Match Report | Barwell (H)

Halesowen produce a stunning second half performance to beat Barwell

Written by Ben Ditchfield

Match Report

The Yeltz could not have asked for a better start when McKauley Manning, who had scored just two in his previous 15 league games across last season opened the scoring just six minutes in to take his tally to two already this season. A sprint from the centre and into the box by Cowley picked out Manning on the left of the area whose low finish rifled into the net. Barwell got their instant reply just three minutes later. A foul from Jamie Willets gave the visitors a free kick after a foul on Charlie Dowd just millimetres outside the penalty area. The midfielder Prince Mancinelli who scored just once in 17 last season, stepped up and stroked the ball past Platt.

A response to a half Russ Penn admitted was frustrating and lacked concentration needed to improve for the second 45, and it did. Our new number 9 Cowley opened his league account and added to his three goals in pre-season just eight minutes into the second half. A superb run down the left from Ben Cassidy eventually saw the ball over to the opposite flank and Jak Hickman. The defender added to his assist for Charlie Wragg on Saturday by placing the ball onto Cowley’s head, whose bullet header powered into the bottom left. The Yeltz added a third 20 minutes before the 90, as Kyle Finn scored his first Yeltz goal in the league since April 2022 during his first spell at the club. The Yeltz number 10 added to his pre-season goal against Stourbridge, after some superb work down the left from Wragg.

In front of the biggest Tuesday night crowd at The Grove since March 2017, the Yeltz started the contest in mixed fashion, scoring the opener but conceding the equaliser inside the first 10 minutes. The performance wasn’t perfect by any means in the first 45, but we were still able to create opportunities and test Barwell’s teenage goalkeeper. A ball into the box was headed on at the back post by Wragg to Ryan Wollacott, who gave Finn Osborn his first action of the night. The 19 year old Canaries keeper who was signed from step 5 Atherstone Town in the summer, almost made a howler minutes later. A simple goal kick was smashed off Cowley, and looped up into the air, but luckily for the young goalkeeper, no where near the goal.

The Yeltz continued to push after the half hour mark, but failed to make any proper inroads. A free kick just inside our half was taken by Hickman and swung out wide to Wollacott. The defender headed the ball into the middle, but could only find Barwell striker Zayn Hakeem, who cleared. One of best chance of the half for a second fell to Finn, who received the ball from a Hickman punt upfield. The former had green grass in front of him, but Barwell got numbers back quick, and as the view to goal became more and more tight, so did the view to goal which made way for an easy save. Cowley’s failed audacious lob from pretty much his own half left a sour taste in our mouths going in at the break level, especially after Wragg dragged a shot wide from yards out in additional time.

Russ Penn commented on his team talk after the match, and it proved to work wonders just like it did against Leiston in the opening stages of the second 45. A ball forward from Finn to Wragg just past the half way line, allowed the latter to spot the run of Cowley through the middle. The striker only had one man to beat, Sidik Atcha, but the Barwell defender showed his quality to usher him away from goal, and take the ball from under his feet.

All was forgotten minutes later when Cowley re-took the Yeltz lead, and in the minutes that followed we continued to terrorise Jimmy Ginnelly’s sides defense. Just after the hour mark, Wragg should have made it three after a giveaway from Atcha played in Cowley. The latter sprinted towards the box, and squared the ball across to Wragg, only for Osborn to read the danger and smother the ball. The third Yeltz goal followed eight minutes later, and almost a fourth just before added time. A free kick won by substitute Harry Burns was taken by Hickman, who played the ball short to Finn. The third goalscorer for the Yeltz on the night returned the ball to Hickman, whose cross flashed just millimetres away from nestling into the far post.

Our visitors showed some attacking threat of their own. On the hour mark, a pass from Kornell McDonald reached Kane Richards. The Canaries captain’s cross was headed away by Wollacott, before the resulting effort from the clearance was hit straight into Platt’s gloves by Hakeem. The large proportion of Barwell’s pressure came when it was too late, after our third. A Tyree Wilson shot was saved by Platt, before the latter grabbed Will Greward-Pollard’s cross from the corner that followed. The Yeltz cruised to victory in the final 10 minutes, and for the first time since New Year’s Day of 2015, finally scored more than once in a game at home to Barwell.

Yeltz XI : Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (Todd Parker 79’), Ryan Wollacott, Charlie Wragg (Harry Burns 73’), Jason Cowley (Jim Kellermann 79’), Kyle Finn (Reece Mitchell 90′), McKauley Manning, Milan Butterfield, Jamie Willets (C)

Unused Subs : Alex Gudger

Barwell XI : Finn Osborn (GK), Kornell McDonald (Rashaan Frances 86′), Will Grewal-Pollard, Callum Chettle (Tyree Wilson 67′), Sidik Atcha, Prince Mancinelli, Charlie Dowd (Amarvir Sandhu 74′), Lindon Meikle (Tyrell Waite 74′), Kane Richards (C), Zayn Hakeem (Elwalid Elhaghany 83′),  Lathaniel Rowe-Turner

Unused Subs : None

Yeltz Man of the Match – Milan Butterfield
Attendance – 1,106

Russ Penn Post Match

“If anything epitomises this level, it was that first half. We came flying out of the blocks, and were awesome for five minutes. We conceded minutes later and then the game slowed down, there was an injury and you could just see how slow everything was being played. I could feel the frustration around the ground, so I gave the lads a few harsh words at half-time in hope we would improve the intensity, which we did. It was a good three points and reaction”.

I think Jason Cowley is great in the air, epitomised by his four headed goals so far this season. We had Kieren Donnelly who was dangerous in those situations, and now we have Jason, two players who are like for like in the air. He is a poacher, and I have told him to play in between the sticks a bit more, and that is the only place you can score. I thought Charlie Wragg was immense tonight and could have scored three, and then the wide men as well were excellent. I wanted Mini (Manning) to improve his goal output, and now he has two in two which is excellent and long may it continue.

“You could say the team that finished today is arguably stronger than the side that started, just representing how much squad depth we have now. We are grateful to Keith, and the lads that have come in for buying into what we are doing. I mean Alex Gudger was superb on Saturday but was not able to make it onto the pitch today. If there are any negative it’s that we need to stop conceding silly goals, but we have had a tough few days. Saturday took a lot out of us, the lads got into bed at half 11, having set off for the game at half seven. It is a huge positive to have got four points out of six from two difficult games in tough conditions.”