DISAPPOINTING
Yeltz 2 Banbury 2
23 August 2005
The mighty Yeltz lost the chance to make up ground in the table when we twice allowed Banbury to score late equalisers at The Grove. Goals from Lamey and Farmer were both cancelled out - the last one in the 95th minute - as we ended up at 2-2. Full details in Dave's match report .
We've been on the fortunate end of a few extended injury times recently, so I suppose we can't moan too much, but it's still a bit disappointing all the same. We're now in 12th place in the table with just 5 points from the first four games.
On Saturday we travel down to Bristol to play Mangotsfield, before hosting Rugby on Bank Holiday Monday.
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: Taylor; Cooper (Skidmore 73), Forsdick, Preston, Pope, Farmer, Cowley, Lamey (Hay 83), Smith (Strachan 73), Forinton, Amos. Unused Subs: Maguire, Johnson
Banbury United: Tricker; Blossom, Jackson (Kinch 78), Sullivan, Pond (King 75), Fuller, Stanbridge, Lamb, Redknap (Potter 71), Baird, Gardner. Unused Sub: McKay
Referee: J. Cox (Evesham) Attendance: 416 Booked: Farmer (38), Sullivan (69) Sponsors' Man of the Match: Steve Farmer
Halesowen squandered another potential win and failed to defend their fourth lead in four games when unbeaten Banbury grabbed two dramatic late equalisers.
The evening looked promising when Nick Amos headed a Nathan Lamey cross over the bar in the 3rd minute and Steve Farmer met Simon Forsdick's cross to head against the crossbar with low-key Howard Forinton striking the side-netting from close range against his former club in the 5th minute. Andrew Baird then glanced a header wide for the visitors after 6 minutes.
Forsdick skipped down the left wing in the 11th minute but his cross was just too high for Nick Smith and after 19 minutes Banbury's John Gardner beat Alex Cowley but Baird flashed another header over the bar from the resulting cross.
Cowley's 20th minute cross was again met by a Farmer header but goalkeeper Simon Tricker and defender Darren Pond somehow clawed the ball away from the foot of the post before Lamey's 21st minute close range effort was diverted for a corner.
Chris Jackson hit a speculative 35-yard half-volley just wide for the Puritans after 26 minutes and three minutes later Halesowen's Smith shot wide after Forinton headed down Cowley's cross.
Just before the interval Banbury enjoyed a good spell with Baird heading a Paul Lamb cross into the arms of Chris Taylor. Two minutes later Taylor flapped at Lamb's free-kick but the ball fell safely and on 45 minutes Gardner also blasted wide.
The Yeltz grabbed the lead in the 51st minute when Steve Pope touched a 22-yard free-kick for LAMEY to strike a low-ball beyond Tricker through a crowded goal-mouth.
But hopes of a first home win were disappointed as Halesowen failed to capitalise in a game resembling a mid-table clash.
Forsdick fed Smith on the hour, but he shot straight at Tricker from 20-yards. Forinton then put Forsdick clear on goal after 78 minutes, but he lofted the ball over the bar. Two minutes later Lamey latched onto a headed clearance from Nicki Preston but his chip fell on top of the cross-bar with goalkeeper Tricker beaten. Substitute Gary Hay looked raw when he was put through in the 84th minute and he wasted the chance through indecision before the ball broke for fellow substitute Craig Strachan to fire in a fierce 20-yard shot that was parried away by Tricker.
Halesowen twice paid the price for not securing the points in a dramatic final few minutes as Banbury's substitutes rose to the occasion to force two equalising goals. Substitute Neil King delivered a cross from the right wing for substitute Tommy KINCH to head home at the far post with Taylor failing to prevent the ball rolling inches over the goal-line after 85 minutes.
Halesowen were given a 'get-out-of-jail' card in the 87th minute when they regained the lead with FARMER crashing the ball into the net from close range after Tricker failed to gather Strachan's free-kick. Gardner hit a 20-yard free-kick over the Yeltz bar on 90 minutes and it appeared that Halesowen's defence had survived.
However, play was allowed to continue deep into injury time - despite neither physio being required in the second-half - and in the 95th minute King delivered an identical right-wing cross for substitute Chris POTTER to be given yet another far-post free-header to take home a share of the points.