Match report: Yeovil Town 0, Cheltenham Town 0

NATIONWIDE LEAGUE DIVISION THREE

YEOVIL TOWN 0, CHELTENHAM TOWN 0

STEVE SOWDEN REPORTS FROM HUISH PARK

IT was somewhat strange that there was not a massed exodus of supporters during the half-time interval at Huish Park on Saturday following a terrible 45 minutes of football which saw Yeovil Town rarely look like a team pushing for a play-off spot in the Nationwide League Division Three table.

But the Yeovil supporters in the 6,613-strong crowed stayed hoping, and probably expecting, a far better display from the Glovers in the second period. Unfortunately their hopes did not come to fruition and by the end of this 0-0 bore draw they were strangely pleased and somewhat shocked that their team had ended the day with a point.

It was arguably Yeovil's worst performance of the season; in fact it was probably the poorest league display seen at home for many a year. In truth it was simply awful and lacked anything purposeful. And even I, being ever the optimist and one who harks on about 'keeping the faith', found it so tedious that a possible half-time trip to the nearby Arrow sounded quite appealing.

But I stayed and watched and winced and looked to the sky for inspiration as Yeovil trudged on during a terrible second period that had no imagination, sparkle or urgency.

It was not the game that inspired anything wondrous to write about.

And, to be fair, Cheltenham Town must have left Somerset frustrated that they had not picked up all three points as they were by far the better of the two teams having come to Huish Park with a well-worked game plan designed to stop Yeovil playing their neat and passing football.

It seemed that Yeovil boss Gary Johnson was on the same wavelength and admitted so to the press pack following the boring afternoon of 'entertainment.'

"It was a very, very poor performance by us and we have to hold our hands up sometimes and admit that," he said.

"How we got a point I do not know. They obviously set out for a point, but because we kept giving the ball away they nearly earned three points.

"They had more open chances than we did, but it was a poor performance. I've got a decent squad, but on the day not too many came out with flying colours.

"I will not be cutting my wrist just yet, but it was a very, very poor performance. We have not had many games here like that this season.

"Even when we have lost we have usually played quite well, but I like to be entertained and today I wasn't."

Goalkeeper Steve Collis once again earned his wages with another great display, while defensive substitutes Hugo Rodrigues and Stephen Reed both did well when brought into the fray in the opening half.

Yeovil's lack-lustre display rubbed off on the crowd and the atmosphere inside the ground was noticeably sombre. The whole game did not have the feel of a West Country derby.

Johnson said: "I think we looked a bit tired today, but I also think Cheltenham did well with their game plan.

"You have to work a little bit harder to deal with that game plan and you have got to have a little bit of quality as well. When the quality comes out then the legs come back.

"But I thought our body language was really poor and at half-time my body language showed them exactly what I felt about their body language!"

Cheltenham boss, the experienced John Ward, said he would have taken a point from the game if it had been offered to him prior to kick-off.

But he added: "I was disappointed we didn't go on and win the game. We wanted to win this game just as much as Gary Johnson did.

"Yeovil are desperate to get into the top seven in the league and we were expecting a busy afternoon. But we stopped Yeovil's football and they became more direct.

"I thought John Brough and Michael Duff did very well for us in defence today."

Cheltenham looked the brighter of the two sides throughout with Grant McCann in midfield and Damian Spencer up front causing plenty of problems for Yeovil who had to re-group when Adam Lockwood was subbed for tactical reasons and then fellow defender Colin Pluck's withdrew due to a back injury.

It was not the sort of performance Yeovil would have wanted with their play-off hopes still hanging by a fine thread and with a game at Boston United coming two days later.

Johnson mistakenly said he would use the 'next 48 days' rather than the 'next 48 hours' to sort out his players.

But having realised his error he then sarcastically said: "I could probably do with the next 48 days."

But despite Johnson's tongue-in-cheek remark there was possibly some truth hidden behind it. Although a place in the play-offs and possible promotion to Division Two is still not impossible, another season in Division Three for Johnson to develop and build a stronger squad for next season might be the best way forward for the Glovers.