Yeovil Town secured a third victory on the bounce with a 3-0 victory over Stockport County at Edgeley Park.
Charlie Wakefield’s first half goal opened the scoring for the Glovers. The first 45 minutes were a half that Yeovil Town were extremely effective, creating a number of openings and restricting their opposition to few.
The second half saw the Hatters reduced to ten men, with the Glovers capitalising through goals from Joe Quigley and substitute Adi Yussuf for an all round excellent away performance.
In almost polarising fashion to last season, Darren Sarll was able to name an unchanged side for the third game in a row. This meant Grant Smith remained in goal, whilst Dan Moss, Luke Wilkinson, Max Hunt and Jordan Barnett lined up at the back.
The midfield comprised of Dale Gorman and Josh Staunton in the deeper roles, whilst Tom Knowles and Wakefield flanked Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in the no.10 role. Quigley started up front on his own.
The opening stages saw the hosts enjoy a lot of the ball, but lacked any real cutting edge, only really threatening from set-pieces which Luke Wilkinson and Max Hunt were more than equal to.
After weathering the hosts’ spell of possession, Yeovil began to create chances of their own, with Lo-Everton influential to the most incisive attacks. Smart link-up between the Watford loanee and Wakefield released Town’s no.19 into the box but his effort was palmed wide by Hinchliffe.
Looking for a route ahead, the Glovers caused a number of problems from set-pieces, with the hosts relying on heroic clearances from Paddy Madden to ease the pressure.
In the 26th minute, the green and whites’ pressure told with Wakefield netting his first goal for the club. After Quigley battled brilliantly to win the ball, he found Lo-Everton who played a defence splitting pass into the channel for Wakefield to hammer home!
Trying to claw their way back into the game, Stockport thought they had weaved their way into the box for a shooting opportunity, but heroic defending from Hunt put a halt to Madden’s efforts.
The hosts struggled to get to grasps with Lo-Everton in the first half, as the Watford loanee once again sent a dangerous ball into the channel, this time finding Quigley who saw his drilled cross find it’s way to the back-post, but Staunton got too much under his effort, sending the ball over.
At the break Town held a deserved lead, and the hosts certainly had work to do. Looking for a way back into the game, the hosts had their best chance of the game less than a minute after the restart with Alex Reid heading wide after escaping his marker.
Despite Stockport’s best efforts, it would be the Glovers who added a second. After Knowles was fouled in almost identical fashion to the penalty he won against FC Halifax Town, Ash Palmer was given his marching orders and Quigley stepped up to fire his fifth goal of the season.
It should’ve been a sixth goal of the season for Quigley less than ten minutes later. Some intricate passing down the left wing released the towering forward who drove into the box and dragged his effort narrowly wide.
In fairness to Stockport, their efforts to find a route back into the game did not dwindle, with substitute Dunnwald-Turan finding himself clean through on goal, but he placed his effort well wide much to Smith’s relief.
On 79 minutes, former Glover Madden really should’ve pulled a goal back, after he capitalised on a lapse in concentration from Barnett, he found himself one-vs-one with Smith but the Yeovil Town no.1 did excellently to divert his effort.
Late in the day, substitute Yussuf was able to open his Yeovil Town account, latching onto a loose ball and expertly placing the ball beyond Hinchliffe to put the result beyond any doubt.
All in all, it was a memorable afternoon in Greater Manchester, with the Glovers securing a comfortable win against a much-fancied promotion favourite.
Yeovil Town: Smith; Moss, Wilkinson, Hunt, Barnett; Staunton, Gorman, Lo-Everton (Yussuf), Wakefield (Stephens), Knowles (Bradley); Quigley
Bookings: Knowles, Gorman, Smith
Subs not used: Evans, Williams
