Official Halesowen Town FC Supporters Online

Date: Saturday 7th November 2009, 3:00pm
Result: Halesowen Town 2-2 Hednesfod Town, Att: 504
Competition: Zamaretto League Premier Division
Referee: Carl Dunn (Newcastle-Under-Lyme)

Halesowen preserved their unbeaten home record but were forced to share the points after Tyrone Barnett twice responded to two more goals from Stefan Moore in lethal finishing by both centre forwards.

Halesowen Town					Hednesford Town
			Nick BUSSEY	1	Gavin WARD
(71)			Jamie SMITH	2	Sean PLATT
			Stephen MORLEY	3	Zak MARTIN
			Henry EZE	4	Stephen JAGIELKA
			Jamie HOOD	5	Ben BAILEY
(57)	18		Tom BREWARD	6	Grant GOODHEAD
			Simon JOHNSON	7	Elliot DURRELL		55
	78		Jay DENNY	8	Sam AISTON		37
			Stefan MOORE **	9	Tyrone BARNETT **
(57)			Dave BLENKINSOPP	10	Ross DYER
			Scott RICKARDS	11	Luke HORROCKS		69
Subs					Subs
			Paul O'BRIEN	12	Justin NISBETT
57			Roland AGBOR	14	Liam FLYNN
57			Aaron GRIFFITHS	15	James CARVEY
71			Craig CONNOR	16	Luke CHAPMAN
			Dennis PEARCE	17	Richard WALKER
Goals					Goals
Stefan MOORE				6
				27	Tyrone BARNETT
Stefan MOORE				76
				77	Tyrone BARNETT

In a fast and furious encounter, home goalkeeper Nick Bussey held onto Elliott Durrell’s 5th minute shot from the right at the second attempt. But the Yeltz could have wrapped up the game in an early onslaught and the hosts made an ideal start by taking a 6th minute lead when MOORE waltzed past three defenders in the penalty area to find space to loft the ball into the top corner beyond goalkeeper Gavin Ward.

Seconds later, Moore’s strike partner David Blenkinsopp found himself clean through on goal but stumbled when rounding goalkeeper Ward and could only poke wide. Moore netted once again in the 11th minute but this time was ruled offside.

But whereas in the past Halesowen have increasingly over-powered their opposition, the Pitmen dug deep to chase and hustle and didn’t allow Halesowen any time on the ball.

As Hednesford gradually settled, Ross Dyer’s 21st minute cross was juggled by Bussey. Midway through the half, Barnett’s shot was turned away and Ben Bailey rushed in to glance just wide from Durrell’s resulting corner.

BARNETT then equalised in the 27th minute when the giant forward rose high to nod home after beating Bussey to Durrell’s deep cross. Shortly before the interval Steve Jagielka missed a good opportunity in front of goal, allowing Halesowen defender Henry Eze and Bussey to tidy up.

At the start of an end-to-end second half Blenkinsopp steered wide from Moore’s cross. Halesowen manager Matt Clarke made a double substitution in the 57th minute but it was Durrell who crossed along the home goal after an hour with Bailey then taking advantage of Bussey’s indecision to force a corner with Bailey heading high over the bar.

With the Pitmen continuing to press, Bussey made a fine 65th minute reflex save to keep out Sam Aiston’s 20-yard drive at the foot of the post and Dyer’s follow up was blocked by the home defence. At the other end home substitute Roland Agbor just failed to connect in front of goal with 68 minutes on the clock.

Prolific MOORE restored Halesowen’s lead in the 76th minute with a magnificent 18th goal of the season when he collected a long clearance out of defence and dispatched a precision finish to beat Ward into the corner of the net under pressure from the last defender.

But battling Hednesford levelled again within a minute when BARNETT clinically finished a low cross from the right to crack home a low, hard drive from the edge of the area down the centre of goal.

Chances fell at both ends as both teams chased a late winner. Agbor stabbed wide in the 82nd minute and Ward collected Halesowen’s 83rd minute corner. Hednesford’s Durrell struck wide from a good position in the 88th minute and Halesowen kept out a couple of injury time corners with the Pitmen sensing Halesowen’s citadel must fall under such pressure.