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Broken bones help earn Yeovil Town another point towards safety

Monday, April 06, 2009, 07:00

Yeovil Town boss Terry Skiverton hailed the performance of Lee Peltier as the Glovers edged closer to League One survival.

The former Liverpool youngster suffered a broken nose battling for the green and white cause – an incident that caused Skiverton to smile.

"It summed up the commitment when Lee Peltier breaks his nose," he said. "That was a bit unfortunate but it is nice because now he can start to look a bit like me.

"I am delighted with him. He is a lad who is not a natural centre half. I see him more as a right back but needs must.

"He has stepped into the breach and he has been performing absolutely outstandingly and for me he has been one of our most consistent players this season.

"Even when we went through the bad times he was still putting in great performances. That's why I made him vice captain so he matured a little bit.

"He is even doing a lot more round the club and he is starting to grow into one of the leader roles."

Peltier has comprehensively adapted to the centre half position, having featured at full back and central midfield previously in his Yeovil career.

He fully played his part in a game of few chances that pleased none of the home spectators who were hoping for a repeat of the 5-0 hammering the Hatters handed out to Yeovil here in the FA Cup in November.

"We put in a different way of playing and it is nice to know that we now have a plan B," said Skiverton.

"We came to Stockport last time and got smashed and didn't get near them but the spine of our team was magnificent.

"Pelts and Terrell Forbes kept (Chris) O'Grady quiet and he had a couple of chances but we are getting back to what is another old cliche from a previous manager (Gary Johnson) of 'mother in the goal' defending."

Johnson encouraged his players to defend as if their mother was actually in goal. "I felt we did that," said Skiverton. "There was a time when there were four or five shots and we kept getting body parts on the ball,That is what you have to do at Stockport."

Stockport's volatile manager Jim Gannon, who refused to speak to the local media for the second game running, was upset at Yeovil's challenges.

Skiverton said: "All week I said it wasn't going to be the prettiest of games but the boys produced the attributes I asked of them.

"I told them to not let Stockport play, get in their faces and put them out of their stride and I felt we did that very well.

"I think there was a little bit of complaining of roughhouse tactics but we came here before and tried to play football and tried to play an attractive game and got beat 5-0. For me I was really pleased with the result.

"We caught them a few times and you have to admit that but the surface was absolutely appalling. It was like a pub pitch to play on.

"I felt quite sorry for (Spurs youngsters) Andros (Townsend) and Jon (Obika). It is a real learning curve for them. They are used to carpet pitches and our pitch at home is unbelievable from the state it was in and we have been trying to get the ball down and pass it ourselves."

Stockport's pitch is poor because they share Edgeley Park with Sale Sharks Rugby Union club – although quite why it is so bad compared with clubs like Reading, Wycombe and Bristol Rovers remains unclear.

Yeovil managed to fashion three half-chances – all to Gavin Tomlin – before the break. First he fired over from the edge of the box. Then he turned on a header back from Paul Warne but had his shot blocked before Conrad Logan saved his low volley from a quick Gary Roberts free kick.

Stockport had the better of the second period. First Chris Weale saved smartly from O'Grady before he was beaten by Josh Thompson's header from a corner.

Thankfully for the visitors, full back Danny Hutchins was able to hack off the line, onto the crossbar and to eventual safety.

"That's what I am there for," he said. "The big man has headed it down and I didn't really have time to react and I have just kicked it up and it has hit the bar and gone the right way for us."

Weale saved further efforts from O'Grady and Greg Tansey with Yeovil sub Luke Rodgers volleying over at the other end.

It all added up to a first away point for Skiverton. "The gaffer hasn't had the best of runs away from home but he has got what he wants out the players here," said Hutchins.

"The pitch isn't the best but we ground out a result and everyone stuck to their job.

"It was obvious how scrappy the game was going to be even before the game. You can't get the ball down and play. We didn't need to score as long as we keep a clean sheet away from home."

Stockport County (4-5-1): Logan; Mullins (Johnson 59), Thompson, Raynes, Rose; McSweeney, Tansey, Blizzard, Vincent, Rowe; O'Grady. Subs not used: Rowe, Tunnicliffe, Turnbull, Mainwaring.

Yeovil Town (4-4-2): Weale; Hutchins, Forbes, Peltier, Smith; Warne, Roberts, Murtagh, Townsend (Schofield 79); Tomlin (Rodgers 71), Obika. Subs not used: Welsh, Maguire, Alcock.





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