HALESOWEN TOWN 3 BRIGG TOWN 0

Being away all week on holiday we've only just picked up Bob Taylor's emailed report of last Saturday's away fixture for the Zebras. Apologies to Bob and to Brigg Blog followers for the delay.

Brigg had two free kicks from the centre circle in the first couple of minutes of the game but these were played too deeply into the home goal area and cleared. Halesowen scored the opening goal with their first attack of the game in the fourth minute. The ball was cleared up the pitch by goalkeeper Sam Pearson and won a throw- in on the right wing. This caught the Brigg defence out completely with a long throw worked across to the far left wing where ELLIOT TURNER struck o low shot into the bottom corner of the net,  This was exactly what the Brigg team didn’t want and gave the home team every confidence to push forward.  In the next minute another dangerous cross from the left wing was cl eared off the goal line. Nevertheless, Brigg settled well and began to play the ball about well without really putting the home defenders under too much pressure. Paul Grimes broke free inside the penalty area and sent a fierce shot over the cross bar and then forced Sam Pearson into making a good diving save to divert a shot round the post. Unfortunately, Paul Grimes had to be substituted on the half hour with a groin injury adding to an already sickening injury list. The home team went close to increasing the lead with Iyesden Christie working his way to the goal line and crossing the ball into the six yard area but it was cleared off the line and then Elliot Turner was caught off side in front of goal.
 Halesowen started the second half strongly with Rob Zand having to punch clear from a long throw into his area and Ollie Fisher headed over his own cross bar to stop a shot bound for the top corner of the net. Another left wing corner kick was cleared off the goal line but Brigg should have equalised when Paul Ashton was presented with a poor clearance from Sam Pearson but he struck his shot over the bar. Still well in the game into its last quarter, Brigg conceded again after seventy-two minutes when a clearance from Ollie Fisher rebounded kindly to leading scorer BEN HASELEY at the edge of the penalty area and he struck a sweet shot into the top corner of the net The final goal came five minutes from the end of the game when BEN HASELEY was gifted the ball by a weak pass back attempt and fired it into the back of the net.
Brigg Town:  Zand, Fisher, Barrett, Bowsley, Hellewell, Jacklin, Ashton, Dickens, Grimes, Thewliss, Peers. Subs:  Matthews for Grimes (32), Broughton for Bowsley (85), Cross for Peers (62).
Attendance:  281.