START!
Yeltz 3 Aylesbury 1
14 August 2004
It's good to be back to real action, and also good to start off with a win. Goals from Jason (2) and Steve Pope means it was our best first day result since we beat Gresley 3-0 a few seasons ago. More details in Dave's match report.
Some interesting results in other games - Chips and Ham won 6-0 and King's Lynn and Solihull both scored 5. It's going to take a while to figure out the relative strengths of the different teams, but it wasn't a good start for a few teams (including Team Bath - hurrah!)
Our opponents in next week's games both lost today as well. On Monday we visit long time opponents Hednesford , before on Saturday we make what I think is our first visit to Histon . Let's hope our good form continues and we can make a decent start to the season for once!
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: Sheils; Cooper, Haywood, Preston, Pope, Charlton, Cowley (Forsdick 59), Moore (Burgess 77), Haarhoff, Baker, Steane (Strachan 71). Unused Subs: Jones, Grocutt
Aylesbury United: Rashid; Powells, Mead, Lamb, Hayward, Smeathers, Champelovier (Ridley 77), Cracknell, Cole (Gould 67), Gutzmore, Edgeworth. Unused Subs: Winter, Wiffin
Referee: S. Barrow (Tamworth) Booked: Lamb (21), Charlton (50), Baker (88), Ridley (88) Attendance: 422
The Yeltz were given a standing ovation after an exciting display in their first game of the new season brought a comfortable victory in the first league meeting against former Ryman League Aylesbury United.
The Yeltz started confidently and won a first minute corner after visiting goalkeeper Jack Rashid flapped at the ball. Last season's leading goal-scorer Jason MOORE made it a perfect start for Halesowen with an 8th minute opening goal when he beat the offside-trap and side-stepped goalkeeper Rashid before placing a pin-point chip beyond the final two defenders into the top corner from the edge of the area. Alex Cowley then skipped free down the right to win a 21st minute corner and a 25th minute cross from Cowley was cleared off the toe of Jimmy Haarhoff.
In a better spell for the Ducks, Paul Lamb tamely side-footed a good chance past the post in the 27th minute and Dean Cracknell lobbed over the bar three minutes later. Halesowen's Haarhoff cut in from the left in the 32nd minute but his shot rebounded off the left-hand post into the arms of goalkeeper Rashid. The lively Meshach Cole then beat Yeltz central defender Nicky Preston for pace down the right but shot straight at goalkeeper Mark Sheils in the 38th minute instead of crossing to the unmarked Danny Mead. Sheils had a confident afternoon and collected a number of Aylesbury crosses and corners cleanly.
With the hosts searching for more goals, Lewis Baker was unfortunate to see his header rebound clear off the underside of the bar in the 41st minute from Cowley's cross. On the stroke of half-time Dave Haywood's corner crept through to Baker and then onto Steve Pope but Mead managed to clear off the line.
After a quiet opening few minutes to the second period, Haarhoff battled to win the ball in the 53rd minute and linked up with Ben Steane to set up Moore to swivel and fire at Rashid from 10 yards. Haywood then blasted a 25-yard free-kick at Rashid three minutes later.
Halesowen wrapped up the points with two goals in four minutes with Aylesbury's defence looking shaky under the pacy onslaught. POPE smashed home into the roof of the net on 60 minutes from 8 yards after Aylesbury failed to clear a free-kick from the right. MOORE then hit his second in the 64th minute by latching onto a long ball forward from Pope and beat goalkeeper Rashid to the ball before rolling the ball past the final defender and into an empty net. With Aylesbury under continued pressure, Haarhoff was just wide with a 69th minute diving header and Baker's 75th minute overhead kick fell inches wide of the left-hand post. Substitute Richard Burgess then set up Haarhoff to burst clear in the 80th minute but Rashid made a fine blocking save.
Aylesbury notched an injury-time consolation goal with virtually the last kick of the game when Paul EDGEWORTH cut through the centre of Halesowen's defence and hit into the corner of the net from 20 yards.