An incredible game at Huish Park saw a second half horror show pile pressure on Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper as his side capitulated to defeat against Gateshead.
The Glovers turned in a scintillating first half performance and goals from Josh Sims, Junior Morias and Harvey Greenslade put them 3-0 ahead and seemingly cruising towards three points at half-time.
But when the visitors’ Kyle Hurst pulled one back just a minute after the restart, Yeovil started to crumble. The inevitable goal from former Glovers’ favourite Frank Nouble followed before substitute Kain Adom pulled the visitors’ level as chants of “We want Cooper out” rang around the stadium.
Then in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Adom struck the winner as Cooper disappeared down the tunnel with many supporters following him out of the stadium.
An first half which was unbelievable and showed what Yeovil can be, a second half which was unacceptable and showed what we all too often have been.
First half
The highlight of the team news was a Glovers’ side with a genuine back four in defence for the first time in living memory – if you were born in the past couple of years at least! Alex Whittle returned at left back with loanee Byron Pendleton on the right and Jake Wannell and Morgan Williams in the centre of defence ahead of Jed Ward.
For the visitors, a very familiar face lined up in the forward line as Frank Nouble made his first return to Huish Park – in a playing capacity at least – leading the line for Gateshead.
In the fourth minute, Yeovil broke forward with James Plant bursting in to the box and went down under pressure from a Gateshead defender. No real appeals from the Yeovil players and nothing given by the referee Harry Wager.
There was a worrying moment shortly after when Josh Sims went down in the middle of the pitch with no-one around him, but the midfielder who collected his ceremonial sack of potatoes for being the club’s first scorer of the season ahead of the match was quickly back on his feet.
The attacking intent which was present for periods of the defeat at Braintree was consistently there with Yeovil suffocating the visitors at every opportunity.
A back pass to visiting keeper Harvey Shelvey saw him attempt to pass it out and Junior Morias intercepted and powered in to the box before laying it across to Josh SIMS who smashed home from close range. At Braintree on Saturday, gilt edged chances were not taken by Yeovil, at Huish Park they took the first one which came their way.
Josh Sims celebrates putting Yeovil Town in front against Gateshead. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.
The pressure continued with Greenslade getting away down the right side after 27 minutes. He flashed one over the bar with Sims and Morias arriving inside the area.
Gateshead did not seem to know what to do about Yeovil and amazingly given how this season had gone, it was the home side who looked more likely to score and just before the half-hour mark they did.
Great play by Brett McGavin in the middle of the park saw him release Greenslade who laid it off to Junior MORIAS on the left side of the box. The stocky frontman beat his defender and leathered it in to the net. Ruthless.
Two goals to the good and seemingly cruising, there was no sign of Yeovil sitting back and on 42 minutes they added a third. A move which started with a great interception by Luke McCormick allowed McGavin to set Sims away down the right, he beat his defender and fired in a shot which Shelvey stopped but could not hold and it broke to Harvey GREENSLADE who smashed it home.
Wow, just wow. Where has this Yeovil Town been this season?! Who cares, more of the same, please. A genuine joy to watch going forward and that back four has not looked troubled at all.
Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Gateshead 0
Second half
Gateshead made two changes at half-time with goalkeeper Harvey Shelvey replaced by Tiernan Brooks and Kain Adom replacing Josh Home.
The visitors got the best start they could as they pulled a goal back within three minutes of the restart. Kyle HURST was picked out in acres of space on the edge of the box and he curled a superb shot in to the far corner past a stranded Jed Ward.
Ten minutes after the restart, loan striker Ben Wodskou, who got the winner last time out at Huish Park, replaced James Plant.
On 58 minutes, the most inevitable part of the afternoon happened as Frank NOUBLE got a goal against his old side. A corner whipped in to the near post was met by a Gateshead head, and the attempted clearance landed at the feet of Nouble who rifled it home. There were words exchanged with Yeovil manager Mark Cooper and his former frontman as he ran back for the restart.
