The momentum is well and truly with Chasetown FC as they are coming up on the rails for a possible play-off place.
The statistics make excellent reading – since drawing 4-4 at Sutton Coldfield Town in January, the Scholars have won ten out of their last 13 league fixtures, or nine out of the last 11, or seven out of the last eight. Whichever way, the stats show Craig Harris’ men to be the side bang in form.
But it was arguably against the run of play that the hosts – who saw 60 people over two days clearing 12 inches of snow off the pitch before the game – took the lead in the 13th minute. Nick Wellecomme was instrumental in retaining possession of the ball inside the penalty area. When he rolled the ball out to Paul Sullivan, his low cross was turned home by Theo Robinson from inside the six yard box.
With 30-goal marksman Ben Haseley in their line-up, Halesowen were always going to pose a threat and it was the Yeltz number 10 who went close to the equaliser when his effort struck the outside of Ryan Price’s left-hand post.
The visitors ended the half with the better chances. Price palmed over a long range effort from Mitchell Botfield and then made a low save to deny Haseley.
The Scholars keeper kept out Haseley at the start of the second period before Chasetown completely took over. Visiting stopper Paul Evans made a top class stop to keep out Wellecomme, before Andy Westwood somehow turned the rebound inches wide of the post.
Sullivan turned provider for Robinson again just short of the hour mark when his mazy run took him into the penalty area and a slide rule pass to the unmarked Robinson saw Chasetown double their advantage.
Sullivan was a whisker away from a goal himself when Evans made a sensational full-length save to divert the striker’s shot onto the post.
Evans then kept out Wellecomme with a low save as Harris’ men began to dominate proceedings in arguably their best half of football of the current winning run.
Chasetown killed the game off seven minutes from time when Danny Bragoli’s corner was headed across goal for Paul Sullivan. He got the ball under control and turned on a sixpence to thump an unstoppable volley through a ruck of players defending the goal line.
With Sutton Coldfield being held 1-1 by their tenants Romulus, the Scholars moved up into sixth, four points adrift of those crucial play-off berths with a game in hand.
Chasetown: Price, Farmer, Jackson, Slater, Tesfa Robinson, Teesdale, Westwood (Downes, 90 mins), Bragoli, Wellecomme, Sullivan, Theo Robinson (Gould, 85 mins). Subs not used: Brown, Hay, Kisiel.
Halesowen Town: Evans, Bowen, Meacham (Baker, 69 mins), Botfield, Hull, Parker, Griffiths, Barnfield, Gueyes. Haseley, Whisper (Arshad, 82 mins). Subs not used: Hill, Tonks, Flower.
Click below to see more of Dave Birt’s pictures from the game:
