A stunning second half strike from Ryan Mason earned Yeovil a point at St James Park tonight.

The on-loan striker from Spurs hit a beauty from fully thirty yards out to ensure Yeovil got something from a match they were scarcely in at half time.

Exeter came flying out of the blocks and could have scored within ninety seconds. Matt Taylor headed narrowly wide from Alex Russell's inswinging cross.

It took the visitors eight minutes to get into any sort of meaningful position when Jon Obika's header from a corner was blocked by team mate Steven Caulker.

The pressure on Yeovil seemed sure to generate a goal and on fourteen minutes it duly arrived. Marcus Stewart, on the right, set up Liam Sercombe and his shot was sliced into his own net by club captain Stefan Stam past the unfortunate Alex McCarthy.

Stam's night then went from bad to worse four minutes later as he was booked for bringing Sercombe down on the by-line then had to retire after suffering an injury in the challenge. Terrell Forbes came on for Stam with Craig Alcock taking the captain's armband.

Exeter continued to push forward and both Berti Cozic and Ryan Harley threatened Yeovil's goal.

Manager Terry Skiverton shuffled his pack tactically withdrawing Andy Welsh and throwing on Gavin Tomlin in his place but still the pressure came.

Taylor again headed wide from a corner, James Norwood hit a weak shot straight at McCarthy and Stewart stabbed an effort wide as the Grecians looked for a second.

Ryan Mason's chipped free kick that Caulker headed wide and a curling shot from Danny Schofield were all the Glovers had to show for a disappointing first half.

It was a different team that took the field for the second half. After a spot of early possession from Exeter, Yeovil came more into the game and at last started imposing themselves on their hosts.

They forced five corners in fifteen minutes without really troubling keeper Paul Jones before the moment the 1,116 visiting fans were awaiting.

On 72 minutes, Jones miscued his clearance straight to Mason who controlled the ball in one movement before hitting a left foot screamer straight past the floundering keeper. It was a wonderful strike, Mason's second in successive games, and one worthy of a winner rather than the equaliser.

It upped the tempo on both sides and Yeovil nearly snatched the most unlikely of victories when Caulker's header so nearly set up Gavin Tomlin but the striker just failed to get his toe to the ball.

Home manager Paul Tisdale threw on three subs in the last thirteen minutes to try to win the game as the game really opened up but there was no further score.

Yet again, Skiverton will be left puzzled as to why the team took half a game to start playing. He will be drooling though at Mason's finish, a glorious goal that lit the night up.