Robins Have Wings Clipped in Somerset

Gavin Tomlin earned plucky Yeovil a last-gasp win over Bristol City in an entertaining pre-season friendly at Huish Park last night.

The League One minnows gave their Championship rivals, who had convincingly beaten Premiership newboys Wolves last Saturday, a reality check less than 10 days before the 2009/10 season starts.

City were without first-team regulars Orr, McAllister, McCombe, Johnson and Elliott but still should have had enough firepower to brush aside the Somerset outfit and so it seemed, as they stormed in front within seconds of the start.

Former Yeovil star Gavin Williams took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to prod home from close range from a Michael McIndoe corner, or so I was told after the Glovers made us queue at ticket booths outside the ground instead of making it pay-on-the-gate at the turnstiles!

It was a positive start from the boys, who maintained a good tempo on a slow pitch, with Williams pulling the strings just behind Maynard and Akinde.

John Akinde squandered good chances to double the lead so it came against the run of play when Yeovil equalised on 20 minutes.

Former Ipswich prodigy Dean Bowditch did his efforts of winning a contract no harm by cutting in from the left and curling a 20-yard beauty past the hapless Dean Gerken.

The goal galvanised the home side as they became visibly hungrier for ball and suddenly, for all the visitors good early work, Yeovil forged ahead three minutes later.

Bowditch, again at the heart of the attack, profited from a poor pass across the box from Lewin Nyatanga, slipping in the onrushing Danny Schofield to lift the ball over Gerken, who looked indecisive in his decision to come out.

Yeovil had now firmly seized the initiative and Bowditch could only find the side netting after beating Fontaine with ease. Schofield also had a golden chance to make it 3-1, but luckily for City he lost his footing and blazed his shot out of the ground.

Moments later, Yeovil were awarded a penalty after Cole Skuse was adjudged to have impeded Ryan Mason’s run into the box. Mason dusted himself down to take the pen but Gerken guessed correctly, to his right, to keep City in the game.

Akinde wasted another glorious chance to level the scores before half-time, running onto Maynard’s perfectly weighted through ball only to choose the wrong option trying to round the keeper instead of lashing it home.

Big Jon made amends early in the second half though, luring Yeovil left-back Nathan Jones into a rash challenge that conceded a penalty. Half-time sub Danny Haynes, on for Maynard, immediately grabbed the ball and showed Mason how it’s done by thumping home straight down the middle to bring the scores level.

The two sides exchanged efforts on goal, with City sub Andre Blackman going close from the left-hand side.

But with fans freezing their balls off due to the blisteringly cold wind driving into their faces on the open terrace all game, up popped Tomlin to end our misery and win it at the death.

The former West Ham youngster twisted away from his marker to fire past Gerken from 12 yards and claim the scalp the locals seemed to want so much.

Yeovil (4-4-2): McCarthy, Alcock , Forbes, Caulker, Jones; Schofield (sub Terry 72), Mason, O’Callaghan, Welsh; Tomlin, Bowditch (sub McCollin 51).

City (3-5-2): Gerken; Carey, Nyatanga, Fontaine; Ribeiro (sub Edwards 75), Williams, Skuse, Hartley (sub Plummer 75), McIndoe (sub Blackman 70); Maynard (sub Haynes 46), Akinde.

Ref: Lee Probert (Bristol)
Enough chances to have won on another day
City started the brighter and could’ve been out of sight before Yeovil turned the tide. The home side were more up for it and out-battled the Robins in the midfield. Despite that, we created enough chances to have won the game which bodes well for the future.