Rovers surprise at Halesowen.
10 men had their chances.
Injury hits local back.
Primarily because they missed chances, enough to have reached a nap-hand of goals, Bromsgrove Rovers were beaten at Halesowen on Saturday. Had they won, they could have been top of the Birmingham League by now, for this was a day when nearly all the Big Boys failed. Two more points, plus a goal average superiority would have been enough to lift the Greens onto the top rung for Champions, but it did not happen. The Rovers lost at Grove Park by 2-1 , and justice was not done. For an hour Bromsgrove were reduced to 10 men by a knee injury which overtook our young right back Clive Nokes. This had the effect of leaving the Rovers with four forwards, for Wood became a deputy defender, and our attack was restricted in its scope. Yet there were still plenty of openings for gleeful goals, had the marksmanship been accurate. It was not, and that, more than the unfortunate accident, cost the Rovers the game.
Nokes’ right knee, the same joint as that which broke down while he was with Aston Villa, is the locus of the trouble . It may be that the damage will yield to treatment, and that is much to be hoped. Rovers are playing well now, and it would be cruel luck to all concerned, especially Nokes, if a cartilage weakness takes him from the side. There is a proven replacement in Salisbury, of course, he was in the championship side of last season, but the loss of Nokes will be felt. So, it is to be feared will the loss of the points at Halesowen.
Nokes is to have his cartilage removed on Monday, and it chances that he will come under the eye of trainer Dean at Woodlands. With luck he could be playing again by mid-January.
The game bought a lot of shocks beginning with an earlier kick off than a lot of spectators had anticipated. A lot of people missed the kick off and the first goal, for that came within two minutes. Halesowen swept through on the left, Basterfield crossed the ball and Roberts was there to bend low and head past Lewis. This was all wrong, of course, but Grove Park has so many slopes that it takes a visiting side sometime to get the feel of the pitch. A man finds himself standing wrong on turf that does not lie flat, and when the grass is slippery as on Saturday, the time when to adjust balance is extended. Rovers then were caught on the wrong leg, and all Yeltzdom became noisily jubilant, as well they might be. It was in the corresponding game last season when Rovers clinched the League title and Halesowen had been beaten at the Victoria ground this season. The Greens attacked with promptness to repair the damage, but our forwards found the going as puzzling as the backs and for some time the ball would not run kindly. Touch was lost, the tackles lacked nothing of speed and fierceness, and our smoothness with shattered. Bayliss at last got in the near side-slip and shot beautifully, but skimmed a post. So did Watton, and Halesowen survived other assaults. Breaking away after an indirect free kick in their penalty area they had the burly Basterfield charging up the right and his shot had everything. Lewis made a great stop at the post, and Rovers swarmed back to force a corner. But Wood failed to accept the great chance at close quarters, and when the ball was scrambled away for another flag kick, Kettle foolishly pushed a defender. Bayliss roved and charged and got a few pithy comments from the home supporters, but he was still our chief hope of a goal. He got in a swerving shot from the left that very nearly spun from Lindsay's grasp into the net. This meant another corner, and Hayes headed delightfully only to see Field nod the ball clear. Rovers should have been ahead on merit by now, but the collapse of Nokes came on the half-hour, and Wood dropped back. Nevertheless, the Champions still chased a goal and at 35 minutes it came - almost. Hayes put a pass inside a challenger, and Kettle cut through to shoot past Lindsay, but the referee gave offside. After Lewis had tipped away a long shot from Allen, the overdue equaliser arrived. There were two corners in succession and finally Hayes headed against the underside of the bar and got an in-off from the goalkeeper's foot.
The worst fears about Nokes’ chances of returning to the fray were confirmed in the interval, and so ten Greenbacks returned to do battle. Halesowen at once applied pressure and Lewis made a good save from Parsons’ header after a corner, and then tipped away the best shot of the afternoon, a sudden long drive from Hanford. At 51 minutes the home seized the lead again, Parsons heading through just after Cyril Byng had found that he had won a bottle of port in the day’s raffle. He promptly told the Rovers’ they could share the spoils they won, but alas, he was able to take the bottle home unbroached. An immediate shot in the arm could have done our players a lot of good, for they seemed to lose the spirit of the chase after the Halesowen second goal. Lewis prevented further disaster only with a great stop from Allens cross-fire. Kettle broke through for Bromsgrove, but Lindsay had covered his shot and when Vine looked to have the edge in a race for the ball he was just too slow to beat the ‘keeper to it. Spearhead Bayliss, was next to have the chance of personal glory, and held off a challenge as he got on balance, but his shot was within Lindsay's reach. It was all very exasperating, and worse was to follow, for Kettle tricked the defence and left Vine wide open, only to see the left-winger shoot too high. A free kick for a foul on Kettle just outside the area it was nicely chipped by Watton, but the ball sailed a fraction too high. Vine had another chance in the centre-forward position, and aimed for his left hand post. Lindsay scrambled the ball aside and from the corner kick blasted into the side net. This was the end, our forwards lacked spirit and luck, and many were left wondering why Joe did not risk all and send Wood back into the attack for a last fling. We could have and should have won, and bad luck was not the only reason for failure.
Rovers - Lewis; Nokes, Wassall; Bolton, Wainwright, Watton; Kettle, Hayes, Bayliss, Wood and Vine.
Halesowen - Lindsay; Bunch, Field; Purvis, Culwick, Collier; Roberts, Hanford, Parsons, Basterfield and Allen.
Referee - Mr. G. H. Morris (Blackheath) |