Couple of changes from the shambles of the Saturday. Out went the hapless Hart and the off the pace Ainsworth to be replaced by Cooke and Danny Hollands (for debut). Big Fletch also replaced the crocked Marcus Browning. What a difference these changes made, playing a narrower formation with a “diamond” in midfield the lads set about passing the ball around at pace, in the style which I thought we had forgotten.
Yeovil were simply not at the races in the first half. The difference was startling and in the first 20 minutes we could have been at least two goals to the good. James Hayter had a rasping shot which was well pushed aside be the ‘keeper and a series of last ditch blocks and good saves kept cherries at bay.
Danny Hollands stood out as definitely one for the future. He has arrived from Chelsea's reserve side, indeed he was captain of the reserved and his class on the ball showed as he was actually able to retain possession in the tackle. Something that the rest of the midfield had seemed unable to do whilst being torn apart by a motivated, and highly organised Chesterfield previously. When we are in possession we are one of the best sides in the division. We can use the ball well and create opportunities. Out of possession we are hopeless. We do not have the physical strength to get the ball back and rely on it being presented to us after the opposition have taken their turn to shoot. This is surely going to be our failing for the season to come.
The signing of two loan forwards reminds me of the way Bristol City started last season. At that time they had a great set of forwards, however without a midfield, there was no-one to get the ball to them. You can have all the quality you like up front but without the ball they can't score.
Enough of this rant and back to the match. The second half was more eventful. Early on Hollands played a neat one-two on the edge of the area and his shot came back off the underside of the bar and to safety, unlucky but he deserves praise for the build-up and getting into a position to get the shot in. So often recently we have had midfielders who do not get beyond the strikers and cause problems in the opposition box.
The main talking points, for there were two of them, occurred when our good old friend “the referee” *did not see/ *was unsighted / *chose not to see (*delete as appropriate) two quite obvious handballs in the Yeovil area. The first time, perhaps we can forgive Mr Singh as the handball occurred when he may have been unsighted and the linesmen chose not to make a decision.
He must have been working on the principle that if you don't make a decision you can't get it wrong. The second though, was unforgivable. Whilst under pressure from Big Fetch the Yeovil centre half used his hand to push the ball away and out of play. It was so obvious that all the players and the crowd were up as one, however even though he was staring right at it Mr Singh gave nothing, he simply gave a goal kick and turned away. Amidst the protests with several players “in his face” (which surly deserved a booking for them) he changed his mind a gave a corner. It felt a bit like we were being given the consolation prize. I do hope that it was simply incompetence on the part of Mr Singh, however it was stunning that he failed to give what he must have seen.
So, Yeovil escaped with a draw, and as so often before we fail to press home good periods of possession and we get scant reward. The same failings are still there, and it does feel very stale. We are in need of a breath of fresh-air, only time will tell. MOTM : A tough call, Copper plated well at the back. He reads the game much better from there, Purches looked more like the player we know.
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AFCB: Stewart, Broadhurst, Howe, Cooper, Purches, Hollands, Cooke, Foley, Fletcher, Best, Hayter
Subs: Moss, Maher, Cummings, Coutts, Ainsworth (for Best, 90)
Phil Henstridge, Banbury