Just one change to Russell Slade's starting line-up with Arron Davies getting his first start in a League match since the opening day of the season, replacing Wayne Gray as a wide midfielder in the usual 4-2-3-1 line-up. Daniel Webb's ankle injury meant that Anthony Tonkin was able to make the bench for the first time since leaving the club in Autumn 2002 whilst the club were still a Conference side. On the anniversary of Gary Johnson's final League match as manager for the Glovers, only Terry Skiverton, Nathan Jones and Arron Davies featured in last season's squad of sixteen last season that travelled to Bradford. Although Paul Terry and Scott Guyett were absent from last season's trip to Bradford, that is some serious turnaround of players, and an indication of what the club has gone through in the past 12 months.

Marcus Stewart got a warm reception from one of his former clubs prior to kickoff but he didn't look in the mood to repay their kindness when 20 seconds into the game he broke clear down the right flank, producing one of those nasty low shot-cum-cross balls that could have resulted in an own goal, could have gone directly in, could even have gone in off the advancing Lee Morris who managed to get his toe on the end of the ball, but instead it went out for a goal kick.

Perhaps the tone of the match that was to come was set a minute later when Danny Schofield grabbed possession in the penalty box, curling a low shot that had Steve Mildenhall beaten, bounced once, then off the outside of the post and off for a goal kick. Neither side seemed to be in the mood to suss each other out if this was the way the game was going to start. Schofield had another strike on goal a minute later, but struck straight at Steve Mildenhall in the Yeovil goal, and then Pawel Abbott tried to catch Steve Mildenhall off his line after he considered coming out to collect a through ball, but the Yeovil keeper recovered his ground well.

Despite that trio of early chances for the home side, the Glovers were making a strong start, with some crisp swift passing between the forward players that was not to the Huddersfield defence's liking. That strong start turned into an excellent start on 16 minutes. Marcus Stewart played a one-two with Lee MORRIS that allowed the latter the ability to cut inside his Huddersfield marker, get square on the goal and then place the ball into the bottom left hand corner to put the Glovers 1-0 up, with goalkeeper Matthew Glennon barely having time to move towards the shot, looking somewhat out of position.

Steve Mildenhall twice saved at the feet of Pawel Abbott following the opening goal. Huddersfield seemed to be trying for balls over the top of the Yeovil back line, using Abbott as the pace to run onto the balls, but either they were too long to be productive, or the linesman's flag caught their front line offside. At the other end, Nathan Jones struck a long-ranger over the bar, whilst an Arron Davies ball in from the right caused chaos when a home defender deflected the ball on the near post with the loose ball bobbling across the face of goal.

Huddersfield's equaliser came somewhat out of the blue. An attempt by a Yeovil defender to block out a Huddersfield move on the edge of the box, saw a loose ball drop through to Mark HUDSON and despite a late attempt from Terrell Forbes to close him down, there were not enough Yeovil defenders around the ball and Hudson's shot was sweetly struck into Steve Mildenhall's bottom left hand corner. 1-1 and with a previously quiet Galpharm crowd now woken up, a time for Yeovil to be steady and to calm matters down.

They definitely responded in the right way by keeping home keeper Matthew Glennon extremely busy. Jean-Paul Kalala forced the keeper to make a strong parried save from 12 yards out, pushing the ball around the post, and the keeper again had to push the ball over his own crossbar when the resulting Arron Davies corner was not to his liking. From that set-piece again Glennon was on hand, this time turning Paul Terry's header around the post.

Huddersfield rarely threatened, although could have had their noses in front when Terry Skiverton misjudged a jump in the penalty box that allowed Pawel Abbott possession. The home striker went for the spectacular with an overhead kick but fortunately looped the bar. Then Terry Skiverton was harshly penalised for what looked to be a fair challenge on Mark Hudson but again Huddersfield sent the ball over the crossbar after much fussing and delaying from referee Rob Lewis - Danny Schofield was the latest Huddersfield player to miss the target.

Just before the break though, Arron Davies came within a whisker of giving Yeovil the lead. Set up on the right flank, he took keeper Matthew Glennon by complete surprise when instead of running at goal, he smacked the ball early, looping the ball clear over the Terriers keeper from 30 yards out, crashing against the underside of the crossbar, and coming out just in front of the goal-line. A magnificent strike - and one that would have more than fully justified the Glovers leading at the break. For the moment though they would have to accept level pegging, despite an impressive first 45 minutes.

