By Glen Maxwell
In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant
Buildbase FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Saturday November 12 2016
Blyth Spartans 4-3 Halesowen Town
Blyth Spartans finally progressed in a pulsating Buildbase FA Trophy tie against Halesowen Town – after they surrendered a two-goal lead before claiming a 4-3 win in the final minute.
Nathan Buddle and Daniel Maguire had given the hosts a first half lead, before Jay Denny reduced the deficit for Town on 56 minutes.
Substitute Ethan Delaney’s brace within two minutes put Halesowen ahead, before Blyth replacement Matty Pattison scored a bizarre equaliser on 82 minutes. Pattison then sent Croft Park into delirium in the 90th minute, when he smashed home from two-yards to finally kill off Blyth’s fellow Evo-Stik Premier League side.
A much changed Spartans side flew out of the traps and could easily have taken the lead within the first two minutes, thanks to a fortunate ricochet off Maguire.
The ball dropped perfectly for Jarrett Rivers, who raced towards goal and rounded Daniel Platt in the Halesowen net. Despite calmly rolled the ball past the keeper, the winger was denied an early goal thanks to Kyle Morrison’s timely intervention.
Rivers then turned provider less than a minute later, when he played an inch-perfect pass into Andrew Cartwright inside the area. The right-back then cut the ball back to Maguire, but he could only shoot straight at Platt.
The combination of Stephen Turnbull and Richard Pell at set-pieces terrorised Goole in the last round of the Buildbase FA Trophy and they threatened to produce a repeat after just six minutes – as the defender leapt highest to connect with the corner. However, Pell’s header just cleared the crossbar.
A clever dummy from Luke Armstrong on nine minutes allowed Maguire to race onto a lofted through ball from the Blyth defence. ‘Nipa’ looked to convert from a narrow angle but, despite looking anything but comfortable as the ball reached him, Platt did just enough to keep his clean sheet intact.
The opening exchanges had very much been in the home side’s favour, but a defensive mix-up gave the Croft Park faithful some unnecessary anxiety after 18 minutes.
Paul Woolston had advanced out of his area to meet Platt’s clearance but, under pressure from Kaiman Anderson, Buddle overhit a pass back past the Blyth keeper. Thankfully for the 23-year-old, it went wide of the goal and Rivers was able to deal with the cheap corner.
Buddle was back to his best within four minutes though – as he did just enough to put Anderson off in the box and the Halesowen striker scuffed his shot safely towards a grateful Woolston.
The centre-back was caught up in the action once again on 27 minutes, when he headed clear a dangerous cross from the left. However, the Halesowen players believed Pell had handled the ball just prior to the clearance, but referee Mr Andrews ignored their penalty shouts.
And Buddle would cause shouts of a different kind a little over two minutes later – as he finally put Blyth ahead.
Turnbull floated in a free-kick from halfway towards Pell and Buddle at the far post. The younger of the central defensive duo met the ball with a powerful header back across Platt and into the top corner.
Robert Dale must have sensed that Platt’s confidence had taken a knock, because he tried an audacious effort from halfway just three minutes later. The Town stopper breathed a sigh of relief though, when the strike failed to find its target.
Although, Platt would suffer more misery with six minutes of the first half to go – as Spartans made the most of the advantage of a foul on Damen Mullen to double their advantage.
Armstrong headed on Chris Bell’s ball towards Maguire, who manoevered his way around substitute Richard Sho-Silva like he wasn’t even there. The striker then twisted inside and out to tie the Halesowen defence up in knots, before finishing calmly between the keeper’s legs.
Dale came up with some dancing of his own on 45 minutes, which allowed him to try his luck from the edge of the box. Platt was much more alert this time, however, and it was a comfortable hold for the visiting keeper.
If both sides thought that was it before the break then they were wrong – as Spartans received a let-off in added time, when a Halesowen goal was ruled out.
Anderson had been found in the box by a knock-on 18 yards out. Asa Charlton stole the ball off his teammate’s toes from an offside position and slotted it past Woolston, but the assistant flagged straight away before the midfielder could celebrate.
Blyth had started the game strongly and they nearly grabbed a third by following in the same vein as the second half got underway. Great link-up between Rivers and Maguire saw the latter try to play in his strike partner Armstrong, but he got too much on it and Platt rushed out to gather.
With 54 minutes gone, Maguire played an exquisite diagonal ball across to Rivers in the box. The winger checked his run to sell Sho-Silva short, but his placed shot across Platt went just inches wide of the post.
That miss was then compounded when, two minutes later, Halesowen clawed their way back into the tie.
Woolston did well to punch clear a dangerous cross, but the ball went straight to Denny 25 yards out. With the on-loan Newcastle United keeper still on the floor from his clearance, the Halesowen captain finished well first-time into an empty net to halve the deficit.
Town took fresh impetus from that goal and could have been level with 63 minutes gone, when substitute Delaney beat Buddle to a dropping ball and it fell kindly for Anderson. The striker hit a fierce shot at goal, but fired just wide.
They were not to be denied though – as they drew level with a beautifully taken goal just 60 seconds later, showing the same resilience that had seen them record an impressive six wins in their last eight games.
Halesowen played the ball about at the edge of the Blyth area, before it ended up with Delaney just inside the box. He executed a fine curling finish around the outstretched hand of a diving Woolston to put the visitors level.
Parity would remain for just two minutes though, when Delaney claimed his second to put Halesowen ahead for the first time in the tie. The substitute caught Buddle cold and turned him inside and out, before rolling the ball past Woolston.
Spartans had received a real suckerpunch having seen their two-goal lead turn into a 3-2 reverse, but they were unlucky not to peg back the away side with 18 minutes to go. Maguire won a header at the back post that looked to be sneaking in, but it went just wide of the upright and into the side netting.
That looked to be all she wrote for the Spartans in this season’s Buildbase FA Trophy, but substitute Pattison had other ideas with a bizarre goal in the 82nd minute.
The South African picked the ball up a fair distance from goal, but opted to strike at goal from long-range. It looked to be a routine stop for Platt, but he was totally outfoxed by the flight of the ball and it somehow found the back of the net.
Halesowen continued to press forward despite their setback and really should have sealed the tie with four minutes to go, when Lee Chilton was found free just mere yards from goal. The winger hit the ball over the diving Blyth bodies at his feet, but it then went horribly over the bar.
Just when the tie appeared to be going to a replay on Tuesday night, Maguire raced down the left and cut the ball past Platt and across to Armstrong, who turned and held the ball up under immense pressure. Instead of trying to shoot on the turn, the 20-year-old left it for Pattison to smash home his second and secure safe passage for Spartans.
Blyth continue in cup competitions on Tuesday night, when they travel to Shaw Lane AFC in the Integro Doodson Cup.
Blyth Spartans: Woolston, Cartwright (Nicholson 82), Bell, Mullen, Pell, Buddle, Rivers (Richardson 73), Turnbull, Maguire, Armstrong, Dale (Pattison 72).
Subs not used:, Wade, Caines.
Halesowen Town: Platt, Haynes (Sho-Silva 12), Hancocks (Delaney 46), Denny, Morrison, Charlton, Goddard (Malvin 82), Bragoli, Anderson, Birley, Chilton.
Subs not used: Griffiths, Cameron.
Attendance: 565
Referee: Mr Andrews
Spartans Man of the Match: Daniel Maguire