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10 man Halesowen star in another late show as they turn around a one goal deficit to beat AFC Sudbury by three goals to one
Written by Ben Ditchfield
For a second consecutive weekend Russ Penn's side managed to recover from conceding an early goal to claim all three points, as they beat a resistant Sudbury side to make it six wins in a row.
The visitors opened the lead inside the first 10 minutes, Liam Pearce making just his 10th start of the season, played a one-two with Ollie Peters, before Pearce darted in a cross towards Joe Neal who held off the defender to drill home his 9th goal of the season.
After taking 65 minutes to reply to the early setback last weekend, it only took Jordan Ponticelli 26 minutes to get the Yeltz back in the game. Conor Tee's outswinging corner went all the way out to Ryan Wollacott, whose header towards goal found Jordan Ponticelli from two yards out, that allowed him to comfortably head home the equaliser.
Kieren Donnelly's red hot streak continued eight minutes from the 90, as he yet again scored a late goal to make it 2-1. Ponticelli did ever so well to hold off Sudbury defender Charlie Lewis, to put in a cross towards the inrushing Yeltz number 9, who stabbed home from close range to make it 6 successive matches where he's found the back of the net. Ponticelli sealed the win in added time after second half sub Nick Clayton-Phillips squared the ball across to him for a tap-in.
"Credit goes to the lads, in what has been a tough week, with three difficult games and especially after Lowestoft, it was again just another brilliant performance, from start to finish we dominated, we did it the hard way by going a goal down but even with 10 men i felt comfortable", stated Yeltz boss Russ Penn.
"Sudbury posed threats, they have match winners, we looked into them during the week like we do with every team we play, from what we noticed, we knew we had to be on it at the back but we also knew with the form we are in, we can score goals from all areas, which we proved today."
An early warning sign was sent Halesowen's way just five minutes in, Ollie Peters who later contributed to the opener, threaded a ball through to Joe Neal on the right, who earnt his side an early corner.
In the aftermath of the away side's opener, Russ Penn's side controlled proceedings that followed until the break. Efforts saw Tee on the volley produce a fine save from James Bradbrook, before halfway through the half, he jockeyed a defender, before hitting a strike just wide. Kieren Donnelly also hitting a strike just wide, two minutes after the half hour mark.
The Halesowen equaliser ensured the side went in level at the break, but their luck was almost in to double the lead just before half time. A free kick to Penn's side allowed Conor Tee to force a save down low for Bradbrook, who was able to get up quickly enough to pull off a remarkable double save, saving the rebound from Ponticelli.
Sudbury had lost just 11 of their last 60 when level at the break, with Halesowen only able to record just the one win since December 2022, when conceding the first goal in a game.
An early chance a piece at the start of the second period, saw Ponticelli receive the ball from Reece Mitchell, to unleash Halesowen's number 10 and hit a weak effort that forced an awkward tip around the post from Bradbrook. An early Sudbury chance saw Ollie Peters very nearly nestle a free kick into the top right.
A red card on the hour mark for McKauley Manning could have derailed the home side's momentum and hope, in search of the late winner, but it seemed to spur the side on even more. Just two minutes after the sending off, Kieren Donnelly on a break with green grass in front of him, managed to slide the ball across to Conor Tee, whose effort was charged down by Matthew Miles whose excellent last ditch block meant the Suds were able to walk away unscathed.
Two huge chances for The Yellows almost put the side from Suffolk back in the lead, 20 minutes into the second period, Myles Cowling's effort from the egde of the D crashed agonisingly off the foot of the post.
10 minutes before the eventual goal onslaught from the home side, the referee played an advantage from a tackle fromJak Hickman, that allowed Joe Neal too pick out Josh Allen's diagonal run, who at an angle almost found a way to pierce the back of the net.
As if Kieren Donnelly and Jordan Ponticelli's late goals wouldn't have sparked enough drama, Donnelly got himself sent off for a second yellow following on from the carange of the third goal, which saw Sudbury manager Marc Abbott head for the dressing room. The kind of drama Russ Penn didn't require, on the weekend of his birthday celebrations and ahead of the huge clash against Kidderminster next week but the overall picture of six wins in a row for the first time in two and a half years, continues to put the club on the up.
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy (Jak Hickman 72'), Reece Mitchell, Josh Smile, Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker, Conor Tee (Musa Ceesay 72'), Kieren Donnelly (Nick Clayton-Phillips 84'), Jordan Ponticelli (Nat Kelly 90'), McKauley Manning
Unused subs: Adi Yussuf
Sudbury: James Bradbrook, Charlie Lewis, Tom Dickens, Matthew Miles, Ben Bradley, Ben Isaacson, Myles Cowling, Josh Allen, Ollie Peters, Joe Neal, Liam Pearce
Unused subs: Jack Munson, Jenson Goode, Luca Terminiello, Ollie Okeh
Man of the match - Jordan Ponticelli
Attendance - 1,021