WE WON THE SECOND HALF
Havant 3 Yeltz 1
09 November 2002
The mighty Yeltz's unbeaten run came to a disappointing end with a 3-1 defeat against Havant and Waterlooville .
We started with a pretty defensive team, without Jason up front and with Kirk on the bench, but found ourselves one down after a long distance shot took a massive deflection to leave Clarkey no chance. They scored a second not long after when Tim came for and missed a corner, and when we went three down before the break it was really all over.
Second half showed a huge improvement, and when Leroy scored from close range with a header we were sort of back in it. Brendan really went for it bringing on Kirk, Reece and Elmes we just couldn't score again despite having much the better of the play.
They weren't a bad team at all, and it shows how tough it's going to be all season. We've slipped back to 17th place and are only out of the bottom four on goal difference. Makes next Saturday's game at home to struggling Folkestone very important, although don't forget Tuesday's B'ham Senior Cup tie at home to Studley , with entrance prices are much reduced.
Match Report from DJ
Havant & Waterlooville: Sparshatt; Champion, Ferrett, Masson, Hall, Hanson, Wood (Ford 55), Hale, Howe, Taylor (Leworthy 90), Haughton. Unused Subs: Davis, Gale, Middleton
Halesowen Town: Clarke; Colwell, Hines, Smith (Master 55), L. Collins, Stone, Skidmore, Leadbeater, May, R. Collins (Reece 76), Newall (Elmes 80). Unused Subs: Spencer, Garvey
Referee: I. Woodward (Seaford) Attendance: 436 Booked: L. Collins (68)
Halesowen's recent run of good form came to an abrupt halt with Havant warming up for their important FA Cup tie at Dagenham by romping to a three goal half-time lead.
The Hawks were forced to introduce Calvin Sparshatt due to a goalkeeping crisis that saw their three goalkeepers unavailable, but the stand-in keeper had an easy ride despite punching clear a cross from Les Hines in the 3rd minute.
In the 5th minute Ross Collins headed clear a Chris Ferrett cross and Tim Clarke managed a fingertip save from a dangerous Alec Masson cross. Richard Leadbeater turned well but his 13th minute shot was deflected for a corner before the Yeltz endured a wretched 20-minute spell in which they conceded three goals to effectively end the game.
After an 18th minute goalmouth tussle the ball broke for Shaun Hale to fire in a 25-yard shot that was heading well wide until James Taylor extended a leg to divert the ball past Clarke into the net. Gavin Stone headed away from under his own cross bar on 32 minutes and when Clarke failed to gather Ferrett's corner it allowed Gareth Hall to shoot through the crowded penalty area into an empty net with the help of another deflection. With the danger of being over-run in midfield the visiting defence was caught out again in the 37th minute when another Ferrett right-wing corner was headed home low down in the 6-yard box by Taylor.
The Yeltz looked more purposeful in the second period and pulled a goal back in the 51st minute when Hines swung in a corner for Leroy May to head home his first goal since returning to the club. Bobby Howe drove just wide from 20-yards and Howe then shot wide when Clarke lost a cross from Taylor in the 58th minute.
With Halesowen seeking more goals, a Hines corner fell to Ross Collins in the 63rd minute but he prodded the ball wide from close range before substitute Kirk Master saw his 25-yard free-kick turned for a corner. A 67th minute Master cross then ran across the face of the Havant goal with Leadbeater unable to provide the crucial touch.
In the dying minutes Halesowen's Leadbeater eventually brought a fine save out of Sparshatt from a 15-yard curling effort. Taylor should have completed his hat-trick at the other end but he scooped a Howe cross wide when unmarked and Hale's cross then hit the angle of the crossbar three minutes from time with Clarke back-pedalling.