Glovers shine in front of record crowd

YEOVIL Town held hosts Notts County to a 0-0 draw in front of a record non-league attendance at Meadow Lane.

County started the game as Vanarama National League leaders but a 16,511-strong crowd, including 452 travelling Glovers fans, witnessed a superb defensive display from Yeovil to ensure the draw, which allowed Wrexham to go top courtesy of their 2-0 win over Aldershot.

The crowd was the third largest of the day in British football, behind only Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City, while it also dwarfed the turnout for last weekend’s Premier League fixture between Bournemouth and Everton.

The fans saw Glovers keeper Grant Smith called into early action to deny Macaulay Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott, and he foiled Adam Chicksen twice in quick succession before the break - the second with a fingertip save.

Ruben Rodrigues stung Smith’s palms shortly before the turnaround but Town almost stunned their hosts with a flick from Alex Fisher after the interval. Rodrigues flashed a strike narrowly over the bar and sub Quevin Castro saw a strike deflect past the upright, while Smith thwarted Matt Palmer midway through the second period. The onslaught continued as Aden Baldwin sent an effort inches wide and Kyle Cameron saw a header from a Rodrigues corner cleared off the line by Matt Worthington, before Chicksen nodded over late on.

Weston-super-Mare stayed second in Southern League Premier South with a 2-0 win against Poole Town at the Optima Stadium. First-half goals from Dayle Grubb and Scott Laird kept Weston within one point of leaders Truro City. Grubb tucked away a third-minute penalty after Marlon Jackson h ad been brought down by the Poole goalkeeper. Laird added the second in the 25th minute with a glancing, nearpost header from Grubb’s corner.

John Rendell continued his encouraging start as Yate Town manager with a point from a goalless draw at Salibury. Yate stand second bottom in the table but will take confidence from fivepoint haul in Rendell’s first four games in charge.

In Division One South, Bristol Manor Farm have slipped down to fourth bottom after a 5-1 defeat by Melksham Town at The Creek.

Jake Gosling’s chipped finish gave Farm a 13th-minute lead. However, Ben Brooks equalised in the 28th minute and Melksham pulled clear with four more goals in the second half. Sam Sam Hendy completed a quickfire hattrick - Brooks grabbed a second.

Paulton Rovers made it two draws from two games under the new management of Craig Loxton and John Durbin with a 1-1 stalemate at Hamworthy United.