Other reports :
Nationwide Conference website;
BBC Sport;
Vote for your YTFC Man Of The Match by clicking here.
Venue: Huish Park
Wed 1st January 2003, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Overcast turning to heavy showers
Ground: Near perfect but damp on top - bare in goalmouths.
Nationwide Conference :
Yeovil Town 1 - 0 Forest Green Rovers
Att: 4,692
Referee: Mr K Stroud
Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Forest Green: M.Coupe (28, foul),
J.Richardson (51, foul),
S.Jenkins (57, foul),
K.Langan (63, foul),
D.Jones (86, foul).
Line up : (3-4-1-2)
|
|
 1. Chris Weale |
|
|
|
 2. Adam Lockwood |
 4. Terry Skiverton |
 5. Colin Pluck |
|
 10. Nick Crittenden |
 6. Darren Way |
|
 8. Lee Johnson |
 11. Michael McIndoe |
|
|
 20. Gavin Williams |
|
|
|
 25. Kirk Jackson |
|
 16. Andy Lindegaard |
|
Substitutes: 14. Roy O'Brien (sub 90 for Colin Pluck),
18. Kim Grant,
22. Steven Collis,
24. Abdelhalim El Kholti (sub 77 for Gavin Williams),
26. Jimmy Aggrey (sub 59 for Terry Skiverton)
Forest Green: 1. Steve Perrin
2. Matthew Coupe
25. Jon Richardson
28. Darren Jones
3. Stephen Jenkins
7. Kevin Langan
20. Gary Owers
8. Martin Foster
12. Alex Sykes
9. Neil Grayson
29. Kayode Odejayi
Subs : 10. Alex Meechan (sub 76 for Neil Grayson)
13. Ellis Glassup (GK)
17. Daniel Allen
21. Rob Cook (sub 76 for Kevin Langan)
24. Steven Cowe (sub 77 for Alex Sykes)
Scorers: None
This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:
YEOVIL BACK TO WINNING WAYS - BUT ONLY JUST
Forest Green Rovers proved to be stubborn opponents in this New Year's Day
fixture against Yeovil Town. A Huish Park crowd of 4692 saw Yeovil open the
brighter and looked likely to score early on but the woodwork came to
Forest's rescue twice in the opening ten minutes. Forest rode their luck but
were forced to defend for almost the full ninety minutes. Yeovil failed to
repeat that impressive opening spell and had to wait until the 69th minute
for their breakthrough, Jackson converting a decisive Crittenden cross. From
then on Yeovil never looked anything but victors.
Kirk Jackson had again opened the Yeovil attack with a strong run and shot
that forced Steve Perrin, the Forest keeper, to concede the opening corner.
At the other end Odejayi soon suggested he would be the threat that had won
him Forest's second goal on Boxing Day. But his first chance this afternoon
was sheparded away from danger.
With only six minutes on the clock Jackson showed great control to set up
Gavin Williams on the edge of the Forest box. Williams unleashed an accurate
shot that had Perrin beaten all ends up. But his shot smacked the foot of the
Forest keeper's right hand post, rolled back across the face of the goal and,
fortunately for Forest, rolled away from danger. Two minutes later Lindegaard
and Way combined to set up McIndoe on the left. McIndoe's lob dropped onto
the Forest bar, again with Perrin well beaten, but again rolling away from
danger.
On ten minutes the busy Lindegaard was again instrumental in creating a good
Yeovil opportunity. As Perrin came for a ball Lindegaard pressed the
defenders who cleared across the penalty area straight to the waiting
Williams. From there Williams should have done better than shoot wide of an
open goal.
Williams was today, playing more effectively behind Yeovil's front two, and
enjoyed his more familiar role, weaving his way down the right wing and,
after fifteen minutes, into a crowded Forest box. As he cut across one
defender he fell, Mr. Stroud waved away the Yeovil penalty appeals. Only a
minute passed when Yeovil threatened the Forest goal again. Lindegaard showed
great vision and ability to find Pluck in the Forest box, Perrin was off his
line quickly to block Pluck's goal-bound chip.
