Match Report | Banbury United (H)
Halesowen secure a comfortable but not totally satisfactory 3-0 victory against Banbury United
Match Report
The Yeltz took the lead on just seven minutes, through Jordan Ponticelli’s first goal since his return to the club. A swept ball out to Ben Cassidy from Jason Cowley down the right, saw the former race past Alex Worley. The cross was hit towards Ponticelli, who had an effort saved, but from the resulting Jim Kellermann corner delivery, he headed home.
The Yeltz were certainly not at the races in the first half, but were gifted a huge break of luck, as Banbury shotstopper Jack Harding, who kept 18 league clean sheets last season, was dispossessed after a pass backwards, which allowed Ponticelli to round him, and tap into an empty net. Russ Penn’s side sealed the much needed win, as Milan Butterfield headed into the net on 53 minutes from a Kellermann corner, and Cowley flick on.
The Yeltz, in front of a very respectable 916 under the lights at The Grove, started well with an early opportunity, and eventual goal inside 10 minutes. The opening chance came on five minutes, as Jim Kellermann found Jason Cowley down the right, who fought off Alex Worley to put in a cross which was cleared by Nico Jones. The delivery from Kellermann was drilled in low, but poorly controlled by Ryan Wollacott on the edge of the box.
We enjoyed a slight piece of momentum in the moments straight after the goal, as Jones brought down Cowley for a free kick, which was hit over by the latter, before Todd Parker chipped a ball up to Ponticelli, whose lobbed effort also went over the bar. Weirdly, our goal seemed to suck the confidence out of the boys in royal blue, and instead the Puritans embarked on a 35 minute ish comfortable slice of pressure.
Just before a 10 minute spell of a lacklustre nature from both occurred before the half hour mar, former Kiddie man under Russ Penn, Alex Prosser whipped a ball out wide to Banbury top scorer Connor Ferguson down the right, who raced into the box, and forced a 1v1 save from Dan Platt at an angle. On the half hour mark, the visitors won three successive corners after the first came about from a Ferguson cross which was cleared by Josh Smile. The third and final delivery was cleared by Cowley at the front post from Prosser’s delivery.
Just before our second, a Worley cross was blocked out by Milan Butterfield for a corner down the visitors left hand side. The delivery from Prosser was again cleared away by the first man, this time Ben Cassidy. Our goal was much needed before half-time, and brought the heads down of the Banbury players in red.
The start of the second 45 started with an audacious Luke Stokoe volley, which went wide of the right post, after Wollacott headed the ball out from a cross down the right. Our third arrived four minutes later, and the goals could and probably should have kept coming after the hour mark.
Smack bang on the 60th minute, a Kellermann switch of play out to Cassidy on the right saw the latter put a cross into the box. The ball in the air reached Cowley, whose overhead kick attempt flew over the bar, and out the ground. Worth a try Cowls. Soon involved again, Cowley, who showed off his great creativity work last night, found Cassidy down the right. The latter won a corner off Worley, before the delivery from Kellermann bounced around in the box, and was cleared.
The Yeltz kept going close to a fourth, as Ponticelli went agonisingly close a hat-trick twice. The first on 72 minutes, saw Reece Mitchell cross from down the left, and a Ponticelli header fly over the bar. Three minutes later Cowley played the ball with his head to the 1v1 Yeltz number 17, who just like for his second of the game rounded the keeper, had an open net, but this time spooned his effort over the bar from an angle as Banbury defenders rushed to cover the gaping line.
Other than a miserable long range effort from Prosser in his own half, the Puritans failed in their attempts all half to fashion a chance or even test Platt in a lonely goal on the Stourbridge Road end in the second 45. For the Yeltz, it is a much needed victory to send us back into play-offs, all be it with many sides below us having games in hand. Points on the board is all that matters, and even though it wasnt our best performance of the season last night, results matter more than performances at this stage of the campaign.
Attendance: 916
Teams
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Ryan Wollacott, Mitch Roberts (Rob Evans 90+2’), Todd Parker, Jason Cowley (Fin Holmes 88’), Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann (Kyle Finn 82’), Jordan Ponticelli, Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs: Jak Hickman & Ty Barnett
Banbury XI: Jack Harding (GK), Keegan Bloom, Alex Worley, Aaron McCreadie, Josh Flanagan, Nico Jones, Connor Ferguson, Alex Prosser, Chris Wreh (James Alabi 46’), Luke Stokoe (Peter Abimbola 66’), Joel Anker (Michael Brammeld 71’)
Unused Subs: Oskar Wahlen (GK) & Gedeon Okito