SADLY PREDICTABLE
Team Bath 2 Yeltz 0
24 January 2005
The way our performances have gone recently, our unpredictability has become predictable, so it was no real surprise when we lost 2-0 down at Team Bath. Goals in each half means we're stuck in 7th place having blown our game in hand. By all accounts it was a pretty poor performance, but let's not forget we're still only 6 points behind the leaders with all to play for.
On Saturday we play another struggling team, this time Stamford at The Grove. Let's hope for three points this time to keep us right in the hunt for promotion.
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: Taylor; Jones, Haywood, Preston, Pope, Amos, Cowley (Skidmore 67), Moore (Haarhoff 67), Lamey, Steane (Baker 67), Forsdick. Unused Sub: Cooper, Danks
Halesowen's Jekyll and Hyde unpredictability was in evidence again as they slipped to a disappointing defeat, only two days after an impressive away win at Chesham.
Double-act Canham and Ball may sound more like an end-of-pier comedy show, but it was no laughing matter on a depressing evening for the Yeltz on the date labelled in the media as Blue Monday - apparently the low point of the year.
Halesowen wasted their chance to use a game in hand to move into 4th spot in the table and Marc CANHAM scored the opener on 9 minutes with a great strike after a headed clearance from Nick Amos fell to him just outside the box. The only chance of note for Halesowen in a poor first half came when Nathan Lamey turned his defender on the edge of the box but goalkeeper Darren Chitty produced a splendid save.
Lamey then missed a good chance just after the break after picking up the ball from Ben Steane's left-wing cross. A 51st minute mistake in the visiting defence almost led to the second Bath goal but goalkeeper Chris Taylor did well to deny Luke Prince. Canham then went close to his second a minute later when his effort from Prime's cross fell just wide.
Manager Paul Holleran made a triple 67th minute substitution and Halesowen had a great chance to equalise when Jimmy Haarhoff slipped a through ball to Simon Forsdick but Chitty made a fine save.
But it was all over for the Yeltz on 76 minutes when Alex BALL headed in a free-kick from Matt Lewis at the near post to make it 2-0. Even worse almost followed when Team Bath were awarded an 85th minute penalty for a push on Prime but the spot-kick from substitute Tomas Jaukovic was saved by Taylor.
Not even the luckiest pair of socks, the trickiest completed crossword, the hottest five-bean chilli or the most spiritual Woodhenge matchstick arrangement (there you go Andy) could help Halesowen fans so, not for the first time this season, defeat to a lower league side followed after beating a higher placed team, leaving the need to capitalise on home games to make progress back up the table.