SORRY FOR THE DELAY

Yeltz 1 Havant 0

Unfortunately I'm in the USA on business this week so the usual slightly out-of-date coverage may be even slower. This also means I'm even more dependent on you lot to send me match reports, details, gossip etc. so just mail me at the usual address and I'll try and get stuff up ASAP.

All I do know is good - a fourth straight win - this time at home to Havant with a goal from young superstar Ian Aldridge, and we're up to a much healthier 11th place. Hurrah!

Match Report from Mark Holt

And so our run stretches to an incredible 4 games won. The goal came in the first 10 minutes when a header from Clinton hit the bar and the ball fell kindly to Ian Aldridge who couldn't miss from a couple of yards out. Then a few minutes later Aldo missed a rebound from a saved Clinton shot. The next 30 minutes passed with little action(I think).

The second half started like the first had ended but it sprung back into action when "Our Ashley" had a dipping shot from a tight angle which hit the bar. Then Clinton missed a shot from 5 yards out after a well worked freekick. However this was nothing compared to the fun which was had by all when Salvatore Bibbo (is his name better than Chuck Martini's?) handled a Ian Aldridge lob which seemed sure to be finished by Aldo. Bibbo was sent off for this offence and for the last 10 minutes an outfield player had to take his place (not sure of the blokes name). From the resulting freekick (incidentally the wall was never 10 yards cos the freekick was taken on the very edge of the 18 yard-box with the wall standing a yard behind the penalty spot which means the wall was surely only 7 yards). The replacement keeper saved well for a defender from the freekick. Although this result means we are in 11th place we surely deserved to win this one about 3-0.

THREE IN A ROW (IT'S NO APRIL FOOL)

Tamworth 1 Yeltz 2

THANK YOU, WONDERBOY

Bath 0 Yeltz 1

What a fantastic signing! Two goals in two victorious games from new bloke Ian Aldridge and we can start to breathe a little easier.

Bath had lost their last two games, but this shouldn't take anything away from a crucial and to be honest unexpected victory. Boston look a shoe-in for the title now - Bath are 14 points behind with only two games in hand - but more importantly we're now 7 points clear of that last relegation spot.

Saturday brings another difficult away game at Tamworth, but we go there in much better heart now. Come On!

WE NEEDED THAT

Yeltz 3 Salisbury 1

With only a second league win since the New Year, the mighty Yeltz finally looked like a half-decent team again with a stirring second-half display against Salisbury.

Two goals from Crispy (one a very dubious penalty) and the other from promising young new bloke Ian Aldridge led to three crucial points in the relegation battle - points that were made even more crucial after Merthyr, Grantham and Dorchester all won as well. Full details in my match report .

Two tough away games coming up - on Tuesday at title-chasing Bath , and then on Saturday a battle against Tamworth . These are probably our toughest games left, so any points gained here will be a bonus.

Match Report from Poll

I'll do the team bit first: McDonnell, Brown, Wood, Gardiner, Owen, Crisp, Cartwright, Smith, Birch, Thomas, Aldridge Subs: Gennard, Cooper, Another one

This was the team that a lot of us have been asking for - Hash Brown returning at right back lets Crispy push forward more - a role he is much better suited to - and Cartwright in midfield to keep the ball on the ground a bit. This more attacking policy definitely paid dividends, especially in the second half.

It was the smallest crowd I think I've ever seen at The Grove for a real game, and the atmosphere (in the first half at least) was awful. We started off reasonably well with new bloke wonderkid Ian Aldridge, just arrived on the No. 9 from Cradley, showing some good movement and a nice touch on the ball. However, unsurprisingly we looked very short of confidence and not a lot happened in the first half. Crispy fired into the sidenetting from 18 yards, and Danny was lucky to stay on from a very generous ref - see later - when he brought down their forward on the edge of the box when right through after a mix up with Ash Brown.

The second half started much like the first, but then sprung into life when *b*Crispy*cb* nipped in between defender and keeper to force in the first. The Shed finally burst into life, and the world suddenly started to look a much better place. Smiles were even broader a few minutes later when big Clinton battled to win the ball in the corner and then put over a perfect cross to let *b*new bloke*cb* place a lovely header into the bottom corner for a debut goal.

The ref then put a dampener on things by giving them a penalty from what looked like absolutely nothing (I had a brilliant view 80 yards away) but he soon made amends by returning the complement and giving us a penalty for nothing. Crispy was right through but their keeper timed his run perfectly, dived at his feet and won the ball brilliantly. Whatever. Crispy calmly fired it home and we were just about safe.

The Jolly Boys then had much amusement at the hapless refs expense, especially when Crispy made a theatrical dive in the box with a broad grin on his face, and for once we could go home happy. Hurrah!

News Story

FRIENDLY Yeltz 5 Tividale 0

Only a friendly today to give the players Mr Chambers doesn't like a run out. We won 5-0 as if that means anything.

More importantly, the other league results have dropped us to a brilliant 17th position . I don't think the results went too badly for us, with Crawley (who are on a tremendous run) beating Dorchester (who are as bad as us) and Atherstone losing as well (don't they always?).

Salisbury are the visitors to The Grove on Saturday. Come On!

COULD IT GET ANY WORSE?

