Match Report | Alvechurch (H)
The Yeltz make it four in all competitions without a win but do go four unbeaten in the league with draw against Alvechurch
Brief Overview
In the reverse of the weekend’s 1-1 draw, it was our opponents who took the lead last night. After a pass forward from Harry Reilly to the by-line, Josh Bailey was penalised for being shrugged off the ball, and allowed Jonny Ngandu to give the away side a 67th minute lead. Our equaliser came 11 minutes later, as a cross down the left from substitute Vanylson Silva was headed in by Ben Cassidy for his first of the season.
Match Report
On a lukewarm Tuesday night, neither warm or cold, a barnstorming contest was on our hands with the visit of fourth place Alvechurch. Their FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round match this weekend had no say on their team selection for this match, with just the three changes, one of which forced due to an injury to defender Jessy Bavanganga. We made the one change from the weekend, as Samson Hewett came onto the left wing replacing Vanylson Silva.
It was the away side who started the better of the two sides, and an ex-Yeltz striker nearly came back to haunt us, in his first competitive game against the Yeltz since his departure just over two years ago. A cross from the right by Harry Reilly with seven minutes on the clock, found Miracle Okafor, who failed to sort his feet out on the left of the box and allowed Dan Meredith to clear.
The visitors managed by Kyle Storer swiftly came forward again two minutes after Okafor’s missed chance. A free-kick was won just outside the penalty box, and taking up the shooting opportunity was Danish defender Johan Rask. On his first start of the league season, and just third appearance, his shot was brilliantly clawed away from the top left corner of Dan Platt’s goal.
It was far from the start to the game we had hoped to replicate from the Kettering game, but a huge opportunity did fall our way just before the quarter hour mark. Marching through the right of the box, ex-Church defender Ben Cassidy strolled on goal, and forced a save from the away sides young keeper Redman Evans. Just under 10 minutes later came another huge chance for the visitors. A pass from ex-Yeltz midfielder George Forsyth found Jonny Ngandu down the right. His cross found Okafor in the middle, whose shot at the near post was kept out point blank by Platt.
Time and space opened up for Jason Cowley just before the half hour mark, who by his high standards had a fairly quiet half. A long ball sent forward from Wynter was flicked on by Samson Hewett and too Cowley. The ball was ahead of the Yeltz number 9, who had green grass to run into. He was forced into an early shot, and it resulted in a scuffed effort that flew well wide.
Despite the poor first half, the final two chances of the half did fall our way – the second of which the best. A free-kick was won down the right after Meredith was brought down by Kieran Wakefield. It was Jim Kellermann who stood over the ball, and his outswing delivery into the box was punched clear. Two minutes later in the 37th minute, a poor pass from Rask was cut out by Butterfield. The ball was sent through to Cowley down the left on the counter, whose cross to Cassidy in space on the right of the penalty box, saw the latter’s shot cleared away by Callum Sullivan before it reached the line.
The second half was much better from us, and surprisingly despite the Church’s brilliant goalscoring and defensive record in the second 45 of league games this season, it didn’t count for a lot on this occasion. An early Yeltz corner after Cowley’s pass to Cassidy was cut out to Sullivan, saw the resulting delivery nearly turned in at the near post by Wynter. Just over five minutes later, it was Cassidy again who was involved. A ball from the Yeltz number 2 found Cowley. He saw Evans off his line as he ran down the right and into the box, and went for a lob over the Church keeper that went just wide of the left post.
We were on top, and just after the hour mark, a cross from Hewett after he won the ball back inside the penalty area was nearly turned into the net in the centre by Butterfield. The Church opens followed five minutes later, and very much against the run of play in the second half, even if they deserved a goal from their first half display. It may have been Ngandu’s first goal of the league campaign, but this was the club’s ninth second half goal this season. Not too many teams can boast a goalscoring record as good as this in that 45 minute period.
Some may remember, but exactly a week prior, we had three chances cleared off the line in our FA Cup defeat to Stafford Rangers. We couldn’t help but go over the same annoying lack of luck, as on 75 minutes, the same thing happened again. First of all, a cross from Vanylson Silva clipped the top of the bar. The loose ball dropped from the air to Meredith, whose cross to the back post saw a Butterfield header hit the post, and roll across the line into Evans’ gloves. The woodwork at our home this season doesn’t seem to like us.
Thankfully, our second half pressure was rewarded with a very much deserved equaliser. There weren’t chances afterwards for a winner from either side, but we did get the chance in the 86th minute to bring 19 year old striker Neo Dobson on for his debut on a one-month loan from League Two Northampton Town. A point a piece suits the visitors much better than ourselves, but we do go four unbeaten in the league, and now have suffered just one defeat in nine across all competitions. This record stretches back to the defeat in Redditch on the last day of August, and next up is another home game, where three points become necessary.
Attendance: 958
Man of the Match: Todd Parker (chosen by Tonks Estate Agents)
Teams
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Matt Preston, Ryan Wynter (C), Todd Parker, Jason Cowley, Milan Butterfield, Josh Bailey (Neo Dobson 86’), Jim Kellermann, Samson Hewett (Vanylson Silva 65’), Dan Meredith
Unused Subs: Gael Mfuamba (GK), Ryan Wollacott & Ty Barnett
Alvechurch: Redman Evans (GK), Harry Reilly, Jamey Osbourne, George Forsyth (C), Archie Crowther, Danny Newton, Jonny Ngandu (Jaiden Francis-Caesar 77’), Miracle Okafor (Ben Stephens 81’), Callum Sullivan, Kieran Wakefield, Johan Rask
Unused Subs: Jack Kelly, Tope Obadeyi & Nick Clayton-Phillips