Match Report | Stratford Town (A)
Halesowen bounce back from No9 Derby defeat to beat the out of form Bards
In a game that started with a respectful minutes’s applause for the late Yeltz President Colin Brookes, the Yeltz took the lead four minutes before the break, as Jason Cowley scored a landmark 30th league goal of the campaign. A ball over the top from Jordan Ponticelli fell to Cowley, who rounded Jacob Weaver and tapped into an empty net.
A deserved second goal arrived as the rain came down on a wet and windy night in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was Cowley’s second of the game and 25th of the league season, as new man Mitch Roberts knocked a ball out wide to Jim Kellermann. The latter stood a ball up to the back post, where Cowley, despite Weaver getting a hand to the ball, headed in to double the Yeltz advantage on an emotional night.
The Yeltz were on it from the start in the must win contest where we had to put pressure on the sides above. Inside the opening five minutes, a beautiful pass forward from Milan Butterfield forced Paul McCone to put the ball out under pressure from the eventual double scorer Jason Cowley.
Now centre halves down tend to take corner kicks, but new loan man from Hereford, Mitch Roberts, took on the responsibility in the absence of McKauley Manning & Kyle Finn, and his delivery was unfortunately headed away in the middle by Dan Vann. Just after the 10th minute, our drive continued. A Jim Kellermann ball out to Ben Cassidy down the right, saw the latter cross the ball low into the middle, and the delivery cleared in the centre ahead of Cowley by Vann.
The half way stage was where the rain and wind really started to pierce the grass on the pitch, and blow the flag down by the corner spots, and the wind in our sails certainly didn’t give up. 22 minutes on the clock, a cross from Cowley down the right was whipped high and wide to Jordan Ponticelli at the back post, who had two bites at the cherry, but Stratford stuck two blocks in to keep the game goal less.
The exciting and enthralling debut of 25 year old, and vastly experienced centre half Roberts continued, and with 25 minutes on the clock, it was his smart ball through the lines that found Kellermann. The latter skipped past Dan Lafferty in the middle, placed a ball out to Cowley on the left, who returned the ball to Kellermann to shoot straight at Jacob Weaver. Two minutes later, a Cassidy cross to Cowley saw his shot blocked, before an effort from Josh Smile spiralled way over and onto the grass just outside the stadium.
The hosts, who are now without a win in eight league games, had efforts of their own at the stern Yeltz goal, but they were very fleeting and lacked any conviction. Just after the quarter hour mark, some neat hold up play from Josh Toluwaloju, saw him use the support of Henry Landers. The latter found Lafferty, who was fouled by Cassidy for a free kick. The delivery from Fin Brennan was claimed Platt, before a 23rd minute strike from ex-Yeltz man Josh Hawker flew over the bar.
The wind really did start to blow at half-time, even knocking main commentator for this game, Nick Morgan’s team sheet flying off the Bards long stretch of a media desk. Oh, and by the way, what fabulous commentary for just his second stint as the main man on comms, backed up by the beautiful storytelling on the matches best moments from Tom & Frank. A wonderful listen, even for me, as I sat just below there fast flowing updates on the mic.
The second half for the Yeltz started nervously, and Dan Platt’s judgement to let Brennan’s free kick float just wide of the post was, well just about genius. Five minutes later, a Ryan Wollacott clearance was hit straight to Lafferty in the middle, who drove forward and found Brennan. The left full back kicked a low cross into the box, which was crucially cleared by Butterfield in the middle. To calm the nerves of the amazing travelling Yeltz support, we soon gained the momentum back from the first 45, as our second followed just under 10 minute after the latest Bards chance.
We found our groove, similar to our flowing performances against Quorn & Barwell just weeks previous. Just three minutes after the goal, Ponticelli played the ball to Kellermann, who returned the ball to the former to run down the left. Brennan got ahead of Cowley to give away a corner, which resulted in a second delivery, which from Roberts delivery was cleared by Landers.
Just, counting the clock, 40 seconds after the short flurry of corners, we were back forward. A Josh Smile dink forward saw the ball fall into the path of golden boots Kellermann on the left, whose low cross was blocked out for a corner by McCone. The delivery from Kellermann was unfortunately hit into the side netting, but what a contribution he made on this game. The Yeltz number 16 was soon back to his sensational work, as he found Cowley on the break, who shot at an angle was saved by the inrushing Weaver who came charging out of goal.
Oh and by the way, for a comical moment, later on in the game, Weaver raced out of goal, charged up to Ponticelli, who tried to beat the keeper near the corner flag, but to give him his dues, Weaver remarkably tackled the ball off Ponticelli and hit for a Bards throw. Anyway back to the action, on 74 minutes, Cassidy did so well to keep the ball in down the right to dig a cross out to Ponticelli. The latter pulled away, but hit a shot just wide of the left post.
The last action of a rather comforting Yeltz performance on gaffer Russ Penn’s 100th game in charge, Smile hit a shot just wide on 80 minutes, before we saw the game out. So, it’s a win for the Yeltz after back to back defeats, and how needed it was. We move up to 6th, above Needham, and just one point behind Redditch United, and three from Quorn with a game in and and better goal differential. We still have to face 2nd, 3rd, 8th & 12th to see out this penultimate month of the season, but bring… it….. on!
Attendance: 339
Teams
Stratford XI: Jacob Weaver (GK), Dan Vann, Fin Brennan, Josh Hawker (Ash Sammons 85’), Kory Roberts, Henry Landers (Charlie Wragg 65’), Lewis Ison, Dan Lafferty, Paul McCone (C), Josh Toluwaloju (Owen James 72’), Harry Reilly (Max Lott 65’)
Unused Subs: Bo Morris
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Ryan Wollacott, Mitch Roberts, Todd Parker, Jason Cowley, Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann, Jordan Ponticelli, Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs: Jak Hickman, Rob Evans & AJ George