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10 man Halesowen fall to uncharacteristic home stalemate against Alvechurch
Written by Ben Ditchfield
The Yeltz dropped just their fifth point in their last 9 home league games after a 2-2 draw that saw Russ Penn's side go two to the good at the break before a rare turnaround saw them record a first home draw after 11 games without one.
Conor Tee continued his remarkable goalscoring form at The Grove, as he made it six in seven at home on the 20 minute mark. Kieren Donnelly took one step closer to the milestone of 20 league goals, as he scored his 18th of the league campaign on the half hour mark to double the lead. Alvechurch got one back just after the break when Dan Sweeney's effort from long range found the net, after it put Dan Platt in two minds as to whether to tip it over or palm it away.
A red card for Ryan Wynter 10 minutes into the second period after he brought down Dylan Allen-Hadley who was 1v1, significantly affected the Yeltz temporarily. The side were forced to take off Reece Flanagan for Ben Cassidy to make up the difference in numbers at the back. They suffered the huge setback of an equaliser from the visitors just five minutes later. Church defender Krystian Pearce scored just his second league goal of the season, as he headed in from a Bradley Stretton corner.
"We were fantastic in the first half, one of our best all season. I was delighted with how in control we were in that period, but 10 minutes of madness just swung the whole game. It happens too often, we switch off in games and let the opposition back into the match. It is something we have to fix, because it happens too often", said Yeltz boss Russ Penn.
It was fairly quiet in the opening stages of the contest, as both sides tried to understand one and other, but two set pieces situations were awarded. The first went to the Yeltz just clear of the centre circle, as Tee delivered into the middle and Archie Crowther headed away, before Reece Mitchell forced another clearance, this time from Ethan Sephton. The Church's dead ball situation was more central and closer to the goal, which allowed Joe Willis of the three that stood over the ball, to hit a strike down low, which Platt was equal too.
The two early goals for Penn's side came too little surprise, only Royston Town and Telford United have scored more first half goals than the Yeltz this season, and the side could have added more to their tally. Just before the opener, Ryan Wollacott almost got underneath a Tee corner. The early sustained pressure saw the Yeltz number eight curl an effort just over the bar, before Donnelly forced an outrageous block from Pearce.
Minutes after the opener, Donnelly's strike earnt a corner, which Tee delivered on top of Ronnie Hollingshead who spilt the ball but got help from his teammates who cleared. McKauley Manning set up Todd Parker, who forced a superb stop from Hollingshead to win another corner. Manning stood next to the corner flag for this dead ball situation, and he took it short to Tee before he received the ball back, only for an offside flag to be raised.
Alvechurch created nothing in the opening stages, to boss Tim Flowers' frustration. Their best piece of first half work, saw them pass it lovely from defense to midfield, before Sam Perry made the decisive pass through the lines. His ball found Dylan Allen-Hadley on the right hand side of the box, whose cross was blocked by Josh Smile. Just the one minute was added on at the end of the first period, but it was still enough time for the Yeltz to put their visitors on the back foot. Wollacott chased a ball on the right before he passed it backwards to Parker. The latter sprinted past the presence of Willis, before he dug out a cross to the back post that Donnelly headed just wide.
Penn's side had a nightmare quarter of an hour period at the start of the second half. Alvechurch had scored just 15 goals in the second half this season, and the Yeltz allowed them to add two to that tally, as well as Ryan Wynter being shown his marching orders for the second time this campaign. Following the equaliser, without their captain, we did manage to grow into the half. A Jak Hickman free-kick found Ammar Dyer who cleared out to Smile to hit over. Donnelly rattled the bar minutes later, as the Halesowen faithful were in disbelief as to how their side had not re-taken the lead.
The game was frantic and much more end-to-end than any could have imagined after the first half showing from both. Allen-Hadley and Dyer were a nuisance for the Yeltz defense, particularly after the hour mark, and the pair linked up on numerous occasions. The Alvechurch top scorer was involved in the build-up to Dyer's curled effort that met Platt's gloves, before they linked-up, when Dyer's cross was cleared by Wollacott.
The game became more edgy as the clock rattled closer to the 90th, and 10 minutes from second half stoppage time, Donnelly had two more golden opportunities to restore the lead. He held off the pressure from multiple Church players in the box, before his shot pulled off a remarkable stop from Hollingshead. Five minutes later he hit wide, after being played through 1v1, when a brilliant recovery from Pearce put the Yeltz top scorer off and forced his effort wider than he would have liked.
A heart in mouth moment almost cost the side a deserved point at minimum in the third minute of stoppage time. Shay Willock almost added to his two league goals in four games when he met a cross from Dyer, and headed at Platt before the flag was raised on the far side. The Yeltz played a spirited 35 minute period with 10 men, but failed to capitalise on a two goal to nil lead, the first time the side have let a lead that big slip since the second matchday of the season. The bigger picture shares disappointment as the Yeltz have now dropped eight points in four games, as we edge closer to two huge fixtures against Stourbridge and Kettering Town.
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Reece Mitchell, Josh Smile, Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker, Conor Tee, Kieren Donnelly (Alex Cameron 90+4'), Reece Flanagan (Ben Cassidy 57'), McKauley Manning (Charlie Wragg 80')
Unused subs: Musa Ceesay, Lewis Solly (GK)
Alvechurch: Ronnie Hollingshead (GK), Ethan Sephton, Sam Perry, Krystian Pearce (C), Fin Howell (Bradley Stretton 46'), Joe Willis, Dan Sweeney (Shay Willock 70'), Dylan Allen-Hadley, Ammar Dyer, Callum Sullivan (Kieran Wakefield 78'), Archie Crowther
Unused subs: Dale Eve (GK), Erik Savkin
Attendance - 923
Man of the match - Kieren Donnelly