There were further changes for the home side with Finn Cousin-Dawson replacing McGavin and Tahvon Campbell replacing Morias.
A great opportunity for Yeovil to grow their advantage fell to McCormick on the hour mark. Morias and Sims both tried to bring a bouncing ball under control inside the box, the Gateshead clearance went as far as McCormick whose shot was stopped by Brooks. Great chance to ease the nerves.
Yeovil were indebted to goalkeeper Jed Ward who denied the visitors an opportunity to get an equaliser with a close range finish after 63 minutes. In the 70th minute, Adom flicked one just wide after another goal mouth scramble and there are a lot of nervous voices inside Huish Park.
Then in the 73rd minute, the equaliser came. A ball hooked in to the box was not dealt with by the Yeovil defence, Ward came to the edge of his box to try and meet it and Kain ADOM lifted it deftly over the keeper and Morgan Williams could not get it off the line.
Frank Nouble ‘has a word’ with the Yeovil bench on his way back after the equaliser.
The first chants of “We want Cooper out” come out of the Thatcher’s Stand. The mood has gone as sour as the performance from Yeovil.
With five minutes remaining, Wodskou had a golden opportunity to put Yeovil ahead again after Campbell threaded him in to the box but the Birmingham City youngster did not get a clean connection on it. A great opportunity spurned and two minutes later, visiting substitute Max Sheaf had an equally glorious one but he headed Adom’s cross straight at Ward who was able to parry it.
Moments later it was Greenslade who Yeovil were indebted to as Sheaf’s effort on goal deflected off Williams, looped over Ward and was headed in to the far corner before the forward got back to head it away.
The difference for Yeovil in these two halves have been night and day. The early goal from Gateshead left us completely shell-shocked and we have disappeared inside ourselves in exactly the same way that the visitors were in the first half. As good as the opening 45 minutes were, the second 45 minutes were worst.
But, just when you thought it could not get worse, it did. Eight minutes in to second half stoppage time another ball in the box broke to Nouble and then the substitute Kain ADOM who lashed home the winner. Mark Cooper has gone straight down the tunnel and a huge percentage of the Huish Park crowd and joining him in departing. I wonder if we’ll see either of them back anytime soon.
Honestly, I am lost for words. Unforgivable. Unacceptable. Something has got to change – and I think even the most ardent ‘Cooper in’ supporter will struggle to defend that.
Full time: Yeovil Town 3 Gateshead 4
Match Details
Venue: Huish Park
Date: Monday 24th August, 3pm kick-off
Competition: National League Premier Division
Scorers: Josh Sims 17 (1-0), Junior Morias 29 (2-0), Harvey Greenslade 42 (3-0), Kyle Hurst 46 (3-1), Frank Nouble 58 (3-2), Kain Adom 73 (3-3), Kain Adom 90+8 (3-4)
Pitch: Looking magnificent
Conditions: Hot and sunny
Attendance: 2,799 (45 away supporters)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Unnamed 62, Unnamed 71, Kyle Ferguson 83
Gateshead: Frank Nouble 66, Callum Johnson 83, Kenton Richardson 90+5
Referee: Harry Wager
Yeovil Town (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Ben Wodskou (for James Plant, 55), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Brett McGavin, 65), Tahvon Campbell (for Junior Morias, 65), Kyle Ferguson (for Josh Sims, 79), Charlie Cooper (not used), Aaron Jarvis (not used), Matt Gould (not used).
Gateshead: George Shelvey (for Tiernan Brooks, 46), Connor Pani, Kenton Richardson, David Ferguson, Kyle Hurst, Max Melbourne (for Callum Johnson, 25), Josh Home (for Kain Adom, 46), Will Flint, Harry Chapman, Fenton John, Frank Nouble.
Substitutes (not used): Max Sheaf, Ethan Fitzhugh, Ben Williams, Callum Bone.