. Turner was far too quick in taking the ball past him, but he was caught and Ashton was adjudged to have a violently fouled him. Warranting a yellow card, it was Ashtons second, and the referee duly produced a red.

The newer fresher pairing continued to create havoc against the weakened Hayes defence. When they had been on the pitch for eleven minutes Giles and Belgrave combined to increase Yeovils lead. Turner sent a ball down the left wing, it appeared as if it was well covered by the Hayes fullback. However, Giles steamed across from the centre of the park and beat him to it. Flicking it around the defender left him clear. Sending a perfect pass towards the penalty spot, Barrington Belgrave steamed into the box and, reaching the ball in front of his marker, made perfect contact with the outside of his right foot and the ball skimmed past a well beaten Bossu for his first of the season. Yeovil 2 Hayes 0.

With tiredness appearing to become an issue, Yeovil seemed to make the task of completing the game difficult. Way began giving the ball away in mid-field, White failed to prevent a simple ball going out for a corner, Sheffield appeared to continually trip over the ball, and Skiverton cleared easy balls out to touch for Hayes throw-ins. One such instance was fed through to Mark Moseley on 90 minutes who ran too far without being challenged. He unleashed an unstoppable right foot shot into the left hand top corner of Sheffields goal. Yeovil 2 Hayes 1.

With a few minutes left Bossu entertained us in the Yeovil half. Only a goal down he was sent up at corners only for his teammates to play the ball either short or low. Both were easily cleared. On his third foray, he made it to the centre spot before deciding to stay put.

The final whistle blew and Yeovil took a well-deserved three points.

Having taken three points one cannot be critical. The work-rate and performance in the first half deserved the spoils. The game as a spectacle was compelling: ninety minutes of action and effort. All thirteen Yeovil players were practically faultless. Gary Johnson is getting it together. However, better teams than Hayes will not allow us such domination.