Venue: Huish Park
Sat 6th December 2003, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Cold and dank
Ground: Good condition

Scorers: Colin Pluck (9, 1-0), Peter Beadle (10, 1-1), Gavin Williams (18, pen, 2-1), Gavin Williams (27, 3-1), Nick Crittenden (74, 4-1), Jake Edwards (78, 5-1)

Attendance: 5,973 - including approx 250 Barnet supporters

Referee: Mr T Parkes
Assistant Refs: Mr K Hawkes, Mr M Mullarkey

Bookings:
Yeovil: Johnson (57, dissent), Terry (88, unsporting behaviour)
Barnet: Maddix (35, unsporting behaviour), Hendon (52, unsporting behaviour), Hatch (60, dissent), King (63, unsporting behaviour), Grazioli (67, unsporting behaviour), Plummer (90, unsporting behaviour)

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
1. Chris Weale
2. Adam Lockwood 4. Terry Skiverton 12. Hugo Rodrigues 5. Colin Pluck
20. Gavin Williams 8. Lee Johnson 24. Paul Terry 10. Nick Crittenden
9. Kevin Gall 18. Kirk Jackson

Subs:
7. Adam Stansfield (78, for Gall) 13. Steven Collis 15. Steven Reed 17. Jake Edwards (75, for Jackson) 23. Jamie Gosling (75, for Johnson)

Barnet:
1. Shane Gore 4. Ian Hendon 5. Christopher Plummer 6. Danny Maddix 3. Simon King 10. Ben Strevens 8. Guy Lopez 15. Joe Gamble 14. Ismail Yakubu 9. Giuliano Grazioli 12. Peter Beadle

Subs:
2. Mark Rooney (78, for Maddix) 7. Mark Williams (53, for Beadle) 13. Ricky Millard 21. Liam Hatch (45, for Gamble) 22. Lewis Hogg

Father Christmas brought Yeovil a sackful of goals as Yeovil coasted into the third round of the FA Cup against a Barnet side that had no answer to Yeovil�s pace and energy. Yeovil got off to the perfect start after eight minutes when Colin PLUCK glanced Gavin Williams� free kick past the Bee�s keeper Gore.

Apart from the goal the game had started quietly, two long-range Yeovil shots were the best of the action. But the game now burst into action and Barnet struck back immediately from the kick off. Rodrigues struggled on Barnet�s left wing and Peter BEADLE met a perfect cross and powered his header past Weale�s despairing right hand: Yeovil 1 Barnet 1. It was a little ironic that it was Grazioli�s partner who should get himself on the score sheet. Despite much hype in the week�s press the former Glover was well marshalled throughout by a Yeovil defence significantly better than the standard of defence that Grazioli is now used to.

Pleasingly Yeovil were unaffected by this quick reply and Gavin Williams broke from midfield to unleash a shot that sped just wide. Williams was then instrumental in Yeovil regaining the lead after sixteen minutes. Lee Johnson persisted on the right and combine with Williams to send a cross to Gall at the back of the box. From distance it looked as if Maddix had done well to stoop and head clear but from the referee�s reaction it was obvious that Maddix had stuck out a hand to help him. Mr Parks had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Gavin WILLIAMS made no mistake form twelve yards: Yeovil 2 Barnet 1.

Yeovil�s game oozed confidence and continued to push forward in the belief that they had the beating of this Barnet team. At times Yeovil�s confidence left them stretched at the back and there was always the threat that Barnet could equalise again. There were always going to be more goals, but it was more likely to be Yeovil goals. It took just another ten minutes for that to become reality. Kevin Gall had been, disappointingly, caught offside twice already in the match, but on 26 minutes he timed his run to perfection. He beat Gore to a through-ball, but looked to have pushed the ball too wide and too deep. But Gall�s pace held him in good stead and he reached the ball before it went out of play, and skilfully managed to hook it back into Gavin WILLIAMS� path, Williams� eluded the challenge of two defenders to finish from close range. Yeovil 3 Barnet 1.

The game continued apace and both sides continue to push forward: Lee Johnson surged from the half way line and Gore did well to parry his final shot; at the other end the Yeovil defence needed to be on hand to block a Barnet shot. But, in the main, it was all Yeovil and Barnet had no answer to Yeovil attacks or their resolute defence.

As Barnet became more and more frustrated the game threatened to boil over: Rodrigues finished slumped in the Barnet box after a Yeovil corner. Mr Parks was suspicious but neither he nor his assistant had seen anything untoward. Seconds later Strevens found himself in the same condition in the Yeovil box. But Mr Parks was alert to any antics and refused the Barnet man treatment, the half-time whistle blew to avoid further theatrics.

Barnet boss, Martin Allen, introduced Hatch at the beginning of the second half and his team enjoyed a good opening spell, but they found it hard going to progress beyond the half-way line with any urgency. Nearer the Yeovil box they met severe resistance and they had little success in progressing further. Maybe, Yeovil were just making sure there were no shocks at the beginning of the half.

Yeovil soon emerged from their shell and countered with menace: Crittenden�s break down the left found Gall in the Barnet box, but the Yeovil striker had to correct his balance and couldn�t produce a decent shot. Jackson then gathered following a defensive slip and centred for Gall, but this time, the Welshman was unable to convert what was a difficult header. Jackson was then again instrumental in setting up Crittenden, but his curling shot from the left was parried by Gore and the ball broke behind Gall.

Referee Mr Parks had a good day in a game that could easily have spun out of control. That had resulted in numerous yellow cards and it was no surprise when Lee Johnson joined, what seemed to be half the Barnet team following a nasty challenge. Grazioli�s day had been compounded when he was booked for an audacious dive following a tussle with Lockwood, but he can count himself lucky Mr Parks decided to be more lenient following a later incident.

The Yeovil defence began to join the attack and Paul Terry found Gall on the right; Gall�s cross found Crittenden on the far side of the Barnet box, but the ball was slightly behind the Yeovil midfielder and his shot flew high. But it was third time lucky for Nick CRITTENDEN on 73 minutes: Gall picked up the ball from inside his own half, nutmegging a Barnet defender on his way, and fed Crits on the left who buried the ball into the top of the Barnet goal. Yeovil 4 Barnet 1.

Edwards and Gosling replaced Johnson and Jackson, but the onslaught continued: the two substitutes were involved in hammering the final nail into the Barnet coffin. Gosling picked up the gauntlet to boss the midfield in Johnno�s absence and created a deep cross from the left that found Gall. Gall mistimed his volley but Jake EDWARDS was there to profit from close range. Gosling matures week by week and looks to be a significant inclusion in the Yeovil squad. Yeovil 5 Barnet 1.

Gall received a standing ovation from the Huish Park crowd of 5,973 as Stansfield replaced him with 14 minutes to go. The Barnet torment continued and although Yeovil continued to soak up Barnet pressure they could rely on Stansfield�s pace to Barnet on the counter-attack. It would have been a fairy tale if Yeovil�s Villa Park hero could have conjured up a goal, but that was not to be. Yeovil had to make do with this comprehensive, and at times easy passage into round three. If there really is a Father Christmas we know what else we want.

Final Score: Yeovil Town 5 Barnet 1.

It�s always deeply satisfying when a team that had dished up so much tedium in a previous encounter gets its nose well a truly rubbed in the Huish Park dirt. Undoubtedly this was sweet revenge. This was a Yeovil performance of immense proportions master minded by a midfield of scalpel-like incisiveness, contributing three goals in the process.

Noddy Elms

MOTM Vote Result:

Overall match rating: 8.6 / 10
Performance: 8.7
Entertainment: 8.5

57 votes received.

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