.png)
Halesowen thrash Bishop's Stortford by four goals to nil to go one point off top
Written by Ben Ditchfield
Two first and second half goals which included a goal from Ryan Wollacott and McKauley Manning as well as a brace from Kieren Donnelly secured the sides biggest win since Christmas and an eighth clean sheet of the league campaign.
The Yeltz are usually at their most vunerable in the first 15 minutes of league matches this season, but this time around it was the complete opposite. Kieren Donnelly ended his eight game goal drought with his first brace since the number nine derby in November. Donnelly has now joined Leon Lobjoit and Matt Stenson at the summit of the top scoring charts, and he struck his first of the game inside eight minutes, his third goal in the first 10 minutes of league matches this season.
His second came bang on the quarter of the hour, as his pressure on Jake Thompson forced the mistake which led to a strike that took a slight nick of Elliot Krasniqi and nestled into the left corner. Dan Platt saved his first penalty since April 2022, just before half-time, after Todd Parker fouled Ryan Charles on the edge of the area. Louis Walsh had scored once in just three appearances for the club prior to today, but his penalty was not dispatched far enough into the corner and was too tame, which forced the stop.
The away side had scored more goals than any other team in the league this season in the 15 minute period after half-time, but this time they were on the receiving end. Ryan Wollacott added to his goal against Redditch United in December, as he was left unmarked in the area and headed into the back of the net. McKauley Manning added the fourth half-way through the second period. The Yeltz winger had not scored in the league since the opening day of the season, but he ended the long wait as his curled shot was deflected and flew past the helpless Tottenham loanee Krasniqi.
"We were excellent today", said Yeltz boss Russ Penn. "We worked hard during the week to start the game early, and it reaped it's rewards. When we play with that early threat and intensity, we are a match for anyone. We found a vulnerability in their back four and we kept utilising it, we wanted to keep it basic which created so many chances for us.
"I know we won 4-0, but we still need to be more clinical and ruthless, the lads will get away with that today because we won convincingly, but sometimes you only get a few chances in a game that you need to take. It was good to have Reece Flanagan back today, quicker than we first thought. He is a calm head and brings a lot of experience in this league. We also extended Charlie Wragg's loan till the end of the season during the week, which was a big boost, and he looked sharp when he came off the bench this afternoon."
In similar fashion to the Royston Town game just under a fortnight ago, Penn's side started the game in the ascendancy. Just prior to his opening goal, Donnelly headed over from a Jak Hickman cross, the latter who did brilliantly to beat Erin Amu beforehand. After the two goals, the Yeltz had a fairly quiet 15 minute spell, before the side grew back into life in the final stages of the first period.
Conor Tee broke away on a counter with just the two Bishop's Stortford centre halves ahead of him. Manning eventually joined the group and received the ball, before he distributed to Donnelly in the area, who was shoved over in the box by Mark Haines, but no penalty was given. Donnelly was then sent free in the box yet again, and forced a brilliant save from Krasniqi which led to a corner. Tee sprinted down the by-line from it and placed a ball onto the edge of the box, where Milan Butterfield smashed an effort off the bar.
Penn' side did not allow their opponents to have a sniff at goal in the opening half. Aside from the penalty, their only opportunity came from Louis Walsh's ball across the goal line that was surprisingly not gambled upon by any Stortford player. The late run to the back post from Ryan Charles forced the Yeltz to clear for a corner, which was played onto the top of the net from their ever present this season, Cole Dasilva.
The Yeltz were relentless in the second period and should have added more than the two they managed. Just three minutes into the half, Tee curled a shot that ricocheted off the post and forced an awkward ball to drop at the feet of Blues captain Thompson, who hit the ball off the head of Donnelly and out. Despite the Blues' poor first half, the side crafted more at the start of the second period than the whole of the first 45.
Dasilva and Charles linked up, before the latter maneuvered his way ahead of Tee, who tracked back in his attempt to defend the situation. Charles' cross lacked pace and took a nick off Ryan Wynter, before Butterfield cleared the ball from danger. Bishop's Stortford most dangerous player in the game, Charles, was involved again a minute later. Erin Amu who got his first goal of the season last weekend, almost added to his assist tally when he played in Charles, who had forced Platt into his only save from open play in the match.
The return of Jack Roberts for The Blues, in his first appearance since the latter stages of 2024, failed to ignite a dim spark for the away side. This meant cluster of the chances fell to the Yeltz, but many went begging for the side in their attempts to close in on Kettering's nine and Stratford Town's four better goal differentials. Donnelly had a plethora of attempts to secure his first match ball of the season towards the end of the first half, and he was even more lively at the end of the second 45. He was played through on goal and was accompanied by Thompson and Krasniqi, the latter who had raced out of goal and required the assistance of his defender to thwart the Yeltz top scorer.
In contrast to the five additional minutes in the first period, there was none in the second half, but the Yeltz still managed to craft three huge chances in the 10 minutes prior to the 90th. Krasniqi got down low to save a Conor Tee curler, before the Yeltz number eight lifted a strike over the bar, as he failed to make it six goals in as many home games. The sides final effort of the game came from second half substitute, Ben Cassidy's cross, which was cleared out to Reece Flanagan, subbed on for his first appearance since August after injury. The returnee hit just wide off the target, just before the full-time whistle sounded to make it seven wins in eight at The Grove.
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman (Ben Cassidy 59'), Reece Mitchell, Todd Parker, Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Milan Butterfield, Conor Tee, Kieren Donnelly (Reece Flanagan 78'), Musa Ceesay (Charlie Wragg 66'), McKauley Manning
Unused subs: Josh Smile, Adi Yussuf
Bishop's Stortford: Elliot Krasniqi (GK), Cole Dasilva, Luke Warner-Eley, Jake Thompson (C) (Jaden Ogwuazor 74'), Mark Haines, Nahum Melvin-Lambert (Charlie Castle 30'), Brad Russell (Olumide Oluwatimilehin 20'), Fabio Virciglio, Ryan Charles (Jack Roberts 63'), Erin Amu, Louis Walsh (Presley Evans 63')
Unused subs: none
Attendance - 1,147
Man of the match - Kieren Donnelly