A superb double from Ishmael Miller gave Yeovil Town a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Huish Park this afternoon.
Miller’s goals either side of half time, the second a fantastic curling strike from outside the box, extended the Glovers unbeaten run to five matches in a spell that has seen only two goals conceded. The win was fully deserved over a disappointing Wednesday side who then lost Sam Hutchinson late on for two yellow cards.
However other results went against Yeovil with Millwall, Barnsley and Doncaster all recording victories but the win also means that the home side move up a place to 22nd in the Skybet Championship.
Boss Gary Johnson was forced into two changes having lost the services of both Joe Ralls and Kieffer Moore after their red cards last week. Ishmael Miller returned from injury to deputise for Moore while Ruben Palazuelos came in for his first start.
Marek Stech was largely a spectator for much of the game but he had to be alert to parry a fierce left foot shot from Jacques Maghoma on six minutes. From the subsequent Jeremy Helan cross, Gary Gardner flicked a header wide.
Tom Lawrence, who caused his right back problems all afternoon let fly from 25 yards with an effort that went wide and Miller’s first attempt on goal was held easily by on-loan Arsenal keeper Damian Martinez. The big striker then had the ball in the net on fifteen minutes but was ruled out for offside, one of many such decisions this afternoon due to a well run Owls offside trap.
James Hayter then could have put the Glovers ahead but he couldn’t get any contact on to a dropping ball as the game settled into a quite entertaining encounter. Midfielder Giles Coke’s shot took a deflection to go for a corner but iwas really a rare chance for an Owls attack led tirelessly by ex-Glovers loanee Leon Best but without support from his team mates.
Just after the half hour mark, Duane Holmes went close with an effort that took a deflection off a visiting defender after both Hayter and Palazuelos had seen shots blocked. But on forty minutes the opener came. A cross into the box was cushioned by Palazuelos into the path of Miller six yards out and he gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net.
The goal would have changed Wednesday boss Stuart Gray’s team talk moments later but whatever he said would have been rendered invalid by the second goal on fifty minutes. Miller was played in down the left channel, dragged the ball on to his left foot and bent a delicious strike into the far corner past Martinez. It was a fantastic goal and makes it seven goals in thirteen games for the forward.
Gray made a double sub straight after with Chris Maguire and Gardenr going off and Atdhe Nuhiu & Jermaine Johnson coming on.
Yeovil thought they could have had a penalty on the hour when Lawrence was brought down in the box but ref Darren Sheldrake gave nothing. Yeovil were by now playing the better football and limiting Wednesday to lifting high crosses into the box that were meat and drink to the impressive Yeovil back four.
Holmes and Miller went off in the middle part of the second period with Joel Grant and Kevin Dawson replacing them. Dawson went well wide with a dipping volley and Wednesday went close when Glenn Loovens headed a bouncing cross over the bar.
On 84 minutes, Sam Hutchinson cynically brought down Hayter in the centre circle earning himself a yellow card; it was Hayter’s last contribution as he went off and was replaced by Adam Morgan. Then, in the last minute of normal time, Chelsea loanee Hutchinson went in late on Morgan and was given a second yellow and subsequent red for a needless challenge.
Loovens was then booked as Wednesday’s frustrations began to boil over but after five minutes of stoppage time, Yeovil could celebrate all three points and can look forward to Tuesday night and the visit of Ipswich Town to Huish Park.