Yeovil lift FA Trophy

Goalscorer Alford posed a constant threat

Stevenage 0-2 Yeovil

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Yeovil lifted the FA Umbro Trophy after outplaying their Conference rivals Stevenage in an exciting final at Villa Park.

Carl Alford put Yeovil on their way to non-league football's biggest cup prize with a finely-executed overhead kick early in the first half.

And man-of-the-match Adam Stansfield made sure of victory for Gary Johnson's side when he applied a cool finish to Alford's flick-on midway through the second period.

Stevenage simply could not contain Yeovil's potent strike force, with both players unlucky not to add to their tally.

  Key incidents

1 min: Yeovil's Chris Weale superbly tips over Kirk Jackson's header

12 mins: Carl Alford puts Yeovil ahead with a spectacular goal

59 mins: Stevenage's Matt Fisher makes an excellent goal-line clearance

65 mins: Adam Stansfield scores Yeovil's second of the day

An expectant crowd were treated to some instant goalmouth action as the game got off to an explosive start.

Yeovil lost their concentration at the back and the effervescent Jean-Michel Sigere whipped in a dangerous cross for his Stevenage team-mate Kirk Jackson.

His header appeared goalbound, but Yeovil keeper Chris Weale pulled off a superb save to tip the ball over his crossbar for a corner.

Stevenage asserted themselves well in the opening stages, but struggled to cope with Alford and Stansfield.

And it did not take long for the Stevenage defence to be exposed.

Adam Lockwood launched a long throw into the area which Stevenage failed to clear and Alford, with his back to goal, executed a brilliant overhead scissor-kick goal.

Alford then assumed the role of creator as he put Stansfield through. But Stansfield dawdled and his shot was smothered away for a corner.

The Alford-Stansfield axis almost delivered a second goal for Yeovil.

Stansfield supplied a fabulous cross which the oncoming Alford would surely have dispatched had Paul Wilkerson not palmed the ball onto his own crossbar and out of harm's way.

Alford tangles with Fraser

Despite flashes of skill by Sigere, Stevenage were limited to speculative long-range efforts, with Simon Wormull trying his luck on a couple of occasions.

After the interval, Stevenage searched for an equaliser, Jackson again going close with a header.

But Yeovil continued to threaten and Stevenage midfielder Matt Fisher was forced to make a goal-line clearance to deny Terry Skiverton.

Yet it was only a matter of time before Johnson's side doubled their lead and Stansfield was rewarded for his endeavour, dispatching a low shot through Wilkerson's legs.

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Stevenage: Wilkerson, Hamsher, Goodliffe, Trott, Fraser, Fisher, Wormull, Evers, Jackson, Sigere, Clarke. Subs: Stirling, Dudley Campbell, Jamie Campbell, Greygoose, Williams.

Yeovil: Weale, Lockwood, Tonkin, Skiverton, Pluck, Way, Stansfield, Johnson, Alford, Crittenden, McIndoe. Subs: White, Sheffield, O'Brien, Giles, Lindegaard.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).