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Swindon Supermarine 1 Halesowen Town 0 British Gas Business Football League Premier Division Saturday 28th March 2009
Griffin shocks the big spenders! A first half header from Alan Griffin saw Supermarine get their first league win in four games at home to big-spending Halesowen Town. The former Chippenham Town striker nodded in a deep cross from Nick Stanley after 34 minutes as Marine completed a Southern League Premier double over the Yeltz. The result meant the Hunts Copse outfit reduced the gap between themselves and the fifth-placed Yeltz to six points, and Mark Collier’s men have five games in hand.
Boss Collier was pleased with his team as a whole but singled out the defence for particular praise. “It was a good all-round performance and it was nice to do the double over them,” he said. “We’re fully aware that there’s lads playing for them that are living all over the country, it’s a great reward for the hard work the lads have put in. “The one thing we have done of late is be very tight and organised at the back, and to keep a clean sheet against free-scoring Halesowen is good.
“Games are difficult to win in this league, you have to start off with a good base, and we’ve started to do that.” Unusually, Collier did not make a single substitution during the game, meaning Ash Edenborough, Luke Hopper, Alex Stanley, Chris Thompson and Ian Howell kept the bench warm all afternoon. “Part of the thinking behind that was we were playing well, everyone was comfortable,” explained Collier.
“We’ve got a game on Monday and a game on Wednesday and we wanted to keep players as fresh as possible.” Creative linchpin Chris Taylor missed the game and the Stourbridge game on Monday after his hamstring tightened up in training on Thursday. It is hoped he will return for the game at Bedford Town on Saturday. Leigh Henry and Chris Thompson recovered from their hamstring and thigh injuries respectively with Henry captained the side to victory. |
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From a Yeltz perspective... Griffin soars for Swindon to narrow play-off gap in slender Yeltz defeat By David Johnson. Halesowen’s play-off hopes were dented after a slender defeat allowed rivals Swindon to complete the double and narrow the gap in the race for a top-five finish. Swindon face a punishing schedule in the final month of the season as they attempt to play catch up and, without a win in four games, forced two corners in the first couple of minutes with Leigh Henry heading wide from Justyn McKay in an otherwise slow start.
Graham Deakin and Aaron Griffiths made impressive Halesowen debuts at Hunts Copse in a game hampered by the swirling wind. Deakin struck just wide for Halesowen from 25 yards in the 17th minute and Mark Draycott then hooked just over the Halesowen bar in the 20th minute after latching onto a clearance from visiting defender Dennis Pearce.
Matt Bulman twice came to Marine’s rescue by saving Aaron Cornwall’s side angled shot in the 31st minute and he repeated the save at his near post to deny Aaron Griffiths a minute later with the resulting corner scrambled clear in a good spell for the Yeltz. Imposing striker Alan GRIFFIN claimed Swindon’s solitary winning goal in direct style by superbly heading home Nick Stanley’s deep cross from the left in the 34th minute.
Before the break, Halesowen had a penalty appeal turned down after claiming the ball had struck Henry’s hand. Into the second period, Cornwall’s cross just evaded Paul O’Brien in the 50th minute and Joe Harris struck his half-volley just over the Halesowen bar a minute later. Deakin then beat several defenders in an excellent 53rd minute run allowing Francis Williams to earn a corner and Jay Denny forced a 55th minute full length save from Bulman.
McKay’s 20-yard free-kick fizzed just past the Halesowen post in the 58th minute and a minute later Griffin got the better of Pearce to cross along the goal-line from the right with the visiting defence somehow putting the ball over the bar and away for a corner. Late on, Nick Stanley laid the ball off for Griffin to fire just over the bar and in injury time Draycott rifled a 20-yard shot inches high as Swindon kept their narrow advantage. However, Halesowen maintained the fifth and final play-off spot in the table with teams below them losing and those above all winning. |
