PROGRESS

FAT 2Q Yeltz 2 Aylesbury 0

12 November 2005

The mighty Yeltz progressed to the next round of the Trophy in what sounds like a well-deserved victory over league rivals Aylesbury. Goals from Nathan and Fozzy put us into Monday's draw for the next round, which will take place surprisingly quickly in a couple of weeks time. The Conference North and South teams come in at this round, so we can probably expect a reasonably tough draw, so let's hope for a home game (or a nice trip away to somewhere we haven't been before).

On Saturday we're back in league action when we make the tricky away trip to 3rd placed Bedford. We got stuffed there last year although beat them in the return at The Grove, so I think any points we can pick up there will be good. As ever, I'm hoping for the best!

Match Report from DJ

Halesowen Town: Coleman; Cooper, Harkness, Preston, Pope, Steane (N. Smith 70), Cowley (Skidmore 80), Lamey (C. Smith 83), Forinton, Amos, Forsdick. Unused Subs: Pierpoint, Johnson

Aylesbury United: Rashid; Williams, Mead, Lazarus (Joe 52), Hayward, Gould, McCafferty (Powles 76), Bewers, Jaggard, Ngoyi (De Souza 63), Edgeworth. Unused Subs: None

Referee: L. Tavinder (Cheddleton, Staffs.) Attendance: 374 Booked: Preston (45), Harkness (80), Joe (90). Sponsors' Man of the Match: Alex Cowley

Halesowen booked their place in the next round with a comfortable victory over out-of-form Aylesbury.

The Yeltz made a positive start but missed a string of good early chances to make the game safe. Nathan Lamey tangled with goalkeeper Jack Rashid in the 2nd minute but Simon Forsdick waited to long and wasted the rebound with Alex Cowley's shot eventually blocked for a corner. Ben Steane flashed a cross-shot across goal three minutes later but Forsdick turned the ball wide from close range. Howard Forinton then missed a gilt-edged chance with a free header inside the Aylesbury six-yard box from Cowley's pinpoint 12th minute cross.

Bottom of current-form Aylesbury weathered the early storm and showed their hand when Gregory Ngoyi screwed a 16th minute shot wide from 20 yards out. Paul Edgeworth then headed a good opportunity over the bar from a Neil Lazarus cross five minutes later.

Forsdick missed his third good opportunity of the first period in the 24th minute when he headed another measured cross from Cowley over the bar.

Aylesbury almost sneaked a 26th minute goal when a poor back-header from Jon Harkness let in Gavin Jaggard but Nicki Preston spared the blushes by racing back to clear off the line with goalkeeper Dean Coleman beaten. At the other end Rashid collected Lamey's 36th minute cross at the second attempt with Halesowen just failing to gel with the final ball up front after dominating the first half.

Man-of-the-match Cowley continued to pose a constant threat at the start of the second half and hit just wide in the 46th minute after a neat interchange with Lamey. Steve Pope then hit high over the Old Hawne Lane stand from Cowley's 51st minute corner and with the Yeltz making heavy weather of finding the net from all their pressure, Forinton's 63rd minute header was easily collected by Rashid.

But Halesowen finally took a well-deserved 64th minute lead when leading scorer LAMEY picked up a clever flick from Forinton and struck a sweet 15-yard drive against the post before calmly despatching the rebound past bemused Rashid. A 67th minute free-kick from on-loan Harkness fell just wide and a 69th minute chip from Steane was then collected by Rashid as the Yeltz sought to secure more goals.

FORSDICK finally wrapped up the tie in the 82nd minute when he took on and beat the final defender Robert Gould down the left before hitting home a fierce low drive off the far post.

In injury time Greg Williams hit the side-netting from close range but it was too little too late for the well beaten Ducks.