A comprehensive report of yesterday's match

A long one, but for those who'd like a comprehensive view from a fan who made the trip down to Somerset, read away

I got to Yeovil at 1.30 after getting the train to Taunton and then being driven the rest of the way by some friends up from Cornwall for their most "local" game of the season, which was still over 3 hours away for them!

Had a few pints of some locally brewed lager (can't remember the name, something like "Glover's Lager" or something) in the large marquee outside the ground which hit the spot, miles nicer than most of the generic urine-water on offer at most football grounds. After leaving the beer tent, a small elderly bloke whom I immediately recognised but couldn't name followed us out and was led towards the ground by two younger blokes in good spirits having had a pint or two. Only later did I realise it was non other than Trevor Peacock, respected Shakespearean actor but known to most as Jim Trott (no no no no no no no . . . yes) from the Vicar of Dibley. Big Glovers fan apparently!

Got onto the terrace at 2.45, which was fairly busy by kick-off as we were only given one side of it unlike last season. The ground was for some reason deathly silent for the first 10 minutes of the game but the atmosphere perked up a bit once Yeovil had the first chance of the afternoon, which should have been buried by the winger who had given Brown the slip in the box.

After that we got a grip on proceedings and Treacy and Winnall stung the palms of their keeper, with some great link up play on the wings for us to enjoy. Despite our dominance, Yeovil should still have gone ahead when Brown was again caught out and his man curled high and wide when he should have hit the target from the left side of the box. Hourihane then showed how it should be done with a superb curling effort into the far corner which gave Weale in the Yeovil net no chance. A deserved lead, and one that I expected us to build upon as we did against Gillingham last week. Instead, the game became rather flat but Yeovil should have equalised when Leitch-Smith was sent through and Davies made a good, solid stop to keep it 1-0. Up at the other end Nyatanga met a corner kick with his head and Weale made a decent save, though the header lacked power.
A decent first half and despite a few scares and Treacy coming off through injury, we deserved to be in the lead.

The second half was, as you all probably know by now, a completely different story and can be summed up thusly:

Davies claims ball in>>>>>>>>>>>Hoofs ball up to two forwards, Yeovil defenders head ball into midfield>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hourihane and Abbott fail to win loose ball>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ball pumped down left-wing where Brown/Berry are nowhere to be seen>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ball into box/shot>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Davies claims, rinse and repeat with Davies occasionally just booting the ball out of play.

Yeovil came out for the second half pumped up and attacked us relentlessly, and credit to them for keeping it up and eventually getting their reward when Cranie unfortunately sliced past Davies into his own net. It wasn't a vicious ball in by any means and should have been cleared, but it was the least Yeovil deserved and we can count ourselves lucky that they managed to hit every shot straight at Davies. Credit to him though as he claimed high-ball after high-ball and cross after cross, a real positive in what was a horrible second half from Barnsley. Despite this, we still could have committed daylight robbery and won the game had Cole not tamely shot at the keeper from 8 yards and Jennings hit the target from the left side of the box with time to pick his spot.

I am very much of the view that if we can play as badly as we did in that second half and still claim a point, then we are in for a good season. We aren't going to take the piss every game like against Gillingham, and will have to withstand some heavy pressure in certain games and we managed to do that and take a point yesterday.

However, a couple of "negative" points, starting with Lita. If you put the ball to his feet 6 yards out, he'll get you goals. Other than that he's a complete liability. He didn't hold the ball up, didn't win any headers and should have come off before Winnall. The latter was similarly anonymous bar one chance in the first half. That wasn't entirely their fault though, as every ball was pumped up to them at head height. They need the ball to feet from midfield, and it was just being hoofed over Hourihane/Abbott and then came straight back at us as their huge defenders predictably won every header. Cole though, with the same tactics in motion, still managed to have more of an impact than these two despite having only 15 minutes. Secondly, Berry works hard but is not a right-midfielder. He isn't going to take a man on or provide sufficient cover for Brown, who is clearly a centre-back and not a right-back. Wins all the headers, but was paced and caught out of position way too much yesterday.

