Full-time: Millwall 1 Yeovil Town 1
Full-time: Millwall 1 Yeovil Town 1
Luke Rodgers' second equaliser in as many games earned Yeovil Town the very least they deserved at Millwall.
The Glovers had fallen behind to a third-minute header from home captain Paul Robinson before Rodgers levelled on 37 minutes.
And after that Russell Slade's side were almost totally dominant against the promotion-chasers and could easily have taken all three points.
Yeovil were dealt a pre-match blow when Paul Warne and Gary Roberts failed fitness tests to be replaced by Aidan Downes and Andy Welsh.
And they were behind after just two minutes and 52 seconds when Millwall's third corner, delivered by David Martin from the right, swung into the near post and onto the head of Robinson, who nodded firmly home.
It could have been 2-0 when Neil Harris turned and crossed but Jimmy Abdou's header went well over the bar.
Then Gary Alexander stormed onto a long ball through the heart of the Yeovil backline before forcing a brilliant save from Josh Wagenaar at the expense of a corner.
Yeovil's first shot came in the 18th minute when a lateral run from Luke Rodgers ended with Downes skying the ball ten yards over the bar.
The Glovers had the ball in the net on 29 minutes but were anguished to see the linesman's flag raised for offside.
Andy Welsh slid Gavin Tomlin in on the right of the box. He fired past Lenny Pidgeley but before the ball crossed the line Rodgers tapped it in under pressure from a defender only to see the linesman rule it out.
However, that impressive piece of play seemed to galvanise the visitors and shortly after Tomlin stroked an effort just wide from 20 yards.
And then Rodgers had the ball in the net again after lobbing David Forde from a Tomlin flick-on but this time the linesman's flag had long been raised, once more for offside.
But Yeovil got the leveller they deserved through Rodgers on 37 minutes. A neat build-up following a throw-in on the right saw Lee Peltier curl a ball into the near post where Rodgers had peeled off his marker to volley past Forde.
Millwall had the initial chance of the second half when a free kick was half-cleared to Abdou, who fired a shot in that bounced back off Wagenaar. Adam Bolder hammered the rebound against the top of the bar and over.
Yeovil then hit the woodwork seconds later when a cross from Tomlin curled over Forde and clipped the bar before bouncing down to safety.
And they threatened again on 58 minutes when a Welsh free kick saw Skiverton glance the ball towards the near post but Forde got down well to push behind.
Welsh then almost got his name on the scoresheet himself when he latched onto a Rodgers right-wing cross but his looping effort hit the top of the net.
Nathan Smith then made another of his amazing surges from left back that saw him bypass three players before being crudely hacked down by Robinson. However, Rodgers' strike from the free kick was deflected to safety.
The 90th minute saw Yeovil spurn two more golden chances to win it. Rodgers' was more difficult as he shot through a defender's legs only to see the keeper block it. Then Welsh crossed the rebound in and Tomlin planted a tame header straight at Forde.
Millwall (4-4-2): Forde; DUnne, Whitbread, Robinson, Barron; Hackett (Grimes 54), Bolder, Abdou, Martin (Laird 83); Harris (Kandol 70), Alexander. Subs not used: Pidgeley, Fuseini.
Yeovil Town (4-4-2): Wagenaar; Alcock, Forbes, Skiverton, Smith; Downes, Peltier, Schofield, Welsh; Rodgers, Tomlin (McCollin 90). Subs not used: Jones, Murtagh, Street, Brown.







Comments
by toby porter, south london press
Sunday, December 28 2008, 9:07PM
“The Millwall keeper was David Forde”