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Southern League Premier Central – Saturday, 17th August 2024
Halesowen Town 1 Bedford Town 4
Halesowen crashed to a heavy 4-1 defeat in a listless display against recently promoted Bedford at the Grove, writes David Johnson.
Yeltz manager Russ Penn put a brave face on the torrid afternoon. “Firstly, Reece Flanagan has been taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder. In football I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected. We were miles off it today, I didn’t see that coming and I have to take the blame. Bedford were well organised but we let that happen. Previously we’ve been well organised, hard to beat with cohesion but we were anything but that today. We lacked leadership, confidence and energy. We will now reflect on a tough week, dust ourselves down and go again.”
The Eagles made a perfect start and stunned the home crowd by taking the lead with the first move of the game when Leon LOBJOIT collected Rob Hall’s 2nd minute free-kick and struck past Halesowen goalkeeper Dan Platt.
Halesowen’s first attempt from Kieren Donnelly was collected easily by goalkeeper Oliver Bosworth after nine minutes and McKauley Manning volleyed at Bosworth two minutes later. Bedford’s Lewis Green then went close in an overhead tussle with Platt from an 18th minute long throw-in.
Lack-lustre Halesowen mustered a couple of corners in the 36th minute with substitute Ben Cassidy firing at Bosworth from long range but Bedford looked quite comfortable all afternoon with the Yeltz toothless up front and slapdash in defence.
The Eagles doubled their lead four minutes before the interval when Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo recycled a cleared throw-in into the danger area and Ryan BLAKE reacted quickly to smack the ball past Platt.
Donnelly blazed over the bar for Halesowen at the start of the second half but it was Bedford who missed an even better chance after 51 minutes when Soulya-Osekanongo missed a free header in front of goal.
The Yeltz pulled a 54th minute goal back to fleetingly give hope when substitute Adi YUSSUF headed home directly from Conor Tee’s cross after Cassidy advanced down the left.
But Bedford soon re-asserted their dominance with a third goal in simple fashion when Blake squared from the right for unmarked LOBJOIT to claim his brace in space in the 63rd minute.
Ryan Wollacott headed Tee’s 72nd minute free-kick over the bar but there was no way back for second-best Halesowen and Bedford should’ve added a fourth goal in the 85th minute when substitute Connor Tomlinson cut the ball back for substitute Max Rosner in front of goal but his weak effort was saved by Platt. Bosworth then saved a curling 20 yard effort from Tee in the 86th minute.
The Eagles soared into a 4-1 lead and their first win of the season when BLAKE turned Cassidy down the left of the area and fired past Platt.
Jak Hickman’s 89th minute deep cross almost caught out Bedford goalkeeper Bosworth at his far post at the end of a sorry afternoon for the Yeltz.
Halesowen Town: Dan Platt; Jak Hickman, Reece Mitchell (Abdillahie Yussuf 46), Ryan Wollacott, Ryan Wynter (c), Nat Kelly, Todd Parker (Ryan Boothe 78), Reece Flanagan (Ben Cassidy 29), Kieren Donnelly, Conor Tee, McKauley Manning. Subs Not Used: Luke Postle, Lewis Solly.
Bedford Town: Oliver Bosworth; Lewis Green (Max Rosner 55), Samuel Brown, Robert Howard (Joshua Flanagan 63), Carl Mensah (c), Kyle Connolly (Zaide Took-Okley 64), Elliot Simmons, Robert Hall (Connor Tomlinson 73), Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo, Leon Lobjoit (Joshua Boorn 89), Ryan Blake.
Referee: Jason Porter Attendance: 902
Booked: Lobjoit (53), Soulya-Osekanongo (71), J. Flanagan (90+5)
Tulleys Print HTFC Man of the Match selected by Spencer Signs: Conor Tee