CONFUSED
Solihull 3 Yeltz 1
03 January 2005
Football is a confusing game. How can we be so good against Merthyr and then lose to Solihull? Still if it was predictable we'd soon get bored. Full details in Dave's match report .
We continue yet another long run of away games on Saturday when we travel to play Bath City. They are down in 15th place but in this crazy league they're only 7 points behind us. Let's hope it's one of our good days!
Match Report from DJ
Solihull Borough: Gayle; Smith, Hier, Adams, A. Cooper, Peer, Jackson, Titterton, Hawker, Shepherd (Voice 78), R. Taylor. Unused Subs: Robinson, Petty, Faulds
Halesowen Town: C. Taylor; I. Cooper (Amos 78), Haywood, Preston, Pope, Jones, Cowley (Haarhoff 67), Danks (Moore 67), Lamey, Baker, Forsdick. Unused Subs: Skidmore, Steane.
Referee: C. Miller (Kettering) Attendance: 383 Booked: Haywood (49), Lamey (83).
Nathan Lamey grabbed his fourth goal of the festive season but could not prevent Halesowen losing their fourth league game out of six in a dire display.
Halesowen were barely recognisable from the side that beat top of the table Merthyr just two days earlier as they slumped to the bottom side Solihull in an unhappy return to Damson Park for Yeltz manager Paul Holleran and five of his players all recruited from Solihull. Nick Amos was also announced as the new Halesowen player-coach and takes over from Darren Grocutt who left just before Christmas.
A 6th minute corner was met by Lamey at the far post after being missed by former Halesowen goalkeeper Mark Gayle but the home defence cleared for a corner. Solihull's Matt Hawker broke free down in the 11th minute but the ball was eventually cleared in a scramble with both Marcus Jackson and Rob Taylor going close. Not for the first time this season, Jackson continued to prove troublesome for Halesowen as he flashed an 18th minute shot wide with the Yeltz defence wide open again before Halesowen's Lewis Baker headed Alex Cowley's free-kick just wide.
Solihull took a 23rd minute lead with the help of comical defending when a back header from Dan Jones only found HAWKER and his lob beat goalkeeper Chris Taylor who was well off his line. Two minutes later Taylor recovered to make a good save from Morton Titterton's shot and at the other end Baker's 27th minute shot struck Martin Hier's arm but only a corner was awarded.
LAMEY equalised with a fine 29th minute header beyond Gayle from Cowley's short corner. Ten minutes before the interval Gayle made an important blocking save from Lamey from ten yards.
Instead of building on Lamey's leveller, the visitors put on a wretched second half performance and fell behind again in the 48th minute when Rob TAYLOR picked up a loose ball and drilled home a low shot from 22 yards. Halesowen goalkeeper Chris Taylor then lost a 64th minute free-kick from Carl Adams but the ball fell safely and Halesowen escaped. Solihull added a third goal on 68 minutes when Jackson was allowed to advance and his shot beat Chris Taylor again from 20 yards with Mark SHEPHERD free to tap home the rebound off the post.
Halesowen hardly mustered a second half chance until Nicki Preston headed an 81st minute corner wide and labouring substitute Jason Moore was set up by Lamey five minutes from time but wasted the opportunity.