Heler puts Vauxhall in the driving seat

Nov 26 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

IMPROVING Vauxhall Motors upset the form-book to oust in-form Hyde United from the FA Trophy, thanks to a solitary goal early in the second half from Peter Heler and deservedly so.

The Motormen were much the better side in the opening half and really should have been firmly in the driving seat, before their 50th-minute winner.

Playing some neat football, Vauxhall rocked the Tigers back on their heels. Heler and Anthony Wright went close, before the latter struck an upright.

Former Motors defender Craig Robinson went closest for the visitors when his header was tipped over by Andrew Murphy.

Just before the break, hot-shot Paul Taylor struck a venomous left foot shot only to be denied by a fantastic save by Craig Dootson, but even he was well beaten five minutes into the second half, when Rob Marsh-Evans made great strides down the left before crossing into the near post where Heler converted from six yards despite being closely marked.

Dootson again distinguished himself from Wright, before Hyde made a game of it and almost equalised via the head of Gareth Seddon from Nicky Clee’s cross, but Motors held firm and almost added to their earlier strike in injury time through Taylor, before the final whistle confirmed their passage.

VAUXHALL: Murphy, Owens, Dames, Field, McMahon, Brannan, Heler, Griffiths, Wright (Clarke 72), Marsh-Evans, Taylor. Subs: Smith, Wignall, Macauley.