Full-time: Bristol Rovers 1 Yeovil Town 2
Chris Dickson gave Rovers the lead less than a minute after the break, firing high into the net from close range after Danny Coles had nodded on a Stuart Campbell corner.
But the Glovers hit back with two goals in four minutes as some poor defending from Rover cost them dear.
Substitute Joanathan Obika nodded home Yeovil’s opener with his first touch after coming off the bench in the 61st minute, and defender Terrell Forbes scrambled home his first ever goal for the Glovers four minutes later.
The Pirates had long spells of pressure and a clutch of reasonable chances during the opening period, but the Glovers stood firm and were looking to try and catch the home side on the break.
Rovers made one change to the side that had started the 2-1 defeat at Southend a week earlier, Danny Coles returning to central defence at the expense of Steve Elliott, who began on the bench.
The Gas answered the call boss Paul Trollope had made for a positive start and were on the attack from the first whistle, Aaron Lescott sending a shot from 19-yards wide of keeper Alex McCarthy’s right-hand post.
Then Jeff Hughes let two decent early opportunities go to waste. First he was unable to convert Carl Regan’s cross from the right, then he scuffed a shot wide from eight yards when it looked easier to score after Jo Kuffour had put him in the clear.
Rovers forced four corners in the opening 12 minutes and the first Yeovil threat came when on-loan Spurs youngster Ryan Mason went down in the box after a challenge from Byron Anthony 0 – but referee Neil Swarbrick quickly waved away appeals for a penalty.
Chris Dickson was not far away from a good cross by Mark Wright as Rovers continued to press, and they almost took the lead in the 24th minute when Anthony’s close-range header from Stuart Campbell’s corner hit McCarthy on the line.
Next it was Chris Lines trying to get in on the act, but he shot high over the top from 18 yards from another Kuffour pass, then shot well wide of the mark after bursting into the box a few minutes later.
Scott Murray – the target of stick from the home fans – flashed a 20-yarder wide five minutes before the break.
Then Rovers suffered a blow when they lost midfielder Lines on a stretcher after a challenge from Jean-Paul Kalala. Dominic Blizzard replaced him.
But the Pirates went close again in stoppage time when Lescott fired narrowly wide after being set up by Dixon.
Rovers needed a goal – and took less than a minute of the second half to get it.
Stuart Campbell delivered from a corner and after Coles nodded the ball on Dickson chested it down before firing into the roof of the net from close range for his fourth goal in the six games since joining the club on loan..
Yeovil tried to reply but defender Terrell Forbes’ shot took a deflection and Mikkel Andersen was able to save.
The Glovers were then to stun the home side with a two-goal salvo in four minutes.
Gasheads were cheering as Murray was replaced by Jonathan Obika just after the hour, but the on-loan Spurs man quickly stunned them into silence.
Andrew Welsh angled a free kick into Rovers’ box and their defenders and keeper Andersen all failed to deal with it, allowing the substitute to head home in a melee on the edge of their six-yard box.
Worse was to follow for Rovers in the 64th minute when Welsh sent another dangerous delivery towards the edge of their goalmouth, and the Pirates’ defence was in disarray as Forbes bundled home first ever goal for the Somerset club.
The Pirates had brought Andy Williams on for Wright, and he did well to run at Yeovil’s defence and deliver a cross which Dickson met with his head six yards out, only for the ball to bounce away to safety off a defender.
But the crowd started to vent their frustrations as the clock wound down into the final five minutes with the home side struggling for an equaliser.
After Dickson fired a hopeful 20-yarder straight at McCarthy, the visitors got bodies in the way of all the Pirates could throw at them.
And it needed two good saves from Andersen, who blocked Obika’s shot in stoppage time and tipped Shaun MacDonald’s attempt around a post, to prevent Yeovil extending their lead at the death.
Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Anthony, Coles, Swallow (80), Wright (Williams 61), Campbell, Lines (Blizzard 45), Hughes, Kuffour, Dickson. Subs: Evans, Elliott, Williams, Duffy, Reece, .
Yeovil: McCarthy, Alcock, Caulkner, Forbes, Jones, Murray (Obika 60), MacDonald, Kalala, Welsh (Murtagh 84), Mason, Williams. Subs: Martin,. O’Callaghan, Lindegaard, Hutchins, Smith.
Attendance: 7,812
Read more about
Carl Regan,Stuart Campbell,Jonathan Obika,Jean-Paul Kalala,Mark Wright,Chris Lines,Dominic Blizzard,Danny Coles,Neil Swarbrick,Byron Anthony,Aaron Lescott,Steve Elliott,Andy Williams,Alex McCarthy,Mikkel Andersen,Jo Kuffour,Terrell Forbes,Chris Dickson,Paul Trollope,Scott Murray,Shaun MacDonald,Andrew Welsh,Jeff Hughes,Bristol,Yeovil Town,Memorial Stadium,Ryan Mason,Yeovil


Comment on this story