Match Report | Worcester City (A)
Halesowen’s substitutes prove the difference as the Yeltz sneak past a tough Worcester City
Match Report
A rarity occurred at the start of the game, as the Yeltz scored the first goal for the first time in six games in all competitions, and it was an early one. We took the lead just four minutes into the contest, the earliest Yeltz goal this season, eclipsing McKauley Manning opener at home to Barwell in August. A Rob Evans throw in down the right of the only side of the ground without seating, was knocked back to the defender, who this time crossed the ball into the area. The ball was headed out by Worcester’s 6 foot 6 inch Charlie Wise, and out to Jim Kellermann, whose shot through bodies deflected straight into Jason Cowley’s path, just onside, to turn home the opener.
The visitors got their eventual equaliser in the second half on 63 minutes, despite a pretty flat opening stage of the second 45. A ball forward and out wide from Nathan Hayward to Connor Stanley, saw the latter cross into the box low and the ball meet the foot of 19 year old loanee, Charlie Lutz, who side footed the ball from five yards out past Dan Platt. Was that it? Of course not. The Yeltz late show continued for another week, as substitute Kyle Finn found fellow sub Ty Barnett from a corner. The latter whose powered header was harder to miss. Our 14th goal after the 76th minute of this league season, only Spalding United (16) have more in our division.
The game started in a dream fashion for the Yeltz, but the moments after were certainly not impressive. Two minutes after Cowley scored his 22nd goal of the season in all comps, former Yeltz loanee striker Dan Sweeney, who scored in this contest in August, won a corner off Rob Evans. The delivery was whipped to the back post by Josh Bailey, and headed on at the back post by centre half Paul Downing, who clipped the post.
Just after the 10th minute, it was a case of what if for the hosts. A 12th minute shot from former Yeltz midfielder Harry Burns caught Dan Platt of guard, who was forced to pack peddle towards his goal and tip the effort onto the underside of the bar. Two minutes later, it was a Downing header again at the back post which caused issues, as Felix Miles’ delivery found City’s number 5, who has his header cleared off the line by Ryan Wollacott.
Just before the half way point of the first 45, City were on the front foot again. A ball slid through the Yeltz defensive line and into the box from Shay Palmer found Burns in the centre, who cut inside and whipped a curled effort just wide of Platt’s right post. The game proceeded to enter a bit of lethargic spell until the half hour mark of the contest, with the only action of a flat 10 minute period coming from a Cowley offside run, and a Miles shot at the other end which flew way over the bar.
After virtually 15 minutes of little action, the game finally got back into its groove. A Miles corner was headed out by the Yeltz defense on 34 minutes, before Bailey took one of his own on the opposite side. This one, also an in-swinger, was headed into the side netting at the back post by that man again, Downing. As the game entered the final five minutes plus two of stoppage time of the half, the Yeltz finally took back control, as a Alex Gudger volley was sliced just over, and a Cowley shot was blocked by Palmer for a Kellermann corner delivery, cleared by Downing.
The Yeltz carried the late first half pressure into the second 45, at least for the first five minutes. A Ben Cassidy burst forward saw him find Fin Holmes. The former carried on his great run into a superb 1v1 position had the pass been made, but Holmes decided to go to Cowley on the right, who won a corner. The delivery from Kellermann was challenged by Gudger’s front post run, but instead Bailey flicked the ball clear.
Four minutes later, the hosts should have got level. A Bailey pass to Sweeney down the left saw the latter swing a ball into the middle and to a lively Miles. Worcester’s number 10 found Palmer down the right, whose cross found Miles in the middle, who had a shot blocked on route to goal last ditch by a combination of Evans and Gudger. The host’s eventual opener followed just over 10 minutes later, deserved after some persistent early second half pressure.
The tempo from us after the disappointing and poorly marked equaliser was much needed, and a 69th minute goal mouth scramble to the levels of insanity somehow kept the scoreline level. The trio of Cowley, Holmes and the recently introduced Kyle Finn all swarmed around the ball in the box up against a desperate keeper Harley Price and Worcester defenders, Finn even having a shot cleared off the line despite an open net gaping. We then won a free kick which Milan Butterfield curled around the ball but well wide of the target.
As the saying goes ‘what comes around, goes around’ the Yeltz very nearly felt that feeling themselves when Worcester somehow failed to take the lead themselves on 76 minutes. A pass from the left by Bailey found Burns on the edge of the area. The ex Yeltz man swept a ball out wide to Miles, who found Sweeney in the middle. The striker looked for the right of Platt’s goal with a clean header from five yards out, but Platt somehow clawed the ball away. Heroic.
This ultimately proved Worcester’s last real hope, as the Yeltz only went on to change the contest, for the good. An 82nd minute Cassidy pass found Finn down the line, whose cross was headed away by just ahead of Barnett in the middle for a corner. The delivery from McKauley Manning was headed away by Bailey. Disappointing. But only for two minutes as the Yeltz, ironically from a corner, scored the eventual winner.
The match wasn’t without its squeaky bum time moments, I mean our last five matches including today in the league had seen nine goals after the 80th minute, so why wouldn’t it. To the relief of many, the Yeltz got the win over the line, and could have even added a third when Finn hit a looping shot which landed just over the bar. Not a performance to remember necessarily from the Yeltz, but a win is a win, as we make a fairly long awaited return to the top 5 for the first time since the 22nd of November.
Attendance: 2,360 (550 Yeltz)
Teams
Worcester XI: Harley Price (GK), Shay Palmer (Zac Guinan 89’), Josh Bailey, Nathan Hayward, Paul Downing (C), Charlie Wise, Charlie Lutz, Harry Burns, Dan Sweeney, Felix Miles (Kyle Belmonte 84’), Connor Stanley (Liam Lockett 64’)
Unused Subs: Logan Stoddart, Musa Ceesay
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C) (Todd Parker 80’), Ryan Wollacott, Alex Gudger, Jason Cowley (Ty Barnett 80’), Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Kyle Finn 67’), Rob Evans, Fin Holmes (McKauley Manning 70’), Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs: Jak Hickman