UNBELIEVABLE
Cirencester 0 Yeltz 5
04 September 2004
You just don't know what to expect at present. In a complete surprise, the truly mighty Yeltz beat top-of-the-table rivals Cirencester 5-0 away from home on Saturday. A fantastic hat-trick from Jimmy plus others from Asa and the Pope means we moved ahead of Cirencester into second place.
On Tuesday we host league leaders Chips and Ham at The Grove. They've had an excellent start so far, but if we can play anything like we did on Saturday we must have an excellent chance.
The FA Cup draw has been made, so in the 1st Qualifying Round in a couple of weeks we visit Borrowash Victoria . They're in the Northern Counties East and are based near Derby.
As you've probably noticed the site is being updated intermittently at present as I'm on my holidays for two weeks, so apologies for that but I'm doing my best!
Match Report from DJ
Cirencester Town: Thompson; Arndale, Halliday, Jackson, Mayo, Wotton, Robison, Wimble (McCabe 57), Hopkins (Stanley 66), Griffin, Davis (Fitch 57). Unused Subs: Bird, Bevan
Halesowen Town: Taylor; Cooper, Forsdick, Jones, Pope, Charlton, Cowley, Burgess (Grocutt 79), Haarhoff, Baker (Steane 68), Strachan (Preston 70). Unused Sub: Danks
Referee: I. Hamilton (Cheltenham) Attendance: 284 Bookings: Charlton (27), Griffin (74), Pope (75), Robison (75)
Jimmy Haarhoff was Halesowen's hat-trick hero in a stunning five-star performance against previously unbeaten Cirencester.
The victory lifted Halesowen into second place in a game that proved to be much easier than Halesowen could possibly have expected against an uncharacteristically out-of-sorts Cirencester.
The Yeltz made the perfect start after 75 seconds when Darren Robison was judged to have handled the ball and captain Asa CHARLTON slammed home from the penalty spot. In further early pressure, Lewis Baker was thwarted when he snatched at a shot and the ball spun wide for a corner off the legs of goalkeeper Paul Thompson.
Baker then headed clear a 20th minute corner from Shaun Wimble and two minutes later Wimble was denied in a desperate goal-line clearance with Steve Pope tidying up. Haarhoff weaved his way through the home defence on 24 minutes but his shot was eventually crowded out and four minutes later Richard Burgess turned on the edge of the area with Thompson beating away the ball for a corner. Halesowen went two goals ahead from the 28th minute corner kick by Simon Forsdick when goalkeeper Thompson failed to collect the ball under pressure from Pope and HAARHOFF brilliantly volleyed home the rebound from ten yards.
The Centurions enjoyed a better spell before the interval with Dan Jones recovering to make a saving tackle on Scott Griffin on the half-hour and a minute later experienced visiting goalkeeper Chris Taylor saved Griffin's shot from the left. A 33rd minute corner was just too high for the head of Robison and a minute before the break Michael Jackson ran through the centre but shot weakly wide.
In a heartening gesture from the home side several of the faithful following fans were allowed into the Corinium Stadium for free after being severely delayed by an accident near home on the M5.
Halesowen added a third goal to kill the game as a meaningful contest seven minutes into the second period when the alert HAARHOFF caught out the home defence to clinically beat Thompson from a narrow angle after latching onto a left-wing throw-in that Arndale failed to meet.
The increasingly confident Yeltz capitalised on casual defending to increase the lead in the 65th minute when Burgess headed on a left-wing corner from Cowley and POPE hit the roof of the net from close range.
Baker handled the ball on the edge of his own area in the 67th minute but Jackson hit the free-kick a foot over Taylor's bar and five minutes later Taylor made a fine reflex save to deny substitute Ben Fitch when visiting substitute Nicky Preston was slow to clear.
Haarhoff completed his fine hat-trick in the 84th minute when Forsdick's left-wing corner was pulled back by substitute Darren Grocutt and although HAARHOFF's shot was saved by Thompson, the livewire hat-trick hero followed up to hit the net from close range.
Halesowen could have added further goals in the final five minutes against the demoralised home defence. Cowley struck the side-netting with Thompson off his line on 85 minutes and a minute later Thompson tipped away a shot from substitute Ben Steane for a corner. In injury time Haarhoff combined with Cowley on the break with Haarhoff finally squaring the ball to Cowley in the penalty area, but Cowley waited too long and his effort was blocked.