ALL OVER
Aylesbury 2 Yeltz 1
01 April 2006
Mathematically not quite, but after this latest disappointing defeat even I've given up hope. 10 points behind Bedford with only 5 games left means we're not going to catch them even if we beat them in our game in a couple of weeks. Very disappointing.
By all accounts we started well at Aylesbury and took a deserving lead through Mr. Myers, but then couldn't build on the lead, let them back into it and ended up losing to a relegation threatened team. Unfortunately, that's been the story in too many games this year.
Next game is on Saturday at home to Northwood, where let's hope we can get revenge for the way they nicked the points off us down at their place earlier in the season.
Match Report from DJ
Aylesbury United: Kirk; Powles, Joyce (Gordon 17), Gould, Hayward, Kilmartin, Ming (Hassan 83), Butler, Gutzmore, Pringle, Jackson. Unused Subs: O'Grady, Goss, Stamp
Halesowen Town: Coleman; Johnson, Thompson (Haywood 83), Preston, Knight, Cooper, Cowley (N. Smith 57), Francis, Forinton, Myers, Forsdick. Unused Subs: C. Smith, Pierpoint, Skidmore
Referee: S. Chittenden Attendance: 287 Booked: Knight (43)
Halesowen's play-off hopes ended after throwing away a comfortable first half lead at relegation-haunted Aylesbury.
The cash-strapped hosts had lost their previous four games and their crisis deepened when unpaid manager Neil Trebble failed to show up in a week that had already seen the departure of coach Andy Theodosiou and first-team assistant Nicky Ironton.
Goalkeeper Reece Kirk grabbed Alex Cowley's 1st minute free-kick but Halesowen survived a couple of 2nd minute scares when goalkeeper Dean Coleman missed Tony Joyce's corner and Rob Gould scuffed a dangerous left wing cross in front of goal.
Both goalkeepers then produced excellent saves with Kirk tipping a curling 20-yard shot from Martin Myers over the bar for a corner in the 9th minute and Dean Coleman doing the same with a 22-yard strike from Matthew Butler in the 15th minute.
Home striker Richard Pringle had an off-colour afternoon and should've done better when put clear on the break by Nicholas Jackson after 18 minutes. Six minutes earlier Pringle missed a good chance in front of goal from a deep free-kick. In the 23rd minute Leon Gutzmore helped the home defence by clearing Simon Forsdick's cross from underneath the crossbar after a sustained spell of Yeltz pressure.
Veteran MYERS rolled back the years to give Halesowen a 28th minute lead by heading home Cowley's left-wing free-kick from close range to notch his first goal for the club. Seven minutes before the break Forsdick skipped through several tackles but was eventually crowded out in the home penalty area.
James Francis challenged Kirk in the 48th minute only to see the ball rebound on top of the net and a minute later Pringle wasted yet another chance with a free header from Damon Ming's cross.
But Halesowen once again failed to capitalise on an early lead in a scrappy start to the second half as Aylesbury started their desperate search for points with Coleman blocking from Pringle with his legs on the hour.
JACKSON repeated his levelling strike five weeks earlier at the Grove by equalising in the 69th minute by beating Coleman with a 20-yard half-volley as Halesowen failed to clear a throw-in from the right. Two minutes later Howard Forinton headed just over the bar from Forsdick's cross and in the 74th minute Rob Gould flashed a header just wide from a corner at the other end.
The Ducks finished strongly and Pringle was allowed to run clear on goal after Dan Thompson lost out in the 82nd minute but the out-of-sorts striker shot wide from just 8 yards with only Coleman to beat.
But Halesowen were caught out again in the 89th minute when the ball broke to Pringle in front of goal and GUTZMORE took over to fire home the winner from 8 yards to send Halesowen's six game unbeaten league run out of the window.