Match Report | Harborough Town (H)
Halesowen suffer second half nightmare as the visitors claim the Southern Premier Central title
Match Report
The Yeltz took the lead on the stroke of first half stoppage time, and what a goal it was. A half-way line shot from Jason Cowley which effortlessly rolled over Elliott Taylor’s head. The visitors replied quickly after half-time, as a Taylor goal kick reached Connor Kennedy, who curled a beautiful strike into the bottom left.
The visitors had their tails up, and scored two goals in five minutes to put the game to bed. The second courtesy of a penalty via a Mitch Roberts handball. A penalty calmly tucked away by Riley O’Sullivan for his 13th league goal. The third was a stunner. A devastating pass from substitute Danny Newton found Ryan McLean, who scored his first Bees goal by turning McKauley Manning and finding the bottom left.
A game full of pressure on both sides of the equation in unsurprising fashion started very cagey. The first opportunity at goal in the game didn’t arrive till the 24th minutes, as a Mitch Roberts corner on the right was flicked away by Alex Morris for a second. The delivery from Jim Kellermann reached Jason Cowley in the centre, who flicked his header wide.
Just before the half hour mark, the Yeltz should have gone ahead. It was guilt edged. A Roberts swept ball out to Cowley on the right, saw the Yeltz number 9 fizz a cross into the box. The ball reached Kellermann, who failed to sort his feet out in the middle, and bundled the ball wide. Three minutes later, it was more of the same, as a Jordan Ponticelli curled cross to Cowley at the back post, saw the latter hit a shot wide.
Russ Penn’s royal blues continued to push in the remainder of regular time in the first 45, as Ponticelli finds Cassidy on 37 minutes down the right, who stood a cross to the back post and Kellermann. The latter headed onto the bar, before Cowley bundled the ball over the bar from yards out.
Two minutes before the 45th, Roberts did well to burst into the midfield, and play a pass through to Cowley. The latter cut onto his right, and shot just wide. Close from Cowls again, but he made up for it in the first minute of stoppage time, in style. For those who weren’t at the game, and haven’t seen the highlights yet, think of McKauley Manning’s excellent strike against St Ives, but further out. Stunner
The Yeltz were stunned by Harborough’s equaliser because the Bees had failed to lay a glove on the Yeltz in the opening 45. A great finish from Connor Kennedy failed to spark us into life, although we did win a free kick shortly after when Ponitcelli was brought down by George Carline. The right footed delivery from Kellermann was headed over by Ponticelli at the front post.
The Bees continued to push forward, and in a throw in down the line from Carline ended up with a huge block from Cowley after Rob Morgan headed down for Danny Newton to shoot from an angle. A corner was the result, and the delivery from Kelly-Evans could only find Ryan Wollacott, before Josh Smile cleared.
The away side’s penalty in truth was never the decider in this game, because the Yeltz always looked like being second best. Three minutes after the goal Kelly-Evans was brought down by Smile for a free kick, which resulted in another one 30 seconds later after Cowley brought Morgan down. The delivery from Kelly-Evans was headed away by Butterfield before Ben Cassidy headed the ball back into Platt’s hands.
The visitors third was a sublime goal, and showed The Grove a glimpse of why Harborough were crowned champions yesterday afternoon. The Yeltz in fairness did still push for a goal to get into back into the game, as on 77 minutes Fin Holmes received a ball from Kyle Finn, before he curled an effort wide, and in stoppage time Cowley hit over the bar from a central free kick. Defeat for us, but still two huge games left to right the wrongs.
Attendance: 1,833 (249 Harborough)
Teams
Yeltz XI: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Ryan Wollacott, Mitch Roberts (Fin Holmes 71’), Todd Parker (Kyle Finn 71’), Jason Cowley, Milan Butterfield, Jim Kellermann, Jordan Ponticelli (Ty Barnett 71’), Rob Evans (McKauley Manning 46’)
Unused Subs: Reece Mitchell
Harborough XI: Elliott Taylor (GK), George Carline, Josh Walsh, Rory McAuley (Liam Dolman 90+2’), Connor Kennedy, Alex Morris, Devon Kelly-Evans, Rob Morgan (Brady Hickey 88’), Riley O’Sullivan (Paul Malone 90+2’), Ben Stephens (Dann Newton 49’), Ryan McLean (Terell Pennant 74’)
Unused Subs: None