|
|
| Nuneaton Borough 1 Yeovil Town 1
|
Scorers
David Norton (0-1, 56 mins)
Dave Hanson (1-1, 58 mins)
|
Attendance : 2216
|
Officials
Howard Webb (Rotherham)
L. Hodgson (Red Trim)
G. Law (Yellow Trim)
|
|
Line-Up & Formation
|
|
Tony Pennock |
|
|
Jamie Pitman |
Rob Cousins |
Terry Skiverton |
Dean Chandler |
Murray Fishlock |
|
David Norton |
Steve Stott |
Matt Hayfield |
|
|
Adrian Foster |
|
Warren Patmore |
|
|
Substitutes :
Jason Eaton (not used),
Phil Simpson (not used),
Ben Smith (not used),
Kevan Brown (63 mins for Dean Chandler),
David Piper (56 mins for Murray Fishlock)
|
Opposition Line-Up :
1. Chris MacKenzie 2. Andy Thackeray 3. Steve Prindiville 4. Wayne Simpson 5. Dave Crowley
6. Terry Angus 7. Barry Williams 8. Joe O'Connor 9. Dave Hanson 10. Ian Muir
11. Ian Reed
Substitutes : 12. Andy Ducros (78 mins for Ian Muir)
14. Shaun Wray (27 mins for Barry Williams) 15. Jon Brown (78 mins for Ian Reed)
16. Marvin Blake (not used) 17. Leigh Everitt (not used).
|
Bookings :
Yeovil : None
Nuneaton : Prindiville (foul), Reed (foul)
|
|
Team Selection :
Yeovil lined up with the same starting eleven that won against Altrincham on Saturday, and
bar some shirt swapping, the same five substitutes. This meant that Yeovil's bench continued
to be loaded with the same attacking flair that it was on Saturday.
|
|
First Half :
As with many of Yeovil's away games last season, the Glovers spent the first 20 minutes of this
game trying to dull down some of the home sides attacks and trying to stifle the crowd.
Unlike Scarborough they did a pretty good job of it. Early chances fell to Barry Williams,
Joe O'Connor and Dave Hanson, but all went wide of the goal from close range, and Yeovil
were able to allow the clock to tick to their advantage.
Yeovil's first real chance of the game, and the sign of things to come, came from a
deep inswinging Dave Norton corner. The ball was flicked on, and goalkeeper Chris MacKenzie
managed the faintest of touches to keep Terry Skiverton's head away from the ball. As
Nuneaton cleared their lines, Terry Angus seemed to palm the ball out of his own area, although
it seemed that most on the pitch failed to notice it.
On 25 minutes though, some very noticeable action came in the penalty area. Warren
Patmore controlled the ball inside the penalty area and ran forward, straight into the
knee-high clumsiness of Steve Prindivile, who had already been booked for a foul a couple
of minutes earlier. Had there been a jobsworth referee on the pitch, the Nuneaton defender
could have been in problems, but a penalty without a card was a fair result. What
wasn't expected though was when Warren Patmore's well struck kick was beaten round the corner
by Nuneaton keeper MacKenzie when it seemed like it was on its way to sticking itself into
the corner of the net.
Just after the penalty, Nuneaton lost Barry Williams, who withdrew after sitting himself
in the middle of the pitch for a minute or so watching play go around him. Nuneaton
reorganised and began to look more positive, particularly up to the half time break where
Yeovil were more or less on the rack. Pick of the bunch were a short range stab that Joe
O'Connor screwed wide from close range, then an excellent save by Tony Pennock in the Yeovil
goal when he reacted well to a Dave Hanson diving header produced from an O'Connor left
wing cross. The half time couldn't come soon enough.
|
| Half Time : Nuneaton Borough 0 Yeovil Town 0
|
|
Second Half :
The second half began with Nuneaton stating their intent when 30 seconds from kick-off,
Ian Reed landed in the referee's book following a tackle from behind on Jamie Pitman.
Jamie will be in a funny way, pleased that he is surviving such things these days. The
wingback had to prove his versatility on 56 minutes when Murray Fishlock's back problems
flared up again, and Pitman switched to left back allowing Fishlock to be replaced by
David Piper at right back. Jamie ultimately proved he was just as talented in either
position on the night.
This change of tactic seemed to unsettle Nuneaton, as Piper's first action was to
waltz straight up through the centre of the park. He produced a short pass to Adrian Foster,
whose lay-off was inch perfect for David NORTON to strike a bullet from the edge of
the area brushing past MacKenzie's fingertips into the corner of the net. Five goals for
Yeovil this season, all involving Adrian Foster, and Yeovil had a slightly unexpected lead.
Not that the lead lasted long. Nuneaton's first act following the goal, was to loft a
high ball to the edge of Tony Pennock's penalty area. Pennock got both hands to the ball,
but could not hold it under pressure from O'Connor, and as both players fell to the ground Dave
HANSON half hit a shot which a back-tracking Rob Cousins couldn't quite make up the
ground to clear off the line.
So back to all-square, and it seemed that the chain of events were now working the home
sides way as they piled men forward in search of the winner. They had strong claims for
a penalty when O'Connor and Pennock collided once again two minutes after their goal, but
to these eyes it looked like both had done each other just as much disfavours. O'Connor
seemed to be at fault for obstruction, whereas Pennock seemed to be at fault for charging
out like an Intercity 125.
But for all of Nuneaton's pressure, and their creation of chances, their shooting was
appalling and chance after chance went wide of the goal with Pennock having plenty of
room to breath.
Kevan Brown replaced Dean Chandler in defence to add an extra bit of composure, and
eventually the cool heads of Norton and Stott began to control the midfield
again, and in the final fifteen minutes it was Yeovil who were looking the more likely to
carve out chances for the winner. Warren Patmore nearly gifted it to Adrian Foster, but
Foster couldn't quite get a hold of the shot he needed from 10 yards, and the game ended
with Yeovil stuck deep in Nuneaton's half but unable to penetrate through.
|
| Final Score : Nuneaton Borough 1 Yeovil Town 1
|
Web Site Verdict :
A curious game to assess today. Yeovil did not create the number of chances they did on
Saturday, but still looked a solid outfit who are going to be difficult to beat. If only
they could have held their one goal lead for five minutes, they might have taken all three
points. As it happened the barrage of attacks that followed Nuneaton's equaliser made it
fortunate that Yeovil came home with anything at all. Had Nuneaton not finished so poorly,
they could have won the game, but in the end were left having to keep half an eye on
Yeovil's late breakaways that threatened to produce a last ditch winner.
|
Colin's Verdict :
I think that as the season moves on, we'll look upon that game as a good point won. I
can't see too many teams coming to Nuneaton and getting all three points, so I'm relatively
pleased with that. The slope on the pitch is deceptive, and is greater than you think
until you go onto the pitch, and they've got good strong backing with their supporters.
If I had to make a criticism about last night it was that we didn't set up as many passing
movements as I like to see. But the game swung like a pendulum with both sides taking
control at various points during the game, and really anyone could have taken the points.
|
|
