Northampton Town 2-2 Yeovil Town: Glovers relegated to National League
- Published
Jake Gray had put Yeovil 2-0 in front at Northampton, but the Glovers squandered their lead after half-time
Yeovil Town's 16-year stint in the English Football League came to an end after Saturday's draw at Northampton Town saw them relegated to the National League.
With fellow strugglers Macclesfield Town beating Port Vale, the Glovers needed to win at Sixfields to take their relegation battle to the final weekend of the season.
They looked on course for a crucial three points when they led 2-0 inside the opening 24 minutes, with Tristan Abrahams' penalty and a clever chip from Jake Gray putting them in control.
But Omar Sowunmi headed past his own goalkeeper before Daniel Powell's composed finish levelled the game before the hour-mark.
With news of Macclesfield's goal at Vale Park filtering through - and bottom side Notts County also winning against Grimsby Town - Yeovil pressed hard for a third and decisive goal in the final 20 minutes.
Yoann Arquin came closest to scoring a dramatic late winner, but goalkeeper David Cornell made a stunning save to turn his long-range strike away deep into stoppage time.
But they were unable to find a breakthrough and the result left them at the foot of the table, four points adrift of the Silkmen, who now need to better Notts County's result on the final day to ensure their survival and send the Magpies down.
Yeovil's EFL adventure comes to an end
Sixteen years on from reaching the English Football League for the first time, relegation back to non-league takes Yeovil Town full circle after a journey that saw them rise as high as the second tier.
Ex-manager Gary Johnson was the architect behind their remarkable surge up the pyramid, first overseeing two promotions in three seasons to take them up to League One and then returning to guide them to the Championship in 2013.
But, despite memorable wins over Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, the Glovers fell short of competing in the division and would go on to finish bottom.
Relegation - the club's first from any league in 19 years - was to prove the catalyst for decline, with Johnson sacked the following February and Yeovil going straight down to the fourth tier.
Under Darren Way, the Somerset club continued to struggle in League Two, consistently flirting with the bottom two before dropping out of the EFL this season.
It is also still to be seen who will lead the club in 2019-20, with their ownership situation yet to be resolved and caretaker boss Neale Marmon currently in charge of the side.
Yeovil Town caretaker manager Neale Marmon told 91热爆 Somerset:
"We're a very, very young team, who were not used to being down at the bottom, losing a lot of games on the bounce, picking up a few points then back into the same sort of rot.
"We never really picked up any confidence at all. (We need) a complete revamp. We'll have a sit down, clear our heads and think about the situation.
"The group itself is not a bad set of lads. It really looked like three points at half-time and we nearly nicked it at the end."