Yeovil Town slipped to their first defeat in ten home league games as they lost by two goals to nil to Swindon Town tonight.
A penalty from former Glovers loanee Adam Rooney and top scorer James Collins gave Kevin MacDonald’s side a big boost as the Robins moved up to third place in the League One table. The home side dropped out of the playoff zone though they have games in hand on the two sides immediately above them in the top six.
It was a disappointing end to the run although Swindon, including former Town striker Andy Williams, were good value for their win and had the majority of possession though chances were equal until the goal, a spot kick awarded after home keeper Marek Stech had brought down Gary Roberts in the box. The second goal came as the hosts pushed forward searching for a leveller only to see sub Collins break away and finish past Stech into the corner.
Home boss Gary Johnson made just one change to the side that drew two apiece with Crawley last Tuesday, Gavin Williams coming in for Ben Gordon in left midfield. Both of yesterday’s new loan acquisitions, Jordan Cook from Charlton and Brighton’s Vitalijs Maksimenko started on the bench after just a couple of training sessions with the team.
Referee Keith Stroud, never afraid to show a card or two, showed nine tonight, the first of which was to Gavin Williams on thirty seconds for a high challenge on Nathan Thompson. Stech then held a shot from Williams on two minutes, gathering his shot down low.
Joe Edwards had Yeovil’s first chance but he hooked over the crossbar from Jamie McAllister’s clipped ball in and both Paddy Madden and James Hayter had chances that were blocked or went over. The rest of the half was punctuated by several yellow cards for players from both sides as referee Stroud showed a level of inconsistency, one such incident saw Gavin Williams poleaxed with a knee to the head that went unpunished with a card.
Simon Ferry curled a shot well wide as Swindon closed the half ahead on chances but they started in the same vein with Alan McCormack blasting over and also having a goal disallowed for a foul on a Yeovil defender in the build up
McAllister and Gavin Williams were off the field by the hour mark, Gordon and Jordan Cook replacing them and as the pressure built, Stech produced a blinding save after Adam Rooney had flicked a shot from Roberts’ cross. Stech then punched out to McCormack who fired well over and he then saved brilliantly from Swindon top scorer and sub James Collins.
The reprieve was brief though and Yeovil fell behind with fourteen minutes remaining. Gary Roberts broke into the left channel of the penalty box and went down under a challenge from Marek Stech, referee Stroud pointing to the spot and Adam Rooney smashing the spot kick home.
Madden poked a shot at Foderingham on eighty minutes and Hayter then shot wide after a clever one-two just outside the box but after four more cautions, Swindon sealed the three points with a breakaway goal right on the 95th minute. McCormack broke through the middle and fed Collins to his right who finished into the opposite corner for his sixteenth goal of the season.
