Match Report | Leiston (H)
Halesowen fail to produce another fightback in defeat to Leiston as the side go six home games in a row without scoring a first half goal
Match Report
It was not the first time this season, it’s fair to say that the Yeltz fell behind in a game at The Grove. Leiston took the lead bang on the 15th minute to score their ninth goal this season in the first 15 minutes of league games, more than any other side in the league. A ball from the left by Adam Mills went to 19 year old Ronnie Blois in the box, whose shot was saved by Dan Platt, but the rebound turned in by Ben Fowkes.
The visitors doubled their lead two minutes before the half hour mark. Milan Butterfield and Jim Kellermann collided in the middle which allowed Joao Rangel to sprint clear and at the back four. The Leiston wide man cut inside, hit a shot which spun off Rob Evans, before Platt clawed the ball off the line. On hand was Fowkes to shoot into the net from five yards out, and past a helpless Ben Cassidy on the line.
The Yeltz got back into the game in the 73rd minute, when Kellermann nicked the ball in the Yeltz half, and found substitute Jason Cowley. The Yeltz number 9 bypassed a challenge from Rangel to find Fin Holmes bursting through the middle. The latter went past Mills, chipped a ball forward, which was headed away, but back to him, which allowed the teenager to strike and find the bottom left. A goal which was not enough to stop the Yeltz from falling to a first league defeat at home since mid October.
The game started in a very lacklustre fashion, as neither side crafted anything of note until the 12th minute, when a brilliant ball forward from Milan Butterfield found Ben Cassidy down the right. The fullback whipped a low, but direct ball into the middle, which was attacked by Ty Barnett and Jim Kellermann. The latter got there, but shot wide. The away side’s opener followed just three minutes later. A mood killer.
The Yeltz entered a disastrous period after the goal and not only was an Adam Mills cross clawed away by Dan Platt, but the visitors added a second goal, in just 28 minutes. The away side went close to a third on 37 minutes. A Mills and Seb Dunbar link up down the left, saw the fullback find Jason Alexander further forward. Kellermann won the ball, but double goalscorer Ben Fowkes got it back for the away side. The Leiston number 20 got past Cassidy and Butterfield down the left, and dug out a cross in the box for Alexander. The latter controlled the ball, went onto his right foot, but curled an effort just wide.
There was one final chance before the end of a first 45, Yeltz fans wished had come 30 minutes earlier, as a burst forward from Fin Holmes won the Yeltz their first corner of the game after the ball came off Ben Batho. Kellermann’s ball from the left was delivered to the back post, where McKauley Manning headed on, but the ball fell straight at the ever present Blues keeper, Billy Johnson.
The second half started in a surprising, but much needed rampant tempo. A Manning ball to Reece Mitchell down the left, saw the left fullback find a beautiful inside pass to Kyle Finn in the box. Leiston ever present central defender Eddie Jackson cleared, but only as far as Mitchell, who went back out to Manning for a cross claimed by Johnson. A minute later, Finn knocked the ball forward, and Barnett controlled. Manning took up the ball, slid past Wyatt Hill to advance closer to goal, but his shot flew over the bar under slight pressure from Willie Clemons.
Our best chance of the whole contest followed a full 10 minutes later. Jackson struggled to shepard the ball clear after winning it off Holmes, and the latter forced the ball out for a throw. A long throw from Rob Evans after good pressure from Holmes to win it, caused havoc in the box, and the ball dropped to Finn five yards out at the back post, whose shot was well saved.
The visitors came back into the game after the hour mark, and crafted two decent efforts. In the first on 66 minutes, a Mills ball found Fowkes, who was denied by Cassidy down the left for a corner. This resulted in a second, as Platt punched clear and Rangel hit the ball off Kellermann. The delivery on the opposite side from Adam Mills was headed over by Wyatt Hill in the middle. The second chance came two minutes later, as Mills sprayed a pass out to Rangel on the right, whose cross was headed out by Josh Smile to Fowkes just outside the area, who shot wide.
The Yeltz took back control, and with the aid of a double substitution which saw Charlie Wragg and Jason Cowley come on for Barnett and Finn, scored the goal for 2-1 and pushed hard for a late, late leveller. This seemed very likely, until a disastrous moment occurred two minutes after Holmes’ strike, as Kellermann was sent off for two very quick yellow cards.
On the 80th minute, Holmes crossed the ball into the middle, and Billy Johnson seemed to have it under control, but spilt it for a corner. The Manning delivery was palmed out to Cowley, who layed the ball off for a Wragg shot which went just wide. The game entered seven minutes of stoppage time and the Yeltz still pushed. A ball forward from 84th minute substitute Alex Gudger Cassidy down the right, who went backwards to Evans. The latter’s cross looped into the middle, and found Cowley down the left, who went backwards to Manning. The wide man went forward to Holmes, who forced a terrific stop from Billy Johnson to palm away a curled strike away that was destined for the bottom right. A shot that needed to go in, but didn’t. Our six game unbeaten run, over.
Attendance: 1,206
Teams
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Kyle Finn (Charlie Wragg 69’), McKauley Manning, Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann, Rob Evans, Fin Holmes, Ty Barnett (Jason Cowley 69’), Reece Mitchell (Alex Gudger 84’)
Unused Subs: Jak Hickman, Ryan Wollacott
Leiston XI: Billy Johnson (GK), Wyatt Hill (Cam Rayworth 86’), Seb Dunbar (C), Eddie Jackson, Joao Rangel, Fraser Alexander, Ronnie Blois, Adam Mills, Ben Batho, Willie Clemons, Ben Fowkes (Jude Frostick 86’)
Unused Subs: Marcus Mehew (GK), Billy Walsh, Ryan Jarvis