Yeovil Town produced one of their best performances of the season but could only pick up a point in a 1-1 draw with playoff chasing Bournemouth today.
Kieffer Moore’s 25th minute screamer gave the Glovers the lead but a fluke equaliser from Cherries winger Ryan Fraser, charging down a defensive clearance levelled before the hour.
The hosts were great value for at least a point and though in the minority on possession, had the better chances and can feel hard done by not to pick up all three points.
Results elsewhere favoured Yeovil with four of the bottom six losing but this will be once more a case of two points dropped as Town let a lead slip again.
Following the midweek defeat at Charlton, Gary Johnson made three changes to the side. In goal, Marek Stech came in to replace Chris Dunn and both Joel Grant and Liam Davis dropped to the bench with Ruben Palazuelos and Kieffer Moore coming in.
After the minute’s silence in tribute to the Hillsborough tragedy 25 years ago this weekend, the first twenty minutes were played at a frenetic pace and in an end-to-end manner. Matt Ritchie skied a shot in the second minute before Yeovil had their first claim for a penalty on five minutes when a cross hit the hand of a defender who had slipped on the turf. Harsh, maybe, but you had seen them given.
Joe Edwards volleyed wide and Moore shot at Stech as Yeovil pressed at a good tempo while Fraser shot straight at Stech when he should have possibly done better. But the Glovers took the lead eventually on 25 minutes with a spectacular effort from Kieffer Moore. A Jamie McAllister free kick was floated into the box and cleared to Moore who hit an absolute beauty into the top corner of the net.
Lewis Grabban then wasted the chance to level when he hooked his shot wide after turning the defender but it was a rare chance for the Cherries in a frantic first period.
Moore went close with a shot that took a deflection and Shane Duffy flicked a header just wide, Yeovil’s dominance forcing visiting boss Eddie Howe into an early second half change, Ian Harte exiting and Adam Smith coming on.
Bournemouth claimed a penalty when Duffy’s clearance hit Byron Webster on the hand but as with the earlier incident, it would have been a harsh decision. But it mattered not as the visitors took the lead in fortuitous circumstances two minutes later. Webster cleared the ball and it hit Ryan Fraser and looped over Marek Stech and into the net. If ever a goal summed up Yeovil’s season, that was it.
The game’s flow was good despite being interrupted by a number of strange decisions by ref Robert Madley and he further angered the home fans, denying them another spot kick shout when Moore was fouled by Steve Cook in the box.
Yeovil had Bournemouth on the ropes for the second time in the match and Webster came close with a flick at the near post with Moore’s follow up shot was deflected wide. Ritchie and Fraser missed chances to give the Cherries a vital lead and Tom Lawrence curled an effort a foot wide of the far post.
The 2,000 visiting Cherries supporters thought they should have had a late spot kick when Yann Kermogant went down theatrically in the box but ref Madley read the situation and waved the appeals away.
Four minutes of stoppage time later and the points were shared out. A draw was no good for neither side really but both sides’ hopes of achieving their aim are still alive after this pulsating draw.