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 Date: Wednesday 11th November 2009, 7:45pm
Result: Halesowen Town 2-2 Stourport Swifts (Penalties: 4-2), Att: 123
Competition: Worcestershire Senior Cup Quater Final
Referee: C. Husband (Worcester)
Halesowen made hard work of overcoming Stourport after the visitors equalised twice to take the game into extra-time and penalties.
Halesowen Town | | Stourport Swifts | | | | | | | | |  | | | | Nick BUSSEY | 1 | Jamie MOORE | | | | (45) | | | Jamie SMITH | 2 | Julian TRIANA | | | (84) | | | | Aaron GRIFFITHS | 3 | Nicholas CLAYTON | | | | | | | Jamie HOOD | 4 | Nathan JUKES * | | 67 | | | | | Dennis PEARCE | 5 | William GAYTON | | 97 | | (17) | | | Paul O'BRIEN | 6 | Andrew JONES | | | | | | | Josh CRADDOCK | 7 | Jamie PRICE | | | | | | | Scott RICKARDS * | 8 | Mark BENBOW | | | (70) | | | | Roland AGBOR | 9 | Chris MORTLOCK | | | (70) | (68) | | | Dave BLENKINSOPP * | 10 | Chris CORNES | | | | | | | Tom BATES | 11 | Richard TOMIANI | | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | Subs | | Subs | | | | Luke BRADLEY | 12 | Steve TOWERS | | | 70 | 68 | | | Tom BREWARD | 14 | Dan POLAN | | | 70 | 17 | | | Jay DENNY | 15 | Jamie INSALL | | | | 45 | | | Craig CONNOR | 16 | Alby LAVERY * | | | 84 | | | | Henry EZE | 17 | Paul EVANS | | | | | | | | | | | | | Goals | | Goals | Dave BLENKINSOPP | 45 | | | 90 | Alby LAVERY | Scott RICKARDS | 102 | | | 105 | Nathan JUKES | | | | | Penalties | | Penalties | | 0-0 | William GAYTON (Saved) | Aaron GRIFFITHS | 1-0 | | | 1-1 | Steve TOWERS | Jay DENNY | 2-1 | | | 2-2 | Nathan JUKES | Scott RICKARD | 3-2 | | | 3-2 | Chris CORNES (Saved) | Roland AGBOR | 4-2 | |
In a slow start, Roland Agbor snatched at two chances and Scott Rickards drove wide after 26 minutes for Halesowen. A 30-yard drive from substitute Jay Denny then rattled back off the crossbar with goalkeeper Jamie Moore beaten.
The Yeltz took the lead in the final minute of the first half when a 20-yard free-kick from Rickards cannoned back off the crossbar and David BLENKINSOPP was first to react to turn home the rebound. But any thoughts of an easy ride for Halesowen were eradicated as the Swifts enjoyed the better of the second half. Chris Cornes took the ball down before firing over the Halesowen bar in the 49th minute. Cornes then found himself free on goal following a ball from the left two minutes later but he fired a great chance straight at Nick Bussey as the goalkeeper spread himself well to prevent an open goal. The visitors continued to threaten late on with Cornes firing another two low shots at Bussey after 79 and 83 minutes. Substitute Dan Polan then hit the ball along the home goalmouth as Halesowen sat back on their lead. Stourport finally gained their reward two minutes into stoppage time when substitute Alex LAVERY headed home a right-wing cross to take the game into an unexpected thirty minutes of extra time. William Gayton’s chip produced a fine reflex save from Bussey who tipped the ball over the bar four minutes into the first period of extra-time with Andrew Jones nodding just high from the following corner. But RICKARDS brought relief to Halesowen by restoring their lead in the 102nd minute when his 20-yard shot crept over goalkeeper Moore and into the corner of the net. Stourport substitute Steve Towers volleyed just wide a minute later before the plucky visitors levelled for the second time in the 105th minute with JONES powering home a direct header from Richard Tomkins’ corner right at the end of the first extra-time period. Confusion followed when the referee appeared to have award Halesowen an 117th minute penalty after Aaron Griffiths was upended, but the assistant referee intervened and a free-kick was fairly awarded on the edge of the area instead. In the penalty shoot out, Gayton struck the post with Stourport’s first effort and their fourth penalty from Cornes was saved by Bussey. Halesowen converted all four of their penalties from Griffiths, Denny, Rickards and finally Agbor to ensure their progression into the semi-final. |