Half time saw Lee Morris withdrawn due to suffering cramps in his legs just before the break, and Wayne Gray was the obvious replacement. Again the Glovers started the half stronger, and they were rewarded just six minutes into the half. Marcus Stewart was again the goal provider with a lovely pass into space for Arron DAVIES to run onto. Arron shrugged off the attentions of Huddersfield's Michael Collins before bringing the ball into the penalty box on a narrow angle and firing home in confident fashion into the far corner. Leaping over the advertising hoardings he received a booking for excessive celebration, although it is unlikely that would have wiped the smile off his face as he notched up a goal for the first time this season.

Marcus Stewart provided comedy moment of the day when he was booked for kicking the ball away. Not just any hoof into Row Z for him - the on-loan striker preferred to make out as if he was bending over to help a Huddersfield player retrieve a ball after an offside when - Whoops! - out went a not so subtle toe-punt that sent the ball scurrying down the pitch. Referee Mr Lewis wasn't impressed, and perhaps a little bit more work is needed on that one in training before he can perhaps hope to get away with that one.

The Glovers continued to play in a positive manner, with Chris Cohen linking up in yet another excellent one-two that set him up field. Once again Marcus Stewart was the playmaker that allowed Cohen to break through and once again Glennon was to the rescue, palming the ball out for a corner. A minute later Cohen broke through again - this time finding the side-netting in the way.

Luke Beckett replaced Andy Booth who had not really seen much of the ball during the game, and Beckett's first touch was decisive. He set Danny Schofield down the right flank, his cross was flicked on at the near post, and Gary TAYLOR-FLETCHER was given the ball on a plate to head home from close range. For the second time in the game, the Glovers had let their domination of the game slip and the home side had a lifeline.

Chris Cohen landed in the book for a foul on Nathan Clarke after the Yeovil midfielder clipped the Huddersfield player after a clearance. A whole load of histrionics by the home players appeared to try and influence the referee into giving more than just a yellow, but thankfully Mr Lewis held his nerve. However when Clarke did the exact same thing to Wayne Gray seven minutes later, you'd have expected an evening up of the cards - sadly it seems that pushing people around and making a mountain out of a molehill is the way to influence referees - the Yeovil players stood back and let Lewis do his job which meant of course that in front of the home crowd he did nothing.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher became the third player of the afternoon to hit the woodwork when he clipped the crossbar from 30 yards out by the touchline. If he really meant to do that, then he is a genius - it seems more likely that he mis-hit his cross, but it certainly took Steve Mildenhall by surprise, with the keeper stranded. At the other end Terry Skiverton really should have put Yeovil back in front when he got half a header to a Chris Cohen corner. When he moved in for the kill on the loose ball to finish from close range, a Huddersfield player on the goal-line cleared the ball and it rebounded back off Skivo and out for a goalkick. Then David Mirfin saved another certain goal with a header under his own crossbar from another Cohen corner as both Terrell Forbes and Jean-Paul Kalala charged in ready to accept an easy header if Mirfin was to mistime his jump.

With 13 minutes left though, Huddersfield's rearguard action couldn't hold out, although manager Peter Jackson would have been bemused at just how easily they gave the lead back to the Glovers. Substitute Wayne Gray grabbed possession out on the right flank and seemed to have an age to compose himself and move to the edge of the penalty box. With the Huddersfield defence perfectly static, a simple layback to Chris COHEN was all it needed and the midfielder confidently slammed the ball into the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the box - looking almost surprised at the end result and how easily Huddersfield had allowed the Glovers to retake the lead.

This time round there was no way back for the home side. Anthony Barry replaced Paul Terry in midfield with nine minutes remaining to give the midfield a pair of fresh legs. Huddersfield went 'long' - pumping balls down the middle more in hope than by design, but Terry Skiverton gleefully mopped them up. Not even a slightly bizarre four minutes injury time could stop the Glovers from picking up their first away win for five months - coincidentally against Huddersfield last season. The Glovers deserved their victory, even if Huddersfield did create enough at the other end to always make the game tight, but the home fans were not impressed in the slightest - a small group of demonstrators gathering around the front of the ground to demand answers from their board of directors. The Glovers have had a habit of causing such scenes at League One grounds since their entry into the division 14 months ago - and on this showing, League One's 23 other teams had better get used to them hanging around, causing a nuisance for a fair while longer.

Back to Top of Page