Akinfenwa denies the injury-hit Glovers
YEOVIL boss Paul Sturrock was left cursing Lady Luck as AFC Wimbledon hit back to earn a point.
Already without eight players, the Glovers lost centre-back Alex Lacey as he limped out of the pre-match warm-up.
And after taking the lead through Ryan Bird, when he headed in from Omar Sowunmi’s flick, the home side then saw the latter taken off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.
His departure badly disrupted Yeovil and as Wimbledon then took control of the game, they deservedly levelled through Bayo Akinfenwa.
Yeovil boss Sturrock said: “It doesn’t get any easier when you lose your centreback in the warm-up and then you lose your striker to injury just after half-time.
“Omar was causing them all sorts of problems before he was carried off and we just haven’t got the squad to cope with all these injuries.
“It was backs to the wall after Omar went off and I think in the end a point each was about right.
“The way the season is unfolding I can’t believe how many injuries we are suffering but I’ve got to remain positive.”
The visitors started the game brightly and then finished strongly, with Paul Robinson heading against the bar before Akinfenwa’s equaliser.
Boss Neal Ardley said: “It would have been a travesty if we hadn’t equalised because we had three great chances early on, then hit the post, hit the bar in the second half and also had a shot cleared off the line.
“They posed a threat from long throws with the big man Sowunmi when he was on but I can’t understand how we haven’t won the game.
“The players are disappointed that we haven’t won but all I can ask for is a high level of performance and I felt I got that here.
“Bayo is always a threat and we work very hard at our set-pieces. He’s done well to shake off his marker and get the equaliser.”
Wimbledon saw an early shot from George Francomb cleared off the line by Yeovil defender Connor Roberts before Tom Elliott’s effort was saved by Artur Krysiak.
But it was Yeovil who took the lead as Roberts’ long throw was flicked on by Sowunmi and then powerfully headed in by Bird.
Before the break, Wimbledon midfielder Jake Reeves struck a post and then just after the interval Sowunmi was forced off, injured in a challenge with defender Will Nightingale.
The visitors then dominated and got their reward when Francomb’s corner was headed in by Akinfenwa from close range after goalkeeper Krysiak misjudged the delivery.