TROPHY FUN
FAT 3Q Sutton Coldfield 1 Yeltz 1
26 November 2005
It all seems a bit local, but the Trophy is becoming very interesting. After a 1-1 draw at Sutton Coldfield on Saturday, the replay was called of due to bad weather. The winner of the game will play Tamworth at home, which is a very good draw from our point of view. Obviously they've risen through the leagues recently right up to the Conference, but we've always done reasonably well against them and it would be great to get to play them again.
On Saturday King's Lynn visit The Grove in the league. They're above us in the table but we've already won at their place and it would be very helpful to our league position if we could do the double over them.
Match Report from DJ
Sutton Coldfield Town: Belford; Wolsey, Wilson, Hood, Moran, Dodds, Field, Owen, Rowe, Markman, Hebberd. Unused Subs: Daniels, Ling, Hazell, Maynard, Breedon (GK).
Halesowen Town: Coleman; Cooper, Haywood, Preston, Pope, Knight, Cowley, Lamey, Forinton, N. Smith, Amos. Unused Subs: Pierpoint, C. Smith, Steane, Skidmore, Johnson.
Referee: R. J. Steans (Leics.) Attendance: 278 Booked: Cooper (38), Lamey (60), Hood (65), Field (72), Haywood (83), Wolsey (87).
Halesowen were forced to a replay in their 50th FA Trophy game after a bright first-half start performance was pegged back by the Royals.
Coles Lane has not been a happy-hunting ground for the Yeltz in recent seasons and in the first minute Halesowen escaped when the ball bobbled wide off Justin Rowe from Liam Hebberd's cross.
But the Yeltz then took charge and could have wrapped up the tie by half-time. Nathan Lamey hit a tame 4th minute free-kick at veteran goalkeeper Dale Belford and three minutes later Alex Cowley made a superb solo run through the heart of the Sutton defence beating five players on his way before finally sprawling in the area as he rounded Belford. However, the referee waved play on and then turned down another loud appeal for a penalty due to alleged handball as Belford tipped Howard Forinton's 15th minute effort was over the bar.
But a minute later FORINTON gave Halesowen the lead by calmly placing his 12-yard shot into the top corner after Cowley's shot was blocked in a crowded goal-mouth from Halesowen's third successive corner.
Sutton's prolific strike-force continued to be restricted although Rowe set up Craig Owen to screw wide on 26 minutes and Cowley's mistake allowed Matthew Dodds to tee up Owen in the 31st minute with visiting goalkeeper Dean Coleman gathering low down at the second attempt.
Before the interval Belford made a 37th minute finger-tip save to turn Cowley's 20-yard shot for a corner and at the other end the Yeltz survived a moment of confusion between Coleman and Niki Preston on the stroke of half-time.
In a more subdued second half Yeltz display, Belford made a couple of early clearances to deny Lamey and Forinton and on the hour Lamey picked out Forinton with a splendid left-wing cross but he headed high from 10-yards. A minute later Lamey then struck the side-netting from close range.
With Halesowen conceding too much space in midfield, the Royals gradually began to take the upper hand and equalised in the 67th minute when the ball broke from a long throw-in for HEBBERD to drill home past Coleman from 15 yards.
Cowley was brought down by Mark Wolsey in the 87th minute but Steve Pope's free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall and in the final minute Coleman easily collected Owen's 20-yard free-kick.
In injury time Belford raced out to clear from Nick Smith after Lamey and Forinton combined leaving both clubs in the hat for Monday's draw with a replay at the Grove on Tuesday, 29th November, kick-off 7.45pm.