Yeltz 0 Atherstone 1

Very very very poor. Losing 1-0 at home to Atherstone not only gave them some hope of saving themselves, but missed a crucial opportunity of hauling themselves away from the danger zone. With Grantham winning again, we are in big, big trouble.

Well enough of you have asked for it, so although it's not the most positive of things to vote on, you can now register your thoughts on how the manager is doing.

No game on Saturday - although the Yeltzline mentions a possible friendly at home to Tividale - then Salisbury are the visitors the Saturday after. Come On!

A CRUCIAL POINT

Crawley 2 Yeltz 2

Another hard-earned point away to a fellow relegation struggler, and we're just about keeping our heads above water.

The welcome return of Clinton Thomas meant we actually had a forward who might actually score, and two goals from the big man keeps us in 15th place now three points above that last relegation place held by a rapidly fading Gloucester.

If you haven't already checked out the Clinton Thomas web site , now might be a good time to do it.

Two more crucial games coming up - this time at home. Tuesday brings long-time rivals Atherstone to The Grove, and then after another ridiculous free Saturday, Salisbury are the visitors the Saturday after. If we can win both of these we ahould be just about safe. Come On!

Match Report from DJ

Crawley Town: Little, Doherty, Payne, Taylor, Ugbah, Hurdle (Vines 90), Pullan, Sharman, Wordsworth, Moore (Best 74), Lovett. Subs: Johnson, Best, Vines

Halesowen Town: McDonnell, Collins, Owen, Wood, Lloyd, Gardiner, Crisp, Gennard (Blake 69), Thomas, Smith, Cooper. Subs: Birch, Blake, Brown

Booked: Sharman, Doherty, Gennard, Hurdle, Lovett, Taylor, Gardiner Referee: A. Wooldridge (Ashington) Attendance: 706

Halesowen were full value for a point at fellow strugglers Crawley with Clinton Thomas leading the frontline by notching two goals on his return from injury.

Referee Andrew Wooldridge stamped his authority early on by cautioning two Crawley players in the first 4 minutes and went on to book seven players in total. Danger-man Thomas caused considerable problems for Crawley and with his back to goal he turned defender Ian Payne in the 11th minute to force a fine save from Andy Little. Thomas eventually opened the scoring for Halesowen after 18 minutes by wrong-footing the Crawley defence before firing into the bottom corner of the net. However, the Yeltz held the lead for just two minutes when their defence appeared to freeze allowing Dean Wordsworth to break clear and slot home easily past Danny McDonnell in the 20th minute. Neil Smith, Richard Crisp and Ross Collins all fired long range efforts just wide of the Crawley goal as Halesowen enjoyed considerable possession just before the break, but it was Crawley who took the lead after 56 minutes when Jay Lovett's corner was touched home from close range by captain John Ugbah after a goalmouth scramble.

Halesowen battled back and produced an equaliser of breathtaking pace and quality on 66 minutes when Neil Smith played the ball out to the left wing for Adrian Cooper to deliver a perfectly timed cross for the incoming Thomas to connect with a one-touch sidefoot past Little. Thomas headed over the bar after 70 minutes whilst searching for his hat-trick, but in stoppage time it was Crawley who almost stole the points when Lionel Best's cross dissected the visiting defence, but substitute Francis Vines was unable to find a final touch.

BETTER THAN NOTHING

Worcester 0 Yeltz 0

We didn't score and we've still only won once this century, but the mighty Yeltz gained a gratefully received point at fellow strugglers Worcester.

The next few days brings games against fellow strugglers Crawley and Atherstone. Crawley have climbed out of relegation zone with some excellent results recently, and Atherstone won their first game since September (and we thought we were bad) today against Ilkeston.

I know there's a lot of unhappiness amongst supporters about how things are going, but this isn't the time for that. Let's get behind the team, manager, board whoever, get those points to make us safe and see how we can move on from there.

IT'S TIME TO TURN IT AROUND

Yeltz 0 Bath 3

We were never going to win them, but two losses against the league leaders has brought us to a critical time of the season only two points above the relegation zone.

The next 8 days brings games against fellow strugglers Worcester, Crawley and Atherstone. I know there's a lot of unhappiness amongst supporters about how things are going, but this isn't the time for that. Let's get behind the team, manager, board whoever, get those points to make us safe and see how we can move on from there.

On a happier note, a lot of us were out in Seville for Yeltz fan and Fantasy Island reigning champion Sean Jackson's wedding. I'm sure everyone would like to join me in wishing Sean and Reyes all the best for the future, and let's hope he can improve his defence of the title now the wedding's over :-)

MAJOR SHOCK - YELTZ GET ONE

Boston 4 Yeltz 1

Well it wasn't totally unexpected, but the manner of the defeat at league leaders Boston was very disappointing.

3-0 down at the break following some pretty poor defending, things didn't get much better when Cartwright was sent off for elbowing an opponent in the face. After that, we held them pretty well and even got one back with a long-range effort from Ada Cooper, but they got a fourth near the end.

Thanks to Ken Fox from the Boston web site , we've got a couple of video clips of goals from the game. See my match report for details

We're still in 13th place , but we're now only 3 points above rapidly improving Crawley in that last relegation place, and we're not exactly the form team at the moment.

There's no game for a couple of weeks now until the visit of title-chasing Bath to The Grove. Things are looking good, aren't they :-(