Yeovil Town’s grip on life in the Championship was loosened strongly this afternoon as a goal six minutes into stoppage time gave Huddersfield a 2-1 win over Yeovil at Huish Park.
Nahki Wells’ seventh goal of the season put the Terriers ahead but the lead only lasted four minutes as Tom Lawrence smashed home a free kick from outside the box. But as Yeovil pushed eight or nine men forward searching for a winner, the visitors scored a heartbreaking winner through Adam Clayton’s close range finish.
The result leaves Yeovil six points from safety with two games remaining but a vastly inferior goal difference leaves Yeovil needing to win well against Brighton and Middlesbrough and hope Birmingham lose their last three matches to stay up.
Manager Gary Johnson made just one change to the starting line up that earned a goalless draw at Blackburn on Good Friday. Liam Davis dropped to the bench with Kevin Dawson coming in to take the right midfield berth.
Dawson was involved early on with his far post cross headed over by James Hayter who then went even closer with another header that came off the post. Tom Lawrence then imposed himself on the game with a whipped in cross that Terriers keeper Alex Smithies had to tip over.
Lawrence then had a golden chance to give Yeovil the lead but Smithies saved at his feet when clean through one on one. Joe Edwards then volleyed well wide on the half hour; with both sides giving the ball away in midfield, the nearest the Yorkshiremen came to scoring was a Danny Ward curler that went wide.
Huddersfield improved after the break, making an early forced change with Sean Scannell coming on for the crocked Ward who went off clutching his head after a nasty looking collision with Shane Duffy. Jonathan Hogg sliced two shots horribly wide within minutes of each other.
Edwards then shot wide with a volley that he was always stretching for and Lawrence was in the thick of the action again when his shot deflected off a Huddersfield backside and away for a corner.
All change on 67 minutes as Johnson threw the dice for the first time, throwing on Joel Grant and Matteo Lanzoni for Dawson and Joe Ralls. Lanzoni settled in at right back, releasing Ayling to play centre back and Byron Webster pushed up front alongside Hayter and Lawrence.
But within sixty seconds, Huddersfield broke and opened the scoring when Scannell crossed low and hard for Nahki Wells to tuck home at the back post.
Their lead lasted only four minutes though as Yeovil went on the attack straight away. Hayter was fouled on the edge of the box and Lawrence drove the ball firmly into the bottom corner via a deflection from Hogg.
The goal lifted the crowd, lifted the players and made for a terrific last twenty minutes or so. But on the pitch, Yeovil’s makeshift defence were seeing way too much of the ball as the visitors forced seven corners in the final quarter of the game. One final gamble saw Sam Foley replace Ruben Palazuelos but in truth, the Glovers weren’t troubling Smithies enough in a game that had to be won.
Marek Stech saved well from Scannell twice on counter attacks and McAllister blocked an effort from Adam Hammell with his back. Yeovil’s last desperate chance came from Hayter’s header from a Lawrence corner. Just as it appeared a point would be Yeovil’s scant reward for a toiling performance, yet another Huddersfield counter attack culminated in Adam Clayton lashing home to send the 500 travelling fans wild with joy.