OK, it's another home defeat. Fourth in a row. But don't panic, Captain Mainwaring. Yeovil have ditched some good players, like Hayfield and Brown, and brought youngsters in as replacements. But the 'new' players, promoted from the reserves, generally did well, and there should be the basis of something good here.
The visitors started and finished the game stronger than Yeovil, but the Glovers played some good football at times in the second half. The first 45 mins however were pretty poor all round. Scarborough had a few long range efforts that didn't really trouble Tony Pennock, but even if their final attack was poor, the approach play suggested they were capable of more.
At the other end, Warren Patmore started off like the Wazza of old, working hard, winning the ball, holding it up and laying it off. But the support he got was pitiful. At the end of last week's report I said that Bent should start ahead of Foster. Webb clearly didn't agree, but surely he must after today.
One irony we've pointed out from time to time is that target man Patmore is also one of the best crossers of the ball in the side. He proved this after 11 minutes with a ball from the left onto the head of Foster at the far post. He put it disappointingly wide. But the lack of support can't be blamed just on Adie Foster (who we know is capable of better, he started the season superbly). The midfield isn't getting forward, Rob Cousins, who spent most of his Yeovil career as a defender) is frequently the only midfielder supporting the front line.
The visitors took the lead through a cracking volley from Simon Betts, meeting a clearance from a long throw at the edge of the area and giving Pennock no chance in the Yeovil goal. Of the two keepers, Pennock was the busier, but Woods was the most comic. By far. Looking distinctly dodgy on crosses, he showed himself to be six cans short of a six pack when he caught a back pass, turning safety into a 15-yard Yeovil free kick. Hopefully the new full-time régime will give the team more time to practise set pieces, as Yeovil made nothing of this gift.
There were good chances early in the second half at both ends. It seemed that for much of the period Scarborough were content to sit back and allow Yeovil to play.
And for some time the home side put together some good moves, and really applied pressure for the first time. With Piper getting more into the game down the right flank, Pitman coming on for his first game for a while following injury, and Bent replacing Foster, Yeovil started to look much better.
Lindegaard again contributed, and when Steele came on he looked a class above Chris Sparks, the player he replaced. Of the 'old guard' Warren Patmore continued to cause problems. Woods came out to meet a Lindegaard cross, and missed it by a country mile. As the ball hit a Boro defender it fell to Patmore, presented with a tap-in for the equaliser.
At this time one might have expected Yeovil to go on and bag the winner, but Scarborough just stepped up their game again.
