PSF - Yeovil 3 Tiverton 0

The Glovers finished off their pre-season friendly programme with a routine 3-0 win over Southern Premier League side Tiverton Town at Huish Park yesterday afternoon. 3-0 sounds good on the face of it but in truth it was something of an underwhelming performance against a side 4 divisions below Yeovil in the pyramid. Skivo would, I imagine, be somewhat less than impressed by his side's finishing in the match and in particular Gavin Tomlin's profligacy in front of goal - the former Fisher striker should have had at least a hat-trick though he was by no means the only offender in the Glovers ranks.

It sounds churlish to be moaning about a 3-0 win but really, it should have been more like 9-0. I don't propose to give my usual individual marks to each player in the side, we were so superior to Tiverton player-by-player as to make such marking pointless. No-one had a poor game and even the hapless Tomlin played well up to a point, that point usually being when he put in a shot on goal, when all his and his teammates excellent efforts up until then fell apart.

Good to see Scott Murray in a green-and-white shirt at last, and he showed enough in his brief cameo to suggest that he can give Skivo a different and worthwhile option to either Danny Schofield or Aidan Downes on the right. Interesting too to see Terrell Forbes picked at right back and to have a decent game there as well, overlapping with his right-winger like a 19-year-old at times and putting in some good crosses. Of course when Russell Slade picked Forbes as a right-back he was accused of being tactically inept and forever playing players out of position by some on the green room, but I doubt we'll hear any such claims made about Skivo from the same sources. And quite right that we shouldn't as well, it was nonsense then and it's equal nonsense now.

No, the interesting point to the Forbes selection is where that leaves recognised right-backs Craig Alcock and Danny Hutchins. Former Spurs loanee Hutchins finished last season as first-choice right back but since signing a permanent 2-year deal has been conspicuous by his relative absence so far in the pre-season, save a couple of brief substitute appearances in the left-back position. Skivo alluded to Hutchins' having injury and fitness problems in his after-match comments yesterday which would explain his absences, but Alcock is definitely fit, so it will be very interesting to see if Skivo sticks with yesterday's selection when the real thing begins on Saturday, against Tranmere.

It was good to see left-back Nathan Smith make his first appearance of the pre-season as well yesterday, albeit only for a 10-minute run-out towards the end of the game. Skivo seems to be getting his injured players back to fitness just at the right time, with the exception of the luckless Aidan Downes.

To change the subject completely we visited the club carvery today for our Sunday lunch. Didn't have to book, two courses for £7.95 each (a fiver for u-16's), a bloody good meal and great value for all you can eat. If you've not been before and are considering it then try it, it's well worth it.