By Dan Howell
Frustration was the overriding emotion for Yeovil Town as they were held to a 1 1 draw by an Ebbsfleet United side battling to secure their National League status. Sean McGurk’s spectacular first half strike was cancelled out by Aaron Cosgrave’s clinical finish in a match that saw plenty of drama but no late breakthrough.
With manager Mark Cooper serving the second of his two match touchline ban, Yeovil made just one change to the side that played on Saturday. Kofi Shaw returned to the starting line up following his suspension, replacing Josh Sims.
The match began tentatively, with both sides struggling to find rhythm. Yeovil threatened first when Charlie Cooper’s long range strike in the tenth minute forced a fine save from Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Mark Cousins, who tipped it around the post. This effort sparked a spell of Yeovil dominance, with Brett McGavin having a chance from a free kick on the edge of the area, though his attempt failed to test the keeper.
Charlie Cooper tried his luck again minutes later, but his deflected shot was cleared to safety. Ebbsfleet faced problems of their own as Todd Kane was forced off injured, with Jez Davies replacing him early in the game.
Yeovil continued to press, with Aaron Jarvis flicking a cross towards goal and Cousins staying alert to claim it. Long range efforts from Kofi Shaw and Sean McGurk followed but found the reliable arms of Cousins.
It was always going to take something special to beat the Ebbsfleet goalkeeper, and Sean McGurk delivered in the 38th minute. The forward produced a moment of magic, controlling the ball with precision, turning his defender, and driving forward before unleashing a powerful 25 yard shot that crashed in off the post to give Yeovil a 1-0 lead.
Ebbsfleet responded late in the half, with Aaron Cosgrave’s shot blocked by Morgan Williams and a speculative Tyler Cordner effort easily collected by Ollie Wright.
The second half started slowly, but it didn’t take long for Ebbsfleet to find an equaliser. Jez Davies played a precise ball into Cosgrave, who outpaced Morgan Williams and lifted the ball over the advancing Ollie Wright to make it 1-1 in the 56th minute. Moments later, Yeovil suffered a blow when Aaron Jarvis went off injured, replaced by Josh Sims.
The game turned in Yeovil’s favour in the 64th minute when Ebbsfleet’s Mustapha Olagunju was shown a red card for a last man foul on Ciaran McGuckin. However, Brett McGavin’s resulting free kick hit the wall, before he found Josh Sims whose effort was blocked.
With the numerical advantage, Yeovil pushed forward, searching for a winner. Sean McGurk had a golden chance after a cutback from Dom Bernard, but he fired over. Substitute Frank Nouble and Jacob Maddox added fresh energy to the attack, but the Ebbsfleet defence stood firm.
Brett McGavin came close with a well struck effort in the closing stages, but the home side’s backline remained resolute.
Fourteen minutes of added time gave Yeovil hope, and they piled on the pressure. Efforts from McGuckin, Maddox, and Charlie Cooper came close, but none found the back of the net. Despite relentless attacking, the Glovers couldn’t find a late winner, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw after 104 minutes of action.
