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Nationwide Conference website;
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Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 18th January 2003, 3.00pm kick-off.
Conditions: Overcast with light drizzle turning to sheeting rain
Ground: Perfect with significant bare areas in goalmouths
Nationwide Conference :
Yeovil Town 2 Morecambe 0
Att: 4,353
Referee: Mr F Graham. Assistants: M.Gooding (Yellow), F.Knapp (Red).
Bookings:
Yeovil: Colin Pluck (1 min, foul)
Morecambe: D.Perkins (9 mins, foul), A.Rigoglioso (22 mins, foul), M.Stringfellow (73 mins, foul), S.Drummond (74 mins, foul)
Line up : (3-4-1-2)
|
|
 1. Chris Weale |
|
|
|
 2. Adam Lockwood |
 14. Roy O'Brien |
 5. Colin Pluck |
|
 24. Abdelhalim El Kholti |
 6. Darren Way |
|
 8. Lee Johnson |
 11. Michael McIndoe |
|
|
 20. Gavin Williams |
|
|
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 25. Kirk Jackson |
|
 16. Andy Lindegaard |
|
Substitutes: 4. Terry Skiverton (sub 57 for Colin Pluck),
17. Tom White,
18. Kim Grant,
22. Stephen Collis,
26. Jimmy Aggrey (sub 70 for Abdelhalim El Kholti)
Morecambe: (4-5-1)
1. Craig Mawson,
2. David McKearney, 4. Jamie Murphy, 14. Iain Swain, 16. David Perkins,
11. Gary Thompson, 6. Stewart Drummond, 7. Adriano Rigoglioso, 18. Michael Stringfellow, 23. Lee Elam,
17. Danny Carlton.
Subs :
9. Robbie Talbot,
15. Alan Morgan,
19. Ryan Black,
21. Wayne Curtis,
24. Keith Hill.
Scorers: Andy Lindegaard (1-0, 73 mins), Kirk Jackson (2-0, 90 mins)
This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:
LINDEGAARD AND JACKSON CONFIRM STRIKE PARTNERSHIP.
(MAN WITH YELLOW FLAG SEEN WANDERING AIMLESSLY IN SOUTH SOMERSET)
Today's Conference game between Yeovil Town and Morecombe at Huish Park
simmered for over seventy minutes before a well-worked Yeovil free kick for
Andy Lindegaard to open the scoring from close range. In front of a crowd of
4353 Morecambe had ridden their luck up to that point and, although looking a
well-organised side, rarely troubled Weale in the Yeovil goal. With that score
the game exploded into one of this season's most enthralling climax with
Morecambe throwing caution to the wind. They pummelled the Yeovil goal for
significant spells in that final twenty minutes but the Yeovil defence,
bolstered by the introduction of Skiverton and Aggrey, held firm and Kirk
Jackson snatched a decisive second goal deep into injury time and give the
score-line a comprehensive look.
Gary Johnson, the Yeovil boss, was forced to name a line-up without Nick
Crittenden who picked up an ankle injury in mid-week. Johnson brought in
Yeovil's left-sided utility man Abdelhalim El Kholti into Critt's right-wing
spot in a straight replacement.
The first action of the game centred on Mr Graham's attempt to stamp his
authority on the game when showing Yeovil's Colin Pluck for the first
challenge of the game. His authority was shot to pieces when he let Pluck's
second, and worse, challenge go unpunished. Mr Graham was unwilling to bring
the wrath of the Yeovil crowd on himself with what could have been an early
exit for Pluck.
El Kholti created the first dangerous move of the game, but the Morecambe
defence managed to scramble his cross away. Morecambe then forced their first
corner but could only manage to hook the cross wide. El Kholti was then the
victim of a dangerous challenge that earned Morecambe's Perkins their first
booking. El Kholti struggled to shake off this injury throughout the game.
The injuries effects were visible from the bloodstain on his white shorts. El
Kholti managed to put in a man-of-the-match performance before being
substituted after 69 minutes.
Kirk Jackson had a number of good chances throughout, the first after 13
minutes from a Williams' through-ball. But Jacko was far too optimistic in
trying to beat Mawson from outside the box. Four minutes later Jackson had
his second, and best, chance of the game. Breaking in behind the Morecambe
defence Jackson had only Mawson to beat, but his shot was too close to Mawson
and the Morecambe keeper's touch was enough to deflect the shot away for a
corner.
