Town 1 Yeovil 0

Aug 14 2007 By Dougie Thomson

TOWN claimed their first opening-day win in three years and only their third in a decade, but had to work hard for it.

Luke Beckett’s well-taken 17th-minute header made the difference between two teams who struggled to find any real fluency.

Andy Ritchie’s side were unable to put a disjointed game to bed, and could well have paid the price with 10 minutes remaining.

Lloyd Owusu played a neat one-two with former Town favourite Marcus Stewart, but with time, space and two supporting colleagues, could only poke the ball tamely at a grateful-looking Matt Glennon.

“It was a marvellous opportunity to get back into the game,” reflected Yeovil manager Russell Slade.

“But for some reason he was stretching for the ball rather than being composed and relaxed.

“I think he’ll find he’s disappointed that he didn’t finish better.”

Slade also reflected ruefully on a 59th-minute chance for Marvin Williams, although the close-season signing from Millwall’s inability to bring some cheer to the 501 travelling fans in a 9,876 crowd was more down to a brave block by Joe Skarz rather than his own profligacy.

While the visiting boss didn’t mention Town’s 46th-minute escape, Glennon deserves praise for his smart reactions in smothering a Paul Warne effort as the ex-Oldham man broke through seconds after the restart.

Town were by no means on the back foot throughout the second period, but their best work was certainly done before the break.

They had to withstand a couple of early Yeovil attempts as Owusu’s flicked header from Anthony Barry’s second-minute free-kick was held before Glennon also dealt with Stewart’s nodded effort with 11 minutes gone.

Town were unable to make much of a promising 12th-minute free-kick, awarded for Williams’ foul on Chris Brandon, who came in for the injured Danny Cadamarteri and produced a lively display.

But when they did manage to produce an effort on target, it ended up in the back of giant keeper Steve Mildenhall’s net.

Brandon linked up well with Danny Schofield, who was a close-season target of Yeovil and showed why they were interested by whipping in a lovely cross from the left which Beckett gleefully nodded home.

Last season’s 15-goal top scorer had looked sharp throughout the friendlies, scoring six times, and this was a great way to start the campaign proper.

Yeovil looked a little wobbly for a spell, and two minutes later, Schofield’s low cross towards Beckett was hacked away by Scott Guyett before, on 22 minutes, another sweeping centre just evaded the lunging Brandon.

Meanwhile new boy Malvin Kamara was causing the visitors problems down the right.

And when he was felled by Nathan Jones in the 33rd minute, Skarz’s quickly-taken free-kick almost bore fruit, with Schofield’s shot on the turn at the near post being frantically blocked.

Warne shot narrowly over in the 43rd minute while the man most grateful to hear the half-time whistle must have been Terrell Forbes.

The Yeovil defender was caught what might best be described as amidships by Schofield’s goalbound 44th-minute drive, bringing tears to the eyes of every male in the ground!