A youthful Yeovil Town side progressed to the second round of the Somerset Men’s Premier Cup on penalties after being pegged back three times at Keynsham Town on Tuesday night.
A Glovers’ side made up almost entirely of the club’s under-18s’ side with the exception of goalkeeper Lewis Williams and striker Benjani Junior, who are presently on loan at Tiverton Town and Dorchester Town respectively, took the lead on three occasions through Mason Alden, Charlie Bateson and Benjani, only to be pegged back.
When Jaheim Allen scored a fine solo goal with six minutes remaining, the game went straight to penalties and finished 8-7 to the visitors with substitute Issac Adebo missing to hand the Glovers a place in the next round.
Yeovil opened the scoring with the first chance of the match when Mason ALDEN ran on to a through ball and lifted it over the keeper with six minutes gone.
Benjani headed wide shortly after before the home side grew back in to the game with Yonis Hussein forcing a good save out of Williams after 20 minutes. Keynsham then rattled the crossbar with a long range effort just after the half-hour mark.
The home side levelled on 38 minutes with a quick free-kick over the top caught the Yeovil defence napping, Theo Jeremy got past Aidan Skiverton before playing in Joe DAVIS who had a simple finish
Five minutes in to the second half, Alden had the ball in the net for a second time, but he was denied a second by the assistant’s flag with Jacob Harrison adjudged to be offside.
Yeovil regained the lead on 55 minutes when Charlie BATESON continued his recent fine goal-scoring form on loan at Western League Shepton Mallett, but the lead lasted just a minute as Jaheim Allen showed great pace and an even better pass to get past two visiting defenders before playing in Jamal SALAWU to fire an equaliser past Williams.
The Glovers were back in the lead on 63 minutes. BENJANI Junior bending an unstoppable free-kick in to the net.
63 | BENJANIIIIII!!!!
An unbelievable free kick from Benjani Jr finds the top corner!!!
? 3-2 ? #YTFC ? pic.twitter.com/13pceIvE7L
— Yeovil Town F.C. (@YTFC) October 10, 2023
Salawu fired an effort over the bar five minutes later before Alden latched on to a Max Dyer flick on and got a shot away but Louis Smith gathered it.
But, on 84 minutes a superb solo goal from Jaheim ALLEN drew the game level for a third time. The speedy winger ran past three Yeovil defenders before burying a shot past Williams.
Bateson lifted a free-kick over the bar with three minutes gone, before Allen spurned two good chances to grab a late winner for the home side.
Penalties
Benjani Junior (1-0) – SCORED
Jamal Salawu (1-1) – SCORED
Charlie Bateson (2-1) – SCORED
Billy Brock (2-2) – SCORED
Mason Olden (3-2) – SCORED
Kyle Anderson (3-2) – MISSED
Corey Koerner (3-2) – MISSED
Yonis Hussein (3-3) – SCORED
Jacob Shore (4-3) – SCORED
Joe Davis (4-4) – SCORED
Aidan Skiverton (5-4) – SCORED
Riley Gifford-Hobbs (5-5) – SCORED
Max Dyer (6-5) – SCORED
Kyle Selwood (6-6) – SCORED
Lewis Williams (7-6) – SCORED
Jake Wilson (7-7) – SCORED
Nansimir Nanev (8-7) – SCORED
Issac Adebo (8-7) – MISSED
Yeovil Town (3-5-2): Lewis Williams, Max Dyer, Harrison Foster, Jacob Shore, Aidan Skiverton, Josh Ansell (for Morgan Alexander 79), Mason Alden, Solomon Padmore (for Nansimir Nanev, 60), Corey Koerner, Charlie Bateson, Benjani Junior.
Substitutes: Jack Bareham, Alex Stevens, Jacob Johnson.
Keynsham Town: Louis Smith, Jake Wilson (Captain), Billy Brock, Brad Selwood, Kyle Anderson, Jonis Hussein, Theo Jeremy, Yonis Hussein, Joe Davis, Jamal Salawu, Jaheim Allen.
Substitutes: Riley Gifford-Hobbs, Saikouba Saidy, Aboirahman Ibrahim, Amadou Jawo, Issac Adebo, Tom Ovigne.