13th August 2016

Yeovil Town retained their unbeaten start to the SkyBet League Two campaign with a 1-1 draw at Luton Town.

 

Town fell behind just before the half hour mark to an unstoppable effort from Hatters right-back Stephen O’Donnell, in what proved to be a testing first half which also saw Darren Way lose central defender Alex Lacey to injury.

 

A formation change in the second half saw Yeovil see plenty of the ball and after testing home keeper Christian Walton on a number of occasions, Tom Eaves rose on 78 minutes to head home a deserved equaliser to earn a share of the spoils.

 

Glovers manager Darren Way stuck with the team that finished Tuesday’s EFL Cup Round One match at Walsall, with Bevis Mugabi retaining the right-back slot in place of the injured Liam Shephard.

 

In a quiet start to the match it was Town who had the first sight of goal when Mugabi’s low cross found its way to Dolan on the edge of the box but the midfielder’s effort was deflected up and over the bar on the 15-minute mark.

 

That sparked an immediate response from the Hatters when two minutes later Glen Rea saw a header from the penalty spot brilliantly tipped over the bar by a diving Krysiak.

 

After 21 minutes both sets of supporters conducted a minute’s applause in memory of Luton supporter Brett Webb who sadly passed away recently, and the emotional homage to the Hatters fan was met with a goal for the home side just five minutes later.

 

Dan Potts’ cross from wide on the left evaded everyone in the middle and made its way out to O’Donnell, who, from 25 yards, lashed a fierce drive into the top corner giving Krysiak no chance in the Glovers goal.

 

Having conceded their first goal of the season, Darren Way’s side looked for a way back into the game immediately with a neat one-two between Otis Khan and Ryan Hedges ending with the former firing a shot straight at Christian Walton.

 

In a tough ten minutes for the visitors they were dealt another blow just past the half hour mark when Lacey succumbed to the injury picked up in just the second minute when he tumbled over the Kenilworth Road advertising hoardings; he was replaced by Tahvon Campbell.

 

The substitution prompted a re-jig in the Yeovil ranks; Kevin Dawson switched to right-back with Mugabi moving to central defence to accommodate for the now absent Lacey. Campbell took to the field upfront.

 

In a bitty remainder of the first half it was Luton who came closest to scoring; the industrious Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu fired just wide of the target from 18 yards just before the break.

 

The Glovers made a tactical change at the break, switching from the familiar 4-3-3 formation in favour of a diamond shaped 4-4-2.

 

Eaves and Campbell lead the line with Hedges at the top of a midfield diamond which was flanked by Dolan and Khan and marshalled by Lawless.

 

The change made an impact as Yeovil enjoyed the better of the play up to the hour mark.

 

Eaves had a goal bound effort deflected for a corner before his snapshot from the edge of the box required all 6’5” of Walton’s frame to deny an equalising goal.

 

The game opened up after 60 minutes with both sides enjoying sights on goal; Danny Hylton couldn’t direct a header from six yards before having a deflected effort fall just wide of Krysiak’s goal, whilst at the other end Campbell was twice denied by a diving Walton.

 

But Yeovil weren’t to be denied for long though as with 78 minutes on the clock, Eaves’ expert hold-up play brought Dawson into play and from the resultant cross, the Glovers striker was in position in the box to rise about the Luton defence and power home a headed equaliser.

 

Both sides pressed for a winner late on and Yeovil came closest to snatching the win with Dolan’s free-kick shaving the top of the crossbar, but the final whistle saw both teams earn a share of the spoils, a result which continues Town’s positive start to the season.

 

Yeovil Town: Krysiak; Mugabi, Lacey (Campbell 32’), Butcher, Dickson; Dawson, Lawless, Dolan; Hedges, Eaves (Sowumni 83’), Khan.

Bookings: Dawson 48’, Eaves 66’.

Subs not used: Maddison, Smith, Lea, Bassett.

 

Luton Town: Walton; O’Donnell, Mullins, Cuthbert, Potts; Mpanzu (Gray 58’), Rea, Cook, McGeehan (Smith 65’); Hylton, Marriott (Vassell 86’).

Bookings: Marriott 76’.

Subs not used: Lee, McQuoid, King, Justin.