Match Report | Alvechurch (H)
The Halesowen Late Show : Continues.. with a home win against Alvechurch
The game sparked into life in the 75th minute when Jason Cowley thought he had put the ball in the net to make it 1-0. Unfortunately after much debacle, the referee decided a hand was used, so the game was ruled out. Eight minutes later though, the goal eventually arrived, when Milan Butterfield headed home his first goal since September. A second goal was deservedly added in the fourth minute of the 90th, as Cowley extended his goal record to 18 for the season as he rounded Redman Evans and slotted into an open net.
The game started with a bit of a slump, as both sides largely went for the possession based start in the opening 10. On the cusp of the 10th minute, the visitors were the ones who attempted to twist the key to the lock first. A pass from midfielder Callum Sullivan from the centre went to loanee Will Merrett, who sprinted towards the middle and hit a through ball into the box which was not gambled upon. Three minutes later Kieran Wakefield crossed from the right to the centre, where Dan Platt palmed the ball away from Sullivan, who snuck behind the Yeltz keeper.
As the clock struggled towards the 20th minute, we grew into the game and crafted the best chance of the game to this point. A Hickman free kick on the right was swung into the middle, and Milan Butterfield got his head on the ball, but couldn’t quite get the pace on it to fully test Redman Evans. The Yeltz came again two minutes later. A lovely move started with a Josh Smile pass to McKauley Manning down the left. The latter starting at left back, swung a cross into the middle, which was just headed over by Jason Cowley.
The chances came lightening quick around the half hour mark, starting with a 26th minute Szhem Whyte-Hall free kick, which was swung onto the edge of the box and headed comfortably over by veteran defender Krystian Pearce. In the minutes separating the half hour mark, two chances went begging for the visitors. The first of which a stunning strike from 24 year old Jonny Ngandu, shortly before a Merrett through ball found Wakefield, but Rob Evans, back at the Yeltz, got the tackle on him in the area.
A chance a piece fell the way of the two sides towards the end of the half. The Yeltz went close after Kyle Finn’s brilliant turn past one in the middle set him on his way to a ball forward to Charlie Wragg. The loanee on the right crossed for Cowley in the centre of the box, who turned his man, but scuffed an effort which was easily dealt with by the visitors. As the board was raised for an additional four minutes at the end of the 45, the third minute saw a Sullivan ball forward cleared by the head of Butterfield, before a Josh Dugmore shot flew over the bar and out of the ground.
The visitors had a few efforts in the second 45, but failed to test Platt more than once. A 49th minute stroll into midfield from Pearce, and pass to Sullivan, saw the latter find Whyte-Hall on the left. The latter crossed the ball into the middle towards Wakefield, but Evans got a crucial head on the ball to stop the ball finding the 21 year old forward. The game could well have changed for the worse for us, two minutes before our disallowed goal, and 10 before the eventual opener. Wakefield was sent through in the 73rd minute. The latter made his way into the box with enough space to fashion a more than decent low driven effort, which was superbly kept out by the right foot of Platt.
The second half though very much belonged to the Yeltz as it has so many times at home this season, St Ives, Stratford, Needham. We seem the kings of second half goals on our own patch. Aside from the goals, we went close on a few occasions before the eventual strikes. A 54th minute Wragg shot spun out of the ground, while 35 year old Pearce cleared a shot off the line from substitute Fin Holmes’ 64th minute round of the keeper and shot towards an open net. The win was earned in a hard-fought manner, and now all of a sudden after a tough period, things look much brighter for the Yeltz. We’ve just one defeat in six, and three sides coming up who are in the bottom half of the table, one at home, and two local clashes, one of which the big one!
Lovely to see Yeltz academy’s very own Luke Postle make his fourth first team appearance, and first this season as well tonight!
Attendance: 921
Yeltz Man of the Match: Milan Butterfield
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman (Reece Mitchell 74’), Josh Smile (C), Charlie Wragg (Fin Holmes 54’), Jason Cowley, Kyle Finn, McKauley Manning (Luke Postle 90+5’), Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann, Rob Evans, Tyrone Barnett (Ben Cassidy 70’)
Unused Subs: Alex Gudger
Alvechurch XI: Redman Evans (GK), Josh Dugmore, Ethan Septhon, Kyristian Pearce (C), Joe Willis, Jonny Ngandu (Elliott Dugan 85’), Will Merrett (Dieter Schwarm 81’), Callum Sullivan (Frank Tattum 68’), Kieran Wakefield (Akai Bonnick 85’), Nile Timson, Szhem Whyte-Hall
Unused Subs: Kyle Storer