After 25 minutes it was Mawson, again, who thwarted Jackson's fellow striker,
Lindegaard. Lindy was under extreme pressure as he broke for goal, relying on
his speed and strength he managed to get a shot on target, but again Mawson's
touch ensured a corner. Seconds later Roy O'Brien rose with Mawson at a
corner. The later was happy to see O'Brien's header deflect off his arm for
another Yeovil corner. Next up was Darren Way, but his shot from the edge of
the box drifted wide of the far post.
Morecambe attacks were few and far between, but when they countered they
moved the ball from defence swiftly and O'Brien and Pluck needed to be on
their best after 34 minutes.
As halftime approached Yeovil stepped up the pressure but continued to hit
the proverbial brick wall in the shape of the Morecambe defence. By this time
Morecambe were keeping ten players behind the ball and Carlton became a
lonely figure up front.
Yeovil pressed for the opening goal before half-time: Jackson broke from just
inside the Morecambe half and was unlucky to see his shot flash past Mawson's
left hand post. As the first half entered added time the Yeovil crowd thought
Lindegaard had broken the deadlock. A super diagonal cross-field ball by
McIndoe set Lindy down the left wing, charging into the Morecambe penalty box
he cut the ball back onto his right foot and leased what seemed an
unstoppable shot. But, again Mawson did his job well and deflected the ball
away for yet another corner, thus ensuring the scores were level at the
break.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 0 Morecambe 0.
The half time interval became more significant for Yeovil as Pluck went
through a fitness test. He began the second half but was eventually replaced
by club captain Terry Skiverton after 57 minutes. El Kholti switched to a
more familiar role at left back as Yeovil adopted a 4-4-2 formation. Yeovil
begun the second half nervously and despite Skiverton returning for Yeovil,
Morecambe enjoyed their best spell of the game. They maintained possession
for significant periods and won a number of corners and free kicks around the
Yeovil box. But despite such pressure Yeovil kept Morecambe at distance, any
Morecambe shots rarely troubled Weale.
El Kholti was eventually replaced, the central defensive pairing of Skiverton
and Aggrey looked awesome. That awe seemed to spur the Yeovil attack and the
battling Way set up one of the best moves of the day. O'Brien set McIndoe
down the left and his cross was met by Williams whose shot was close but just
wide.
Almost immediately Yeovil won a free kick on the edge of the Morecambe box.
The kick was taken quickly: Lee Johnson found Andy LINDEGAARD in space, just
outside the goal area, and although his left foot shot took a deflection off
Mawson and his right hand post, the ball nestled in the back of the Morecambe
net and Yeovil had broken the deadlock. The Yeovil crowd rose in relief as
much as in celebration. Yeovil 1 Morecambe 0.
Morecambe were stunned into action and pushed forward for an equaliser. They
soon replaced Carlton and Rigoglioso with Talbot and Curtis but Jimmy Aggrey
was in majestic mood and thwarted Morecambe time and again. Morecambe were
restricted to long-range efforts and Chris Weale was more than equal to
anything that came his way.
Lindegaard came close as he beat Mawson to a long clearance, but he was
unable to control his shot at speed. Yeovil played keep ball in the corner to
hang on for their win, but one just felt there was another goal in this game,
fortunately that fell to Yeovil's Kirk JACKSON. Since taking the lead
Yeovil's midfield engines of Way and Johnson had chased and battled for every
ball. As the game ticked into four minutes of added time it was the midfield
midgets that battled for a lost cause in the centre spot. They came away with
their prize and fed Jackson inside the Morecambe box. Jackson had plenty of
space and time and took revenge on Mawson's first half heroics and beat the
Morecambe man with little fuss. Yeovil 2 Morecambe 0.
Final Score: Yeovil Town 2 Morecambe 0.
A well deserved win at "fortress" Huish Park. Yeovil are now winning the
league whilst their nearest rivals are losing it. Another win, another three
points in the bag, a clean sheet and eight points clear. Does it get any
better? You bet.
If Yeovil have ever suffered a striker crisis, no one has told Jackson and
Lindegaard. Yeovil are top goal scorers in five leagues and Jackson and
Lindegaard have bagged seven goals in the last three league matches. Crisis?
What crisis?
Oh, the man with the yellow flag was a referee's assistant - Mr N O Gooding,
late, wrong, overruled by the referee, don't give up the day job.
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