8th February 2014

Yeovil Town slipped to their ninth home league defeat of the season when they lost by two goals to one against turmoil-ridden Leeds United.

Ishmael Miller gave his side a vital 32nd minute lead but then wasted a glorious chance to double the lead when he blazed a spot kick over just before half time. The let off seemed to boost the visitors and wind-assisted strikes from top scorer Ross McCormack and Stephen Warnock ensured all three points returned with the visitors to Yorkshire.

The conditions didn’t help the game one bit but it was an open spectacle with Brian McDermott’s team using the wind better and learning from their first half errors of clearing high instead of keeping the ball low.

Town manager Gary Johnson made two changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Nottingham Forest last Sunday. Joe Ralls was injured and James Hayter dropped to the bench to accommodate the returning Miller and Kevin Dawson.

The Glovers kicked with the wind behind them in the first half but it was star striker McCormack who had the first sight of goal but his rising effort cleared the bar by a foot. The Scot, with 21 goals in 28 games for the Whites,  was looking sharp and another effort skirted the post on fourteen minutes.

Kieffer Moore, himself in a good vein of scoring form,  had two efforts with both head and foot that went wide as both sides struggled to cope with the end-to-end wind that blew through Huish Park.

But Yeovil were enjoying the bulk of possession and deservedly took the lead just after the half hour mark. A corner was swung in from the left and Miller met it with a perfect glancing header to put the hosts in front, his fifth in ten matches.

The goal was then followed by Joel Grant inadvertently almost making it 2-0 when Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny’s clearance crashed off Grant’s back but flew harmlessly wide.

McCormack then had another sight of goal on forty minutes but his deft chip was too low and keeper Marek Stech caught the ball easily. Then, with the half time kettle whistling, the Glovers were handed the perfect opportunity to go in two up when Kevin Dawson was brought down inside the box. However Miller ran up and blasted the ball miles over the bar and out of the ground.

The second half started in nightmare fashion for Yeovil. Smarting from the penalty miss, they conceded within thirty seconds of the restart when Stech’s clearance held up in the wind. McCormack controlled the ball and hit a stunning shot back past the Czech keeper and into the top corner.

Stech then had to make a flying save to prevent the advantage switching to Leeds when he tipped the ball onto the crossbar from a ferocious Rodolpho Austin shot. The let off was only temporary though and United took the lead on the hour mark. Jamie McAllister conceded a free kick just inside his own half and from fully fifty yards, Stephen Warnock’s free kick sailed past everybody and into the net.

From then on, it looked more likely that the visitors would score next rather than Yeovil. Jimmy Kebe spooned over from close range but was rescued by the offside flag, McCormack curled a shot wide and Austin’s two long range shots were first blocked by Duffy and then flashed wide.

Moore was looking the more impressive striker up top and after almost losing the ball wide on the left during a break, he won it back and cut inside before his shot took a deflection and out for a corner.

In the last ten minutes, Johnson introduced Adam Morgan, Tom Lawrence and James Hayter for Grant, Dawson and Lundstram in a final throw of the dice to grab an equaliser but to no avail. In fact, Stech made another top drawer save to deny McCormack late on.