Other reports :
Nationwide Conference website;
BBC Sport;
Vote for your YTFC Man Of The Match by clicking here.
Venue: Huish Park
Saturday 5th April 2003, 3pm kick-off.
Conditions: Overcast, sunny at first followed by torrential rain.
Ground: Perfect, but bare in goalmouths.
Nationwide Conference :
Yeovil Town 1 Chester City 1
Attendance: 8,111
Referee: Mr A Marriner
Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Chester: Carden (49, foul), Twiss (55, foul), Bolland (74, foul). Red card: Brady (69, serious foul play)
Line up : (3-4-1-2)
|
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 1. Chris Weale |
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 2. Adam Lockwood |
 4. Terry Skiverton |
 14. Roy O'Brien |
|
 10. Nick Crittenden |
 6. Darren Way |
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 8. Lee Johnson |
 11. Michael McIndoe |
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 20. Gavin Williams |
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 25. Kirk Jackson |
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 9. Kevin Gall |
|
Substitutes: 5. Colin Pluck (73, for Lockwood), 12. Chris Giles , 16. Andy Lindegaard (86, for Williams) 22. Steven Collis, 24. Abdelhalim El Kholti (73, for Crittenden)
Chester: (4-5-1): Brown,
Woodyatt, Bolland, Hatswell, Joy,
Brady, Blackburn, Kelly, Carden, Twiss,
Cameron
Subs : McIntyre (81, for Twiss), Beesley, Sugden (74, for Cameron), Worsnop, Davies (77, for Carden).
Scorers: Kevin GALL (8, 1-0), Kevin McIntyre (85, 1-1)
This report courtesy of Noddy Elms:
YEOVIL CHAMPIONS: BYE-BYE NON-LEAGUE: HELLO LEAGUE FOOTBALL
The level of expectation at Huish Park is testament to the quality of Yeovil
performances this season. Regardless of opposition, a goal fest is expected
at every game. There looked to be "more-of-the-same" on the cards when Gavin
Williams powered forward and found Kevin GALL in the Chester penalty box.
Gall didn't hesitate and smashed the ball past the helpless Brown to open the
scoring after eight minutes. Yeovil 1 Chester 0.
The thought from then on seemed to be to help Kirk Jackson secure the golden
boot. Jackson picked up Way's pass after 10 minutes but produced a weak shot
when Gall appeared to be better placed. Two minutes later Gall played
provider for Jackson, squaring after good work by McIndoe. But Jackson's shot
was again weak and poorly directed, Brown gathered comfortably.
Yeovil had undoubtedly started the brighter and might well have been two or
three goals to the good. But from then on they seemed to lose that cutting
edge, crosses fell comfortably for Brown and his goal was rarely troubled.
Chester came more into the game and won a dubious free kick on the edge of
the Yeovil box. Chris Weale produced a top quality left hand save to palm the
ball around his post. The following corners lead to desperate clearances from
the Yeovil box, Way eventually clearing off the line. The long lost
nervousness of previous seasons seemed to have returned. Yeovil defended deep
and were subject to the type of intense pressure that they are usually
imposing.
Both midfields were busy but it was the defences who dominated. Errors crept
into Yeovil's game and they often conceded possession.
Yeovil occasionally gained brief respite as half time approached, McIndoe
seemed to be always instrumental in Yeovil attacks. His 33rd minute free kick
flew closely over Brown's bar. His strong run before half time found Williams
in the box, but, off-balance, the Welshman shot high. Moments later he made
yet another surge down the left, but this time it was Jackson who failed to
convert.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 1 Chester City 0.
Mr Mariner had been lenient and played advantage well through the first half.
At times he might have been more forceful in dealing with the physical, and
sometimes late, Chester challenges. However, there was no such let off when
Carden brought down Johnson on 48 minutes. Minutes later Twiss followed his
team-mate in the referee's book. Brady was red-carded for a challenge on
O'Brien after 69 minutes. That seemed to be a sign for Yeovil to turn the
pressure up. Gavin Williams broke in from the left but his right-foot shot
flew wide of the far post.
But in the main Yeovil were struggling to regain the performance of previous
weeks. Too often they conceded ground and were forced to defend in numbers.
Chester, for their part looked fairly impressive in build up but impotent
when actually striking on goal.
Both teams made the obligatory substitutions: El Kholti and Pluck replaced
Lockwood and Crittenden for Yeovil, Sugden replaced Cameron and shortly
Davies and McIntyre replaced Carden and Twiss. El Kholti was soon into
action, but his shot drifted wide.
Pluck took time to settle into the centre of defence and tangled with
Skiverton to set Sugden away. Fortunately Pluck recovered well to deny
Sugden.
Kevin Gall had the best chance to double Yeovil's lead when he broke past the
Chester defence, but the defence recovered and did well to prevent his
strike. At the other end there were strong appeals for a Chester penalty as
Williams challenged in his own box, but the appeals were ignored.
Chester salvaged what was probably a deserved equaliser on 85 minutes. A
left wing corner was played deep to the edge of the box where Kevin McINTYRE headed
powerfully for goal. Somehow the ball snuck between Weale and Way guarding
the right hand post. Yeovil 1 Chester 1.
Lindegaard immediately replaced Williams and soon sent in a cross from the
right that McIndoe volleyed speculatively from wide.
Final Score: Yeovil Town 1 Chester City 1.
On reflection, perhaps a fair result. Yeovil initially appeared in full
control, opening the scoring early on, and creating further chances. But
Chester weathered the storm and made an impressive contribution to the game.
Yeovil failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage and Chester grabbed a
well-earned point.
The result, in the main though, was academic. Yeovil, by avoiding defeat,
would ensure more entries in the record books.
In a season where so much has been achieved any criticism today would be
petty. Today was a day to remember as the day Yeovil Town lifted the
Conference Trophy, little else seemed to matter. The Yeovil contingent of the
8111 crowd came to celebrate a season's achievement. At the end of the game
presentations were made, medals were collected, and the celebrations will go
on long into the night. But to my mind today was great but I will always
remember the journey itself. The most memorable stops along the way being:
Nuneaton at Dorchester, Woking at home, Southport home, Telford away,
Gravesend away, Burton at home.
Thank you Jon Goddard-Watts. Thank you John Fry. Thank you Gary Johnson.
Thank you lads. Thank you to the other thousands of fellow supporters who
made up the twelfth man.
Roll on next season. Another journey.
Noddy Elms
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