YEOVIL TOWN 3 COLCHESTER UNITED 2

Yeovil Town were told to rediscover their will to win in a half-time dressing down that inspired them to consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Colchester’s Steven Gillespie had given the visitors the lead at the break only for Dean Parrett, Lawson D’Ath and Andy Williams to hit back. Kieran Agard’s red card and Martin Rowlands’ strike created late drama, but the Glovers clung on 3-2 for the second time in four days.

Giving an insight into his interval team-talk, Yeovil manager Gary Johnson said: “I just felt that some of them had to find it within themselves to be competitive. I did not think they had that will to win.

“The ground was very quiet and they did not have too much to get behind after the first ten minutes.

“The game then went a bit stale and we had to ask them to find it within themselves to liven it up and to be fair they did that. When we do we look a very potent side and got three goals.”

Fielding an unchanged side to the one that beat Wycombe on Tuesday, the hosts took just four minutes to register their first chance, D‘Ath heading over at the far post from Gavin Williams’ delivery.

On eight minutes, Andy Williams was dragged down on the edge of the box and byline by Brian Wilson as the pair contested Nathan Jones’ well-weighted ball forward.

Ed Upson’s free-kick eventually allowed Gavin Williams a shot from 12 yards, but he clipped the post.

Despite dominating proceedings, the Glovers found themselves trailing on 19 minutes.

Gillespie timed his run on to Rowlands’ ball to perfection, calmly slotting beyond Sam Walker as the static home defence appealed for offside.

As the game entered the 30th minute, Yeovil were undone by another swift Colchester counter-attack.

After winding his way into the box, Gillespie was unable to hit the target.

Six minutes later, Tom Eastman was inches away from doubling the visitors’ advantage with a free shot at poorly-contested corner.

As with Wycombe, though, Yeovil shrugged off a slow start to the second period by levelling on 56 minutes.

D‘Ath’s exquisite ball around the Colchester defence was raced on to by Parrett, who showed composure to make it 1-1.

Jon Obika had the ball in the net on 62 minutes, but was adjudged offside. The Tottenham Hotspur striker redirected Gavin Williams’ off-target effort as Yeovil’s passing and movement proved too hot for Colchester.

A minute later, Walker had to be on guard to beat away Gillespie’s speculative, swerving and dipping effort from 30 yards.

Ben Williams’ athleticism was all that denied Nathan Jones a rare goal on 67 minutes as the goalkeeper’s strong hand pushed away the player-coach’s shot from 20 yards.

But D’Ath went one better on 70 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to give Yeovil the lead after Obika’s shot was parried.

Andy Williams then created breathing space between the two teams on 72 minutes when he hooked in Richard Hinds’ header from Upson’s corner.

Agard had been on the pitch barely three minutes when he saw red for a studs-up lunge on Karl Duguid and Rowlands converted the subsequent free kick in style.

But the scoreline flattered Colchester, who were frustrated in a frantic finale by a Walker save and Jones’ vital last-ditch block from Kayode Odejayi’s follow-up.

Yeovil: @Walker, Ayling, N’Gala, Hinds, Jones, Parrett (Blizzard 69), Upson, G Williams, D’Ath (Agard 88), A Williams, Obika. Not Used: MacLean, Haynes-Brown, Stewart.

Sent Off: @Agard (90).

Booked: @D’Ath.

Goals: @Parrett 55, D’Ath 70, A Williams 72.

Colchester: @B Williams, Wilson, Eastman, Okuonghae, White, Duguid, Rowlands, Wordsworth, Henderson (Odejayi 77), Sears (Bond 86), Gillespie. Not Used: James, Heath, Coker.

Booked: @Wilson, Gillespie.

Goals: @Gillespie 19, Rowlands 90.

Attendance: @3,442.

Referee: @Steven Rushton (Staffordshire).