Match Report | Mickleover (H)
The Yeltz continue FA Cup run with win over step 4 Mickleover to progress to the Third Qualifying Round for the second successive season
Brief Overview
It didn’t quite mirror the start of the game against Leighton, but after 25 minutes of no action from our perspective, we did take the lead. The sprinting run of Vanylson Silva down the left, saw the winger switch the play to Samson Hewett on the right of the box. Unselfish, he squared the ball across to Jason Cowley, who tapped into an open net.
The game was still in the balance with the one goal lead after the break, but Cowley soon put the doubt to bed with a 53rd minute goal to complete his first brace of the campaign. The marauding run of Dan Meredith down the right was too much George Wilkinson in his left back spot. Space and time opened up to cross, and he used it well to sweep the ball towards Cowley, whose shot with the aid of a deflection, wriggled over the line.
Match Report
It was a dry September afternoon at The Grove, and despite it being our fourth home game in as many Saturday’s, the pitch was looking as swanky as ever. Our step 4 hosts have endured a brilliant start to their Northern Premier League Division One campaign, currently placing a position outside the play-offs. Their good start to the season, and win over step 3 Stamford AFC in the previous round did show in the opening stages of this contest.
Their first venture forward saw First Team Player Coach Stuart Beavon find Hamza Bencherif on the edge of the area. The latter poked the ball towards goal, but with no pace on the shot, it rolled through to Dan Platt. Just before the first quarter ended, maybe was the turning point. It was Beavon again, who found a ball through to Jude Taylor this time around, whose shot inside the area stung the palms of Platt. Either side of the Yeltz keeper and it’s in.
The away sides momentum continued. A free kick from former Barwell man Kane Richards, just missed the top left corner of Platt’s net. Our opener three minutes later was the momentum changer we needed, and the rest of the half was all Yeltz. Just after the half hour mark, Jason Cowley nearly found his second, as his long range effort had Aaron Chapman scrambling to his left hand post.
The final 10 minutes of the half saw us create three efforts at goal. A corner, after Cowley’s switch of play to Meredith saw Hamza Bencherif flick the ball out, skimmed off the head of Lewis Ison from Samson Hewett’s delivery. A second corner of the game followed shortly after, this one from Hewett was met by Matt Preston, whose looped shot went just wide. The half ended with a Cowley half-way line effort that went on top of the net, and another closer to goal that stuck the bar.
The second 45 started with a rare flurry forward from the visitors, as a pass from Bencherif launched into the box, saw Preston deflect the ball out from Taylor’s cross. The delivery came back to taker Richards, whose cross was flicked away by Ryan Wynter. Three minutes later, our second goal arrived, and this one was certainly not against the run of play. The possession and chances continued to fall our way after the goal.
Just after the hour mark, the ball reached Vanylson Silva down the left. The latter headed it across goal, where Hewett met with the ball with an acrobatic effort that flew just over the bar. This wasn’t the last time our loanee was involved, before his 78th minute sub. A free kick was won by the Kiddy man, who was taken down by Sam Sanders. The set piece was unusually taken on by Silva, whose low shot went just wide of Chapman’s right post.
The introduction of Jim Kellermann, replacing Hewett, almost produced an instant impact from the man returning from injury. His free kick was directed into the middle of the box, where Silva headed the ball just over the crossbar. Five minutes before second half stoppage time, Meredith kept the ball in play down the right to progress towards the area. Competing for our right back’s cross were both Silva & Butterfield. The latter met the ball, but leaning back, he could only find Chapman’s gloves.
The three minutes of stoppage time was extremely uneventful, but a minute beforehand, Cowley nearly found his deserved hat-trick. A cross from Meredith missed the box, but Ty Barnett picked up the loose ball. The substitute ventured from the left of the pitch to the centre, and found Cowley, whose high effort was caught by the Sports keeper. Another game, relatively stress free makes it three wins on the bounce following that Redditch defeat. With one more round until the National League sides enter, the Yeltz are half-way to making the First Round for just the second time in the 21st century.
Attendance: 754
MOTM: Dan Meredith (chosen by Keith McKenna)
Teams
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Matt Preston, Ryan Wynter (C), Todd Parker (Rob Evans 90+1’), Lewis Ison, Jason Cowley, Vanylson Silva, Milan Butterfield (Ty Barnett 86’), Samson Hewett (Jim Kellermann 78’), Dan Meredith
Unused Subs: Ethan Sephton, Ryan Wollacott, Gael Mfuamba (GK) & Luke Austin
Mickleover: Aaron Chapman (GK), George Wilkinson, Sam Sanders, Charlie Hickingbottom, Hamza Bencherif, Dwayne Wiley (Darryl Powell 32’), Andy Dales, Josh Ashman, Stuart Beavon (Manni Norkett 46’), Jude Taylor (Luca Alonzi 77’), Kane Richards (Theo Rowe 60’)
Unused Subs: Manni Norkett, Will Atkinson, Josh Carter & Jack McDowell