WHAT A WEEK!
Chippenham 1 Yeltz 2
15 March 2003
With a second win in a week away to a top of the table side, the mighty Yeltz continued their fight to stay in the Premier Division with an excellent 2-1 victory at Chippenham . First half goals from Lee Williams and Gavin Stone took us into a 2-0 lead, and although they got one back on the hour, we hung on to get another valuable three points.
We're still in the bottom four with Grantham beating Hastings and Hinckley beating Welling, but we've moved up a spot and are still only in the relegation zone on goal difference.
On Tuesday we're back at The Grove where we welcome Newport County . They've been on a poor run of late, and we're only 5 points behind them even though they're in 10th place, so let's hope we can continue our recent excellent form and continue our fightback.
Match Report from DJ
Chippenham Town: Bittner; Andrews (Mills 58), Thorne, Towler, Gould, Charity, Walker, Horgan, Paul (Godley 90), Mings, Griffin (Rawlins 81). Unused Sub: Bull
Halesowen Town: Clarke; Colwell, Hines, Bauress, Collins, Stone, Williams, Ashby (Leadbeater 61), Danks (Master 90), McHugh, Skidmore. Unused Subs: Spencer, Trainer, Charlton
Referee: R. Green (Berkeley, Glos.) Attendance: 605 Booked: None
Rejuvenated Halesowen reeled off their third straight away win to haul themselves closer to safety and extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Halesowen weathered some early Chippenham pressure and slack defending allowed Charlie Griffin to nip in and head a Gary Horgan free-kick against the cross-bar in the 2nd minute. Lee Collins then cleared a Scott Walker cross from the left and in the 5th minute Adie Mings miscued his shot from the edge of the box when well placed.
An 11th minute Les Hines free-kick was met by a Gavin Stone header but goalkeeper James Bittner scurried across his goal to make a fingertip save. Home skipper Colin Towler then cleared off his goal-line when Mark Danks took down a 14th minute right wing cross to shoot on target.
Chippenham's direct approach continued to cause problems up the slope and Gary Bauress was forced to clear over his own bar in the 16th minute. Simon Charity then hit wide from 20 yards and Griffin lobbed over the bar in the 23rd minute.
Jason Ashby nipped in to latch onto a long ball from Lee Williams in the 25th minute but Bittner rushed out to make an acrobatic block. After a stoppage for injury to Bittner, Danks then turned in the area to produce a reflex stop from the keeper and in the 32nd minute Ashby almost connected after neat play by Danks and Williams. At the other end Tim Clarke grabbed Horgan's shot at the second attempt in the 42nd minute.
The Yeltz then blasted the Bluebirds with a two-goal salvo in the final minute of the first half. Halesowen took the lead in the 45th minute with their own route-one style when a long ball from Danks bounced over Wayne Thorne and WILLIAMS lobbed the goalkeeper from 15 yards. Seconds later, STONE was on hand to touch home a right wing cross from close range that had escaped Collins under pressure to take a 2-0 half-time lead that looked unlikely just minutes earlier.
Five minutes into the second half a stunned Chippenham could only watch when a Collins header hit the crossbar with Horgan standing on the line. However, Chippenham pulled a goal back in the 57th minute with Scott Walker rifling home the loose ball from 18 yards after Clarke had failed to hold a deep cross from the left under pressure following Tom Gould's 30-yard free-kick. Three minutes later Griffin headed inches over the bar as it seemed the home side were about to apply the pressure down the slope.
However, with Frazer McHugh and Williams pulling the strings in midfield the Yeltz were never seriously troubled in the final half-hour despite seven minutes of injury-time. Mings drove wide from the left in the 70th minute before Bittner collected a 75th minute curling free-kick from Hines.
Halesowen's controlled and neat passing almost created a third goal in the 76th minute with McHugh hitting the outside of the angle as Danks and substitute Richard Leadbeater broke through the home defence. Five minutes from time Clarke tipped away a left-wing cross from Martin Paul for a corner, but the Yeltz easily held on to record a splendid win and condemn Chippenham to their first home league defeat since August.