By Marcus Duncomb
Yeovil fell to late defeat against Torquay United who completed a late turnaround to take the three points in a tight affair.
After a quiet first-half Jordan Barnett provided a moment of magic in the 66th minute with a 35-yard screamer to give Yeovil the lead.
Torquay equalised in the 75th minute directly from corner through Connor Lemonheigh-Evans who went on to provide the assist for Dan Holman’s 90th minute winner.
Following a comprehensive 3-0 defeat on Boxing Day at Plainmoor, Darren Sarll made four changes to the starting XI. Dillon Barnes made his debut in goal replacing the suspended Grant Smith and the back four comprised of Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Josh Staunton and Jack Robinson.
Jordan Barnett, Dale Gorman and Matt Worthington made up the midfield trio while Tom Knowles returned to the side to join Charlie Wakefield and Adi Yussuf in the front three.
The first chance of the game went Yeovil’s way in the seventh minute when Knowles hurled a long throw into the box which caused trouble and was just about headed clear by the Torquay defence.
In the twentieth minute, Knowles fired with his left foot from just outside the box. His effort was deflected twice and just managed to be kept out by the legs of Shaun MacDonald.
The first half hour was an unusually quiet affair with Torquay having their first chance of note in the 28th minute when Joe Felix rose highest to head just wide of the post.
After a good spell of possession in Yeovil’s half, Asa Hall sweetly struck a volley from 25 yards out, but the captain’s effort went wide.
Knowles was looking lively for the Glovers in the first half and the winger unleashed a venomous effort from outside the box which went inches over the crossbar.
On the hour mark Joe Quigley, back from injury, laid off a ball to Tom Knowles whose left -footed effort went into the Thatchers stand.
The deadlock was eventually broken in the 66th minute when Jordan Barnett made the roof come off. The ball was bouncing 35 yards out and the midfielder struck it on the half-volley right into the top corner giving MacDonald absolutely no chance.
Yeovil used the momentum to keep going forward and in the 68th minute Sonny Blul Lo-Everton had a low effort smothered by MacDonald.
Barnes had a quiet debut up until the 74th minute when he was called into action to make a brilliant save from what looked like a certain goal from Lemonheigh-Evans. From the resulting corner Lemonheigh-Evans’ delivery went over every player and curled into the back of the net to equalise.
In the 82nd minute substitute Dan Holman had a snapshot from a very tight angle which beat Barnes but trickled past the post as well.
The game was opening up by this point with frequent chances at either end and the rain was absolutely lashing down.
In the 90th minute Lemonheigh-Evans provided for the winner as he scooped the ball over the whole Yeovil defence to Holman who finished expertly to make it 2-1.
Yeovil Town: Barnes; Williams (Reid), Hunt, Staunton, Robinson; Barnett, Gorman, Worthington (Lo-Everton); Knowles, Yussuf (Quigley), Wakefield.
Subs not used: Evans, Bradley.
