7th December 2013

Yeovil Town came from two goals behind to snatch a thrilling 2-2 draw at home to Charlton Athletic this afternoon.

After conceding two first half goals to former Yeovil loan signing Cameron Stewart and Johnnie Jackson, two half time subs by manager Gary Johnson turned things round. And in an inspired second half showing, a Michael Morrison own goal was quickly followed by an Ishmael Miller penalty as the Glovers showed their true battling mettle.
Charlton then had Jackson sent off with a straight red card and in the end, only one side looked likely to grab a late winner and it was the hosts with Miller almost securing all three points late on. It leaves Yeovil still in the bottom three but a point further clear of Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday who both lost.
Manager Johnson had no issues with his initial starting eleven the same as with the last two games that had yielded six points, four goals and two clean sheets.
The Addicks lined up with two former Yeovil loan signings in their team in Simon Church and Cameron Stewart but it was a current loanee, John Lundstram who came close to scoring early on when his volley wouldn’t quite dip quickly enough before passing the bar.
Athletic keeper Ben Alnwick saved well from Miller and then fell onto a shot from Davis as the Glovers impressed early on. But strangely the atmosphere was as flat as a pancake despite the recent upturn in fortunes. Yeovil then received a warning shot across the bows as Stewart broke through and sent in a rasping shot that home keeper Chris Dunn tipped over smartly for a corner.
Adam Morgan, on loan from Liverpool, tried his luck from fully forty yards but his attempted lob was easily held by Alnwick. And it was the Charlton keeper who then set up his sides opening goal, catching a cross before throwing the ball out quickly to Stewart on the left touch line. The on loan Hull winger galloped fifty yards unchallenged before firing home an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.
Stewart then shot wide again before setting up his sides second goal three minutes before the break. Again, the attacker broke down the left before crossing for Johnnie Jackson to head home at the far post.
Johnson responded at the half time interval by withdrawing Lundstram and Morgan and throwing on Kevin Dawson and James Hayter. And it was Yeovil who had the early chances with Joe Edwards volley skimming the crossbar. Hayter was in the thick of it, going down inside the box but ref Craig Pawson saw no offence committed.
Jordan Cousins went close for the Charlton side with a rifling shot that went three yards wide before the impressive Davis then went off injured, replaced by Jamie McAllister on the hour mark.
Dunn pulled off a good stop from Church’s bicycle kick but the Glovers grabbed a lifeline on 71 minutes. Joel Grant’s good work down the left flank created space for a cross and the ball in deflected off Michael Morrison’s thigh and into the net to make it 2-1.
Yeovil had their tails up now and four minutes later, were level. Grant wriggled his way into the box and was hauled down, referee Pawson awarding the spot kick. Ishmael Miller smashed home an emphatic penalty for his second goal in three games to make it 2-2.
The comeback seemed to rattle Charlton and three minutes later, Chris Powells men were a man short as Jackson went in late on Luke Ayling, the fourth red card shown at Huish Park this week.
Late on, Yeovil almost grabbed a sensational winner when on the counter attack, Edwards bore down on goal but he over ran his final touch and the ball was cleared. Miller then was only a yard wide with. Left foot shot with five minutes to go.
In the end, the spoils were shared and it’s seven points from three games as Yeovil finally start finding their feet in the second tier of English football.