L1: Huddersfield Town 4 Yeovil Town 2

Better but no cure from the Galpharmacy - by Cruncher

Huddersfield was always going to be a difficult place to find a cure for Meadow Lane travel sickness. Realistic conclusion from yesterday though isn't complex: we we were beaten by a stronger team that we couldn't stand up to for long enough, and it is analysis of that which is now needed to pave the way for further progression. Yielding a deserved 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 is not the obvious antidote to the damaging venom of a 4-0 away trouncing, but this Yeovil performance did continue some promise from the home win against Tranmere.

The Galpharmacy (oh dear) prescribed symptom relief. Whilst that included great disappointment at seeing potential winning joy turn to the misery of defeat, cautious hope is renewed. Yesterday, individually and collectively Yeovil proved that they can do the bottom-line requirement of performing and competing at League One level. Early on they did that marvellously well and in all departments, but now the next stage of progress has to be something that has been a long-term bugbear of Terry Skiverton's men: becoming a ninety-minutes team.

This was not a matter of chalk and cheese separated by half-time, there was a handover of superiority that started in the first-half. Here though I am glibly talking of an initial Yeovil superiority that we had no right to expect - to the team and management's credit that happy surprise was convincingly achieved in the first portion of the first half. Yeovil including the two enforced changes of Owain Tudur Jones and Stephen Henderson had stepped up to the mark: purposeful, precise and penetrating forward-play, with effective closing down and mopping up, as well as resilient and organised defending.

Dean Bowditch's sweet turn-and-strike from Craig Alcock's low-drive into the box, followed by Owain Tudur Jones's crisp stab to put away Gavin Williams's fine free-kick, provided for a two-goal cushion inside just fifteen minutes that sent the faithful 166 into merriment. How joyful it had been in those early stages at 2-0: young supporters who had trudged out of Meadow Lane looking at their shoes (until they got to Hooters) a fortnight ago were in full voice asking the Yorkshire faithful if we could play them every week and if they were Tranmere in disguise; the admirable drummer had more power to his elbow and even cautious elders amongst the 166 dared to hope of three points.

The key though could be defined by one thing: Yeovil keeping a high-line. As the half wore on, Huddersfield bit-by-bit managed to force the cheeky upstarts from Somerset onto the back foot, to the extent where prolonged periods of build-up play occurred to all sides of the Yeovil area. And although the defence was resolute and the Terriers weren't exactly baring their teeth, as well as Yeovil still on occasion threatening to punish on the break, the momentum was shifting. The half-time need for the home team was to sharpen up their act to turn territory into points, while Yeovil needed to alter things to suit how the balance of play had swung.

Huddersfield brought on Joey Gudjohnson, a midfield change which certainly did make an impact. Within minutes, they were level with a well-taken strike from Scott Arfield that owed to overall Huddersfield persistence rather than guile as it fell kindly to him, but it was a neat effort and a deserved reward for the home pressure. Yeovil responded soon after by replacing Andy Welsh with Luke Ayling. Welsh had been instrumental to the early joy, but now was deemed surplus to requirements with defensive duty now uppermost in mind. The change though did not appear to help Yeovil's cause, with Ayling close to giving a penalty away almost immediately, quickly followed by Huddersfield hitting the woodwork. Ayling appeared to slot in on the left as a direct replacement for Welsh, but the overall formation was now not too obvious either to the spectators or, it seemed, to the team.

Which perhaps accounts for the ensuing disaster of a three-minute spell providing for two rapid-fire goals by the gleefully (and on this occasion so aptly) announced 'Boom Boom Jamie McCombe'. The first was a centre-half's header from a right-wing cross, the second a centre-forward's turn and shot across the angle into the far corner - McCombe's lack of renown for adept forward play is perhaps why he was given too much time and space. Yeovil's fate was sealed, they could not regain anywhere near the punch they had in the first period.

Gary Roberts' penalty rubbed salt in the wound, replays confirm that it was a harsh decision but overall the referee was better than the norm, although he ought to have given yellow cards for persistent Huddersfield fouling in the first half. Another possible gripe is the decision not to award a foul on Bowditch early on when clean through, but it was hard to tell from distance. Indeed, the away support were unsure about both goalscorers for some time, and not only us myopic middle-aged.

Not an overall bad display, in fact individual contributions were good, but (as last year at the Galpharm) it was frustrating not to come away with a result. In hindsight we probably took advantage (and impressively so) of early Huddersfield flaws until they ironed them out. Adapting strategy during a game, and mental toughness, have perhaps become overdue considerations; but poor efforts against Hartlepool and Notts County had made for the need to concentrate on basic issues.

Goals conceded is a definite concern, at Meadow lane individual errors were more glaring. After a definite improvement in the away performance at the Galpharm, it throws more emphasis on to Terry Skiverton to stop the team from being penned in their own half especially for long periods. Exeter and Southampton will be the immediate tests of whether essential home form can be continued; Walsall will be an eagerly awaited test against less-fancied opposition to see if the good stuff at the Galpharm (and when it was good it was very good) is indicative of an ability to accumulate some much-wanted away points.

