6th May 2013
Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Wembley, que sera sera!”
That was the deafening song resounding around Huish Park this afternoon as goals from Kevin Dawson and Ed Upson gave Yeovil a 2-0 win, 2-1 on aggregate, as the Glovers will make their second trip to Wembley in six years for the League One playoff final
Dawson had scored in the fourth minute to level the tie after being put through by James Hayter and after a match that ebbed and flowed with either team having the chances to claim a goal, it was an 85th header from Upson from Paddy Madden’s cross that sparked delirious scenes at the Park.
At the end, there was a pitch invasion by ecstatic Yeovil fans who celebrated wildly with their heroes and Town will have to wait until later this afternoon to find out whether they will meet Swindon Town or Brentford in the final at Wembley on May 19th.
All this leaves the Glovers just ninety minutes from playing Championship football next season after an energy-sapping performance in the sultry Huish Park heat in front of a season’s best crowd of 8,152 spectators.
Gary Johnson named an unchanged squad and subs bench for today’s second leg which saw Yeovil slightly unfortunate to be a goal down from Friday’s first leg. Chris Morgan, his Sheffield United counterpart, made two changes from the Bramall Lane side dropping Dave Kitson to the bench along with the injured Barry Robson and introducing Joe Ironside and Callum McFadzean to his starting line up.
If Johnson had dreamed about winning this game with an early goal, he could not have hoped for a better start. After Dan Burn had headed a corner wide, Yeovil took the lead in the game and tied the match on aggregate after four minutes. James Hayter played an exquisite through ball to Kevin Dawson and the Irishman slotted coolly home into the net for his third goal of the season.
Yeovil took on where they left off from Friday night plying the more composed football while United resorted to going long ball from the back but utilising the flanks through McFadzean and Kevin McDonald. In fact it was McDonald who had the Blades’ first two chances but he blazed one wide and one out of the ground.
Michael Doyle then forced a fingertip over the bar from Marek Stech on seventeen minutes and Jamie Murphy then saw one shot saved between the legs of Stech and another cracked against the crossbar as United looked to retake the lead again.
Jamie McAllister had a free kick deflected for a corner before Chris Porter headed his chance on to the roof of the net.
Porter was then denied twice by some desperate defensive blockages early in the second half and Paddy Madden twice went close with headers, the latter of which was following a terrific passing move involving McAllister, Dawson and Ayling.
Yeovil then appeared to be on the ropes a little for the next twenty minutes or so as time and again, they seemed to lose the ball and find themselves on the back foot. Murphy’s cross eluded everyone and went out for a throw before the chance of the match arrived at the other end. Hayter knocked the ball out wide to Foley who sent in a perfect left wing cross but Hayter nodded his chance wide.
Then in the 84th minute, came the moment all Yeovil fans had been waiting for. The atmosphere had lifted just a minute or two as the crowd got behind them when Paddy Madden in the right channel crossed and Ed Upson rose to head home sending the crowd into delirium. It was an iconic moment for both Ed, the fans and the club as they had just five minutes plus stoppage time to hold on.
Those final moments dragged like hours but Yeovil came closest to scoring when Madden pulled the ball back for Foley to smash inches wide of the near post.
When all is said and done, Yeovil were the better side over the two legs and deserve their berth in the Wembley final in thirteen days.