With the score at full time 4-4, thirty minutes of extra time is played, during the second half of which Halesowen score three to knock Villa out of the Birmingham Senior Cup. Villa are reduced to 10 men after just half an hour and are forced to play a man down for the equivalent of a full 90-minute match. The player sent off is Matthew Ghent, and with no goalkeeper on the bench, Villa play with defender Ben Petty in goal.

This remarkable game showed its teeth after just two minutes when Halesowen scored only for Neil Davis to almost equalise with a stunning 40-yard lob over the goalkeeper. At the half hour, a crazy decision from the referee sees Ghent given a red card for pulling down a player in the area despite the opposition player having been the instigator of the foul. Aggrieved, especially with needing an outfield player to take guard, the first action was to pick the ball out of the net after the home side converted the spot-kick, taken successfully by former Villan Richard Crisp.

Soon after half-time, Halesowen went three ahead, and Villa looked like their cup run was over, but by the 61st minute, Villa had pulled two goals back through Neil Davis. Villa’s hearts appeared broken after Halesowen added a fourth on 71 minutes, but back they came and two goals in two minutes saw the 10-men, playing without a goalkeeper, equalise the scores on 78.

Villa almost won the game in regulation time, only for Halesowen’s keeper to deflect a certain goal round the post.

Villa had Halesowen on the rack, but extra time, ten men, no goalkeeper and poor conditions took their toll, and Ben Petty was forced into a series of strong saves to keep the scores level in the first period of extra time. On 108 minutes, however, Villa hearts were finally broken as Halesowen pulled ahead, before a hugely unfortunate deflection gave them a two-goal lead on 110 minutes. Villa did not give up, however and pushed forward only to be caught on the break in the final minute of extra time to give Halesowen a very flattering 7-4 victory over Villa.

1997-98 Birmingham Senior Cup Appearance & Goal Record
GK Matthew Ghent | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
D Ben Petty | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
CB Guy Hadland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 1 | 🇺0 |
CB Reuben Hazell | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
LB Lee Collins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
LB Tommy Jaszczun | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
M Daragh Sheridan | 🇮🇪 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
M Les Hines | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
RM Alan Kirby | 🇮🇪 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
F Alan Lee | 🇮🇪 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 2 | ✅ 2 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
CF Neil Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 2 | 🇺0 |
CB Stuart Thornley | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 1 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
LB Michael Blackwood | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 1 | ⚽ 1 | 🇺0 |
RB Aaron Lescott | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 1 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
D Martin Ridley | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
M Darren Middleton | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
CF Darren Byfield | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 1 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
CF Darius Vassell | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 1 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 1 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺0 |
FB Jlloyd Samuel | 🇹🇹 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 0 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺1 |
M Michael Standing | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1997-98 BSC 🕒 0 | ✅ 0 | 🔁 0 | ⚽ 0 | 🇺1 |