A Brett McGavin free-kick in the first half earned Yeovil Town a draw in their penultimate pre-season friendly of the campaign at National League South new boys Farnham Town.
The midfielder bent in a trademark set piece after 24 minutes and went on to dominate the first half creating a number of chances which they did not take and they were punished when Sam Evans turned home soon after the restart.
There was the usual flurry of substitutes from both sides in the second half including one face which no-one was quite sure who it was, and the game petered out in to a draw.
First half
Defenders Joy Mukena and Dan Ellison were both handed starts by manager Billy Rowley who started with striker Stephen Walker alongside fellow attackers Luke McCormick and Johl Powell.
There was no much to write home about in the opening 20 minutes as Farnham quickly made it clear they were looking to contain the visitors and hit them on the break as Yeovil dominated possession in the opening exchanges. An early long range effort from Brett McGavin and then an attempt to loft the ball over James Shaw in the Farnham goal were about as close as either side got to threatening.
When Yeovil were awarded a free-kick slightly to the left of goal and fully 30 yards out, there was only one man who was taking it. Brett McGAVIN range is Brett McGavin range. The midfielder stepped up and bent a(nother) beautiful set-piece in to the corner of the net after 24 minutes. Did anyone doubt he could?
McCormick tried to goal one better with ten minutes of the first half remaining when he tried an audacious scissor kick from a Johl Powell cross. Unfortunately, the Glovers’ captain could not find a connection. Five minutes later, Powell curled one just past the post with Yeovil thoroughly in control and pressing for a second goal as the game pressed towards half-time.
Half-time: Farnham Town 0 Yeovil Town 1
Second half
Within three minutes of the second half starting, Farnham levelled after Trae Appiah-Cook tricked his was past Dan Ellison and got a cross in which found Sam EVANS who got enough on it to turn it in to the net. The hosts had been looking to hit Yeovil on the counter attack in the first half and right at the start of the second half, they did it.
Just before the the hour mark, James Daly replaced McCormick and Joe Gubbins replaced Mukena before the hosts made a number of changes bringing on five new faces including the experienced midfielder Sam Hutchinson and striker Rakish Bingham.
Bingham almost made an immediate impact when he tried a spectacular chip after Yeovil give up possession, fortunately it goes just wide. Stephen Walker pulled an effort just wide before a flurry of substitutions after 68 minutes.
The new arrivals included ex-Arsenal academy defender William Lannin-Sweet or Will Sweet, depending how formal you want to be, and an unknown face. Some people at the game said it was Kyrie Pierre, the Brentford B attacker who featured against Cardiff City Under-21s, we’ll go with Trialist A.
Other than Bingham’s audacious effort there was not a huge amount to worry Yeovil goalkeeper Jos Barker, a fairly even affair but probably did not take the chances we created when we were on top in the first half.
Full time: Farnham Town 1 Yeovil Town 1
Teams:
First half – Yeovil Town: Jos Barker, Loick Ayina (for Jack Kingdon, 68), Joy Mukena (for Joe Gubbins, 56), Dan Ellison (for Jordan Norville-Williams, 68), Archie Davies (for Trialist B/William Lannin-Sweet, 68), Mason Obeng (for Trialist A, 68), Zain Westbrooke (for Hayden Muller, 68), Brett McGavin, Johl Powell (for Ryan Jones, 68), Luke McCormick (for James Daly, 56), Stephen Walker (for Slavi Spasov, 68).
Farnham Town: James Shaw (for Michael Eacott, 60), Kai Tanner, Ryan Kinnane, Dan Bayliss (for Jack Dean, 11), Trialist A, Tom Leggett, Billy Clifford (for Darryl Sanders, 60), Trae Cook-Appiah, Owen Dean (for Bobby-Joe Taylor, 60), Miles Obodo (for Sam Hutchinson, 60), Sam Evans (for Rakish Bingham, 60).
Substitutes: Brandon Mason, Erion Zabelli.
Scorers: Brett McGavin 24 (1-0), Sam Evans 48 (1-1)