Match Report | Stratford Town (H)
Halesowen secure back to back wins and clean sheets with midweek win over Stratford Town
Match Report
The Yeltz struggled for large periods of the first half, so the early lead in the opening stages of the second 45 was much welcomed. A Reece Mitchell cross after he received a pass from McKauley Manning was blocked out for a corner by Harry Reilly. The delivery from Jak Hickman was on the money, and headed into the net in the middle by Milan Butterfield. The latter’s second goal of the season, and first since taking up his ‘surely’ seemingly new role at centre half. Surely his new position, full stop. Two man of the match performances in a row? Superb!
Early chances came quick in a rampant opening five minute spell as both sides looked to build on their respective best unbeaten runs of the campaign too date. An interchange between Jim Kellermann and Todd Parker on the edge of the box set up a strike from Reece Mitchell, which went just wide of the right post. Two minutes later, the Bards went up the other end and fashioned their own chance, which forced a stop from Dan Platt. A Fin Brennan corner on the far right near The Shed went towards Lewis Ison at the back post, whose header tested Platt’s reactions.
In fairness to the away side, they started well, especially considering they didn’t fashion a shot on goal till their opener in the 17th minute in the meeting at The Grove last month. Inside the 10th minute, a Josh Roney and Dan Lafferty interchange led a header from the former, which flew wide but still in play. The loose ball was picked up by Henry Landers, whose cross to the back post found Owen James, and was blocked from the latter’s head towards goal. The Yeltz had to wait a long while before the next shot at goal, but half chances were still being created.
A 22nd minute Manning cross on the left by-line was headed away by former Yeltz captain Paul McCone for a corner. The delivery on the right from Kyle Finn went into the middle, but was headed away by Alex Collard. In the following minutes a Jak Hickman cross to Kellermann saw the raising of an offside flag, just before Bards keeper Jacob Weaver went to ground as he required treatment, but quickly got back up again. A minute later, a Parker shot was blocked to Mitchell, whose cross reached Kellermann, but a delayed reaction led to a block from McCone. A brilliant turn and shot from Cowley then saw a corner after his effort was blocked by Alex Collard. The delivery from Hickman was palmed away in the middle by Weaver.
The chance of the half landed just after the half hour mark, and it fell the way of the away side. A ball from Lafferty in the middle reached fullback Brennan, whose shot was brilliantly saved down low to his left by Platt. The late stages of the first half saw two late chances, one in the 43rd minute and the other the first minute of stoppage time. The first saw a Manning run and backwards pass to Josh Smile, who passed on one more to Mitchell down the left. The latter whipped in a low cross, which was met by Cowley, but hit just wide of the right post. The last chance saw another Mitchell cross, this one with more height and pace, which fizzed off the boot of Kellermann in the middle, but somehow didn’t bulge the net.
The goal was the perfect start to the second 45 from Penn’s Yeltz, but just seven minutes after the opener we survived a scare. The right back Harry Reilly got on the inside of Mitchell down the right, but to the rescue Gudger was quickly on hand to block the resulting shot for a corner. The delivery from Brennan a went very deep to the back post, and came off a man in orange last. Five minutes later a Finn pass went to Hickman down the right, up against Brennan, to win a corner off the latter. The delivery from Finn looped into the air, and was headed clear on the edge of the box by Roney.
The half-time substitution which saw Cowley replaced by one of the two newest Yeltz recruits Fin Holmes, changed the game. The 19 year old was involved in a lot of the play, particularly late on in the game. A 77th minute sprint down the left after a pass from Smile, saw Holmes run past his man, and find the support of Manning, who cross was blocked away by Reilly for a corner which was punched away. A 90th minute effort from Holmes could have extended the Yeltz lead very late on, but Weaver was equal to his strike.
Stratford created chances of their own, of which mainly came down the right through substitute AJ George. A 70th minute sprint from the latter, up against Holmes saw a cross cleared by Finn to Roney, whose shot was blocked by Gudger. As the final five minutes of the half approached, the away sides best chance of the half fell to substitute Jourdain Masidi, after some superb work down the right from George. The latter’s cross fell to former Glassboy Masidi, whose powerful strike was blocked by the head of Gudger. It is three wins in a row for the Yeltz, and back to back clean sheets in the league, having gone seven games without one. My match report word suggested by Simon Wright was ‘caravan’. I do not like giving up challenges, but this word is a bridge too far. Only joking! Just used it. Does it count? Probably not, but it’s in here anyway!
Attendance : 885
Yeltz Man of the Match : Milan Butterfield
Teams
Yeltz XI : Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Josh Smile (C), Alex Gudger, Todd Parker, Jason Cowley (Fin Holmes 46′), Kyle Finn (Ben Cassidy 83′), McKauley Manning (Rahis Nabi 88′), Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Harry Burns 78′), Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs : Ryan Wollacott
Stratford XI : Jacob Weaver (GK), Fin Brennan, Alex Collard, Henry Landers, Lewis Ison, Ty Deacon (Jourdain Masidi 74′), Dan Lafferty, Paul McCone (Cyrus Bruce 86′), Harry Reilly, Owen James (AJ George 66′), Josh Roney
Unused Subs : Kory Roberts, Jamie Molyneux
Russ Penn Post Match
- “I thought we were excellent tonight. We saw a Stratford side who were much improved from the team we saw against us at the start of the month, and I think they will build a good run together. So we played them at the right time.”
- “Alex (Gudger) and Milan (Butterfield) showed another great performance, but the pressure is on them as we have two centre halves who are fit and want to play. But sometimes partnerships work, and Alex and Milan’s certainly is.”
- “It is hard to tell straight after the game about Jason’s injury. We took him off as a precaution at half-time. It will be nothing long term, but it is hard to see him playing on Saturday, but who knows.”
- Fin (Holmes) we tried to keep after his loan at the start of last season, and sign in January and this summer. It never happened, but now it is done, and he showed his quality today. Explosive pace and could have scored. He will only improve will training sesssions with the lads. He is cup tied on Saturday, but it was touch and go whether he would play today as he was signed at 3, but he played every game this season for Stourbridge, so is fit.”