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Match report


Saturday, September 06, 2003
Yeovil 2 Swansea City 0



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Yeovil 2-0 Swansea


Clive Gareth and David Hughes

You get those days when you travel to a game thinking that it's going to be one of those days. Well this one of them. A good journey down to the M5 at Bristol when things went slowly and from the M5 to Yeovil was stop start so the 160 mile journey took 3 ½ hours. If only we had known that was the better part of the day.



With Brad Maylett back after suspension the line up was.



Freestone

Jenkins, O'Leary, Iriekpen and Howard

Maylett, Britton, Robinson and Durkan

Nugent & Trundle

Subs

Thomas, Duffy, Jones, Corbisiero and Murphy




When you look at the very young bench maybe the signs were there.



Anyway to the game which was watched by a crowd of 6,600, with another very healthy away support of 1,500.



A very sluggish start to the game from both sides, but it was Yeovil who looked to play football. They were playing some very neat pass and move football which the Swans found it very difficult to play against. Yeovil players didn't keep the ball long enough to be tackled as the ball did all the work with the Swans chasing shadows. The same could not be said for the Swans who struggled to make openings and wanted extra time on the ball inviting tackles, which came, breaking up any pattern of play we tried to mount. In saying all this Yeovil never threatened the goal as with a mixture of poor balls into the area, and late blocks we managed to clear any semi-danger. Around the half hour mark things did change as the Swans took control and had an extended period of pressurising the Yeovil goal. Nugent had one header which looked to have goal written all over it until the Yeovil keeper stretched and managed to scramble the ball away for a corner. That was it for the Swans, and it looked as if we would get to half time on equal terms. The defence must have had the same thoughts as they went to sleep losing their men and allowing a deep cross to the far post for Stansfield to score. With the Yeovil players celebrating Williams(Cardiff) ran towards the Swans fans to show his delight. We know he had been taking stick from the fans, but this seemed premeditated and not the split second response Alsop did at Oxford. This was missed by both linesman and ref but it did seem that the senior steward had reported it. So a very poor display by the team, but we are a better second half team aren't we.

Well not this time, things got worse as Yeovil took total control and it took a block from Roger to keep the score down as the ball went for a corner. It didn't last as the Swans defence was non existent as Jackson came straight through the middle to slot the ball past Rog. With the team struggling Flynn replaced Jenkins with Duffy. Very strange decision as we were struggling in the centre of defence. Within minutes O'Leary was replaced by Jones. It really was a nightmare performance. The only bright spark was at least 6 runs by Maylett who was working hard on the right but lacked any support as Yeovil had 2 or 3 players on him. Trundle did weave a bit of magic crossing for Nugent to send his header over the bar from 3 yards out. Corbisiero replaced the totally ineffective Durkan. Williams could really have added the icing on the cake (not) if he had scored when through again down the middle but with Rog coming out hit the post and the ball went to safety. Luckily there was not a large amount of extra time and the non-event of a game came to an end.



So thoughts

We have a first team capable of doing something when all are fit. We lack strength in depth.

Today there was no leader on the pitch.

Marks could only be given to Robinson and Maylett and to a lesser degree Howard. Some will of course raise their eyebrows but he did battle and was exposed for most of the game. We can add Rog to that although he had very little to do did save twice in one on one positions.

Robinson tried to do everything today but tired markedly as the game wore on.

The rest the less said the better. Leon did try a couple of runs but always into no mans land. One shot on goal when off balance came from frustration and went yards yards wide.

Trundle and Nugent seemed to spend most of the game winding up the Yeovil defence who surely had large smiles on their faces at the end. They did not work as a partnership today and were nearly playing in different halves.

Trundle for all his trickery has to learn to be a team player.


It really was that bad a performance, let's hope it was a one off. The problem is we don't think it will be until the experienced players return.


O'Leary will take a lot of flack for his performance today. It was a bad one, but Yeovil had a very lively attack whereas Kris is better against a battling attack.

Izzy also struggled and was caught out of positions many times diving in with long legs when standing strong was called for.


As for Yeovil, more composure in attack could have resulted in a higher score. They were mobile all over the pitch. The ball zipping across the pitch. Swans players were closed down by 3 or 4 players like bees around a honey pot. Most loose balls were picked up by them, and we can count ourselves lucky that they didn't have their shooting boots on today.


As usual a couple of off field comments.


The tannoy system could not be heard even though there was one announcement aimed at away fans.


The stewarding was very poor. There was a 'gangway area' at the front of the terracing which before the game fans were allowed to stand in. As soon as the game started they decided to start to clear. This happened on and off all through the game. With many running arguments with fans, resulting with one steward being forced to move away to keep the peace.

So a little note to Yeovil either put up signs, paint yellow lines on the floor and don't allow fans to stand there in the first place.

It also took ½ hour to get out of the car park at the end.


Yeovil 2-0 Swansea


BBC Online

 Yeovil bounced back from three successive defeats to topple Division Three leaders
Swansea.

The visitors could have no complaint as Yeovil created a string of chances and could easily
have won by more.

Yeovil took the lead after 39 minutes when Adam Stansfield, making his first start in place of
top scorer Kevin Gall who was away on Wales Under-21 duty, headed home a perfect cross
from Lee Johnson.

In the opening minutes of the second half Stansfield should have scored again when he got
clear but hit the legs of goalkeeper Roger Freestone.

The second goal soon arrived though when Stansfield set up Kirk Jackson who produced a
brave finish to double the lead.

Lee Trundle worked hard for the Swans but it was not his day and three minutes from time
Yeovil almost grabbed a third when Gavin Williams intercepted a pass on the halfway line
and raced clear of the defence before shooting against the foot of a post.

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