UP TO 17th

Yeltz 1 Tamworth 0

11 November 2000

I know we've been on a terrible run recently, but we're actually the form team in the league right now . 7 points out of the last 9 have moved us up to 17th place in the table and only 6 points behind 7th placed Cambridge. This is all ridiculously optimistic, but it shows there's still all to play for .

A first half goal from Ross Collins led to our first victory at the Grove for many, many years and finally moved us up out of the relegation zone. Hurrah!

Tuesday brings a trip to Bromsgrove in the League Cup, and then fellow strugglers Folkestone visit The Grove on Saturday in another important league game.

Match Report from DJ

Halesowen Town: Quy; Comyn, Owen, Wood, Lloyd, Collins, Cartwright, Sutton, Payne, N. Smith, Hines. Subs: Aldridge, Ford, Williams

Tamworth: Acton; Warner, Mutchell, Clark, Hatton, Gray, Colley, Turner, Hallam, Houghton, Carter. Subs: G. Smith, McKenzie, Kotylo

Booked: Lloyd (35) Referee: M. Gooding (Bristol) Attendance: 504

It may have been flooding in other parts of the UK, but the Shed confirmed that there was a "bright golden haze on the meadow" at The Grove. Indeed, "the corn was as high as an elephant's eye" by 4:45pm as hearty Halesowen notched their first home win of the season and skipped above Tamworth and out of the bottom four.

In the 13th minute, a Rob Warner corner was clawed away by Andy Quy who then saved Richard Clark's follow-up header. The Yeltz took the lead in the 16th when a defensive clearance fell to the inspirational Ross Collins who cracked a 25 yard volley into the corner of the net leaving Darren Acton rooted to his goal-line spot in the Tamworth goal. As Halesowen's confidence built, Neil Cartwright broke quickly from Tamworth's 27th. minute corner and fed Peter Sutton who curled a shot just over. Cartwright supplied Sutton again seven minutes later but he could only shoot weakly at Acton.

A generally disappointing Tamworth looked more lively in the second period and Halesowen had an early escape when Quy pushed away Nicky Carter's cross with Mark Turner unable to use the rebound. Turner then saw his effort turned around the post three minutes later as the Lambs searched for an equaliser. At the other end, Sutton turned well in the 63rd minute but blasted his effort over the goal. In the 71st minute substitute Christie McKenzie tricked his way through the home defence and set up former Yeltz boy Nick Colley, but his shot drifted across the face of goal. Cartwright scuffed a 76th minute effort but as tension rose around the ground, it was left to the Halesowen rearguard, marshalled by man-of-the-match Phil Wood, to secure the vital three points. Ten minutes from time Carter saw a 25 yard drive go agonisingly wide and then two minutes from time a shot from Houghton whipped across goal, but by the final whistle the Yeltz were confidently stroking the ball around down the other end.