Match Report | Bishop’s Stortford (A)
Halesowen’s struggles in this season’s ‘long trips’ continues with defeat at Bishop’s Stortford
Match Report
The Yeltz for the seventh time in the seven trips of over 120 miles, failed to record a win. The hosts only goal of the game came on 37 minutes. As if Cole Dasilva’s brace at The Grove in November in the reverse fixture hadn’t hurt enough, the Stortford top scorer popped up again with a lobbed finish from a Charlie Johnson free kick, and Frank Norris flicked header.
The match located just a stone’s throw away from Stanstead Airport, started with early pressure by a Blues side who had only picked up four points in their previous five. A Stortford throw in was knocked out of play for a Yeltz one by Fabio Virciglio. The Rob Evans long throw was directed in towards Ryan Wollacott at the front post. The ball missed him and tried to reach Jason Cowley, but it bounced out for a goal kick to the hosts.
Three minutes later, a Frank Norris ball to Jack Smith in the middle saw the midfielder find a ball out wide to Cole Dasilva. The latter whipped a cross into the box, which was headed out by Wollacott. To break up the early hosts pressure, a minute later a Yeltz free kick taken by Platt reached Butterfield in the box, who headed it backwards and out to Kellermann. The latter found Cowley, who knocked it out to Mitchell on the right to return the favour to the former, who shot was blocked by captain Jake Thompson.
Russ Penn’s boys who haven’t won in their grey anthracite away kit since a Boxing Day victory at Worcester City, survived a nervy moment just before the 20 minute mark. A Johnson ball out to Virciglio under pressure from McKauley Manning, saw the former play it up to Norris up against Wollacott. Norris spun past him, and curled an effort past the dive of Rob Evans to force an excellent save from Platt.
Two minutes later, and slap bang on the 20 minute mark, it was the hosts turn to suffer an almost crucial blow. A superb piece of midfield work from Jim Kellermann later saw two shots, one from Cowley, and the other from Fin Holmes blocked out for a corner, which was cleared from Manning’s delivery by Leon Davies. A stupendous move out wide from the Yeltz followed, as Kellermann battled his way past Thompson to find Jak Hickman. The latter crossed the ball into the middle, and a Cowley flicked header went just wide.
Just after the half hour mark, the bright moves continued for the Yeltz. Manning & Holmes combined brilliantly, before the former’s shot was hit straight into the hands of the hosts young keeper on a work experience loan from Cambridge United, Toby Atkins. The Yeltz domination then saw Kellermann find Hickman, who swung in a cross towards Butterfield. The ball instead reached Holmes, who forced a top save from Atkins.
After their opener and in stoppage time of which three minutes were added, a huge chance for a second went begging. A ball across the box from Dasilva was some how not turned into the net in the middle by Norris, who appeared to have blocked his own shot. A much wanted half-time whistle came our way in the minutes that followed. A regroup was needed, but confidence should have been kept in tact from some positive moves.
The first shot of the second half came our way, as a Butterfield shot went just wide of the post, but the following stages before the hour mark belonged to the hosts. Dasilva found Norris, who forced a crucial save from Platt to stop us from going two behind, before Smith kept the ball alive by finding Amu at the far post, but the ball was cleared by Evans. Two minutes later a burst through the middle by Smith and pass to Virciglio saw the wide man turn, combine with Smith twice, before the latter swung a cross into the middle. The ball reached Norris in between Wollacott and Mitchell, whose free header was straight at Platt.
We enjoyed a decent spell just before 70 minutes, as a first chance went begging as a good cross from Holmes up against 17 year old Dempsey Crace just about met Cowley’s head rather than Johnson’s, whose header went just wide. The second effort came from a clearance by Charlie Johnson, which flew out for a corner. The delivery from substitute Kyle Finn reached Cowley, who shot was blocked out by Johnson, before the ball settled into the gloves of Atkins.
Two late pushes forward for an equaliser saw the first on 87 minutes and a Todd Parker dink into the box blocked out by Crace, before the loose ball came out to Wollacott, whose effort from 25 yards went just wide of the right post. The second on 89 minutes saw a Holmes cross up against Davies blocked by Johnson and out the box to Parker. The latter’s cross was flicked by Cowley into the gloves of Atkins.
The best chance our ever so historic six minutes off second half stoppage time annoyingly saw the hosts have the best effort at goal, as a loose touch from Wollacott was met by Smith, whose ball found Norris down the right. The latter swung a cross field ball to Virciglio on the left, who looped an effort wide. Defeat it was for the Yeltz in Hertfordshire, and our first ever loss to Bishop’s Stortford in the fifth meeting between the two sides.
Attendance: 470
Teams
Bishop’s Stortford XI: Toby Atkins (GK), Dempsey Crace, Leon Davies, Cole Dasilva, Jake Thompson (C), Erin Amu, Frank Norris (Obi Onyeagwara 90’), Brad Russell, Fabio Virciglio, Jack Smith, Charlie Johnson
Unused Subs: Mark Haines, Charlie Castle, Deivi Kreka & Harry Forde
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman (Ben Cassidy 43’), Josh Smile (C), Ryan Wollacott, Jason Cowley, McKauley Manning (Jordan Ponticelli 59’), Milan Butterfield (Todd Parker 82’), Jim Kellermann (Kyle Finn 59’), Rob Evans, Fin Holmes, Reece Mitchell (Ty Barnett 82’)
Unused Subs: None