Of course you don't change a winning team, but we didn't win yesterday so perhaps it's time to change it up a bit for the York game in the JPT. Get Bree at RB and Jennings on the wing instead of Berry. Oh and on Jennings, he's clearly still got the talent but needs to up his work-rate. And he lost the ball for their goal yesterday, but there were more positives than negatives for him. Maybe give Cole a bit more game time too in place of Lita.

So overall, a decent if incredibly long day out in Somerset, and an unexpected hour in Birmingham as my scheduled train from there was cancelled. We were perhaps lucky to come away having not lost, but if we can take a point from a tough place with by far our worst performance of the season so far, then we could be in for a good year. And I must add, Yeovil's fans are by far the nicest and friendliest I've encountered in the few years I've been going to away games. We were wished a safe journey home on four separate occasions, were chatted to relentlessly after parking up before the game and in the marquee at the ground, and it's just a relaxed and thoroughly pleasant place to attend a football match. Give me that over an unfriendly, soulless pit like many found in the Championship any day.

As I did with the Crewe game, I've given ratings for the players below. A few might seem harsh, but that's just how I saw it yesterday.

Cheers


Davies - 8 MOTM: Despite his horrendous distribution, he claimed every ball in (bar the goal) comfortably in the face of some big opposition players and made a couple of superb stops.

Brown - 4: His worst game for us, caught out time and time again and gave their winger way too much space. He was at fault for two of the three good chances Yeovil had in the first half and managed to hoof the ball out of play several times under no pressure. I know he's a CB playing RB but he's got to work on his game and it might be worth giving Bree a start against York.

Nyatanga - 7: A solid defensive performance and nearly scored in the first half,

Cranie - 6: Made a couple of great challenges in his own box and was generally solid enough in the middle of defence, but gets a mark down for the OG which he could have done better with.

Dudgeon - 6: Better than his fellow full-back and showed some nice touches but should have dealt better with his man, too many crosses made it past him.

Berry - 5: Worked hard but offered no protection for Brown and offered nothing going forward. Not a wide midfielder, and might be worth giving him a go in his preferred position in the middle of midfield vs York.

Abbott - 6: Drove forward a few times and got a couple of shots away, but scuffed them and didn't win a second ball in midfield. Needed to come short for the ball from defense more often, but didn't and was bypassed along with Hourihane in the second half. Did put in some decent tackles though and will be a good player for us in the future.

Hourihane - 6: Ditto Abbott sans the tackles, fairly anonymous but scored a beauty so gets the same mark as his midfield partner.

Treacy - 5: Still doesn't look fit and isn't going to trouble defenders whilst that's the case, but still managed to find space to send in a couple of crosses and have a shot blocked for a corner before coming off after the goal. Would maybe have a higher mark had he stayed on.

Lita - 4: Offered absolutely nothing, didn't have the commitment or effort to win any loose balls and should have been hauled off way before he did.

Winnall - 5: Similar to Lita but at least tried to close down defenders and should have had the ball at his feet more.


subs: Jennings (6, gave ball away for goal but had much more impact than Berry on the other flank), Hemmings (5, had very little to work with), Cole (6, offered more in 15 minutes than Lita did in 75).

 

Spot on that mate.

 

Cheers for that, mate.

Sounds like we were very poor second half bit if rather us play **** and get a point then play amazingly and lose.

 

Thanks for that

 

I agree with most but felt Berry didn't do too much wrong, cleared one almost off the line first half. Not saying he had a brilliant game but no worse than Jennings who he exchanged flanks with during second half. I felt that Abbott played too far forward in midfield and went to ground too easily on most of his tackles. All in all nobody shone and something to work on. Think still a good point even if a poor performance.

 

You're right about Berry and Jennings switching flanks thinking about it, can't believe I forgot that! I was probably just remembering the first half on that front when Yeovil's only threat was down Berry/Brown's side. It was Jennings then that didn't provide cover for Brown in the second half. He got into attacking positions but hardly ever received the ball as it was just pumped up the middle and then headed back into our half, so Brown was left exposed.

And yes, a good point on reflection given how much pressure we were under (partly self-inflicted) second half.

 

Good report though Jamo. I think we missed Bailey or a holding midfielder. The "hole" in front of our defence was exposed a lot by Yeovil.

 

Much appreciated report, pal.

 

Good read