Halesowen Town 2 Stalybridge Celtic 0 - Report

The weary visitors had played nine games in the previous fortnight as Steve Burr ended his reign as Celtic manager with another defeat.

Halesowen had the better of the first half but were unable to break the deadlock. Lee Hughes laid the ball off for Dan Byrnes but his 11th minute shot was deflected away. Young goalkeeper Aiden Winterbottom flapped at the resulting corner from Jack Kelly, but his defence was able to tidy up.

Midway through the first half Hughes cut in from the left but this time Winterbottom gathered cleanly.

Little was seen from Celtic although Jake Charles crossed from the left in the 26th minute and Harrison Holgate blasted the loose ball high over the bar.

Stalybridge struggled from set-pieces all afternoon and the Yeltz went close from two further corners late in the first half. Jordan Goddard's 35th minute delivery was helped on to Hughes, but Holgate headed off the line.

Four minutes later another Goddard corner was headed on by Kyle Morrison for Hughes to head into the side-netting.

After a slow start to the second period, Hughes was penalised after handling the ball into the net after Danny Bragoli missed a golden close range chance to convert Goddard's 55th minute cross. Ahmed Ali stroked just wide from the edge of the area a minute later.

The Yeltz finally grabbed a 57th minute lead when Hughes played a ball into the danger area and the ball was knocked back for super-sub Roland Agbor to find the bottom corner.

Ali powered a 67th minute header home directly from Kelly's corner to make it 2-0 as the Yeltz started to turn the screw against tiring Stalybridge.

Late on, Agbor fired a 75th minute low shot wide as both sides strolled to the final whistle.

Halesowen Town: Platt; Ekongo (Oyenuga 74), Kelly, Poscha (Dallow 80), Morrison, Charlton, Goddard, Bragoli (c), Hughes, Ali, Byrnes (Agbor 46).

Subs Not Used: Lewis, Parsons.

Stalybridge Celtic: Winterbottom; Holgate, Penistone, Morton (c), Ashworth, Fernandes (Pouamoun 59), Charles, Roberts, Dickinson, Wolfenden, Hughes.

Referee: Richard Gardner Attendance: 446