Bromsgrove Rovers: Wyatt; Frost, Hillman, Pope, Benton, Beckett, Jackson, Allen (Bowen 53), Szewczyk, Benbow, Banner. Unused Subs: Gandy, Hughes, Sutton, Atkinson
Halesowen Town: Sheils; Colwell, Charlton, Smith, Jones, Baker, Hollis (Small 55), Ashby (Ball 60), Piearce, Steane, Spencer. Unused Subs: Skidmore, Reece, Lowe
Referee: G. O'Sullivan (Basingstoke) Attendance: 898 Booked: Spencer (34), Baker (34), Frost (34), Pope (90)
Halesowen appeared to be coasting to victory but then had to rescue a point after their fragile defence allowed Bromsgrove to score three second half-goals from set pieces.
The Yeltz made a dream start in the 3rd minute when Ben Steane turned a left-wing corner into the path of Neil SMITH and he cracked a 25-yard drive into the top corner of the net. On 9 minutes Bromsgrove striker Paul Szewczyk turned well in the box but Mark Sheils made a half-save with his defence clearing the danger. Bromsgrove then forced two corners in the 20th minute and Marcus Jackson hit a speculative 30-yard drive over the bar on the half-hour but the first half firmly belonged to Halesowen with their neat passing play.
The visitors added a second goal in the 33rd minute when Andy Spencer was put clear on the left and although Jason Ashby was unable to fully connect with the cross, Ashby played the ball on for Steve PIEARCE to net from six yards out. Four minutes before half-time Simon Hollis then hooked a cross for Spencer to force a finger-tip save from home goalkeeper Paul Wyatt.
The game took a dramatic turn-around in the second-half as Halesowen sat back to let the hosts off the hook after they introduced substitute forward Sam Bowen in the 53rd minute. Jackson struck the angle of the post and cross-bar from the right on the hour before Bromsgrove pulled a goal back in the 61st minute when Lewis BAKER headed into his own net as he attempted to clear Kevin Banner's cross. Four minutes later Bromsgrove levelled against the odds with Grant BECKETT hammering home a direct 22-yard free-kick into the top-corner of the net. Richard Colwell then cleared off his goal-line in the 70th minute but Halesowen were caught out yet again from a set-piece for the home side's third goal in the 81st minute as JACKSON dispatched a quickly taken 20-yard free-kick into the top corner.
Halesowen rescued a point in the 84th minute when Wyatt failed to gather Asa Charlton's 25-yard shot and PIEARCE pounced to hit home the rebound from close range. Substitute Richard Ball then won the ball in midfield a minute later but lobbed the ball over the bar with both sides looking for a winner to close the gap on runaway league-leaders Redditch. |