Match Report | Spalding United (A)
Halesowen drop a two goal lead in Lincolnshire to Spalding to send the hosts top
Match Report
The Yeltz opened the scoring on 37 minutes. A ball from Jim Kellermann found Jordan Ponticelli. The latter hit a ball out to Cassidy on the wing, who won a corner off Tosin Olopade. The delivery from Kellermann went towards Cowley, who was brought down in the box. The Yeltz number 9 stepped up, and sent Dan Wilks the opposite way by sticking the ball into the bottom left.
The Yeltz were in dream land at the league’s highest scorers, as Yusifu Ceesay was sent off for a second yellow offence on Dan Platt, before we doubled the lead. Our second came five minutes after the hour mark, as Ben Cassidy scored his second of the season by finding the bottom left. We couldn’t have hoped for a better position, but on four minutes after our second, the hosts halved the deficit.
The goal came about after Milan Butterfield lost possession to substitute Jack Roberts, who found fellow sub Abduramane Sani to find the net. The hosts equalised on 81 minutes, as Roberts added to his assist as he beat Reece Mitchell and struck the ball into the top corner. One quickly turned into two for the league’s second highest scorer, as Roberts converted a penalty five minutes after the equaliser to take the lead, and eventually the win.
The game couldn’t have started worse for the Yeltz, as Spalding found the net in the opening two minutes, only for the offside flag to come to the rescue. Yusifu Ceesay was played in down the right, and the cross was turned in by Pugh, but was greeted by the linesman’s flag.
We grew into the game after the big early let off, as a minute later, a Reece Mitchell cross went towards Jason Cowley in the box, whose header was caught by Dan Wilks. Three minutes later, Milan Butterfield brought the ball forward, and found Jordan Ponticelli breaking away. The latter up against Ashton Fox went towards Cowley in the middle, but Lewis White was able to get ahead and shepherd the ball to Wilks.
The positive response from Russ Penn’s side continued, and just before the 10th minute, a shot from Ponticelli fell out to Ben Cassidy, who played the ball backwards for a Butterfield effort which went straight into Wilks gloves. After the opening 10 minutes, the hosts started coming back into the game a Bartosz Cybulski header and Ben Fowkes shot were saved, while a Ponticelli pass to Cowley saw the latter shoot wide of the bottom right.
It was Spalding though who went closest to the opener before the half hour mark. Yeltz new man Mitch Roberts tackled the ball off Cybulski but had no choice but to give away a corner. The delivery from Alfie Bendle was clipped over the bar by Ceesay. We needed a response to the pressure the Tulips were putting us under, and we offered up a positive reaction.
A link-up on 26 minutes between Cassidy and Cowley occurred after a Mitchell ball into the box. A cross from Cassidy then found Ponticelli, whose header was put into the side netting. Two minutes later, a Kellermann shot was blocked out for a corner. The delivery from the Yeltz number 16 was aimed towards Wollacott, whose header was put onto the top of the net. Our opener then followed just under 10 minutes later, and deservedly so, some would say.
The action in the second half was largely taken up by the four goals and the red card, but chances were still made way for beforehand. On 58 minutes, a Curtis Thompson shot was saved by Platt, before Cowley hit a shot over the bar, and Cassidy received a ball from Todd Parker before shooting straight at Wilks in the minutes that followed. The latter effort, saw our second follow two minutes, before Spalding entered their purple patch and scored twice to equalise, and what an impact their subs made by the way.
Spalding found their groove, not just by their surprising but also not so shocking new found confidence with 10 men. The now league leader’s fifth substitute Saleem Akanbi, recently brought in from Bishop’s Stortford missed a huge chance to take the lead, a minute before the hosts eventually did from the spot. For the Yeltz, it’s a demoralising defeat, but with the play-offs still within touching distance, big games are still on the horizon and will be more of a six pointer than yesterday.
Attendance: 630
Teams
Spalding XI: Dan Wilks (GK), Lewis White, Tosin Olopade (Dion Sembie-Ferris 68′), Liam Moore (C), Ashton Fox, Curtis Thompson, Ben Fowkes (Jack Roberts 60′), Alfie Bendle (Josh McCammon 60′), Bartosz Cybulski (Saleem Akanbi 75′), Tom Pugh (Abduramane Sani 60′), Yusifu Ceesay
Unused Subs: None
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Ryan Wollacott, Mitch Roberts, Todd Parker (Ty Barnett 90+3′), Jason Cowley, Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Kyle Finn 79′), Jordan Ponticelli (Fin Holmes 74′), Reece Mitchell (Rob Evans 90+3′)
Unused Subs: Jak Hickman