Halesowen Town 1 Alvechurch 0 - Report

Halesowen manager Russ Penn admitted. “It wasn’t pretty. I’m disappointed with the performance but delighted with the result. It’s the end of season, so I’m trying things out but the cohesion was not there. I’m not hiding from the fact we weren’t great today but we ground it out.”

In an end-to-end first-half Todd Parker cut inside for Halesowen but goalkeeper Ronnie Hollingshead parried his 13th minute shot away. A minute later a low drive from Alvechurch’s Nicholas Clayton-Phillips was deflected away for a corner.

Hard-working Parker made a great interception in Halesowen’s defence to stop an 18th minute Alvechurch break and a 23rd minute shot from Ammar Dyer was grabbed by home goalkeeper Dan Platt as the visitors continued to find plenty of space in the home defence.

In a better spell for the Yeltz, Miracle Okafor’s 28th minute shot was turned away by Hollingshead and a minute later Okafor’s close range header was well saved by Hollingshead on his goal line after Okafor met McKauley Manning’s excellent left wing cross. Just before the interval, great defending from Halesowen’s Ryan Wynter kept out Finley Thorndike.

At the start of the second period Clayton-Phillips struck a free-kick past Halesowen’s post from the edge of the penalty area and the Church continued to squander good chances when well-placed Jaanai Gordon could only smack the ball against the crossbar when he met a 58th minute left-wing cross from Clayton-Phillips.

The Yeltz survived yet another scare in a 69th minute scramble after the ball pinged around the six-yard box and it proved not to be Alvechurch’s day again when Gordon finally turned home Dylan Allen-Hadley’s 77th minute cross, only for the goal to be ruled offside.

Halesowen threatened when the ball broke for substitute Kieren Donnelly in front of goal but Dyer snuffed out the danger. But the Yeltz then snatched all three points in the 80th minute when defender REDFERN headed home his first goal of the season into the top corner of the net directly from Manning’s corner.

Halesowen Town: Dan Platt (c); Luke Redfern, McKauley Manning, Todd Parker, Ryan Wynter, Thomas Taylor, Jak Hickman (Kieren Donnelly 61), Kai Lissimore, Miracle Okafor, Jack Holmes (Caine Elliott 51), Ryan Boothe (Reece Mitchell 77). Subs Not Used: Nathan Hayward, William Harris.

Alvechurch: Ronnie Hollingshead; Joshua Dugmore (c) (Richard Batchelor 86), Ammar Dyer, Dylan Mitchell, Yaw Nantwi-Ofosu, Archie Crowther, Dylan Allen-Hadley (Daniele Reka 78), Kartell Dawkins, Jaanai Gordon, Nicholas Clayton-Phillips, Finley Thorndike. Subs Not Used: Ethan Patterson, Jack Hallahan, Ethan Young.

Referee: Keiran Forrest Attendance: 1,084

Booked: Crowther (20), Nantwi-Ofosu (45), Taylor (47)