Yeovil Town grabbed a deserved point at Boundary Park this afternoon when they held second placed Oldham Athletic to a goalless draw.

The Glovers, after a shaky start, grew more into the game as it wore on and should have had a stonewall penalty decision on fifty minutes when Andy Williams had his legs taken away from him as he was about to shoot.



That said, Yeovil keeper John Sullivan kept his first clean sheet in Yeovil colours with several good saves including two brilliant ones to deny Chris Taylor.

Manager Terry Skiverton opted to make four changes from last week's debacle against Hartlepool, three of which were in midfield. Welsh international Owain Tudur Jones was immediately drafted in after signing on loan for a month yesterday and he was joined by Andy Welsh and Jean-Paul Kalala as the boss went for experience in the centre of the park. Rob Kiernan, Luke Ayling and Luke Freeman were the men to miss out and Nathan Smith came in for Nathan Jones at left back.

Sullivan's first flying save came on two inutes when the dangerous Taylor cut inside and unleashed a fierce shot that the Millwall loanee keeper turned away for a corner.

Ex-Yeovil loanee Ritchie Jones pulled his shot wide of the post on five minutes before Dean Bowditch headed a looping Craig Alcock cross over at the other end.

Welsh headed over on fifteen minutes from a centre by Andy Williams but the former Stockport winger earned himself a booking for upending an Oldham forward outside the penalty area.

Yeovil edged their way back into the game as the half wore on with Bowditch stinging keeper Dean Brill's fingers with a clever shot on the turn and forcing the stopper to make an even better save late on in the half with a thumping volley.

Sullivan's second save was even better denying Taylor's shot and conceding a corner in the process.

The second half began with the visitors in the ascendancy and Sam Williams pulled his shot wide before the major talking point of the whole match. Andy Williams cut inside from the right byline and after creating himself some space to pull the trigger, found his legs taken from him by behind. Rarely have such clear spot kicks been denied but referee Langford saw fit to turn the appeals down.

Skiverton brought on Cameron Stewart for Welsh to inject some fresh legs down the right with Andy Williams switching flanks to the left hand side.

As the weather swung wildly from driving rain to bright sunshine, often within a matter of minutes, so the game became more end to end. Sullivan again saved the Glovers denying Jones' header from a corner and Tudur Jones headed at Brill from an Adam Virgo free kick on seventy minutes.

Almost immediately afterwards, Bowditch spun his marker Reuben Hazell on the halfway line and was crudely brought down by the defender who earned a yellow for his trouble.

In the closing ten minutes, Luke Freeman replaced Sam Williams but it was the other Williams, Andy, who created the best chance of the final segment of the game. His cross from the left saw Paul Huntington climb to loop a header towards goal but Brill tipped it onto the roof of the net.

The subsequent corner saw a scramble in the area that ended with Kalala's shot being deflected for a third corner.

As stoppage time ticked along, Andy Williams let fly with a shot destined for the top corner but Brill flung himself full length to save well, Williams hurting himself with the shot and replaced by Luke Ayling.

Freeman was almost gifted a winner though when Brill came out of his goal to clear but missed the ball completely however Hazell saved his keeper's blushes with a proper clearing tackle. Brill then received the benefit of the doubt in the fifth minute of stoppage time when he came to punch a cross away and collided with Huntington. The ball fell to Bowditch who slotted home, sadly after referee Langford had blown for a foul.

The run of defeats has ended with a well deserved point at a good side and a similar performance next week at home to Exeter in the JPT and Notts County in the League will be welcomed.