Yeovil Town moved up to ninth place in League One with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Leyton Orient at Huish Park this afternoon.
Two goals from Paddy Madden either side of a James Hayter close range finish gave the Glovers all three points against a side they face in the area semi final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy next week. The result also keeps the good run going and Gary Johnson’s men have now lost just one of their last six league games now as they continue their upward momentum towards the playoff positions.
Russell Slade’s men looked out of sorts at times and only time will tell whether today’s performance and result has any impact at all on the big cup fixture next week.
Johnson named an unchanged team again for the battle with the O’s, a match in which an away win would see the visitors leapfrog the hosts in the division. New signing Kevin Dawson was ineligible to play so the same eleven began the match for the third game running.
Yeovil were the better side in the opening stages and went close on eleven minutes after good interplay between Madden and Gavin Williams. The Irishman showed some neat control before spraying the ball wide to the Welshman who crossed into the box. Madden met the ball well with his head but his effort came off the underside of the crossbar and was gathered at the second attempt by keeper Jamie Jones.
The game took time to ignite but eventually, halfway through the first period, the chances started to come. Ed Upson pulled a shot wide from Jamie McAllister’s pass, Gavin Williams then set up Madden who shot over the crossbar and Byron Webster flicked a header wide after Williams had swung in a free kick.
It could have been worse for Orient had Dominic Blizzard connected with Webster’s flick on from a free kick and another O’s defender had to clear when Hayter set up Madden again for a cross into the danger zone.
The visitors’ Dean Cox, conducting all the set pieces and looking dangerous at times, lashed a shot wide of the post following his own corner while Ben Chorley headed straight at Stech and David Mooney miscued a shot from twelve yards that Stech gathered easily.
As half time approached, Yeovil finally took the lead. The ball was played down the left flank for the tireless Hayter to run on to and his ball back into the middle was finished with the side of his foot by Madden for goal number eight of the season.
The striker then almost set up McAllister for an immediate second but the left winger lost control as he went round the keeper and the Glovers again almost added another when Stech released Madden with a quick goal kick. The front man outpaced the covering defender but shot at Jones.
The second half began with Orient a little better but the majority of the chances were falling to players in green and white shirts. Madden pulled a shot wide from Dan Burn’s header but the second goal soon arrived with an hour gone. Williams played a one two with Blizzard wide on the right who was fouled as he played the ball but ref Simon Hooper played advantage and Williams’ cross was slid home at the near post by Hayter, a goal that took the ex-Bournemouth forward into double figures for the season.
Leon McSweeney shot wide and Cox fired at Stech as the O’s looked for a way back into the match but after Lloyd James’ shot was cleared off the line by Richard Hinds, the Glovers went three up with seventeen minutes remaining. Madden hassled Chorley into a dreadful back pass which the Irishman intercepted and coolly slotted past the helpless Jones for his ninth of the season.
Johnson responded to the match winning goal by taking off Williams, McAllister and Hayter and giving game time to Sam Foley, Reuben Reid and Gozie Ugwu in the last quarter hour but the changes didn’t affect the overall mood of the game and the sides swopped chances in the final few moments; Reid twice calling Jones into action and Michael Symes heading straight at Stech in stoppage time.a
