Two injuries to both strikers meant that Steve Thompson had to change things after last week's 2-0 defeat at Blackpool, although luckily enough for him, one of the replacements was Matt Harrold, returning from injury. New loan signing Tommy Doherty got an immediate start, displacing Paul Terry and moving into a position between the defence and midfield. Terry Skiverton returned to the back four, reclaiming his captain's arm-band and allowing Kevin Amankwaah to shift out wide with Andy Lindegaard the unlucky party. It was difficult to tell whether the intention had been to leave Matt Harrold up front on his own and play four midfielders in a 4-1-4-1 formation, or whether Arron Davies had been in front from the start in a 4-1-3-2 formation. Either way, the intended plans for the start of the match were not going to last for long.

Just 10 minutes after a slightly scrappy start Doherty, who had got in a solid start in his new club colours, went in for a crunching tackle and came out second best. Hobbling heavily, it was clear he could not continue, and the end result was Paul Terry missing only 11 minutes worth of first team football, Doherty heading off with a repeat of his fibula bruising injury, and Yeovil reverting to a 4-4-2 with Terry going central and Anthony Barry heading out onto the right wing. So much for forward planning!

Once the game settled down again, it was the Glovers who had the clear upper hand, with the Davies/Harrold combination proving to be a big nuisance to the Chesterfield defence. But certainly at first, it looked as though it was going to be the same old story from recent weeks: one of near misses. Davies fed Harrold who had got in behind the Chesterfield defence, but his shot was headed into the side netting. At the other end, Paul Hall - scorer at Huish Park earlier in the season - showed it wasn't just the Glovers who were missing their chances, as he fluffed a close range header from a right wing cross, sending the ball wide of the target. Derek Niven tried a speculative long ranger that Chris Weale had to grab at the second attempt in a goal mouth that was only just playable, thanks to overnight frost that the home stand had sheltered from the morning sun.

With half an hour of the game gone, the Glovers had their second golden opportunity of the game when David Poole's long mazey left wing run opened up the Chesterfield defence, and when he slipped the ball inside to Arron Davies, the Welshman again fed his striking partner Harrold, who in taking the ball on his weaker left foot once again dragged the ball into the side netting.

It didn't take long though for the Glovers to finally break their duck, and it came when the two strikers switched roles. A massive Chris Weale goal kick came down deep into the Chesterfield half and was flicked on by Matt Harrold. Running in behind the defence was Arron DAVIES, who swivelled to give himself room, then slightly scuffed a shot with his right foot that slowly bobbled right into the far corner giving the advancing keeper Carl Muggleton little chance of retrieving the situation.

Just before the half time interval, during a half in which Yeovil had gradually grown in stature, they had to readjust a second time. Anthony Barry went in for a sliding tackle in the most frost-hit corner of the pitch, between the two stands, and it was obvious from the way both teams, the match referee and medical staff rushed to him that he was very badly hurt. Almost immediately out came the stretcher bearers along with a leg brace, and Anthony was sadly stretchered off with a dislocated knee. The 19 year old has looked a real find since he has come into the side. He is occasionally raw in what he does, but at that age he has years ahead of him to improve his game, and one can only hope that he can get himself back up to full fitness for the start of next season. Andy Lindegaard was the reluctant beneficiary as he moved onto the right wing with Anthony gaining a generous round of applause from all sides of the ground as he left the field in extreme pain.

During the extended injury time, Kevin Amankwaah broke out of defence down the right flank, providing a great crossfield ball to Chris Cohen. The midfielder in turn fed Nathan Jones on the opposite flank, whose cross to the far post was met by an incoming Amankwaah, who forced home keeper Carl Muggleton to make an excellent save with his legs and to force the ball off for a corner. There was still time for Paul Terry's left wing cross to meet the head of Matt Harrold to force Muggleton into another excellent save and complete an excellent half for the Glovers that despite the two unfortunate disruptions had been highly promising, and on top of that had actually brought the one thing many previous games had been lacking - a first half goal!

Caleb Folan replaced Colin Larkin at half time for the home side, but the Glovers domination increased. Some great one touch passing at the slippery end of the ground left the Chesterfield defence constantly flat-footed, with the previously untried combination of Davies and Harrold having an almost telepathic understanding of where each other was. Others joined in with some great off the ball running.

David Poole saw his cut in from the left wing and sharp shot beaten out by Carl Muggleton as Yeovil pressurised, and Paul Terry's curling looping ball back in from the right was played back by Arron Davies into the path of Andy Lindegaard, whose shot went just wide of the post, 11 minutes into the second half. Kevan Hurst fired an optimistic rare chance for the home side wide of the target and not long after was replaced by Adam Smith - the substitute who terrorised the Glovers back line with his pace in the corresponding fixture at Huish Park, scoring two second half goals. Yeovil had to be on their guard. To show his intent he drove down the left flank, cut inside and unleashed an excellent drive that whistled just over Chris Weale's crossbar.

Chesterfield were in the main struggling to get hold of the ball though and were frequently chasing shadows. At one point after a 5 or 10 minute spell during which all their defenders had succeeded in doing was to gift the ball back to Yeovil midfielders, they finally cut two passes together, and in some sense the crowd's cheer was probably as much down to relief as sarcasm at their team's inability to get out of their own half. It's difficult to recall Chris Weale making a second half save.

The only concern was a lengthy stoppage after a Chesterfield player had clattered Chris Weale after he won the ball, and at one point physio Glen Schmidt signalled to the bench for a possible substitution. Eventually though, Wealey got gingerly to his feet, holding his knee, and despite his next couple of goal kicks being taken by his fellow defenders, or rolled out to their feet, Wealey was able to walk off the injury.

As the game closed into the final minute, the game was wrapped up deservedly with the goal of the game. David Poole made yet another darting run down the left flank. Passing the ball along the eighteen yard line to Matt Harrold, the striker in turn fed Arron DAVIES who was stealing a run down the opposite flank, and he looked up and smashed the ball across the face of Carl Muggleton's goal to seal the points and send the Chesterfield away terrace into a mass of joy.

There was still time for more, as the game inched deep into injury time. Arron DAVIES and Paul Terry combined on the right flank, interchanging passes, and when Terry had his first attempt to cross into the box blocked, his second attempt landed at the feet of Davies whose flicked heel diverted the ball first time into the net from close range to earn him the match ball, and seal one of Yeovil's best results of the season at a time when they so desperately needed it.

Today was a lesson in why you should never lose faith in players. Those same players that struggled to find goals in January and February, looked a different class at Saltergate in a game in which they grew and grew in confidence as the game went on. The self-belief that has been ebbing away a touch in the last few weeks is back in volumes and despite a slippery pitch, so was some glorious one touch passing in the second half. The only sickener was the two first half injuries, but if what remains of the squad can build on that performance against Brentford and Swindon over the next seven days, there may just about be life in Yeovil Town's League One aspirations once again. Cracking result - now let's hope we can kick on.

Badger

MOTM Vote Result:

Overall match rating: 8.3 / 10
Performance: 8.6
Entertainment: 8

29 votes received.

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