GETTING CLOSER
Yate 1 Yeltz 1
30 March 2004
Every point counts at the moment, so it was vital that the mighty Yeltz fought back from behind against Yate to keep our unbeaten run going. A late penalty equaliser from Nathan Lamey gained us a point that keeps us in 3rd in the table with just six games left. Full details in Dave's match report.
On Saturday we travel again, this time to another lower-placed club in Evesham. We lost to them in the league earlier in the season, but since then they've lost Sean Flynn and are struggling at present, so let's hope for three points to edge closer to that top-seven finish.
Match Report from DJ
Yate Town: Court; Smith, Powell, Ward, Brooks (Metheringham 13), Wood (Hughes 66), Wyatt, Campbell, Bennett, Rawlins, Neal. Unused Subs: Pritchard, White, Barlass
Halesowen Town: Sheils; Colwell (Moore 70), Haywood, Charlton, Jones, Skidmore, Hollis, Haarhoff (Grocutt 87), Lamey, Foy, Forsdick (Strachan 70). Unused Subs: Steane, Carter
Referee: P. Brown (Taunton) Attendance: 169 Booked: None
Halesowen recovered from a disappointing start to claim a draw and inch ever closer towards a guaranteed top-seven placing required to move up the non-league ladder.
Jason Moore and Ben Steane were delayed by congestion on the M40 so Jimmy Haarhoff made his full debut and struck wide from a David Foy free-kick in the 3rd minute. Jason Wood then flashed well wide for Yate in the 6th minute before the Yeltz won their first corner of the evening on 17 minutes but Simon Hollis put his cross wide.
The hosts were already without central defender David Elsey and defender Nick Brooks then limped off in the 13th minute but Halesowen failed to exploit the weakness at the heart of the Yate defence. The home side went ahead in the 19th minute when a back header from Matt RAWLINS looped over goalkeeper Mark Sheils from Gary Powell's 30-yard free-kick in a disappointing goal from a defensive point-of-view. Sheils then collected a 27th minute curling cross from Wood and substitute Paul Metheringham hit wide from 20 yards.
Haarhoff weaved through the Yate rearguard on the half-hour but goalkeeper Tony Court kept out Nathan Lamey's shot. Simon Forsdick then headed a 33rd minute free-kick just wide and two minutes before the interval Court collected a low Haarhoff shot from the edge of the area.
A minute into the second half Hollis hit a right-wing cross just inches too high for Lamey from a good position and two minutes later Hollis hit a loose ball over the bar from 20-yards in a spell of pressure. However, Stuart Skidmore's slip let in Rawlins on 51 minutes but he hit his cross over the bar and three minutes later Mike Wyatt headed a Powell corner wide.
Court punched clear Dave Haywood's free-kick under pressure on 64 minutes and with 20 minutes remaining on the clock manager Paul Holleran introduced Moore in a tactical switch to play three up front in an attempt to retrieve the game. Foy's shot was deflected for a 74th minute corner but a minute later Sheils turned a curling 25-yard free-kick from Steve Campbell over the bar on a Yate break.
The Yeltz finally equalised in the 80th minute when Metheringham clipped Haarhoof's legs on the turn in the penalty area and LAMEY slammed home the resulting penalty to register his first goal for the club.
Wyatt headed a corner at Sheils on 81 minutes and two minutes later Sheils made a fine save low down from Campbell. The final few minutes were played out in the Yate half and in the last minute Asa Charlton hit over the bar after a corner was scrambled clear.