Glovers slip down after away defeat

CHESTERFIELD ............... 3 YEOVIL TOWN ................. 0

DARREN Sarll feels like Yeovil are in the thick of a game of snakes and ladders due to the congested nature of the National League.

Sarll’s Glovers dropped to 12th in the table following a 3-0 defeat at Chesterfield on Saturday when victory would have seen them go level on points with Eastleigh in the final play-off spot.

Instead, they were leapfrogged by the Spireites, who netted three second-half goals to boost their own play-off chances.

The Green & Whites boss, below said: “I thought that we didn’t pack our normal punch, that real force and forward-thinking energy.

“At no point did I feel like we were going to break them down.

“I said at half-time that I felt as if we were waiting for something to happen, and I told them ‘Don’t get brave when you are 1-0 down’.

“It feels a little bit like snakes and ladders this season. We roll the dice right one week and we climb the ladder very quickly, we roll the dice wrong some weeks and you slip down the snake.

“But I’m fairly confident that there will be a big response.”

Yeovil goalkeeper Adam Smith pulled off two important saves in the first half, first tipping over Jak McCourt’s effort and then, just before half-time, getting up quickly to block Akwasi Asante’s shot after failing to hold Curtis Weston’s initial attempt.

However, the home side took the lead three minutes after the break when former Glovers man Tom Whelan sent ex-Gloucester City striker Asante clean through and he rounded Smith before tucking the ball home.

Whelan added a second in the 68th minute, finding space on the edge of the area and sending a shot into the bottom corner, and McCourt made sure of the points 12 minutes from time.

At the top of the table, Torquay, Sutton and Hartlepool are all on 47 points, seven clear of the rest, with Sutton having two and three games in hand respectively on their rivals. Sutton drew 0-0 with Wrexham on Saturday, while Pools were 1-0 winners at the Gulls. Chesterfield: G Smith, Carline, Kerr, Gunning, Maguire, Whittle (Taylor 70), Weston, McCourt, Mandeville (Clarke 81), Whelan, Asante (Tyson 76). Not Used: Evans, M Smith.

Booked: Carline, McCourt, Weston.

Goals: Asante 48, Whelan 68, McCourt 78.

Yeovil: A Smith, Bradley, Hunt, Sass-Davies, Kelly, J Smith (Worthington 61), Knowles, Neufville (Lee

61), Skendi, Murphy, Reid (Quigley 80). Not Used: Dickinson, Dagnall.

Booked: J Smith, Kelly.

Referee: Matthew Dicicco (Cleveland).