11th August 2015

Yeovil Town exited the Capital One Cup at the first round stage after Queens Park Rangers completed a comfortable 3-0 win at Huish Park tonight.

First half goals from Sebastian Polter and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas gave the R’s a two goal advantage at half time and a third from Nedum Onuoha on 55 minutes sealed the game. The Glovers improved in the second half and Stephen Arthurworrey hit the crossbar with a header but the game at times was all too easy for the Londoners who were in the Premier League a few short months ago.

Yeovil boss Paul Sturrock made four changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Exeter City on Saturday. Chris Weale, Wes Fogden and Mark Beck all dropped to the bench while Ryan Dickson didn’t make the sixteen man squad at all. Instead, the manager opted for Artur Krysiak, Iffy Allen, Jakub Sokolik and Bournemouth loanee Harry Cornick.

The first ten minutes were all about the visitors keeping the ball comfortably and Yeovil struggling for possession. Yet it was the home side that had the first chance when Allen curled a shot well wide of the target. But it was only four minutes on when the R’s took the lead. Arthurworrey was caught a little flat footed and Sebastian Polter muscled past him and shot left footed, the ball taking a deflection and looping over Krysiak.

Three minutes later and it was 2-0 thanks to some great work on the right from Cole Kpekawa. A smart piece of skill earned him a few yards of space to get in a cross that flashed across the box and was finished well at the far stick by Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

Most of QPR’s first half chances came from Matt Phillips corners with Nedum Onuoha heading well wide and Matt Dolan clearing another header from Polter off the line.  Emmanuel-Thomas spurned an opportunity to kill the game with a left foot shot that was well wide of goal and Oscar

Gobern’s effort was equally off target as the half closed.

Yeovil started the second half much brighter and former England keeper Rob Green was called on to make a brilliant save four minutes in from a Dolan thunderbolt. From the ensuing corner, Arthurworrey headed onto the crossbar, the ball bouncing twice before landing on the roof of the net.

Just as Yeovil seemed to be harbouring hopes of a comeback , the killer third goal arrived from an unlikely source. From another Phillips corner, the ball bounced around following a mishit shot by Gobern and Onuoha pounced to lash in from ten yards out.

Marc Laird limped off on the hour with a hamstring injury with Jamie Burrows coming on. Michael Doughty and Gobern were both close and Emmanuel-Thomas tested Krysiak with a swerving shot that the Pole did well to parry.

Rangers used all three of their subs as the game wore on and the final of them, Junior Hoilett, came closest to adding a fourth with a rasping shot that whistled over the bar. After Yeovil sub Mark Beck headed wide from a Connor Roberts cross, man of the match Nathan Smith almost grabbed a late consolation with a superb effort that Green tipped away at full stretch for a corner.