26th November 2019

Yeovil Town drew for a second successive game as Aldershot held the Glovers to a 2-2 draw.

After trailing twice, goals from Albi Skendi and Rhys Murphy clawed Yeovil back into the game for a share of the spoils.

The result leaves Yeovil in sixth in the National League, but still four points off top spot.

Darren Sarll made one change to his side which drew with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.

The ever-versatile Skendi returned to the side in the place of Luke Wilkinson who was forced off the field in North Wales.

The game began at a slow pace, with neither side gaining a significant foothold on the game.

Both sides seemed to cancel each other out, and with chances at a premium it was always going to take something special or a mistake to break the deadlock; and it was a combination of both which did that.

A brilliant run by Jack Powell led to him being taken down by James Tilley in the penalty area leaving the referee no choice but to award the Hampshire side an opportunity from the spot. The penalty was expertly converted by Ethan Chislett who sent Stuart Nelson the wrong way to give Aldershot the lead.

The goal forced Yeovil to come out and force the play, with Town dominating the ball in the Aldershot half.

This pressure would tell after Myles Hippolyte’s long throw caused havoc in the Shots box, the ball then fell to Skendi who expertly hooked the green and whites level.

With the sides level the half came to a close in a similar vein as it opened, with a distinct lack of opportunities.

The visitors began the second half with much more intent.

This intent would pay dividends as Powell gave the visitors the lead. The midfielder hammered home a free-kick from 35-yards which left Yeovil stopper Stuart Nelson stranded.

The goal forced Sarll to act, making positive substitutions bringing on both Courtney Duffus and Chris Dagnall to partner Murphy.

The substitutions would lead to chances, the first falling to Jimmy Smith who had his driven effort from 20-yards saved by Mitch Walker.

Town would win a penalty just minutes later after the substitute Duffus was fouled in the box, red-hot Murphy stepped up and converted from the spot to level the scoring.

The Glovers would be the ones applying the pressure throughout the closing stages, but a clear-cut chance would not come to fruition.

Despite the ball being continually forced into the Shots box, the Hampshire side held out for a hard-fought draw in South Somerset.

 

 

Yeovil Town:Nelson, Collins, Bradbury, Skendi, Hutton, Tilley (Dagnall), Lee, D’Ath (Duffus), Smith, Hippolyte, Murphy.

Booked: Bradbury

Subs not used: Worthington, Omotayo, Jones, Dagnall.

 

Aldershot:Walker, Kinsella, Rance, Anderson, Shields (Lyons-Foster), Whittingham (Santos), Finney, Bettamer (Panayiotou), Chislett, Hunt, Powell.

Booked: Whittingham, Anderson

Subs not used: Rowe, Mullings.