Moss Lane didn't seem to have an air of relegation, yet Alty have been dropping towards the bottom three of late, and today's results didn't help them at all. It all started like a mid-table means-nothing game, but got much more entertaining as time went on, even if the home side never really looked like they were battling for their conference lives.

There were some surprise changes to the Yeovil line-up, with Barrington Belgrave playing right-side of midfield, leaving room for James Bent to come in up front, but displacing the excellent Andy Lindegaard. With David Piper replaced by Ellis Wilmot, the ride side of the team was weakened a little, and much of Altrincham's threat came from down that wing.

Bent looked "up for it" from the start, and got in Yeovil's first attempt on goal, though his long-range shot didn't cause great trouble for Lance Key. The first decent effort was at the other end, when Leroy Chambers went close with a flicked header. Alty defender Gary Talbot rose above the defence to head just over. This was the only time he did it in the first half, but after Yeovil lost Paul Steele in the second, he was to get a number of such opportunities.

Perhaps it was surprising that Talbot got his goal with the ball on the ground. Nothing much had happened when he broke the deadlock after 28 minutes. A long free-kick was saved low by Tony Pennock, but the ball spilled and Talbot was the first to react, poking it home to open the scoring.

Yeovil were soon level, and again it was a defender that was to get the goal. A chip into the area saw Alty pushing out in an attempt to force an off-side, but Paul Steele beat the trap and finished neatly.

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Steele may have put Yeovil level, but he had a big hand in Altrincham taking the lead, as he fouled Leroy Chambers (I think) in the area. He was adjudged to be the last defender, and given a straight red card. From the far end of the pitch I can't judge if this was the correct decision or not, but given that the ref got so much else wrong, infuriating both sets of fans, I'd have little confidence in this one. Richard Landon put the spot kick away, and the home side were ahead again.

The second half was more entertaining than the first, as Yeovil pushed forward, and (with one player less) gaps opened for Altrincham as a result. Although David Piper came on to replace Ellis Wilmot, most of Alty's moves still came down Yeovil's left, while many of the visitors attacking moves involved Tonkin and Hale on the left.

In a move not dissimilar to the one that produced Yeovil's first equaliser, Warren Patmore forced a close-range save from Lance Key, and within a minute the scores were levelled again. James Bent's shot from wide on the left was nicely curled with the outside of his boot around the keeper, an excellent finish.

And the young striker should have given Yeovil the lead shortly afterwards. A super setup by the hard-working Ben Smith set James Bent away, and he did superbly well to round the keeper, but then rushed his shot into the side netting.

At the other end, Tony Pennock was earning his corn. With Steele missing from the Yeovil defence, Talbot and others were getting in headers on goal, but each time Ed the Duck was on hand to tip over. An excellent performance from the keeper.

One always felt that Yeovil could have stepped things up a bit to edge a win, but 2-2 is probably a fair result.It seems that the management were more keen to "try things out" than to force a win; starting with Piper and Lindegaard on the bench meant that the strongest Yeovil XI wasn't out there today.

Go back up to the top of this page to vote for your choice as Yeovil MOTM.

Results and updated table

above: bent takes the ball around keeper Lance Key, but put his final shot into the side netting.

above: matt hale chases down the left for Yeovil.

above: warren patmore gets good height in this second half attack

above: a yeovil attack is headed clear by Simeon Hodson

above: bent celebrates his goal, yeovil's second equaliser, with matt hale