Even the well-defeated Tranmere came back to get some grip on the game, so combine that with yesterday and we are walking a bit of a tightrope. There is hope from both games that we can positively take a game to anyone, while also worry from both games that we cannot eradicate or reduce long periods of vulnerability.

First and foremost we need to ensure Gavin Williams has attacking freedom above defensive duty, which needs to include adapting the game plan as required should the opposition suss out the original strategy. That is one dilemma for manager to Skiverton to sort out, another is to decide on the line-up out of yesterday's starters added to Jean-Paul Kalala (hopefully fit for Exeter) and Sam Williams, and possibly Luke Freeman.

Are we good enough? ... I don't know. Could we be good enough? ... I think so, if we can maintain a full-strength squad. Those next three games will I think give good indication one way or the other.

Cruncher

It's the hope that hurts

Catch-up time. This blog is a Holdingsgate-free zone, at least for today. We've seen a couple of unexpected new signings since the last time I blogged as well as the confirmation of longer-term loans on a couple more; added to which the rumour-mill, fuelled by no less a source than Skivo himself, has gone wild with the possibility of one more big signing before the transfer window shuts at 6pm tomorrow. Oh, the possibilities! If one was of a cynical frame of mind then one might conclude that the Glovers Board had relaxed the purse-strings somewhat in order to distract attention away from Holdingsgate, but we're not that cynical are we? Hell, no. Oh, I nearly forgot, we also earned a good point away yesterday against a decent Oldham side for which we were full value and were evidently somewhat unlucky not to come away with all three points after having what seemed like a perfectly good goal disallowed as well as a cast-iron penalty refused, again. What is it that referees have against Yeovil Town?

The two loanees who have penned longer-term deals are the expected ones: Millwall keeper John Sullivan and Watford midfielder/defender Rob Kiernan will remain at Huish Park until at least January 3rd 2011. Good news there, but the really good news came on Friday. In hindsight everyone and his dog and cat could see after the Hartlepool debacle that the weak link in the squad was the central midfield, especially when JP Kalala was missing. That has now been addressed, firstly with the arrival of Welsh international Owain Tudur-Jones from Norwich City, back for a second month's spell at Huish Park after his month long loan deal last season; and secondly with the massively welcome news that Shaun Macdonald is back and on a reasonably long-term basis too, also until January 3rd. We won't actually see the Ginger Ninja in action until the September 11th home game v Tranmere as he's off for the next week on Welsh u-21 international duty, but the news that both he and Tudur-Jones have signed was a huge boost on Friday after a pretty dismal week. Welcome back boys, with so many Welshmen back on the playing staff how can we go wrong?

And then there's the possibility that's got the rumour-mill in overdrive. Speaking after the Oldham game, Skivo stoked the fire: "I am still trying to add one more and I am not going to say who it is yet, but I am still trying and I think if we get this one that I am looking for we will be very strong this year." ITK's suggest the mystery man is none other than Gavin Williams. The Welsh international is out of favour at Bristol City, barely appearing on the bench so far this season under former manager Steve Coppell or current boss Keith Millen and is set to go out on loan. According to the rumour-mill L1 rivals Southampton were thought to be keen on signing Super Gav, but with the shock sacking of manager Alan Pardew - who signed Williams from Yeovil when in charge at West Ham United - that move must now be in doubt, which may just leave the Glovers in pole position. It might be a case of 2+2 equalling 5, but there have been whispers all summer about the possibility of the player returning to Huish Park at some stage, and it might just be that this time the rumour-mill's got it right. Fingers are very firmly crossed.

The thought occurs to me that if Gav did sign (I know, I know, let's not count any chickens, but I can't help myself and it's my blog so I'll say what I like), but if he did sign then not only would we have three Williams's in the squad, we'd have a grand total of six (count 'em!) Welshmen as well, if you count Andy Williams as being Welsh which I do seeing as he was born in Hereford. Six Welshmen! Plus one with a surname of Welsh! That's more sons of Wales than Cardiff City and Swansea City combined managed to name in their first team squads this weekend! Cymru am byth!

Ahem! Back to reality. The Glovers entertain Exeter City in a Football League Trophy 1st round match at Huish Park tomorrow night, a game I'm hoping to get to if my sodding electric wheelchair can be fixed before then. My back wheel fell off as I was taking the dog for a walk today, not an experience I want to repeat in a hurry. To add insult to injury it happened at Huish Park as I was foolishly going to see if the ticket office was open so I could buy a ticket for tomorrow night's game. The ticket office open on a bank holiday? What was I thinking? The bookies make the Glovers 6/5 favourites for the win, the draw is priced at 12/5 and an Exeter win at 15/8. My fiver's going on the home win. Running total: +£3.25p.

Just read: Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. Life starts at the moment of death and winds backwards in this Booker Prize-winning novel. Our sympathy is with the protagonist as he gradually gets younger until we realise that his present life hides an appalling past as an assistant to Mengele in Auschwitz. A clever, very readable novel which horrifies and amuses in equal measure. I finished it nearly two weeks ago and I still find myself haunted by the scenes set in the concentration camp, as time inexorably flows backwards, with all that implies. Frightening and absorbing.