Match Report | Aveley (H)
Halesowen set up a third consecutive FA Cup replay in a goalless draw with Aveley
Match Report
There were a very few select of chances in the first 45, and the early pacesetters in the half were the visitors. Inside six minutes a header wide and crucial defensive intervention denied Aveley. A cross from Jayden Robinson was whipped from the right towards the back post. Former Bishop’s Stortford man Ryan Charles got around the back of Jak Hickman, but the header drifted just wide. Wide man Charles proceeded to thread a ball through to Suley Zuhdu on the left, but on route to goal Hickman and Dan Platt teamed up perfectly to sort the situation out.
Just before the 10th minute came the best chance of the half for Russ Penn’s Yeltz. A corner was won on the right nearest the Harry Rudge Stand after Wragg knocked the ball off Jayden Gipson. The initial delivery was punched away by Joe Wright, but the keeper proceeded to fluff his line and allow Kellermann’s lobbed effort to drift just wide. Chances were at a premium for the remaining 35 minutes, but some crucial defensive work was required to deny the visitors efforts at goal.
A George Saunders pass out wide to right back Tobi Tinubu on the right saw the latter attempt to play in Charles. Yeltz keeper Platt got ahead of the Aveley man to sweep up but Hickman took command and took the ball around his keeper. Just before the half hour, a misplaced pass from Charles fell to McKauley Manning.
The latter played a one two with Reece Mitchell, before he played in the latter who was taken down by Aveley captain Ryan Henshaw. The delivery from Hickman was claimed by Wright. The final action before the two minutes of additional time, saw Todd Parker’s swept ball find Mitchell who played down the line to Manning. The latter who previously in the half knocked a cross out of play, this time saw the same outcome.
The chance creation in the opening 15 of the second half was much better than anything in the first 45 put together. The Yeltz made a double substitution at half-time with Jason Cowley and Harry Burns coming on. Aveley’s Friday signing Ollie Muldoon and Suley Zuhdu crafted the first opening of the second 45, three minutes in, when the duo linked up for a cross which was cleared by Milan Butterfield. The latter’s header fell to Jayden Robinson, who played a ball out wide to Harry Critchley. The left back’s cross went back to Robinson in the middle, whose header was straight at Platt. Just over 60 seconds later at the opposite end, a shot from Finn sailed just wide of the left post.
A huge chance came our way five minutes later, when Josh Smile swept a ball out to Hickman on the right. The Yeltz defender who made his 100th club appearance today, crossed low to Parker, whose shot five yards out from goal was scuffed wide. Just after the hour mark Parker was integral to another Yeltz opportunity, when he pass forward to Burns set space open on the right for Hickman to burst down the line. The latter’s cross was punched by Wright, but only as far as Kyle Finn, whose lobbed effort looped just wide of the left post.
Aveley looked dangerous themselves around the hour mark, and top scorer this season Zuhdu in particular looked most likely to make the difference. The forward almost beat Platt to the ball in the box from a George Saunders cross. Just before Zuhdu received a ball from Charles, before he had a few bites at the cherry to shoot, before Gudger blocked his shot from an angle. Aveley’s first substitution of the match followed subsequently, which saw former FA Trophy Wembley finalist Charles depart for striker Chris Harris. As the final 25 approached, the Yeltz felt in pretty much full control, creating the majority of the late opportunities.
A 67th minute cross from Hickman found Finn in the box, whose flicked header fell just wide of the post. Four minutes later a cross from Manning on the left was headed away in the centre by Gipson, but the ball stayed in play for a second delivery. It was again Manning who whipped the ball in, and this one to the back post was just too high for Cowley to almost certainly head into the net from yards out. The Millers made two substitutions in the minutes that followed, just before a strike from Manning tested the palms of Wright in the Aveley goal.
The attacks forward started to flow late on in the half, and the introduction of Ben Cassidy for Hickman certainly added more energy down the right. Saying that though, the best chance of the whole game came down the left. A run down the left from Mitchell set the Yeltz on the attack, which allowed Manning to cross into the middle. The latter’s ball was met by Cowley in the middle, who leaped highest, but was was denied as Wright made a stupendous quick reaction save to tip the ball over. A look that seemed to obsfucate Cowley. How did Wright tip it over? It reminded me of Brandon Hall’s 97th minute stop which denied Platt a last minute equaliser in our play-off semi-final last season. A replay in Essex on Monday it is. Almost 300 minutes without conceding, we certainly make the journey with confidence.
Attendance : TBC
Yeltz Man of the Match : Milan Butterfield
Teams
Yeltz XI : Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman (Ben Cassidy 84′), Josh Smile (C), Alex Gudger, Todd Parker, Charlie Wragg (Jason Cowley 46′), Kyle Finn, McKauley Manning, Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Harry Burns 46′), Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs : Ryan Wollacott, Rahis Nabi, Gael Mfuamba (GK)
Aveley XI : Joe Wright (GK), Tobi Tinubu, Harry Critchley, Ryan Henshaw (C), Jayden Gipson, George Saunders (Rowan Liburd 84′), Ollie Peters, Ryan Charles (Chris Harris 62′), Ollie Muldoon (Anthony Church 73′), Jayden Robinson (Jaden Brissett 72′), Suley Zuhdu (Elliott Sartorius 90+3′)
Unused Subs : Adam Bailey-Dennis
Russ Penn Post Match
- “Today we saw a good cup tie. I thought they were very good, and I thought we were in spells. We do it all again in 48 hours time.”
- “Both teams mixed it when they had too, they had their back to the walls last five minutes but countered well. Tactically they were spot on.”
- “A fit team has to be up for a bit of adversity like this (commenting on Monday’s replay). It is not a problem for our lads, we are in good shape, have a day to rest tomorrow, and will travel properly on Monday.”