COULDN'T GET MUCH BETTER

Yeltz 6 Swindon Supermarine 0

17 January 2004

The mighty yeltz kicked off the second half of their league campaign with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Swindon Supermarine. With both Redditch and Rugby losing, we've made up some important ground at the top of the table .

Jason started things off with two first half goals - his first for eight games - before second half goals from Spencer, Steane, Frazer McHugh (back whilst looking for another club) and Baker turned it into something of a rout.

Next Saturday Evesham are the visitors to The Grove. They're on a pretty decent run at the moment including beating Redditch, but it's important we continue our run of victories.

Match Report from DJ

Halesowen Town: Sheils; Colwell, Charlton (Small 66), Grocutt (Smith 64), Jones, Baker (Skidmore 70), Hollis, Ashby, Spencer, McHugh, Steane. Unused Subs: Lowry, Vaughan

Swindon Supermarine: King; Toomey, Futcher, Bennett, McCluskey (Grainge 62), Copp, Edwards, Terry, Carter (Gee 76), Miller, Matthews (Blastland 62). Unused Subs: Slattery, Gill

Referee: P. Martin (Wellingborough) Attendance: 436 Booked: Carter (71) Sponsors' Man of the Match: Simon Hollis

Halesowen smashed Swindon for six of the best with ex-Bradford City midfielder Fraser McHugh running the show from midfield in a devastating display of quality finishing.

In a lively opening Jason Ashby picked up a poor clearance from Swindon goalkeeper Tom King in the 4th minute but turned to fire just wide. Justin Miller headed across the Halesowen goal in the 10th minute but it was McHugh who set up Andy Spencer to strike a ten yard shot off the Swindon crossbar in the 10th minute. Home goalkeeper Mark Sheils then made a good save from Justin Miller and Jimmy Carter in the 25th minute after the Swindon forwards picked up a loose ball.

League-leading marksman Ashby then set Halesowen on their way with two goals within ninety seconds. On 28 minutes ASHBY latched onto a poor defensive header to beat King with a cheeky chip from 18-yards. McHugh then played a splendid ball through to Ben Steane and he crossed for ASHBY to head home a second goal from five yards in the 30th minute. Five minutes before half-time Sheils protected Halesowen's lead by gathering a 25-yard free-kick from Simon Futcher.

STEANE added a third goal to remember for the Yeltz in the 51st minute when he won the ball in midfield and unleashed a magnificent powerful, dipping shot into the top corner of the net from 35-yards to the gasping delight of the home crowd. With the home side running riot, the unmarked McHUGH made it 4-0 a minute later by cracking home into the bottom corner from 10-yards. The rampant Yeltz made it three goals in three minutes in a superb 54th minute break with Simon Hollis playing the ball out to Ashby and SPENCER raced into the area to convert the cross from close range.

In continuing waves of attacks, King blocked a Spencer shot in the 55th minute and Lewis Baker headed Asa Charlton's corner onto the roof of the net four minutes later. BAKER increased the misery of ex-Chippenham manager Tommy Saunders in his first game in charge of Swindon by rifling home a sixth home goal in the 63rd minute when unmarked in the penalty area.

Spencer's shot was turned around the post in the 65th minute but the game finally calmed down after a series of late substitutions. King gathered a 20-yard drive from Hollis in the 74th minute and in the final minute Sheils tipped a cross-shot from Futcher over the bar. Seconds later Ashby almost added a seventh goal but headed Steane's cross wide in front of goal, although enough had already been done to erase the painful memory of the four-goal defeat at Swindon earlier in the season.