Football: First win for manager Mogg boosts Yate's survival chances (From Gazette Series)

BGB Southern League Premier: Yate Town 3 Bedford Town 1

7:09pm Saturday 7th March 2009 in Sport

IF YATE Town stay up this season they will look back to this victory over Bedford Town as the turning point.

Dave Mogg celebrated his first victory in charge since taking over from the sacked Richard Thompson and he got his tactics spot on as Yate showed signs for the first time in his reign that they can escape relegation.

Paul Metheringham made the most of a rare opportunity up front in a 3-5-2 system, leading the line well as the target man and scoring the opener after 30 minutes to setup Yate’s first win of 2009 and end a dismal run of eight games without a win.

Dean Griffiths returned from an ankle injury, scoring a great individual goal six minutes later but Yate’s nasty habit of giving away two-goal leads looked like rearing its head again when Ian Draycott pulled a goal back for the visitors. However, they stayed strong at the back and a Matt Beadle penalty four minutes from time sealed the win.

Mogg said: “It is a weight off the shoulders but now we want to get the momentum going. What have we got to lose – everyone expects us to go down.”

“It’s been an improvement over the last two games, all you can hope for is that we improve again. It could be a flash in the pan but hopefully it’s a turning point and we can go on and on and pick up points on a regular basis.”

Yate almost took the lead inside three minutes but the unmarked Scott Brice somehow headed over Griffiths’ cross from five yards after Bedford failed to deal with Joe White’s corner.

Lee Matthews made a good block to prevent Bedford’s number seven Craig Daniel from scoring after Brice fluffed his clearance from Jamie Gould’s cross.

The deadlock was broken from a well worked Yate move down the left. After Metheringham flicked on Scott Brice’s throw-in he stormed into the box and smashed the ball home from close range after Griffiths’ cross-shot was parried out to the striker by goalkeeper Joe Pursell.

Yate doubled their lead when Matthews’ long goal kick caught Bedford’s defence napping. Griffiths chased the ball down, skipped past two challenges after cutting in from the left byline and fired the ball past Pursell.

The hosts could easily have gone into the break with a more comfortable lead as Metheringham headed over from Ali Gibb’s cross and another delivery from the on-loan Bath City man created a chance for Edd Vahid but the defender shot over.

Yate’s nerves were jangling after Bedford pulled a goal back on 62 minutes – Draycott embarked on a 20-yard run and went through the middle of Yate and into the penalty box like a knife through butter before drilling the ball past Matthews.

They had a great chance to equalise just four minutes later but Andrew Phillips shot straight at Matthews when well placed in the box after Daniel’s cross.

Mike Whittington excelled in his new midfield role and had three long range shots late on, the closest being a 25-yard effort that seemed to be heading for the top corner before Pursell tipped over.

On 86 minutes Yate were awarded a penalty after substitute Jake Reid was pulled down by Eddie Lawley in the box and Beadle smashed the ball home from the spot.

Yate have now jumped up a place to 20th and are three points adrift of safety.

Yate Town: Matthews, Vahid, Gibb, Metitri, Brice ©, Whittington (Reid, 84), Beadle, White, Metheringham, Griffiths (Blakemore, 71), Wood (Robbins, 84). Subs not used: Ward, Hawkins.

Bedford Town: Russell, Jackman (Cavill, 45), Lawley ©, Clark, Darby, Wall, Daniel (Miller, 71), Lewis, Phillips, Draycott, Gould. Subs not used: Armitt, Howarth, Hall.

Ref: Mr J Mayhew ( Dudley).

Attendance: 163 Gazette star man: Paul Metheringham.

* Yate Town play Bristol Rovers in the County Cup quarter-final on Thursday, March 12 at Lodge Road.