1st February 2020

Yeovil Town could not overcome ten-man Chorley as the Glovers drew 1-1 with the league’s bottom side.

Conceding on the stroke of half time through Connor Hall, who was later sent off, offered the Magpies the advantage.

It would take 88 minutes for Yeovil to find a way back into the game, with Marc Richards turning the ball beyond Matt Urwin.

Ultimately, it was too little too late as Yeovil slipped to fourth in the National League.

Darren Sarll made four changes from our defeat against Woking.

Marc Richards returned to the forward line, with Liam O’Brien making his first league start since signing until the end of the season.

Craig Alcock would feature at right back, and Matt Worthington, who captained the County Cup side, also returning to the fold.

The changes would have a positive effect, with Town playing some nice football in Chorley’s half throughout the opening stages.

However, Yeovil’s fist chance would come from a Chorley mistake. Anthony Meppen-Walters misplaced pass found Rhys Murphy bombing into the box, but his chipped effort went narrowly over the bar.

Town would continue to pile on the pressure with M.Richards forcing a stop from Urwin in the 18th minute, following a well-placed cross from Myles Hippolyte.  

The Glovers would have a penalty shout waved away by the referee just minutes later as Murphy was seemingly tripped, but the referee was left unmoved.

Murphy would once again be involved in Yeovil’s attacking play, firing over in the 30th minute from just inside the box.

Continuing to mount pressure, Murphy would once again be tripped inside the box, but the referee would in fact give a free kick to Chorley, booking Murphy for simulation.

Completely against the run of play, it would be Chorley who in fact took the lead. A lapse in concentration allowed Hall through on goal to deftly place an effort past the returning O’Brien.

The second half saw Town turn on the pressure, hitting the crossbar just four minutes into the half through Dickinson’s free-kick.

Despite controlling the ball for large spells, the Green and Whites were restricted to efforts from distance, which Urwin was largely equal to.

The referee would offer Yeovil some hope, giving earlier goal scorer Hall his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card.

With the visitors down to ten, the Glovers had to flurry forward. However, this would be a stern test with Chorley setting up with six defenders.

It would take Yeovil until the 88th minute to break this backline down, with the ball bouncing dangerously in the box, after what seemed like an age, Richards eventually turned the ball home to offer the Glovers hope of snatching a winner.

That winner almost came, through Richards in stoppage time. The earlier goal scorer’s flicked header flew agonisingly wide of the post as the referee blew the final whistle just seconds later.

 

Yeovil Town: O’Brien; Alcock, Collins, Wilkinson, Alcock (Skendi); Lee, Hippolyte, Worthington (Duffus), Smith (Dagnall), Murphy, M.Richards.

Bookings: Hippolyte, Murphy.

Subs not used: Cann, C.Richards,

 

Chorley: Urwin, Challoner, Ross, Kay, Meppen-Walters, Duxbury, Cottrell, O’Keefe (Baines), Smith, Newby, Hall.

Bookings: Duxbury, O’Keefe, Hall (Red), Urwin.

Subs not used: Nortey, Newby, Holroyd, Blakemen.