Alford's acrobatics land cup for Yeovil

Carl Alford scored against his former club as Yeovil Town sealed their first FA Trophy final victory against Stevenage Borough here yesterday.

Yeovil, renowned as FA Cup giant-killing specialists, had not been beyond the semi-finals in non-League's premier cup competition previously but strikes from Alford and Adam Stansfield yesterday ensured they lifted the trophy.

Borough enjoyed the early advantage with Jean-Michel Sigère's glancing header forcing Yeovil's goalkeeper Chris Weale into a flying save with just 60 seconds gone.

However, soon after Yeovil took the lead. When Stevenage failed to cope with Adam Lockwood's long throw-in, Alford performed an overhead kick in the area to give his team the lead.

Stansfield could have extended that advantage two minutes later when his cross cannoned off the bar and missed Alford by inches. The former Chelsea player, Nick Crittenden, was then unlucky to see his 35th-minute effort cleared off the line.

Yeovil continued to control the game after the break and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead as Alford held the ball up before releasing Stansfield to score.

Goals: Alford (12) 0-1, Stansfield (66) 0-2.

Stevenage Borough: Wilkerson, Hamsher, Goodliffe, Trott, Fraser, Fisher, Wormull (Stirling, 71), Evers (Williams, 56), Jackson, Sigère (D Campbell, 74), Clarke. Substitutes not used: J Campbell, Greygoose (gk).

Yeovil Town: Weale, Lockwood, Tonkin, Skiverton, Pluck (White, 51), Way, Stansfield, Johnson, Alford (Giles, 86), Crittenden (Lindegaard, 83), McIndoe. Substitutes not used: Sheffield (gk), O'Brien.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).

Booking: Stevenage: Fisher.

Man of the match: Alford.

Attendance: 18,809.