Once again without Marcus Stewart, but this time without the ability to select on-loan Martin Brittain, new arrival Martin Cranie, the injured Terry Skiverton and Andy Lindegaard and the suspended Scott Guyett, manager Russell Slade had a bit of a team selection headache to contend with prior to the trip to Rushden, scene of many a tussle in the Conference, but with the sides only having met twice since 2001's title battle. Wayne Gray unsurprisingly continued his role up front as the lone striker whilst there was a recall for Arron Davies following his impressive play as a substitute, slotting into the position vacated by Martin Brittain. Anthony Tonkin moved into an unfamiliar centre-back role, forming part of a very small but nifty back four.

The game was preceded by a minute's silence for the Day of Remembrance which was impeccably observed. After early Yeovil pressure that looked promising but without creating anything of note, Steve Mildenhall was forced into the game's first save - a flying palm around the post after Paul Watson shot on goal, with the ball going out for a corner. From that set piece, Mildenhall had to claim an attempt from Lee Tomlin who shot inside the box but fairly directly at the Glovers keeper. Rushden had early appeals for a penalty turned down when Terrell Forbes went in for a robust challenge on Michael Rankine but Jarnail Singh adjudged that Forbes had taken the ball and not the man, despite Rankine landing firmly on the deck.

Lee Morris and Wayne Gray put long range shots well wide of the target as Yeovil relieved the early Rushen pressure. Next Arron Davies saw a somewhat more accurate shot deflected over the bar. From that corner, Wayne Gray volleyed on target but straight down the throat of the home keeper Scott Tynan. The swirling wind was clearly affecting the quality of the game. However, the Glovers were not helping themselves by playing numerous long balls that allowed the elements to take control of their game, instead of keeping the ball on the deck, which certainly Rushden were doing far better in a confident fashion.

Bar that brief flurry of Yeovil strikes on goal, it was the home side that were on top of their game, and 28 minutes into the game they deservedly took the lead. Dave Savage put in a near post right wing cross after he received the ball from a throw-in by Glenn Wilson. That was met by a downward glancing header by Chris HOPE and the ball was planted into the back of the net from 12 yards out. 1-0 and on the balance of play definitely deserved.

Within a minute of the restart, Lee Tomlin tried a scissors kick as Rushden's confidence went sky-high, but the ambitious attempt went wide. The Glovers continued to be far too static in their play, with the defence erratic as a unit and the midfield failing to produce anything other than half-chances for Wayne Gray to seize on, who looked somewhat lonesome in his position up front - having to run onto long balls that were hit more with hope than precision. But it was that back line that was concerning the most, with Anthony Tonkin looking particularly uncomfortable in his unfamiliar role and the lack of height causing significant problems with Rankine in particular dominant from crosses.

The second half failed to open up any more brightly. Lee Tomlin skipped past Anthony Tonkin with frightening ease in the early moments of the second period but Steve Mildenhall came to the rescue. The Glovers gave away several corners thankfully without any damage from those set pieces but just nine minutes into the half, Rushden went further ahead with frightening ease. A simple ball over the top saw Michael RANKINE and Anthony Tonkin go shoulder to shoulder, but with no challenge forthcoming, Rankine outmuscled his marker and slammed a bobbling shot into the bottom left hand corner from 30 yards out. 2-0 and now things were looking a little desperate.

A minute later Tonkin was skinned again, this time by Tomlin and it was no surprise when Bradley Thomas was brought on to replace the beleagured stand-in defender. Not that it got much better - from a corner Wayne Hatswell headed goalbound with a free header, and only an outstanding clearance off the line by Nathan Jones stopped the margin between Rushden and Yeovil growing ever wider.

Yeovil switched to a 4-4-2 in an effort to get something out of the game and that shuffle around appeared to catch Rushden unawares with their marking. Anthony Barry grabbed the ball in the centre of midfield and fed the ball out wide onto the right where Chris COHEN had suddenly switched. Stepping aside an incoming defender, Cohen checked his stride once, then curled a beautiful shot into the top corner, giving the home keeper not a ghost of a chance of plucking it out.

Lee Morris almost made it an immediate equaliser when he fired a cracker on goal within a minute of the restart, but he shot just wide of the target. As Yeovil pushed for the second goal they craved to complete their comeback, Tyrone Berry, Tomlin and Rankine kept the Glovers on their toes by counterattacking for Rushden, using their pace intelligently but despite that threat from the Rushden front trio, for the first time since the opening period of the match, you sensed that the Glovers might come out of this without embarrassment.

However when the killer goal came 15 minutes from the end, it was the home side that got it ending any faint hopes of a comeback. A corner was taken from the right by Marcus Kelly and was looped over the top of the six yard box. Michael RANKINE received the ball on the back post and squeezed past his marker Bradley Thomas to volley home from a narrow angle and pretty much seal the game.

In more hope than anything else, Ishmael Welsh came on for Lee Morris to try and disturb the Rushden back line. They did come close to pulling back one of the two goals needed though - Chris Cohen hit the post after Arron Davies fed him with Cohen's shot almost identical to his earlier goal but struck from a slightly more central position. Sadly this time the woodwork got in the way. Paul Terry went almost as close when he hit a shot just wide of the target from the edge of the box after a strong flowing move involving Cohen, Gray and Davies.

As the minutes ticked down and the tie slipped away, Daniel Webb was sent on for Wayne Gray presumably to give the chance to send the ball a little longer and to upset the Rushden backline but it didn't really work. Tom Shaw became the game's one and only booking in the penultimate minute when he needlessly handballed, and Rushden survived four minutes of injury time without really breaking sweat. In the end they had a comfortable win over a side supposedly two divisions superior to them, who had really few players - Chris Cohen excepted - to come out with much credit from the game. At the back in particular, the loss of Terry Skiverton looked to have completely disturbed the rock solid partnership that has existed there all season, and that will be the biggest headache Russell Slade will come out with on the back of today's game. Loan signing Martin Cranie is going to have to step into some pretty big shoes next week, and the Glovers will need to find leadership all over the park if they are to avoid a repeat of today's performance.

Back to Top of Page