Yeovil Town let a lead slip for the third time in four games but at least earned a point in a 1-1 draw with Millwall.
Substitute Joe Ralls scored on 63 minutes, ten minutes after coming on but Steve Morison levelled with a downward header quarter of an hour from time. It was a frustrating end to an error-strewn match and leaves the Glovers rooted to the bottom of the Skybet Championship. Victory would have taken Gary Johnson’s side to within three points of safety and off the foot of the table too.
The manager had reacted to Saturday’s 2-1 loss against Leeds United by bringing in Tom Lawrence for his first start since arriving on loan from Manchester United, Kevin Dawson dropping to the bench.
With rain falling in the early stages, it was Lions striker DJ Campbell who had the game’s first chance but his right foot shot from twenty yards went two yards wide. Town’s Ishmael Miller then went even closer but his snap shot deflected off a defender’s foot and skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Miller then had another clear chance but having controlled the ball and got a yard ahead of the covering defender, he delayed his shot and the defender cleared. David Forde in the Millwall goal then tipped a rasping effort from Lawrence around for a corner.
Forde then saved from Joel Grant as Yeovil enjoyed the majority of the chances with Millwall’s aim often letting them down; Scott Malone and Scott McDonald both shooting well wide of the goal. Miller then failed to get good contact on a John Lundstram cross and Forde held comfortably.
There were two early subs from the home side in the second half. Joe Ralls came on for Grant on 53 minutes and he was soon followed onto the pitch by James Hayter up front who replaced Kieffer Moore.
On the hour, Yeovil had the ball in the net through Miller’s low shot but he was adjudged to have fouled the defender and ref Andy Woolmer disallowed the goal. But after Marek Stech saved well from Lions sub Liam Feeney, the Glovers took the lead on 63 minutes. Hayter chipped over an inviting cross from the right channel and Ralls met it perfectly with a left foot sidefoot finish into the corner.
Millwall boss Ian Holloway then gambled by making his final two subs with eighteen minutes remaining, bringing on Alan Dunne and Jermaine Easter for Richard Chaplow and Campbell.
Martyn Woolford stung Stech’s hands with a long range effort on 74 minutes but the Yeovil joy was short lived as sixty seconds later, the visitors equalised. Easter crossed from the right and Steve Morison, on loan from Saturday’s victors Leeds, headed downwards and past the helpless Stech.
Lawrence then saw his effort parried by Forde before making way for Adam Morgan with seven minutes left. Morgan’s first action was to burst on to a pass from man-of-the-match Joe Edwards and fire agonisingly wide, looking for his first senior goal.
The remaining moments were played out among a flurry of yellow cards from ref Woolmer and in the dying moments, big Danny Shittu came up for a corner but directed his header just over the crossbar.