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Yeltz 6 Mangotsfield 0
23 August 2003
After our somewhat sluggish start to the season, the mighty Yeltz earned their first win of the season in impressive style, beating Mangotsfield 6-0 at The Grove. At hat-trick from Jason, two from Simon Hollis and one from Darren Grocutt. Full details in DJ's match report .
On Tuesday we make the short trip to Stourport in the league, before we kick-off our FA Cup campaign next Saturday away to Bedworth .
The closing date for voting for this year's election to the Yeltz Hall of Fame is next Saturday, so if you haven't voted yet and you want to you best get a move on.
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: Gayle; Colwell, Charlton, Grocutt (Small 82), Smith, Baker, Hollis, Ashby, Hallam (Mitchell 62), Steane (Skidmore 82), March. Unused Subs: Kavanagh, Spencer
Mangotsfield Utd.: Greaves; Summers, Drysdale, Pendry, Duff, Loydon, Sims, Turnor (Missiato 66), Edwards, Seal, Huxley (Pitcher HT). Unused Sub: Hale
Referee: S. G. Cooke (Mansfield) Attendance: 356 Booked: None Sponsors' Man of the Match: Darren Grocutt
Halesowen finally clicked into top-gear with six of the best to record their first win of the season against previously unbeaten Mangotsfield.
A mark of the superiority of the home side was shown by the fact that Mangotsfield did not win a single corner all afternoon. Bizarrely, for the third successive league game, Halesowen found themselves with a match-day referee by the name of Cooke (all different) - but too many Cookes certainly did not spoil Halesowen's brand of exciting football.
The writing was on the wall for the visitors early on when Jamie March whipped in a 5th minute cross for Mark Hallam to head just wide. Hallam then headed on a long ball in the 10th minute for Simon Hollis to screw just wide and on 15 minutes Hallam headed another Hollis freekick for Darren Grocutt to scoop inches high.
It was no surprise when the Yeltz took an 18th minute lead with sponsors' man-of-the-match GROCUTT powering home a 5-yard header from a Hollis corner. On the half-hour Hallam fired in a free-kick at goalkeeper Daniel Greaves after being fouled 25-yards out.
Mangotsfield mustered only one first-half chance when Matthew Huxley headed over the bar from a David Seal cross. Before the interval, Hallam hit at Greaves from 12 yards and Hollis fired a 30-yard drive over the bar.
The Mangotsfield youngsters could not cope with the constant attacking threats from the home side in the second half and the one-way traffic towards their goal continued. Hollis hit just wide in the 47th minute from a Jason Ashby flick-on and then struck the side-netting a minute later. The pressure led to a second goal on 54 minutes when HOLLIS beat the offside trap to confidently beat Greaves from 8 yards.
With Mangotsfield in meltdown mode ASHBY took the ball around goalkeeper Greaves in another one-on-one to slot home the third goal on 58 minutes and the visitors were lucky to escape on the hour when a Hollis cross was just missed by new signing Ben Steane. Substitute Leon Mitchell was introduced in the 62nd minute and he burst through two minutes later only to see his final shot blocked for a corner.
In rare counter-attacks Seal stole clear but steered wide for Mangotsfield on 68 minutes and a 77th minute Seal header from Jack Pitcher's cross produced a splendid flying save from Mark Gayle.
ASHBY nipped in between defender Mark Summers and goalkeeper Greaves to head home a fourth goal on 78 minutes after a Mitchell shot took a looping deflection. Mangotsfield were caught out again in the 80th minute when Hollis was first to the ball to flick home past Greaves from 8 yards out.
With a cricket score looming, Hollis was twice denied by Greaves in the 88th minute before ASHBY completed his hat-trick a minute from time by hitting home a rebound when Greaves palmed away a shot from Hollis.