IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Yeltz 3 Chippenham 3

07 September 2004

Well things certainly aren't dull at the moment. In another fantasticly exciting game we came back from being two behind twice to earn a point with a very late equaliser. Full details of a classic match in Dave's match report .

We're now 3rd in the table and well in touch in what looks like is going to be an eventful season. Let's hope we can continue our good form against Grantham at The Grove on Saturday.

I'm still on holiday, so updates to the site will continue to be sporadic I'm afraid.

Match Report from DJ

Halesowen Town: Taylor; Cooper (Preston 84), Haywood, Jones, Pope, Charlton, Cowley, Burgess, Haarhoff (Steane 36), Baker, Forsdick. Unused Subs: Skidmore, Danks, Grocutt.

Chippenham Town: Hervin; Regis, W. Thorne, G. Thorne, Herring, McEntegart, Wilmot (Davidson 90), Horgan, Paul (Allison 63), Constable, Walker. Unused Subs: Charity, Kirk, Astley.

Referee: C. Dawes (Willenhall) Attendance: 541 Bookings: G. Thorne (9), Davidson (90)

Gutsy Halesowen fought back from a two-goal half-time deficit to rescue a point in the 98th minute of an incredible six-goal thriller against table-topping Chippenham.

The hosts gave themselves an uphill battle by falling behind in the 2nd minute when their defence failed to pick up captain GARY THORNE as he flashed a header from Ellis Wilmot's corner beyond goalkeeper Chris Taylor. Chippenham goalkeeper Mark Hervin dealt with a 5th minute cross from Alex Cowley and collected a Dave Haywood free-kick two minutes later but James Constable then screwed wide from ten yards at the other end.

Speedy Jimmy Haarhoff caused terrible trouble for the visiting defence and played a delicate through ball for Simon Forsdick on 17 minutes but Hervin raced off his line to clear with Steve Pope's diving header falling just wide from Haywood's resulting corner. In exciting end-to-end play, home goalkeeper Taylor raced out to clear on 22 minutes and Scott Walker nodded a right-wing cross wide seven minutes later.

Haarhoff took his usual share of punishing challenges up front but brilliantly deceived his marker on the half-hour to allow the ball to run onto Lewis Baker who then had a penalty appeal denied. Asa Charlton blasted a 32nd minute free-kick wide from 25 yards and on 35 minutes Forsdick side-stepped his marker but Ian Herring made a fine challenge to block the shot.

Haarhoff was forced to limp out of the game in the 36th minute and all hope looked lost for the Yeltz when they were caught out by a second goal for the Bluebirds in the 42nd minute as WILMOT found space to latch onto a long ball and beat Taylor from 15 yards. A minute before the interval Martin Paul picked up a bad pass from Pope to drive wide.

Halesowen clawed their way back into the game with a spirited second-half display and in the 50th minute Baker headed a Haywood corner into the path of Forsdick but his brilliant volley rebounded off the left-hand post. But FORSDICK then provided an important life-line when he rounded goalkeeper Hervin and slotted home from a narrow angle following a defence-splitting pass from substitute Ben Steane in the 55th minute. Pope then headed another well-delivered free-kick from Haywood just wide but it was home goalkeeper Taylor who made a fine reflex save to deny Martin Paul from Constable's cross on the hour.

Chippenham seemed to have made the game safe in the 62nd minute when Herring's throw-in was prodded home by CONSTABLE from close range. But as the fast and furious action continued, Ian Cooper sprayed a long pass across to Haywood and he trapped the ball before delivering a deep cross for FORSDICK to head home at the far post in the 66th minute. Baker made Chippenham look vulnerable again when he stole in to head Haywood's free-kick wide three minutes later.

With five minutes remaining, Cowley delivered a troublesome cross into the Chippenham area and in a massive skirmish Hervin made a tremendous save from Baker's overhead kick before Forsdick hit the net on the half-volley although the referee had already blown for a foul on Gary Thorne by Richard Burgess. In the 89th minute Taylor was alert to dive and save at the feet of Constable.

Amazingly, with 98 minutes showing on the clock, Pope still had time to launch one more long ball forward and the ball fell invitingly to substitute Nick Preston near the penalty spot and he calmly tucked the ball into the top corner to earn a jubilant point.