Halesowen

Very enjoyable win in the end - not the greatest 3-2 you'll ever see but can't beat a win against your local rivals!

Solly perhaps a touch fortunate to stay on and had a bit of a mare for the rest of the game - and I don't think I've ever seen Lait play worse than he did today.

Crucially got a goal back soon after they scored both times so they couldn't settle much.

The defence was shaky at times but we battled hard all game in what was a scrappy and tasty affair at times. Geddes had a promising second debut for us and did really well for our first goal.

Only real downer was their manager telling their players not to give us the ball back after Solly was injured, and their general constant rose tinted moaning throughout. Typical of the Yeltz though I suppose, wouldn't expect anything different from their lot.

2 wins out of 2 against them this season and this was my ideal late Christmas present!

Finally, Karl Hawley - absolute class.

Not the greatest game of football but an exciting one, we've played better and not won this season, a bit like the Trophy game felt Halesowen merited a draw. Lait had probably his worst game of the season and we where poor at the back. Thought Geddes did okay and Billingham had his best game since returning. It was good we managed to equalise straight away both times and allow them no time to consolidate, although not playing that well felt the winner was coming in the build up to the third goal.

A fair bit of fortune today, not least when Solly handles it outside the box and it should be a red card, it would have been had it not been so early in the match - and in front of a big crowd - that definitely influenced the decision I think, that happens at the top level even in the first minute of a world cup final!

A much needed 3 points and a great atmosphere throughout, Must confess I didn't think the crowd would reach last year's level let alone better it by 171! highest step 3 crowd, Weymouth v Dorchester was only 5 behind.

A great season so far, though a lot of work to do to get in the top 5 of this league I feel.

It wasn't a sending off as it wasn't a goal scoring opportunity.

Man of the match voting was as follows :

KARL HAWLEY 21 votes

Ben Billingham 10

Dan Scarr 4

Brian Smikle 2

Matt Dodd
Leon Broadhurst. All 1 vote
Stuart Pierpoint

CAROL HORTON won the wine.

Thanks to all who took part.

Jack wrote:It wasn't a sending off as it wasn't a goal scoring opportunity.

Correct Jack.

It seems that a lot of us,including myself,didn't know the rules regarding the Solly incident.

From what i have since heard a goal needs to be more or less an absolute certainty and Solly needed to be the "last man" to warrant a definite red and this wasn't the case on either point so "end of" as they say.

A poor match to be honest,if it'd been played in my own back garden i would have closed my curtains after the first few minutes and watched TV instead!

Good to see Sean back and his quick thinking created Hawley's goal but without Leon or Tonks in the middle our formation was very much a 4-0-6 with the defence getting very little cover or help from anyone in front of them,in particular we missed Tonk's ability to "rat out" the ball on the edge of our own box but we did improve once Leon arrived on the pitch.

I felt sorry for Chris Lait yesterday,he was very obviously just trying too hard against his old team and he wasn't his normal relaxed,free flowing self,he had every bit the same nightmare game that Solly had,it was obvious after the first few minutes that Lewis was going to have "a mare" and so it proved.

I thought Scarr did well,he's becoming a Nathan Bennett type at set pieces and looks likely to notch many goals,something we have missed since Nathan departed.

Hawley was by far the best player on the pitch BUT some seem to miss the work Richards does,he was tireless again yesterday and he does a lot of grafting that helps create space for Hawley.

All in all a good day,a great crowd and a timely boost in the promotion push,we cannot afford very many blips in the next 26 games as we'll need to average almost two points a game to get even a play off spot.

Coronation Street.