In a repetition of the recent Carling Cup match, Yeovil started the game in green and white against visitors Plymouth Argyle, also in green and white. The match started ten minutes late due to the late arrival of the Argyle team.

It was the Pilgrims who came out of the blocks faster, with Steve Milne finding space for a free header in the opening minute, but failing to hit the target. Nicolas Mirza began well for the Glovers with a couple of early runs, the latter resulting in a Steve Reed lob which Romain Larrieu tipped over the bar, but which would not have counted due to an offside decision against another Yeovil player.

Five minutes into the match a shot from Hasney Aljofree was heavily deflected, and Danny Barker did very well to save. Plymouth earned their first corner, which was taken by Chris Reski.

The first ten minutes were fairly scrappy, with Plymouth having greater possession but no other clear cut chances. Yeovil showed some nice touches, but too often conceded possession cheaply. Plymouth were certainly tackling harder and chasing more, but the outstanding player early on was Nicolas Mirza.

With a quarter of an hour gone a scramble in the Yeovil area saw Nathan Lowndes shoot into the side netting. Yeovil’s best move so far ended with Larrieu pushing the ball over for a corner.

Yemi Odubade found Andrejs Stolcers with a good pass, but he was crowded out by two Plymouth defenders. A good Plymouth attack was ended by Adrian Caceres making a fine challenge in his own penalty area.

The next action saw Steve Reed booked for a challenge on Blair Sturrock, although from my seat in the Yeovil College Stand (which was nearer to play than the referee was!) there appeared to be little or no contact.

Steve Milne broke through the Yeovil defence and had a clear sight of goal, but Danny Barker came out to block with an excellent save. Just a minute later Barker was called upon again, and saved superbly from Steve Adams, who had also beaten the Glovers defence.

Midway through the first period Matt Doumbe pulled down Kezie Ibe just outside the Plymouth penalty area, and he certainly seemed to be the last man. However, Mr Malone elected to show just a yellow card - this was the first of a number of incidents which could have seen Doumbe asked to leave the field of play. The resulting free kick from Simon Weatherstone as blocked by the Plymouth wall, as was his second effort from the rebound.

A great tackle from Dale Williams deep in the Yeovil half was followed by his run all the way to just outside the opposing penalty area, but his shot flew over the bar. A good turn and shot from a fairly acute angle by Steve Milne was well taken by Danny Barker.

Just after the half hour a Plymouth corner from the left was headed wide of goal by Doumbe. He was perhaps fortunate to get the opportunity, having just committed a foul which was surely worthy of a second yellow card.

A minute later Kezie Ibe took the ball around the Plymouth gloves man before being pushed over by Doumbe. A penalty was awarded, but no caution for the offender. Adrian Caceres stepped forward and took the penalty with a low shot which would have been just inside the right hand post had Larrieu not dived and saved brilliantly.

A few minutes later a Plymouth cross looked to have been handled by Dale Williams in the Yeovil box, but the referee waved play on - perhaps considering it not to be a deliberate action? While Simon Weatherstone waited to take a corner for Yeovil Mr Malone booked Keith Lasley, presumably for something he must have said.

After Yemi Odubade had spared the blushes of the Yeovil back four with an excellent header back to Barker, the bookings were equalised when Dale Williams received a caution for bringing down an opposing player close to the touchline. A minute later Argyle captain Paul Connolly put them back in front when, after being penalised for handball, he petulantly kicked the ball away.

In the last minutes of the first half good work from Sam Croft won a corner for Yeovil, and at the other end Steve Reed blocked a shot, and the ball fell to Sturrock who missed from just two or three yards - the sort of miss that has me searching the reporters book of clichés for “barn door”, “banjo” and “cow’s arse”.

Youth player Charlie Welch started the second half in place of Andrejs Stolcers. This time it was the home side who started brightly: Yemi Odubade outpaced two defenders before blasting over; another good move ended with Simon Weatherstone shooting over the bar; yet another good move involving Mirza, Williams and Ibe ended with a Plymouth goal kick, and all of this in the first three or four minutes of the second period.

Argyle were still pushing forward and an excellent saving tackle from Sam Croft in the Yeovil area limited the visitors to a corner. The ball fell to Lowndes who shot well over. Another Plymouth attack saw a testing cross headed out for a corner by Charlie Welch. A Sturrock header was caught comfortably by Barker.

With the game really opening up and chances at both ends an excellent Odubade cross was headed against the inside of the post by Simon Weatherstone, but the ball came out again rather than nestling in the net.

With an hour on the clock a point blank range effort from Lowndes was superbly saved by Barker. A minute later a Sturrock shot was turned around the post by Barker for a corner.

A Caceres run saw him beat Ryan Dockson before his shot was blocked. A Plymouth corner from Lasley was headed out by Paul Jones and then played up to Yemi Odubade, who fought off the attention of two defenders before shooting across the face of goal. Ibe did well to win the ball from Dockson in the Yeovil half before sending Odubade on another attacking run.

With just over twenty minutes to go Plymouth brought on Scott Laird to replace Aljofree. A good spell of pressure from them saw fine tackles from Charlie Welch and Nicolas Mirza, and in a second change Jon Hoyles came on and Chris Reski went off.

Danny Barker again came to Yeovil’s rescue, beating an Argyle forward to a through ball. At the other end a low cross from Weatherstone was met by Odubade but keeper Larrieu saved brilliantly at very close range.

With the final ten minutes starting a testing low cross from Sturrock was cleared over the bar for a corner by Croft. A great defensive tackle by Mirza allowed Yeovil to start another attack. A Steve Milne shot in the Yeovil area was blocked by the seemingly unbeatable Barker at the cost of another corner.

Another substitution by Yeovil saw Sean Smith replace Caceres for the final six minutes. A long shot from Steve Adams was creeping toward the top right hand corner of the Yeovil goal, but a confident Barker got both hands behind the ball.

With Nicolas Mirza receiving treatment Greg Squibb was readied to enter the fray, but was ultimately returned to the bench as Mirza continued. An 89th minute free kick by Williams after a foul on Odubade was floated into the area but taken by Larrieu. Two minutes of stoppage time saw a lively and entertaining match end with no goals being scored.

Final score: Yeovil Town Reserves 0 Plymouth Argyle Reserves 0

Man of the match was undoubtedly Danny Barker, with his Plymouth counterpart Romain Larrieu also deserving praise.

A good overall team performance by the Glovers, with the most pleasing aspect being the fine individual showing by the youth players - MOTM Barker, Croft, Welch, Williams and, rather briefly, Smith all played well and show great promise for the future of Yeovil Town.

Robin Evans

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