Match Report | Quorn (A)
Halesowen suffer a 95th minute blow at Quorn to deny Russ Penn’s side a return to the top 5
Match Report
The hosts took a very early lead inside five minutes, as ex Yeltz man and fan favourite Simeon Cobourne received a ball over the top, and hit a right footed strike into the bottom left. The Yeltz response was positive and just under 15 minutes later, Jason Cowley hit a powerful strike into the top right corner of Tom Allsopp’s goal. The two sides looked fairly dangerous in the remainder of the first 45, with the best moves forward coming from the Reds.
The start of the second 45 saw Cowley extend his goal tally for the season to 14, as he scored his fifth goal in three games after he diverted in a superb Jak Hickman cross from the right. The Yeltz held firm for the remainder of the half, but a sucker punch arrived right on cue from the hosts. A 95th minute corner was awarded the way of the Reds, which saw an effort blocked before a strike from defender Silvio Bello struck the bottom left, his first goal of the season.
Aside from the goal, the first shot of the game came our way after eight minutes. A ball from Hickman made it all the way to Cowley, who got in behind the Quorn defense. The Quorn number five Luke Cox closed down the angle Cowley was afforded to goal, resulting in a shot from the by-line which was easily saved by Allsopp. Three minutes later, Cobourne continued to haunt his old employers. The Quorn number nine stole the ball off Milan Butterfield, attempted to get in behind, but instead spread the play out to Quorn’s top scorer Zak Goodson on the right. The latter hit the ball off Butterfield for a corner which was headed clear once, and twice by Josh Smile.
The chances began to come quick and fast after the Yeltz leveller, as a Kyle Finn corner was headed over by Cowley in the centre. A 10 minute period of dominance from the hosts followed. A Finn O’Boyle and Cain Noble link up on the edge of the box, saw the latter sweep a ball out to Deen Master on the left. The latter crossed for Goodson, whose flicked header flashed just wide of Dan Platt’s left post. Two minutes later and with 25 minutes on the clock, a Cobourne sprint forward and into the box, saw Platt race out and superbly mop up the danger.
A chance proceeded to come our way as Cowley and Holmes who had such a good link up throughout profited on pressure which forced Mason Frizelle to knock the ball out for a corner. The delivery from Finn was a poor one, which was hit too far ahead of everyone who looked to keep the ball in at the back post. The best chance after the half hour mark of the remainder of the first half came the way of the hosts. A break forward down the left from midfielder Master, who transitioned into an attacking fullback, saw him cross for Goodson. The Quorn top scorer’s effort saw the ball find Noble on the edge of the area, whose first shot was blocked by Butterfield, before the follow up was hit wide.
The best chance of half besides the two goals came the way of Quorn on the 42nd minute. Former Halesowen man Cobourne sprinted into space down the right, before he squared the ball across to Goodson in the box, whose shot was hit over the bar from yards out. Despite the big miss, the last chance of the first 45 came our way as Hickman found Todd Parker in the middle of the pitch. The midfielder showed his strength to outmuscle Reece Fyfe and sweep a ball to Mitchell on the right, who played a forward down the line pass to Finn. The latter swung in a cross, headed away by Master, before a Cowley strike went wide.
The start of the second half saw early Yeltz domination. A break forward through the middle from Parker saw him find Cowley on the edge of the box who spread the play over to Ben Cassidy on the left. The defender won a corner off Master, which was delivered to Smile at the back post, whose shot was blocked. Two minutes later Cowley hit an effort wide, but it was the chance on 55 minutes, two before the goal, that set up the momentum for the lead. Simply stunning defensive tenacity from Mitchell to break forward and find Holmes in space, saw the latter win a corner off Frizelle. The delivery from Hickman went all the way to the back post, where Alex Gudger headed wide.
In the remaining 30 minutes, the Yeltz gifted up golden opportunity after golden opportunity. A Holmes burst forward saw him find Cassidy in the box, who couldn’t quite find Cowley in the middle. Shortly before Finn hit the post, and Cassidy hit a shot wide from a Rahis Nabi flick. Quorn had their own efforts in search of an equaliser. A Cobourne strike through bodies just after the hour was saved by Platt, shortly before ex football league man Billy Kee won the ball and found Goodson. In the centre, Cobourne was found to spread play to the right and to get away a shot saved by Platt at an angle.
As the final five minutes approached a Goodson sprint down the left won a corner after a flick off Cassidy. The delivery from substitute Kai Fifield, on loan from Kettering Town, saw the latter hit over everyone with his right foot, allowing pressure to ease on the Yeltz, for about 30 seconds anyway. A minute later a Fifield shot was saved by Platt on the left of the box, the last Quorn shot before their untimely last minute equaliser. Nothing Platt could have done about it, despite so many stops in the second half in particular. The late goal will put a sour taste in a good performance, but at the end of the day, a point away at the third best team over the season so far, and the in form side in the league over the past fortnight, is not to be sniffed at.
Attendance : 311
Teams
Quorn XI : Tom Allsopp (GK), Silvio Bello, Deen Master, Luke Cox, Mason Frizelle, Reece Fyfe (C) (Marvellous Onabirekhanlen 90+3′), Zak Goodson, Finn O’Boyle, Billy Kee (Rodrigo Goncalves 79′), Cain Noble (Kai Fifield 65′), Simeon Cobourne
Unused Subs : Ryan Beswick, Jasper Tetlow
Yeltz XI : Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C), Alex Gudger, Todd Parker, Jason Cowley (McKauley Manning 88′), Kyle Finn, Milan Butterfield, Fin Holmes (Rahis Nabi 82′), Reece Mitchell
Unused Subs : Stan Straw, Martin Riley, Gael Mfuamba (GK)