Match Report | Rushall Olympic (A)
The Yeltz earn a respectable point on the road at Rushall in a positive response to Saturday’s defeat
Brief Overview
It took the Yeltz just five minutes to take the lead in Walsall, but to be fair, it was all of Rushall’s doing. A cross from Dan Meredith was met by the head of Samson Hewett. The midfielder’s header should have been easily caught by Ollie Taylor, but instead he spilt the ball to Jim Kellermann who tapped into an empty net. The hosts equalled just under 20 minutes later, and this was a quality goal. Aurio Teixeira spotted the space that Lewis Corbett hand found on the right of the penalty area, and the midfielder made his finish one Jason Cowley would have been proud of.
Match Report
It was a very cold evening at Rushall’s Dale Lane for our first trip to their home in Walsall for over seven years. That game was a 0-0, but in the circumstances, I don’t think you’d have blamed either side if this had finished the same. The chilled evening left a mist reflected off the floodlights, and the weather was far from pleasant. This was a game where only defeat would have felt disappointing.
For the first time since Evesham on the 24th October, the Yeltz made more than one change to the XI. Nursing a slight knock, it was wise that Paul Holleran left Milan Butterfield on the bench and replacing him with the now fully fit Jim Kellermann. The other change gave Vanylson Silva a needed rest, with Lewis Ison getting a rare start. The visitors made four changes from defeat at Real Bedford, with Alex Moore, Jack Concannon, Jamie Willets & new signing Ash Carter replacing Jordaan Brown, Osaze Okienghae, Sam Wilding & Tyler Roberts.
The Yeltz goal was the opening action in a pretty dull game overall. The Yeltz did survive a huge let off four minutes later, when Liam McAlinden’s cross from the left was someone put over the bar by Lewis Corbett in plenty of space on the edge of the box. We coughed up a huge chance for a second on 19 minutes, through a Dan Meredith ball into the box. The fullbacks cross was on the money, but Jason Cowley’s clean header from a fantastic leap was straight at Ollie Taylor.
The Rushall equaliser gave the hosts a lot to build from, and the remainder of the half swung in their favour. The Pics number 11, McAlinden, was a thorn in our side, and was involved in a lot of their good attacking play. Just after the half hour mark, the midfielder received the ball from Jack Concannon, after Kaiman Anderson left it. Ahead of Matt Preston, on the left of the box, McAlinden could only drag a tame shot wide of the mark.
On 38 minutes, an attack was launched down the right after Josh Bailey was shrugged off possession quite easily. It was Anderson with space down the left who picked out Moore in the middle, whose shot inside the D drifted wide. Two minutes later, the Pics drove forward again. An amazing cross from McAlinden just missed the boot of Anderson who would have certainly found the net, and instead fell out to Todd Alcock. The fullback plays the ball to Concannon on the edge of the box, whose shot was blocked by Preston.
In fairness to the Yeltz, we didn’t let the hosts pressure dictate how our attacking threat would play out. Penalty claims were saved away in the 42nd minute when Hewett was brought down after heading the ball towards goal. Two minutes later came out best chance since our goal nearly 40 minutes prior. A Hewett pass to Kellermann’s feet just outside the box, saw the latter go for an effort that went just over the bar.
The second half was far less interesting than the first 45. Ex-Yeltz defender, Willets, had a fine game, and dealt well with the arial threat of Hewett & Cowley at the back post, after Meredith crossed the ball into the box. Arguably the best chance of the second 45 fell to Todd Parker on 53 minutes, when a cross from Bailey fell to the Yeltz midfielder close to goal, but Taylor dealt with the pressure well.
The home side really struggled to create anything against a resolute Yeltz defense, where Evans & Preston swept up most the danger. The latter’s biggest contribution, blocking a shot just before the hour from McAllen after Bailey’s headed the ball to the Rushall man from a Willets header forward. Up the other end in the 76th minute, Taylor again failed to grab hold of the ball. An Evans long throw won a corner after a shot from Cowley with his back to goal was deflected wide. After the first was cleared by Teixeira, the second was split by the Pics keeper, but a free-kick was awarded.
The game never looked like being won, but all could have changed when Evans went for what would have gone down as one of our all time greatest goals, as his strike from 40 yards out went agonisingly over the bar. So very close. In the end, we looked the happiest with the point, proven most by the hosts more desperate approach in the four minutes of additional time. Against a side above us in the table, it’s seen as a good point on the road, but it makes our next league game at Leamington, a very important one. If it wasn’t already.
Attendance: 459
Teams
Rushall: Ollie Taylor (GK), Todd Alcock, Carter Lycett, Aurio Teixeira, Ash Carter, Lewis Corbett (Osaze Okuonghae 86’), Alex Moore (Sam Wilding 55’), Kaiman Anderson (Alex Cameron 83’), Jack Concannon (Jaiden Francis-Caesar 64’), Liam McAlinden (C), Jamie Willets
Unused Subs: Tyler Roberts
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Matt Preston, Rob Evans, Todd Parker, Lewis Ison (Milan Butterfield 63’), Jason Cowley (C), Josh Bailey (Vanylson Silva 73’), Jim Kellermann, Samson Hewett (Neo Dobson 87’), Dan Meredith
Unused Subs: Callum Ebanks & Ty Barnett