Forest were always going to create the odd chance. They counter-attacked on
19 minutes when Grayson should have done far better than to shoot well wide.
Although always likely to threaten Grayson and Odejayi were far less of a
danger than they had been on the sticky Lawn pitch on Boxing Day.
Forest appeared to have ridden their luck and Yeovil opportunities were now
less dangerous. But one concluded the Forest defence were becoming more and
more stretched as Forest names filled Mr Stroud's little black book.
Lindegaard was a continuous thorn in the Forest side during the first half,
being the victim of some rather late Forest tackles, and the cause of two of
Forest's five yellow cards. Yeovil have on the other hand reformed their
disciplinary record, this was the third game when no Yeovil bookings were
incurred. Colin Pluck was undoubtedly the most fortunate though.
Yeovil continued to dominate and raised their work-rate on thirty minutes.
Forest continued to defend well but found it difficult to gain more than a
second's respite as Yeovil persistently pushed forward. Despite almost
non-stop domination Yeovil were now restricted to long-range efforts; Way's
shot was well off target and his looping header was also wide of the mark. At
the other end Odejayi forced Weale to charge from his goal line to save at
the Forest striker's feet.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 0 Forest Green Rovers 0.
The second half continued in the same fashion; Lindegaard won Yeovil's first
corner. Lee Johnson's ensuing cross flew across the face of the Forest goal
mouth but no-one in a green shirt could apply, what appeared, a relatively
easy task, the cross drifting out for a Forest goal-kick.
At the other end Grayson's persistence, and a touch of good fortune, enabled
him to force a good save from Weale. As Forest maintained a period of
pressure Yeovil's defending bordered on the desperate. Skiverton dived into
one such melee and subsequently required treatment. It was quickly apparent
that he would not continue and was replaced by substitute Jimmy Aggrey.
As the game wore on, tiredness appeared to creep into many legs: Yeovil
crosses began to go astray and it became likely that neither team would break
the deadlock. Just as that became more and more of a possibility an almost
last gasp surge saw Crittenden breaking down the right and swinging in an
optimistic ball. Yeovil's game plan might well have been to build cautiously,
and this urgency seemed to catch Forest by surprise, Lindegaard and Kirk JACKSON
seemed unmarked in the penalty box. Yeovil's centre forward did the business
and swept Crittenden's cross smoothly past Perrin's right hand for, what was
to prove, the decisive goal. Yeovil 1 Forest 0.
Yeovil continued to dominate and Williams and McIndoe teased the Forest
defence with increased confidence. Williams was brought down to earth as
Langan clattered into him. In most circumstances it would have at least
warranted a yellow card, but Mr Stroud decided, rightly or wrongly, not to
punish the Forest man. It would have been Langan's second yellow card and his
early departure would have been ensured.
Forest introduced their three substitutions on 75 minutes to try and change
the imminent outcome and for a short period Yeovil were forced to defend. But
they soon regained their domination and in all honesty there was no
suggestion that Forest were likely to upset the Yeovil celebrations.
Yeovil used up their full compliment of substitutes and played keep-ball in
the corners to run the clock down. However, there was still time for
Lindegaard to force Perrin to gather a header destined for his top corner,
and to save Jackson's shot following good work by Crittenden and Johnson.
The three points were assured for the Glovers and their victory was even
sweeter when the score from the Deva Stadium was announced. Three points in
the bag, clean sheet, and five points clear.
Final Score: Yeovil Town 1 Forest Green Rovers 0.
Noddy Elms
Internet Man of the Match Voting Result:
Player |
MOTM |
Score |
Darren Way |
14 |
522 |
Kirk Jackson |
11 |
371 |
Colin Pluck |
3 |
224 |
Nick Crittenden |
3 |
146 |
Adam Lockwood |
2 |
107 |
Andy Lindegaard |
2 |
98 |
Chris Weale |
2 |
68 |
Gavin Williams |
2 |
63 |
Michael McIndoe |
- |
63 |
Lee Johnson |
2 |
54 |
|
Overall match rating: 6.5 / 10
Performance: 6.7
Entertainment: 6.4
41 votes received.
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