Warne tells Town: Win or face battle to beat the drop

Paul Warne insists Yeovil Town have to win sooner rather than later or they will become embroiled in a relegation dogfight.

The experienced forward admitted the Glovers had targeted this game as potentially winnable, along with the upcoming clashes with fellow west sides Swindon and Cheltenham.

"The position is not great," he said. "If we had won we would have pulled ahead of Brighton and going into this game with Swindon and Cheltenham to come if we had got six or seven points we might have pulled away from it a bit.

"But if you are in the bottom four at the start of the new year than you have got a hell of a chance of being in a scrap. We have to win sooner rather than later."

Warne's 43rd minute thunderbolt gave Yeovil a 2-1 lead just two minutes after Nathan Smith's maiden strike – a stunning long range effort – had cancelled out Jonny Mullins' opener.

But three minutes after Warne's effort, the hosts were 3-2 down after two defensive disasters handed goals to Tommy Rowe and a second to Mullins.

"After 43 minutes we looked in a good position and after 46 minutes we looked in a horrendous position," said Warne.

Despite a typically committed second half effort from Yeovil, Stockport were able to seal matters in the closing moments through substitute Carl Baker's header.

"I know I am not the first player to say we were unlucky but you can't say that all season," said Warne. "I know it levels itself out.

"At times I thought we played well and I am not digging anyone out but I can't see how we conceded those two goals before halftime.

"The gaffer (Russell Slade) isn't best pleased and he will make us watch the tape of it next week and hopefully we will eradicate that.

"Recently, ironically, we have kept good clean sheets and looked good defensively but we didn't look like we are going to score many.

"Here it was the other way with us scoring a few and conceding no end. We have to get the balance right."

There was a sign that things were not going to go to plan just before kick-off. The club had planned a minute's applause in memory of recently deceased former goalkeeper Dickie Dyke.

But referee Phil Crossley appeared unaware of that and kicked off without it taking place. The club will try to mark Dyke's passing when Cheltenham visit Huish Park on Boxing Day.

Nevertheless, Yeovil should have been ahead on seven minutes when Danny Schofield released Gavin Tomlin but the impressive Owain fon Williams raced out and saved well.

The former Crewe keeper then denied Luke Rodgers in not dissimilar fashion before Stockport midfielder Dominic Blizzard twice went close with headers from corners.

And Blizzard set up the opener on 24 minutes when a neat move saw right back Mullins score from 20 yards.

Fon Williams brilliantly denied a curling effort from Schofield before Mullins's strike was comprehensively trumped by Smith on 41 minutes.

Gary Roberts laid the ball square to the left back and with nothing much else on he crashed a rising drive past fon Williams' right hand from close to 30 yards.

And within moments Warne had put Yeovil 2-1 ahead with another super strike that this time flew beyond fon Williams' outstretched left glove for the veteran's fourth of the season.

But Yeovil could not keep the lead as Rowe jinked past Lee Peltier and hit a shot that deflected off Terrell Forbes to wrongfoot Wagenaar. And Stockport led at the break after Smith allowed Mullins to turn inside him to prod home.

After the break Roberts shot over, Terry Skiverton nodded wide and makeshift striker Aaron Brown, thrown up front to use his height, was off target with two half-chances.

Stockport killed the game off with two minutes to go. Wagenaar made a brilliant save from Anthony Pilkington but Paul Turnbull crossed for fellow sub Baker to head in and remove all doubt.

Yeovil Town (4-4-2): Wagenaar; Peltier, Forbes, Skiverton, Smith; Downes (Welsh 33), Roberts, Schofield, Warne (McCollin 87); Rodgers, Tomlin (Brown 73). Subs not used: Jones, Murtagh.

Stockport County (4-5-1): fon Williams; Mullins, Tunnicliffe, McNulty, Rose; Gleeson (Baker 46), Pilkington (Johnson 90), Blizzard, Taylor, Rowe; Davies (Turnbull 85). Subs not used: Thompson, Vincent.