League Cup R1: Yeovil Town 0 Crystal Palace 1

The Glovers entertained Championship outfit Crystal Palace last night in the first round of this season's League Cup competition. The match kicked off 5 minutes late due to the late arrival of Palace fans, held up by delays leaving London.

The visitors were all over Yeovil for the first 20 minutes or so, John Sullivan keeping us in the game with some excellent goal-keeping. Sullivan had an excellent match in fact, and if he carries on like this then not only will I be eating my words regarding my reservations as to his suitability as a no.1, but he'll have made the position his own, whether that's as a full-season loan or on a permanent basis. At any rate, the start Palace made threatened to blow us away, but gradually we began to catch up with the pace of the game and to create some chances of our own. Dean Bowditch was the recipient of a couple of those chances but unfortunately although he did well to get into good positions to score, the striker didn't have his shooting boots on last night and the chances went begging. Luke Freeman hit the bar for no reward, Bowditch got one on target but found a defender on the line, and Craig Alcock's header was saved. It was end-to-end stuff with both sides attacking with pace and verve and highly entertaining for the crowd of 3,720; but with no goals at half-time to show for it.

The second half was slightly less frenetic but just as entertaining and absorbing with both sides looking threatening without ever quite managing to make the breakthrough. The vast majority of fans in the stadium were convinced that the Glovers should have had a penalty with quarter-of-an-hour to go when Bowditch was upended in the visitors box by Paddy McCarthy. It looked a clear foul from where I was sitting but referee Phil Gibbs - who otherwise had an excellent game - waved play on, a pivotal decision in the outcome of the match as it turned out. The Glovers piled on the pressure for the rest of the game and in the last minute had the chance to win it when an Andy Williams cross found Bowditch in space in front of goal from 6 yards out. Somehow the ball bounced off the striker and a backtracking defender and looped gently into the Palace keeper's arms when a goal looked certain; and from the ensuing counter-attack the visitors finally did score. Sullivan did well again to block an initial shot but was left with no chance when the ball rebounded kindly to Alan Lee who scooped the ball into the back of the net. There was no time for the Glovers to respond and the Londoners were through to the next round.

We lined up as follows in a 4-4-2 formation:

1. John Sullivan: 9/10 - Top-class performance. I've been comparing him unfavourably to Alex McCarthy ever since his arrival, but this performance was every bit as good as McCarthy at his best. Mea culpa, again.

2. Craig Alcock: 7/10 - Better. More involved in the game than last Saturday, going forward and defensively.

5. Paul Huntington and 19. Adam Virgo: 8/10 for both - Our new central defenders look to be forming an effective partnership. Both are excellent in the air and no-nonsense on the ground. I was worried about their apparent susceptibility to pace pre-season, but they coped well with Palace's very pacey attack in this game. What I particularly like about them both is their refusal to take risks. If in doubt they kick the ball out and don't bugger about with it. Their other important attribute is that they both pose a threat from set-pieces. Encouraging.

3. Nathan Jones: 8/10 - Just when you think it's time for the old boy to retire then he comes along and has a game like this. Galloped up and down the left flank like somebody 20 years younger than he is, solid as a rock defensively and always prepared to get forward. A revelation.

18. Luke Freeman: 7/10 - Another very promising outing. Began the game on the right flank for a change but didn't look any worse for that, providing his usual threat running with the ball and his delivery from the wing. Was unlucky to hit the bar instead of the back of the net in the first half and is never afraid to shoot, which is very pleasing to see. Appeared to tire during the second half and was eventually replaced.

8. Luke Ayling and 21. Jean-Paul Kalala: 7/10 for both - Our central midfielders both appeared to be enjoying themselves last night and it showed in their performances. Ayling had far more time and space to pick his passes than he had against Orient and JP looked rather more like a footballer than the headless chicken he resembled on Saturday. Both of them roamed the length of the pitch in search of the ball and appear to be forming a good understanding.

7. Andy Williams: 8/10 - Started on the left and had an excellent game, whichever flank he was attacking from. Full of flicks, tricks and backheels, and provided some wonderful crosses which were begging to be put away. First-class.

9. Sam Williams: 7/10 - Decent all-round game. Didn't find it easy against Palace's experienced central defenders but stuck at it and won his share of flick-on's, one of which Bowditch really should have converted. At one point found himself clearing a Palace shot of his own line from broken play - an impressive example of his work-rate considering he's a striker!

10. Dean Bowditch: 7/10 - A frustrating game for Deano. No-one could fault his effort and ability to get himself into goalscoring positions, it was just that when he pulled the trigger he was firing blanks. He'll play worse than this and get a hat-trick.

Subs:
6. Nathan Smith (73 mins for Luke Freeman): 8/10 - Came on as a direct replacement for Freeman on the left wing and added plenty to the Glovers attacking threat. I've never rated him as an out-and-out winger before, but on this brief cameo he could do a job in that position. Fast and direct, he's surely too good to be starting on the bench for much longer, however well Jonesy played last night.

So we lost, but trundling home from the ground last night it didn't feel like we had. We were never going to win the League Cup whatever happened and despite the eventual result the performance was what counted. Terry Skiverton has put together a side with pace, flair, inventiveness and spirit. Last night we kept the ball on the ground in the main, used the flanks and looked every bit as good as our Championship opponents for most of the match. The challenge now is for the lads to build on this performance at Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

And talking of the Gas, the bookies make them evens favourites for the win at the weekend, the draw is priced at 12/5 and the away win at 11/4. Given Rovers poor start to the season and the fact that we won there last time out I reckon that's quite generous of the bookies, and my fiver's going on the away win. Running total: +£1.25p.

Just read: Orbus by Neal Asher, and Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds: Two terrific 'hard' science-fiction books written in two very different styles, but both immensely entertaining in their different ways. Orbus is a Spatterjay novel set in Asher's Polity universe, and if you're a science-fiction fan who doesn't know what I'm talking about when I say that then you owe it to yourself to check his books out. Densely-plotted and action-packed, Orbus is simply wonderful. Pushing Ice is very different in tone and style, but equally rewarding. A stand-alone novel with big ideas and a huge timescale, but rooted in human foibles. Thought-provoking, well-written, and again, very enjoyable.