STUFFED
Cambridge 3 Yeltz 0
23 December 2000
Our long(ish) unbeaten run in the league came to an abrupt end with a 3-0 drubbing at Cambridge . A goal just before half-time, and two just after from the confusingly named Cambridge meant we've now slipped to a depressing 18th place in the table. Not a very Merry Xmas :-(
Boxing Day brings local rivals Worcester City to The Grove (3pm kickoff I believe) and then next Saturday (30th) we finish off a very disappointing year with a game at home to Ilkeston .
As I'm on holiday until after the New Year, the site might not be updated as regularly as usual , but I'll do my best to keep things reasonably recent. Anyhoo, have a jolly Xmas and New Year, and let's hope 2001 brings us better results that 2000 did. :-)
Match Report from DJ
Cambridge City: Davies; Wooding, Skelly, Randall, Girling, Wenlock (Wilkin 60 (Salmons 75)), Nightingale, Tovey (Browne 77), Bramble, Cambridge, Wilde.
Halesowen Town: Quy; Corns, Ford, Wood, Lloyd, Collins, Crisp, Payne (Sutton 57), Bowen, Smith (Cartwright 55), Hines. Sub: Hackett
Booked: Corns (41), Bramble (56), Lloyd (58), Wood (67) Referee: M. Scholes (Buckingham) Attendance: 485
Halesowen failed to cope with a heavily sanded pitch and were well beaten with Ian Cambridge causing the damage for his namesake team.
A poor first half came to life on the half-hour when Adam Wilde finished a great run from midfield with a 15 yard shot that was saved by Andy Quy, with Phil Wood clearing for a corner. In a rare moment of danger for the home side Richard Crisp fired into the side netting in the 43rd minute when Stuart Payne's header left goalkeeper Martin Davies stranded out of his goal. However, within a minute Cambridge went ahead when giant striker Tesfaye Bramble turned two Halesowen defenders and crashed the ball into the net off the underside of the crossbar.
Cambridge controlled the second half and it no was surprise when they increased their lead after 55 minutes. Richard Crisp managed to clear a header from Steve Wenlock off his own goal line, but as his defence hesitated to clear, Ian Cambridge was able to convert from close range.
Quy made another fine blocking save from substitute Kevin Wilkin who broke clear in the 63rd minute but could only watch as dangerman Ian Cambridge then rattled the crossbar twice in five minutes with two identical 20 yard shots. Striker Cambridge turned home the third goal in the 70th minute from a left wing cross with the visiting defence torn apart.
In the dying minutes, Neil Cartwight's shot was saved by Davies and a Ross Collins effort was cleared off the line as Halesowen searched for a consolation.