Halesowen Town 2 Clevedon Town 2 (From Halesowen News)

Halesowen Town 2 Clevedon Town 2

10:54pm Tuesday 26th January 2010

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A BRACE from Carl Palmer was not enough to secure Halesowen Town the win against a stubborn Clevedon Town outfit.

The midfielder headed the Yeltz in front early on but Craig Loxton equalised almost immediately for the visitors.

Palmer restored the advantage through a deflected effort but Pete Sheppard levelled matters again after half-time when he finished off a delightful move.

Simon Johnson and substitute David Blenkinsopp both wasted chances to secure the win late on as Clevedon held on for a point.

The Seasiders arrived at the Grove second from bottom of the Southern League Premier and the Yeltz will view this is a chance missed to build on Saturday’s draw with Farnborough.

But the visitors more than played their part in an entertaining game with some free-flowing attacking football.

Clevedon were the quickest to settle, Ellis Wilmot and Loxton firing just off target before Palmer gave Yeltz the lead with their first attack in the seventh minute.

The big midfielder was left totally unmarked to head home Danny Edwards corner.

Home supporters may have anticipated a comfortable evening but the Yeltz fell asleep and allowed the visitors to equalise within two minutes.

Matt Walsh’s corner found Loxton in acres of space on the edge of the box and he drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of Nick Bussey's goal.

Both sides were looking dangerous on the attack and Johnson should have restored the home side’s advantage when he lost his marker to meet Edwards’ cross, but could only direct his header over.

At the other end Craig Connor cleared off the line from Gary Colborne, before Nana Baah missed a glorious chance, inexplicably poking wide from close range after a jinking run from Loxton.

The miss proved costly, as Palmer notched his second in the 34th minute when his shot from 20 yards out deflected off Colborne to completely wrong foot Danny Greaves in the Clevedon goal.

Sheppard then should have done better for the visitors but shot straight at Nick Bussey on the stroke of half-time.

Halesowen began the second half the sharper and were within inches of extending the lead when Edwards’ glancing header rebounded agonisingly off the inside of the post.

But Clevedon continued to look dangerous and Bussey was alert to push away a Loxton drive.

Moments later, in the 55th minute, they were level as Sheppard finished off an exquisite move, exchanging passes with Baah before coolly slotting past Bussey.

From the restart the Yeltz forced a corner from which Liam Daly saw a fierce effort cleared off the line.

Sheppard shot just wide as Clevedon began to smell a potential victory but undoubtedly the best two chances of the final stages fell to Halesowen.

First Johnson could only fire straight at Greaves with only the keeper to beat, while Blenkinsopp had time and space after collecting Jay Denny’s through pass but fired over.

Edwards saw his low drive saved by the keeper in stoppage time as the Yeltz could not force a winner.

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