Saturday 24th. September 2005 AJ! After Johnson as we'll call it!. Could things possibly ever be the same again after Gary Johnson?
Well it took a while with a few problems along the way, but in the end both the result and the performance were forthcoming to give Steve Thompson a winning start to his third time in the hot seat at Yeovil Town.
After a traumatic couple of days Steve Thompson's first team selection only showed one change with Kevin Gall out injured and Arron Davies stepping in.
Port Vale came to the table with oodles of experience and it didn't take too long to realise attacking instincts were far from their top priority.
Surprisingly though, it was Vale who started the better and as early as the third minute Collins headed onto the bar, but Yeovil hit back quickly and won a free kick although the chance was wasted.
Phil Jevons was next to try but his chance was headed clear but after 12 minutes Pablo Bastianini set up Arron Davies for a chance that Davies volleyed over.
As a spectacle the game didn't reach the heights of the Millwall game, with for the most part, both defences reigning supreme.
For Yeovil Skiverton and Sodje looked immense with Melono looking solid at left back. This allowed Kevin Amankwaah the licence to burst up field time and again on the right and with Nathan Jones providing an outlet further up the field some accurate passing was causing Port Vale problems.
Far too often though there was no end product after good build-up play. Too often in the past these sort of games have seen a smash and grab raid in the last few minutes but on the evidence of the first half Vale didn't look capable of that.
Half Time: Yeovil Town 0 Port Vale 0
Yeovil started the second half well and Amankwaah was beginning to revel in the space that Vale were giving him.
Time and again his runs caused havoc with only desperate defending in numbers keeping Yeovil out.
Bastianini had a shot blocked and cleared for a corner and then he shot over the bar from the corner.
The game came to a boil just before the hour when first Arron Davies had a shot saved by Goodland in the Vale goal and then a minute later Melono was sent off with a straight red card for a tackle on Lowndes.
That it was a foul was not in doubt, but a straight red card seemed very harsh and Steve Thompson will be considering an appeal.
Yeovil had to adapt now to the sending off and Thompson brought on Matty Harrold to replace Pablo Bastianini in the hope of giving the Vale defence a new set of problems.
With virtually his first real play Harrold made that difference and laid the ball off beautifully for Arron Davies but his shot went over from 30 yards.
Despite being a man short Yeovil were at last beginning to get up a head of steam and in the 84th. minute a pass from Johnson to Amankwaah set up the Yeovil goal.
Amankwaah's pace and control took him past Abbey and his cross in field was met by Harrold who calmly shot past Goodland to sink Vale's chances.
With five minutes to go the game was all but up for Vale and although Weale was troubled slightly at the end Yeovil held firm to secure their third league win of the season.
It was a typically gutsy performance from Yeovil and will have done no damage to Steve Thompson's aspirations of becoming Yeovil Town manager.
Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Port Vale 0
Steve Thompson's after match Press Comments
Steve, you left it late, but a win in the end and three priceless points.
" Yes, a very important three points. For the three points themselves because of our league position and also because of the mental and psychological aspect of it, because it was the first game without Gary being here. All three points are important but this three points today was even more important than normal."
I hope you don't mind me saying that it wasn't an overly entertaining game. Both sides tended to cancel each other out I think.
"Yes, I'd agree with that - it wasn't an overly entertaining game. But the effort from the lads was absolutely magnificent. To go down to ten men for the second time in a week can take a lot out of you. We did that on Tuesday and so to have to do that again for 35 minutes, I have just said in the dressing room that I couldn't have asked for any more effort.
"Of course I can ask for more chances to be created and we want to do that, but I couldn't have asked for more effort from all thirteen of our players who played today. Also, I'd mention all the ones who didn't play today and all of the staff for their support they have given me. I'm very pleased with the three points obviously."
You mentioned the sending off with Melono seeing red. How did you see that - did you think it was a red card?
"No I think it was the first foul that he'd made in the game. I think it was a poor foul, but it was no more than a booking. It wasn't from behind; he came in from the side. Their player tried to let the ball roll past him and Alex caught his leg - a booking at most. These things happen don't they?"
Steve, you have said that you don't think it was a red card. The Port Vale assistant has said he doesn't think it should have been a red card, so I presume an appeal will go in very quickly?
"One thing I have seen in the past few years is that appeals generally do not succeed unless you have the grounds for mistaken identity, which that wouldn't be."
With Port Vale's support?
"With their support - we did that once before back in the Conference (versus Halifax) and managed to get one off but not the other. I will have to speak to the secretary about that because if we can lodge an appeal then will launch an appeal, if we feel it is worthwhile.
But we must remember that they actually add a game on for what they view as a frivolous appeal. Freddie Eastword of Southend had that happen to him this year."
It wouldn't be frivolous though?
"I wouldn't have thought so, but you have got to have grounds for appeal. It's a refereeing decision. It was a foul. If it wasn't a foul, I might see how we would have grounds for appeal."
But you quite often see red card rescinded to a yellow.
"Yes, on video evidence. I need to speak to Jean Cotton. You do tend to see it more in the Premiership than anywhere else, and for red cards they do rescind them sometimes."
Were you worried at that point when you'd gone down to ten men, because you'd just got a bit of a grip on the game?
" Yes, very worried when he went off because obviously it meant that we had to change our shape. We went from a 4-4-2 to a 4-4-1 and for ten minutes Port Vale had a whole load of possession and until our players got used to the new positions it was a very worrying ten or fifteen minutes."
A lovely goal when it came though, with Lee Johnson making the pass out to Kevin Amankwaah bursting down the right, and then the cross for Matt Harrold. It was a beautiful goal to watch.
"It was a fantastic goal. Kevin Amankwaah had shown great energy throughout the second half, and in fact throughout the game to get back when we were in defensive situations. But to then burst forward into an 80 yard run and into an attacking situation shows what a fantastic player he is and it showed what real athleticism is all about. He is an athlete.
"Of course the finish was tremendous as well because when those balls come across they are not easy to hit coming in from that angle from the side. The hardest thing to do is to keep it down and Matt Harrold did that fabulously well and of course we were elated at the goal and the three points."
Matt deserves his goal not only for today's performance but also for the attitude he's shown when he has come on as a sub in the last few games as well.
"Yes, every time he has come on, certainly in the last three or four games he has had an effect upon the game and of course he has had an effect upon the game today. So we are very pleased with Matt today."
