SOMETHING'S GOTTA CHANGE
Folkestone 2 Yeltz 1
27 January 2001
Another desperate result, another poor performance and make no bones about it - we are going down.
The game? We took the lead in the first half through a looping header from Ross Collins when unmarked in the box. They were as bad as us, but then unbelievably took the lead from a penalty (following a blatant push) and then a goal almost straight after. We had most of the ball afterwards, but other than some tricky runs from the excellent Costas, we never looked like equalising.
So how are we going to get out of this awful run? Drastic changes are needed. We've go no midfield, no organisation and unbelievably we look even worse than we were under John Chambers. As several of you have pointed out on YeltzTalk , at least two managers have been sacked for having runs as bad as we're on now, and as far as I can see the only thing that might save us from relegation is bringing someone new in as manager who might spark some life into us. Anyway, please feel free to add your thoughts on the subject.
This week's transfer news: Stuart Payne has been released and has gone to Evesham. The Gas Man always worked hard, but you never really fancied him to score. Steve Piearce's loan period is up, but it's still not clear (to me anyway) whether he'll be staying or going back to Hereford.
Next week brings Welling United to The Grove in another crucial game. Come On, Come On!
Match Report from DJ
Folkestone Invicta: Wietecha; Morris (Dryden 49), Ponsford, Larkin, Daniels, Virgo, Hogg, Chambers (Ross 55), Lawrence, Dent, S. Smith (Ayling 85)
Halesowen Town: Quy; Crisp, Hines (Bowen 67), Wood, Lloyd, Comyn, Collins (Mason 27), Xiourouppa, Piearce, N. Smith, Ford. Sub: Sutton
Booked: Xiourouppa (56) Referee: K. Knight (Hove) Attendance: 384
The lights are rapidly going out on Halesowen's 11 year reign in the Premier League following this latest reversal at the hands of fellow strugglers Folkestone. The Yeltz are now without a win in ten games, having suffered six straight defeats.
The visitors started brightly but Ross Collins waited too long to shoot when in the clear in the 2nd minute and could only earn a corner. Steve Lawrence committed a blatant foul by bundling both the ball and Andy Quy over the line in the 3rd minute and the goal was disallowed. Quy then saved an 8th minute effort from Lawrence after Phil Wood had slipped on the heavy pitch. For Halesowen, Les Hines worked through the Invicta defence in the 11th minute but his final shot went high.
Halesowen took the lead in the 17th minute when a Collins header looped into the net from Steve Piearce's cross. Collins then hobbled off injured and without his presence Halesowen failed to build on their lead against poor opposition despite some tricky wing play from Michael Mason. Seven minutes into first-half injury time Richard Ponsford curled a 20 yard freekick just wide for the home side.
When Folkestone key players Andy Morris and Paul Chambers withdrew early in second half through injury, the visitors looked to be heading for a vital victory. However, as so often this season, Halesowen then pressed the self-destruct button and found themselves behind within the space of a minute. Andy Comyn pushed James Dryden in the box in the 62nd minute and Richard Ponsford gladly converted from the penalty spot. Almost immediately Dryden put Invicta ahead when he collected Nicky Dent's right wing cross and turned the ball into the corner of Andy Quy's net from 15 yards out. Despite late Yeltz pressure, Folkestone were in no mood to relinquish their lead and should have added to their goal tally on the break in injury time but Dent chose to fire at Andy Quy rather than passing across goal to the unmarked substitute Jeff Ross.