Match Report | Leamington (A)
Halesowen fall short in the Birmingham Senior Cup for another season after drab opening half.
Match Report
The Yeltz, for the sixth time in our last seven games in all competitions managed to find ourselves behind in the opening 45. Leamington’s opener came just 90 seconds into the contest, after a pass fell to captain Adam Walker in the middle, whose ball out to the left found Seb Thompson for his fifth goal in 12 games.
The Brakes doubled their advantage just after the half hour mark. Tim Berridge, who has missed just two games all season, scored his fifth goal after a superb 30 yard solo run towards the box resulted in a deflected strike to the bottom left. The second 45 started with a Yeltz penalty, taken by Jim Kellermann, but it was saved by Rogan Ravenhill. The Yeltz eventually found the net, even though it proved too late, as substitute Fin Holmes pass across the box found Ty Barnett, whose awkward finish was only just tapped home.
The Yeltz reacted well going forward after the hosts opener. A very quick counter straight from the restart saw a cracker of a Jak Hickman cross find Ty Barnett in the middle. The former Leamington man headed at goal, but the ball had just a little too much trajectory. Two minutes later it was the same pair with the link-up, as Hickman found Barnett again, but this time he headed over the bar at the opposite diagonal post.
With 10 minutes on the clock, Demico Burton won a free kick after being brought down by Ryan Wollacott. The delivery from near enough the centre of the pitch was taken on by Owen Farmer, but the wall did it’s job to the block the ball. The Yeltz pressure continued after a lethargic spell around the 5-15 minute mark. Hickman searched for Barnett again, but this time the ball was headed out by Theo Streete. Two corners followed, the first headed way by Burton, the second dropped by Rogan Ravenhill, but sorted out by his defense.
Just before the 20 minute mark, a lovely link-up between Kyle Finn and Yeltz new man AJ George saw the latter hit a shot which was saved by Ravenhill. The debutant picked the ball back up for us to keep the play alive up against Tim Berridge, but his cross was cleared in the middle by Streete. The Brakes went into a period of dominance after the mid-way point of the first 45, and it didn’t stop until stoppage time.
A 25th minute Dan Meredith cross was blocked by Wollacott, before a second effort was blocked in the same phase of play from goalscorer Seb Thompson’s shot. Just two minutes later, Todd Parker lost possession in the centre to Miro Pais, which prompted a Brakes counter. The former Stourbridge man found Farmer on the right whose cross was blocked by Wollacott and fell into the gloves of Dan Platt.
Slap bang on the half hour mark, we should have gone two behind twice in as many minutes, just minutes before we actually did. The first chance was worked well down the right, before a Pais cross was directed to the back post. The ball reached Thompson, whose shot from five yards out went inches above the bar. Two minutes later Platt was forced into a superb save to deny Adam Walker from distance.
The hosts got their deserved second not even 60 seconds after Walker’s effort, and they could have made it three on two occasions in the remaining 12 minutes of the half. An Alex Gudger error was pounced upon by Pais, whose ball across the box was cleared for a corner by Wollacott. The delivery from Thompson was headed over the bar by Josh Tomlinson.
The game ventured into stoppage time, and even though Finn found George to force a save from Ravenhill, the best chance for a late goal before the half fell to the hosts. In the third minute of the minimum of two added on, Wollacott had the ball nicked off him by Farmer, who sprinted towards goal, and found Thompson. The latter seemed to be 1v1 with Platt, but Milan Butterfield came in with a vital tackle in the box to deny the hosts a destined third.
The break ahead of the second 45 was needed for the Yeltz, who could have been three or four down at half-time. The second half started as the hosts left off though, as Meredith found Berridge in the box, whose back heeled pass found substitute Max Brogan on the edge. The new Leamington recruit on loan from Scunthorpe United hit a low drilled effort, which went wide of Platt’s right post.
On 51 minutes, we were gifted a chance to halve the deficit from the penalty spot, as half-time substitute Ben Cassidy was brought down after one of his marauding runs into the box. As Jason Cowley was absent, and Fin Holmes was on the bench, the responsibility fell to Kellermann, who stepped up, went down the middle, but Ravenhill guessed right to palm the ball away from goal.
Besides the missed penalty, the first Yeltz effort at goal in the second 45 came on 57 minutes. A pass in the middle by Jim Kellermannn found Finn on the counter. The Yeltz number 10 had Barnett to his right, but instead took on a 25 yard strike, which flew over the bar. Just before the hour, the hosts were on the attack, as Meredith found Berridge, whose cross to the far left was gathered by the feet of Farmer for a cross which was cleared just ahead of the goal line.
On 64 minutes, we should have halved the deficit, had it not been for the woodwork. A ball on a counter from Kellermann found substitute Fin Holmes, who tracked back and found McKauley Manning. The latter crossed for Finn, whose looped header on the edge of the area clipped the underside of the bar. Four minutes later a cross from the Brakes new man Brogan was headed out by Butterfield. The delivery from the corner by Farmer found Burton in the middle on the floor, who curled an effort wide.
It just felt like it was not to be for the Yeltz in Leamington Spa, compounded by another woodwork hit on 76 minutes. We won a corner after a Kellermann ball out wide to Hickman saw the latter find Manning who won the set piece off Tomlinson. The delivery found Wollacott at the front post, who just like Finn 12 minutes earlier, couldn’t been the crossbar. The hosts in truth were never really in the game for the last 20 minutes or so, as they seemed content on there then two goal advantage.
As they defended for their lead, we kept the push for one goal back, which eventually and very much deservedly came five minutes before the 90. On another day we would have taken it to spot kicks, but despite a Wollacott header which went over, a powerful Manning strike which forced a wonder save from Ravenhill, and a 96th minute shot which went over from substitute Holmes, the Yeltz just could not find the net a second time. Our chance to reach a first BSC Quarter-Final in seven years passes, however nothing but league action for the rest of the way this season leaves no distractions.
Attendance: 175
Teams
Leamington XI: Rogan Ravenhill (GK), Dan Meredith, Theo Streete, Josh Tomlinson, Miro Pais (Max Brogan 46’), Adam Walker (C) (Archie Crowther 71’), Owen Farmer, Tim Berridge (Josh Quaynor 62’), Seb Thompson (Frank Tattum 54’), Joe Clarke, Demico Burton
Unused Subs: Eddie Brearey (GK)
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK) (C), Jak Hickman, Ryan Wollacott, Alex Gudger (Ben Cassidy 46’), Todd Parker, Kyle Finn (Luke Postle 71’), Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Patrick Wood 81’), AJ George (Fin Holmes 62’), Ty Barnett, Reece Mitchell (McKauley Manning 46’)
Unused Subs: None