BACK AGAIN
Redditch 1 Yeltz 3
26 December 2001
The mighty Yeltz got back to winning ways after Saturday's blip, but not after yet another scare. After having much of the play in the first half, we went one down to Redditch before three reasonably late goals clinched an important victory and kept us on top of the league .
As mentioned before, I'm on my holidays so please excuse the slow updates of the site, especially YeltzTalk. Anyway, Saturday takes us to old rivals Atherstone and their delightful ground, and then Evesham come to The Grove on New Year's Day.
Match Report from DJ
Redditch United: Olden; Mitchell, Jackson, Knight, Niblett, Hawkins, Hackett, Harris, Danks, Booth, Colcombe. Subs: Cartwright, Campbell, Lakin
Halesowen Town: Clarke; Colwell, Burnham, N. Smith, L. Collins, Skidmore (Hall 68), Spencer, Bailey, May, Taylor, R. Collins (Hines 81). Sub: G. Smith
Referee: J. Farries (Oxford) Attendance: 428 Booked: Harris (79), R. Collins (79)
Halesowen returned to winning ways thanks to three late goals at the Valley Stadium after dominating the Boxing Day fixture for longs spells. The opening took on almost pantomime proportions with the referee only passing the frozen pitch playable five minutes before the intended kick-off time when he arrived late for the noon kick-off, expecting a 3pm start.
Halesowen then had the better of the first period with Andy Spencer's 17th minute shot deflected wide for a corner by Nigel Niblett. Lee Collins cut out a dangerous cross from Lee Booth that was heading for fellow striker Paul Danks after 26 minutes. Three minutes later Spencer just failed to connect with a flick-on header from Ross Collins and the returning Dennis Bailey played a clever ball to Leroy May in the 36th minute, but his pass across goal found empty space. Bailey headed Mark Taylor's corner wide after 38 minutes and a minute before half-time Lee Collins headed Jason Burnham's long throw inches past the post.
However it was Redditch who took the lead against the run of play in the 49th minute with their first real chance when Brendan Hackett hit a speculative 25 yard left foot shot into the bottom corner with Halesowen goalkeeper Tim Clarke slow to get down to the ball.
Just when it seemed like their lack of cutting edge would be their downfall again, Lee Collins popped up to head home an equaliser for Halesowen from Burnham's left-wing cross in the 71st minute. From that point on the result was never in doubt and Ross Collins hit a free header wide before Andy Spencer delivered a cross for Leroy May to make a perfectly timed run to head Halesowen's second goal into the top corner on 81 minutes.
Halesowen crafted a classic third goal in the last minute when substitute Matty Hall threaded his way through the Redditch defence before passing wide for Hines to deliver a cross for the exciting youngster Spencer to nod home off the inside of the post.