Victory seals title and promotion
Yeovil Town were crowned National League South champions after cruising to a 2-0 victory over Truro City, at the Cornish side’s temporary home, the TigerTurf Stadium in Gloucester.
The Glovers, who needed just a point to secure the title and the league’s only automatic promotion spot, took the lead after 12 minutes through a Rhys Murphy header.
Alex Fisher, who replaced Murphy due to injury, scored his second header in as many games to double Town’s lead ten minutes into the second half, and secure a first league title for Yeovil since their League Two triumph in 2005.
Mark Cooper’s side will lift the trophy on Saturday, April 13, when they welcome relegation-threatened Dartford to Huish Park.
It was a less-than-ideal start for the Glovers, being forced into an early substitution inside ten minutes after Jordan Stevens sustained an expected hamstring injury.
But shortly after Stevens was replaced by Town’s top goalscorer Jordan Young,Frank Nouble kickstarted a beautiful move that saw them take the lead.
Murphy rose to meet an inch-perfect cross from Charlie Cooper after Nouble quickly took a free-kick deep in the attacking half, which was given to them by Truro debutant Keon Sanniola after 12 minutes.
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton received the ball from Nouble, and then fed Cooper to his right, where the midfielder then sent a deep cross over Sam Sanders’ head, and onto Murphy’s.
The 33-year-old forward, who was one of three changes for Mark Cooper’s side, and starting his first game since January was unfortunately replaced by Fisher after 15 minutes, due to re-aggravating his hamstring injury.
On the 20-minute mark, Fisher looked to have made an instant impact, in an almost carbon copy move of the goal just eight minutes previous. Fisher got on the end of another lofted cross forward by Cooper, but this time was denied by the glove of Truro goalkeeper James Hamon.
Town attempted to test Hamon again after 26 minutes when Matt Worthington picked up a poor pass by Sanniola midway inside the attacking half. The Yeovil captain then unleashed a fizzling shot that went just wide of the Truro goal.
Managed by former Yeovil defender Paul Wotton, Truro are in the middle of a season-ending run of ten games in 20 days. Now playing in their third home ground of the season due to heavy rainfall at their two previous groundshares, only Hamon started their draw with Eastbourne Borough 24 hours before this game.
After an opening 30 minutes that the Glovers completely controlled, Truro enjoyed an increased spell of possession to close out the first half, but their youthful side couldn’t make it past the Glovers’ defensive line.
Their best chance was a curling effort from Ryan Kavanagh that was safely claimed by Day in stoppage time, after a few blocked shots half an hour into the tie.
Ten minutes into the second half Town doubled the lead after Fisher headed in a cross from Michael Smith, right in front of many of the 1103 Yeovil fans that had made the trip to Gloucestershire.
Hamon had got over to his right to stop the striker’s header, pushing it onto the post, but the ball rolled in off the post and into the back of the net.
Yeovil managed the game from there until the final whistle, where travelling fans joined Cooper’s players in celebrations on the pitch.
Town captain Matt Worthington will lift the National League South trophy after their final home game of the season on Saturday, April 13 against Dartford.