NEARLY DONE
Yeltz 1 Bedford 1
22 April 2006
Yes I know it's been a while since I updated the site, but I've been away and to be honest I'm not sure how interested anyone's been for a while.
The final games of the season are upon us, and having nothing to play for for a few games now we've just been going through the motions. Yesterday we drew against play-off bound Bedford 1-1 with Howard scoring our goal.
Two games left: On Tuesday we play the second-leg of the Worcester Senior Final, trying to pull back a 4-1 deficit against Moor Green. Then on Saturday we travel to Chips and Ham to bring to a close the season. We can still finish above the 9th place we finished in last year which would be an achievemnt of sorts, even though we've not really been in contention anywhere near as much (which I guess it's why it feels worse)
Fozzy was deservedly named Player Of The Season yesterday, so many congratulations go to him on some excellent performances throughout the year.
Match Report from DJ
Halesowen Town: Coleman; Pierpoint, Haywood, Preston, Knight, Skidmore (Cooper 76), N. Smith, Francis (Myers 88), Forinton, Amos, Forsdick. Unused Subs: C. Smith, Thompson, Johnson.
Bedford Town: Rigby; Childs, Hoyte, Lawley, Howarth, Bonner (Ford 88), Williams, Stupple, Dillon (Draycott 67), Howe, Rydeheard (James 67). Unused Subs: None
Referee: S. J. Rushden (Stoke-on-Trent) Attendance: 355 Booked: Pierpoint (44), Skidmore (53), Rydeheard (53), Dillon (63). Sponsors' Man of the Match: Nick Smith NLP Man of the Match: Nick Amos
Simon Forsdick was named as the Halesowen Town Player of the Season 2005-06 prior to the kick-off but the final home league game of the season ended with another draw against a Bedford outfit who had already confirmed their play-off place.
Bedford's young reserve goalkeeper Jordan Rigby had an uneasy afternoon and was fortunate to escape in the 4th minute when the ball bounced off Forsdick in the six-yard box into his arms.
Halesowen goalkeeper Dean Coleman then saved low down after Rene Howe teased his way through the home defence in the 6th minute and a minute later saved well from the same player with Niki Preston tidying up the loose ball. Gary Knight's 14th minute header caught Coleman on the wrong foot but he recovered to make a good reflex save.
Preston's 15th minute header was cleared off the line by Bedford's Matt Childs before a display of over-zealous stewarding saw Keith Carradine attempt to run off with the match-ball.
The Yeltz took the lead on the half-hour when Howard FORINTON was first to the ball to head deftly over hesitant Rigby into the net for his 15th goal of the season. But the Eagles equalised just four minutes later when Coleman failed to claim a cross from Carl Williams and HOWE's effort just crossed the line despite Dave Haywood's attempt to clear. Just before the interval Chris Dillon blazed over the Halesowen bar and at the other end Rigby escaped again after losing a right-wing cross.
Halesowen enjoyed the better of play at the start of the second-half with James Francis surging forward in the 47th minute only to be fouled on the edge of the penalty area. Haywood's resulting free-kick rebounded to Forinton, but Rigby made a fine save to smother the ball on the line in a crowd of players. Rigby dropped another corner from Nick Smith in the 53rd minute but on the hour Rigby collected when Forsdick headed on a Nick Smith's free-kick.
Coleman made a super reflex save to deny substitute Ian Draycott's 69th minute shot on the turn in his first touch but the game petered out in the latter stages with Draycott firing wide again in injury time.