For any team to improve changes are inevitable. At Yeovil Gary Johnson has made those changes both in personel, tactics and mentality and yesterday at Whaddon Road Yeovil gained a point from a match that perhaps without those changes they would have lost again just like last season.

The manager started with the same line up that started the second half against Swansea and showed such enterprise and attacking flair. That meant Gavin Williams and Andrejs Stolcers starting and Bartosz Tarachulski and Kevin Gall dropping back to the bench.

In a furious start the home side created the first chance when Guinan nearly set up Damien Spencer but Chris Weale was up to the shot and turned it around for a corner.
Paul Terry had Yeovil's first real chance when he picked up a pass from Gavin Williams and fired in a shot but Higgs in the home goal turned that too around the post for a corner.

It was end to end stuff but Yeovil were having to cope with the long ball tactics of John Ward's side and Chris Weale in particular was having to be alert to Higgs bombing the ball straight into his box at every opportunity.

As the half hour approached the rain arrived and whether that had any effect on the team is unlikely but it certainly helped the home side who took the lead.

A foul on the left went unpunished by the M.I.B. as he tried to play the advantage but the ball fell quickly to Devaney. His cross was launched in the danger area and Guinan glanced his header past Chris Weale to claim his first goal for Cheltenham since his move from Hereford.

Yeovil these days are made of sterner stuff and they immediately countered and it took only four minutes for The Glovers to strike back.

Gavin Williams picked up the ball in midfield and carefully flighted an exquisite ball over the Cheltenham back four for Darren Way to float his header over the top of a stranded Higgs to level the scores. It was no more than Yeovil deserved though as both Williams and Stolcers had worked tirelessly up front to create some openings.

Yeovil were unlucky not to have gone into the lead when first our new Latvian International Stolcers went close with a header and then Gavin Williams set up Phil Jevons in a similar fashion.

As half time approached and the rain stopped McCann went close for the home side with a free kick that fizzed just wide.

Half Time: Cheltenham Town 1 Yeovil Town 1

Cheltenham started the better in the second half when Finnigen went close when he hit the post and then danger man Guinan was also unlucky but Yeovil held firm.
Spencer and Guinan were causing the Yeovil defence problems but Fontaine and Skiverton were equal to them and held firm to allow the Yeovil attack to start to get on top.

For about twenty minutes Yeovil controlled the game but that vital breakthrough just wouldn't come. Jevons went close as did Stolcers and with Gavin Williams pulling the strings Yeovil were a threat but the vital last ball just didn't happen.

Devaney and Gunian were a constant threat on the breakaway and went close a couple of times but Yeovil were definitely in the ascendancy. Manager Johnson decided to make a change and brought on Polish striker Tarachulski to replace Andrejs Stolcers up front.

Little changed though so when Fontaine picked up a knock Gary Johnson went for broke and brought on attacking midfielder Adrian Caceres for the injured defender with instructions to get around the back of the Cheltenham defence.

But try as he might Caceres was unable to get the better of the Robins back line which was aided by the small pitch.
Odajayi came on for Guninan and nearly caught Yeovil on the break as The Glovers pushed forward but fortunately

Darren Way made a last ditch tackle to avert the danger.
Jevons had a late chance but Higgs smothered the shot but in all honesty a winner to either side would have been a bit of a travesty and a draw a fair result.

Perhaps the main thing to take out of the game is that this Yeovil side has a spine of steel through the middle of it and will not lie down easily as this result and the victory at Notts. County have proved. Draws away and victory at home has always been the recipe for success so lets hope Yeovil can continue this present run.

Full Time: Cheltenham Town 1 Yeovil Town 1

Sat 11th Sept 2004, 3pm kick-off.

Conditions: Warm with the threat of showers

Pitch: Perfect but small

Scorers: Steve Guinan (25), Darren Way (29)

Attendance: 3,966

Referee: Tony Leake (Lancashire)
Assistants: Tony Horton (West Midlands); Jim Hubbard (Leicestershire)

Bookings:
Yeovil: None
Cheltenham: None

Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
1. Chris Weale 14. Roy O\'Brien 4. Terry Skiverton 25. Liam Fontaine 3. Michael Rose
7. Paul Terry 8. Lee Johnson 6. Darren Way 20. Gavin Williams 11. Phil Jevons 27. Andrejs Stolcers

Subs: 5. Colin Miles 9. Kevin Gall 10. Adrian Caceres (76, for Fontaine) 13. Steven Collis (GK) 18. Bartosz Tarachulski (61, for Stolcers)

Cheltenham Town : (4-4-2)
1. Shane Higgs 15. Jeremy Gill 4. Shane Duff 6. Michael Taylor 3. Jamie Victory 2. Brian Wilson 8. John Finnigan 11. Grant McCann 7. Martin Devaney 10. Damian Spencer 9. Stephen Guinan

Subs: 12. Scott Brown (GK) 14. David Bird 16. Graham Fyfe 17. Kayode Odejayi (73, for Guinan) 18. Ashley Vincent