OFF AGAIN
Friendly Yeltz 0 Walsall 3
13 July 2005
Here we go once more - another season kicks off with a lot of hope that we can challenge for promotion once again, but this time go a lot closer.
The first friendly at home to a full strength Walsall squad resulted in a 3-0 defeat - full details in Dave's match report .
The fixtures are out now, and your best bet for the moment is to go to the Southern League web site as it's going to take me a few days to get them on to this site. We start at home to Hitchin on August 13th and finish away to Chippenham!
Next friendly is at home to Stourbridge Town on Saturday.
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: C. Taylor; Johnson, Haywood, Farmer, Pope, Cooper, Cowley, Lamey, Smith, Forinton, Forsdick. Second Half Subs: Hay, Amos, O'Brien, Teraud, Warner, Lewis (GK).
Walsall First Half: Oakes; Pead, Fox, Gerrard, Westwood, Osborn, Darius Larossa, Wrack, Wright, Taylor, Bradley
Walsall Second Half Squad: Oakes; Leitao, Kinsella, Bennett, Atieno, Platt, Harkness, Dann, Vaughan, Sztybel, Tuohy. Subs: Deakin, Coleman (GK).
Referee: A. Marriner (Coventry) Attendance: 760
Walsall brought a full squad to the Grove to give both sides their first full pre-season work out.
Craig Pead's early cross from the right was headed wide by Darren Wrack and in the 17th minute Dave Haywood's corner was punched clear by Walsall goalkeeper Andy Oakes at the other end.
Pead's drive was then beaten away by home goalkeeper Chris Taylor on 23 minutes before the Saddlers took a 27th minute lead when a shot from Daniel Fox fell for new Brazilian striker Ruben 'Darius' LAROSSA to round Chris Taylor and score from 8 yards out.
Oakes turned away a fierce 28th minute shot from a fit-looking Nathan Lamey at the foot of the post but with Walsall moving into their stride Kris Taylor found space in the area after 34 minutes but his volley was unknowingly blocked by well-positioned Chris Taylor.
Walsall increased the lead in the 43rd minute when another Pead cross was met with a glancing header into the net from Kris TAYLOR.
A much-changed second-half Walsall line-up saw Jorge Leitao lead the line as the solitary striker in a 5-4-1 formation and in the 57th minute Julian Bennett's header was scrambled clear. Halesowen substitute goalkeeper Carl Lewis made a flying save in the 77th minute to deny Michael Tuohy from 20 yards and in the 82nd minute Steve Pope headed off his own line from Leitao's effort.
Halesowen went close in the 84th minute but Walsall added a third goal with two minutes remaining when Pope shielded a through-ball from Lee Vaughan but goalkeeper Lewis was slow to collect and LEITAO nipped in to roll the ball into the unguarded net.