Butler Has Them Singing Again
by Steve Dadd & Pete Pavey

20th October 2002

Weymouth entertained lowly Halesowen and required a win at all costs to enable them to pull clear of the bottom four, instead they produced an inept and uninspiring performance that had the crowd baying for the manager’s head.

On a perfect autumn afternoon on the lush green lawn of the Wessex, Weymouth kicked off toward the training ground end. Lee Phillips tried a run at Halesowen from within his own half on seven minutes, he beat off two challenges before delivering a weighted cross into the area, but Clarke in the visitors goal commanded his box well and caught the ball.

The visitors took the lead after 13 minutes, full back Richard Colwell worked his way down the right flank and close to the by line he sent in his cross, whether by design or luck the ball sailed over Matthews who was on his line and ala Seaman into the back of the net.

For the next ten minutes aerial football ensued much to the disdain of the bench who screamed for it to be played on the ground.

Julian Charles got onto the end of a half chance on the edge of the area just after the quarter hour; his well-struck shot went wide of the left hand upright.

Halesowen went two up when Reece punted the ball forward and Kirk Master gave chase to the loose ball, both he and Browne arrived at the same time, but the bigger in stature Browne was unmoved as Master tried to shoulder him off the ball. Master bounced off and Mr. Haines was quick to award Halesowen a free kick on the edge of the area and booked Browne for his trouble. Master stepped forward and curled the ball around the poorly positioned wall and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Aerial football resumed and as one who tries to take photos, was rewarded with shot after shot of Lee Phillips trying to head a ball.

The nearest Weymouth came to troubling the visitors was after the half hour when Steve Tully's free kick met the head of Browne, his effort was hacked off the line by Neil Smith.

Carl Mutch replaced young Michael Sajic after thirty-six minutes, and two minutes later Phillips, acting more of a provider than striker, fed Charles who blasted wide. So at half time the score was:

Weymouth 0 Halesowen Town 2

Transfer listed Mark Rawlinson was replaced by Marc Whiteman for the restart. Weymouth huffed and puffed but looked totally disjointed and lacked co-ordination. The Terras could have been three down when the elbowy Leroy May beat Matthews, but the ball was blocked by Kenway.

Matthews made a bizarre save on sixty-five minutes. May broke through the colander- like Weymouth rearguard and shot goalwards. Matthew stumbled forwards, totally missed catching the ball, but headed it away.

Weymouth had lost the plot, as high balls were gobbled up eagerly by the huge Lee Collins, and any attack on the ground fizzled out as the ball went to non-existent players.

The Yeltz gloveman was enjoying a lazy day out at the seaside. His slumbers were broken by the inconvenience of having to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Lee Phillips, for once, had been given the ball to his feet just inside the Halesowen half, he galloped down the right flank and delivered a quality ball onto the soaring head of Julian Charles who glanced the ball home.

Weymouth tried to get their act together as under fire Tully joined the attack on the right flank, and Michael Dean replaced Mutch to give Weymouth some direction in midfield, but there was no sparkle about the Terras and the terraces resounded to the sounds of anti Geoff Butler chants.


Jason Matthews did his best to keep the Terras in the game when, on 85 minutes, he did well to come off his line and save at the feet of Jason Ashby. But all was in vain as, less than a minute later, Kenway was beaten on the right by Ashby who this time made no mistake and drove past Matthews.

Halesowen wrapped up this humiliating defeat by scoring in the ninetieth minute. Richard Ledbetter turned Kenway inside and out before lashing his shot passed the helpless Matthews, so at the final whistle the score was:
 
With the clock running down and Weymouth still looking for a break, Phillips won the ball on the half way line instead of running forward and into the corner, he laid a suicidal back pass into the face of the marauding Hawks. Taylor was the first to the ball he turned goalwards and shot, Matthews gratefully gathered.