Saturday 5 March 2005 - The Grove - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

Gary Owers was also missing with a knee problem but on the positive side top scorer John Williams returned to the starting line-up, although in an unusual right midfield role with Scott Partridge and Martin Paul up front. There cause was not helped by playing into a strong wide during the first half and they had a fortunate escape with just two minutes gone. Taylor’s long ball was carried forward and looked to comfortably be Evans’. However, a wicked bounce sent it looping over the keeper but to the relief of the Romans the ball flew inches wide. City responded to this let-off through a Paul shot that missed the target following good work by Darren Hawkins. This turned out to be a rare venture forward for City as the home side took control. On 14 minutes they looked to have taken the lead when Cowley found himself unmarked 12 yards out and flicked a shot past Evans, only for the effort to come back off the post. Skidmore was first to the rebound but Sykes blocked his goalbound shot. Understandably the pairing of Henry and Stocco, who had not even met before getting on the team coach that morning, was showing signs of nervousness but slowly they began to gel and the space that Halesowen’s top scorer Lamey had been finding was slowly being reduced. A rare mistake by Sykes after 36 minutes allowed Haarhof a run on goal but Henry was covering to deflect the shot away for a corner. When City did get the ball out of defence Williams was using his pace to test the home side’s left-back but the final cross failed to pick out either Paul or Partridge. Evans was forced into his first difficult stop of the afternoon claiming Forsdick’s low effort eight minutes before the break. Six minutes later he was beaten by Lamey’s shot only for Henry to race back and clear off the line.

Despite the elements favouring them after the interval it was the home side who continued to carry the greater threat, although City’s defence was growing in confidence as the game proceeded. Haarhof volleyed one opening wide and then a Hayward free-kick flew across the face of goal without a team-mate getting the vital touch. Paul did test home keeper Taylor with a 25-yard shot on the hour and moment’s later City went as near to scoring as they would manage all game. Bobby Ford fired a low free-kick into the box where Partridge got a slight touch to send the ball flying just past the post with Taylor beaten. Cowley was then allowed the room to shoot but Evans pushed away his 20-yard effort. The game was opening up as it reached it’s closing 15 minutes, Sykes testing Taylor from 30-yards out and Paul shooting over after a neat turn in the area. Forsdick then met a corner ahead of Evans but headed over before Smith failed to take advantage of his knockdown, firing over the bar from just eight yards out. Into stoppage time City won several corners but couldn’t turn these into a late winner and it was fitting that the final chance of the game fell to Halesowen, and even more appropriate that Henry bravely blocked Lamey’s well-struck shot.