Kettle back to haunt Glovers

REFEREE Trevor Kettle is not the most popular man when he officiates at Huish Park, and is often the target of the fans anger at what appear bizarre and inconsistent decisions.

I know that in the area I sit there are groans and sighs when they realise he is in charge. It appears that every game he referees there is controversy of some type.

Well unfortunately for the 200 or so travelling faithful who travelled to Sheffield Wednesday midweek, he followed them, and once again controversy was not far away with the deserved sending off of Luke Ayling, and the more unexplained dismissal of Adam Virgo just minutes after he had come on as a substitute.

With five yellow cards in total and a twice taken penalty given for encroachment which was missed on the retake, and seven minutes of added time, the game had plenty to talk about as Yeovil clung on to a very creditable 2-2 draw.

After a five game unbeaten run without conceding a goal, Rochdale had put a dent in the Glovers recovery plans at Huish Park with a single goal victory in a game Yeovil deserved at minimum a point.

Unlucky at not getting something at home in the reverse fixture which the Owls won 2-0, Yeovil went to Hillsborough looking to get back on track, and with their hosts now having an indifferent run of form were hopeful.

Dean Bowditch’s fortunate opener which defected off a defender over keeper Nick Weaver’s head on 15 minutes was the tonic they needed, but Wednesday equalised on 35 minutes when Max Ehmer could not quite reach a cross and the ball flicked off the top of his head for Gary Madine to head home from close range.

It was not until the second half that events became heated, and Ayling was booked for his part in a melee along with Owl’s Giles Coke.

Skipper Paul Huntingdon put the Glovers haead on 56 minutes, once again heading home a set piece, this time Andy Welsh’s corner.

Yeovil were then reduced to nine men in five minutes as first Ayling received a second yellow card for bringing down Gary Teale, before Virgo brought on to bolster the defence following the dismissal, was sent packing three minutes after he came on.

Madine went down under a challenge from the ex-Brighton defender Virgo, and as well as awarding a penalty, he also showed Virgo a red card.

Heroic defending, particularly from keeper Stephen Henderson who pulled off a string of saves, looked like it had won the day but they were finally breached when Reda Johnson scored from close range four minutes from normal time.

Mr Kettle, must have thought he was at Old Trafford as he added seven minutes of added time, but the Glovers held out for a well deserved point.

Lloyd wins first bursary award

LLOYD Matthews is the first recipient of a bursary dedicated in memory of a former Yeovil Town vice-chairman.

The award presented to the most promising scholar from the club’s youth set-up was created following money that was left to the Centre of Excellence by Gurnard Smith, a life-long supporter who sadly died a year ago this week, after initially being taken ill during Yeovil Town’s Boxing Day match against Wycombe Wanderers in 2009.

The award named the ‘Gurnard Smith Bursary Award’ was presented to Lloyd by his widow Mary before last Saturday’s home match against Rochdale.

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