Halesowen Town: Sheils; Colwell (Grocutt HT), Haywood, Charlton, Jones, Skidmore, Steane (Hollis HT (Forsdick 84)), Moore, Haarhoff, Baker, Foy. Unused Subs: Carter, Strachan
Bromsgrove Rovers: Gandy; Frost, Hillman, Benton, Bellingham (Atkinson 83), Beckett, Williams, Benbow (Mahon 84), Szewczyk, Joyce, Banner. Unused Subs: Douglin, Collins, Pope
Referee: S. Snartt (Bristol) Attendance: 574 Booked: Foy (29), Joyce (36), Charlton (45), Skidmore (50) Sponsors' Man of the Match: Mark Sheils
Halesowen inched towards a top-seven place in a grim goal-less draw against a Bromsgrove outfit who played with more purpose and struck the woodwork three times in a game they had to win to further any hopes of promotion.
Former Halesowen midfielder Lee Williams floated over a right-wing cross for Kevin Banner to volley wide in the 11th minute and four minutes later a Banner cross was met by the awkward Wesley Joyce but his powerful header rattled off the underside of the Halesowen crossbar.
Halesowen finally worked their first corner after 18 minutes but Banner cleared a Lewis Baker header off the line with out-of-form Jason Moore just failing to convert. Halesowen then won two 24th minute corners but it was Bromsgrove's Mark Bellingham who hit wide at the far post for the visitors in the 28th minute from Paul Szewczyk's cross.
Ben Steane lobbed into the Bromsgrove area on 32 minutes from Dave Haywood's short corner but no Halesowen forward was able to convert. Home goalkeeper and man-of-the-match Mark Sheils then blocked from Bellingham on the line in the 36th minute and a minute before the interval Sheils twice blocked from Williams from a dangerous Banner cross.
John Smith ran the line in the second half as a substitute assistant referee after Mr Price injured his ankle on the Shed steps and Sheils then made another fine 46th minute reflex save to deny Joyce in a disappointing second half. Sheils blocked once again from Joyce in the 54th minute before Simon Hollis curled a 20-yard free-kick inches wide for the home side following a foul on Jimmy Haarhoff.
Halesowen escaped again to claim a vital promotion point when Williams cut in to hit a low drive against the post in the 73rd minute and Joyce flicked against the outside of the post with just seven minutes remaining. |