Halesowen Town 3 Loughborough Dynamo 2

Top of the table Halesowen maintained their 100% start to the league season in a highly entertaining five-goal thriller against second placed Loughborough, writes David Johnson.

Manager Paul Smith felt it was a strange game in many ways. “We were scintillating for 35 minutes and cruising at 3-0, playing some great stuff. But giving away a penalty gave Loughborough a glimmer of hope. We then retracted a little and it was a more even second-half. We made problems for ourselves, but the main thing is it’s another three points.”

Loughborough were yet to concede away from home but were soon sent reeling by a blistering opening spell as Halesowen took an early three goal.

The Yeltz made a confident start to earn two corners within the first five minutes. Lively Jack Holmes then played the ball across for Richard Gregory to fire just wide in the 8th minute and in continued pressure, a 10th minute shot from Holmes flashed across the Loughborough goal. Just a minute later a cross from James Insall was cut out by visiting goalkeeper Lewis King.

Loughborough went close in the 12th minute when Jack Oldham pumped the ball back into the home penalty area from a corner and the ball just evaded Kevin da Silva Bastos in front of goal.

Halesowen then went ahead through a brilliant 14th minute goal from leading scorer Simeon Cobourne. Holmes played the ball out to Insall and he found COBOURNE, who flicked the ball over the last defender and smashed home a low shot from a wide angle.

GREGORY soon doubled the home lead in the 18th minute with his shot beating King from the edge of the area following another good move.

The Moes went close when Jack Oldham’s 21st minute free-kick was turned away and Dan Platt lost the following corner but Josh Quaynor cleared off the line after a scramble. In the non-stop action, Gregory’s 22nd minute overhead kick fell wide and another Gregory effort was just wide six minutes later as the visiting defence opened up.

COBOURNE made it 3-0 with his 8th goal of the season after just 31 minutes when he robbed a defender and his resulting shot squirmed away from King to trickle into the net. The Moes pulled a 35th minute goal back when Princewill Ogunmekan was tripped by Kieran Morris and DA SILVA BASTOS beat Platt from the penalty spot.

Halesowen forced two corners at the start of the second half and Gregory’s fierce 52nd minute shot was well saved by King. But the Moes made it 3-2 when a 58th minute corner was headed high up into the air by the home defence and with Platt failing to gather, the ball fell for new signing Luke McGINNELL to fire home in front of goal to set up a nervy last half hour.

The Yeltz went close to increasing the lead further in the 61st minute when Nathan Hayward’s header bounced up over the bar from a corner and a Holmes burst forward only to see his shot beaten away by King a minute later. Morris headed over the bar from Quaynor’s 80th minute corner and substitute Richard Smith scuffed an 81st minute shot at King.

Late on, Platt collected from Ogunmekan but the Yeltz held onto the lead and saw the game out, introducing Rob Evans to make a five-man back-line for the final few minutes.

Halesowen Town: Dan Platt; Josh Ezewele, Josh Quaynor, Tom Turton, Kieran Morris (c), Nat Kelly, Jack Holmes (Brad Birch 64), Nathan Hayward, Jamie Insall (Rob Evans 85), Richard Gregory (Richard Smith 79), Simeon Cobourne. Subs Not Used: McKauley Manning, Matt Funge.

Loughborough Dynamo: Lewis King; Luke Thorogood, Jake Finnerty, Luke McGinnell, Robbie McNicholas, Edward Cook, Kevin Da Silva Bastos, Robert Norris (c), Isaac Stones (James Tague 65), Jack Oldham (Aaron Cole 83), Princewill Ogunmekan. Subs Not Used: Byron Musgrove.

Referee: Richard Walker                       Attendance: 887

Booked: Morris (34)

‘Tulleys Print’ HTFC Man of the Match selected by Andy, Amy and Benjamin Crampton: Simeon Cobourne