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Heavily rotated Halesowen fall to narrow 6-5 defeat on penalties to Leamington as they exit the Birmingham Senior Cup despite a spirited performance
Written by Ben Ditchfield
Russ Penn's side put on a remarkable display as they took their National League North opponents to a penalty shootout after it finished one a piece in normal time, in a game that saw the Yeltz boss make 10 changes and rotated bench, that included four academy players and assistant coach Martin Riley.
The hosts had the large proportion of chances in the opening half hour and provoked the first blow when Tim Berridge on just his ninth start of the season put the Brakes ahead just seven minutes before the end of the first half. Leamington's surprising goalscorer got his first of the season after he held the ball on the edge of the area before he drilled a low strike into the bottom left past a helpless Lewis Solly.
Despite going in behind at the break, it took the Yeltz just a minute to change the scoreline and deal the second blow in this intriguing encounter. Jak Hickman beat Brakes academy player Tom Connell on the right before he fired in a low cross into the centre towards Yeltz teenager and debutant Ryan Fletcher who turned and fired past the unsighted Callum Hawkins into the Leamington net.
The second half dragged out to a penalty shootout, a 5-4 win over Atherstone Town in December 2022 and a 4-1 defeat to Burton Albion in November 2021 were the two most recent results on spot kicks for the club as they hoped for the penalty lottery to swing their way just like it did almost two years ago to the day.
Leamington brought young keeper Jacob Humphries on for his debut 10 minutes before the shootout but he failed to stop Adi Yussuf, Nat Kelly, Todd Parker, Pa Nije and Luke Postle respectively who all got the perfect responses to the spot kicks from Tim Berridge, Josh Quaynor, Theo Streete, Harry Lloyd and George Ward.
When Ted Rowe stepped up at five a piece and sent Solly the wrong way, the sudden death pressure fell to assistant coach Martin Riley, who failed to convert by hitting the crossbar to make it three times in the last four seasons that the side have gone out of the Birmingham Senior Cup at the first hurdle.
"It was a really good match", stated Yeltz boss Russ Penn, "The players from our academy Luke Postle, Ryan Fletcher, Patrick Woods and Mason Heather when he came on were all amazing, they all started nervously but grew into the game. We also had Lewis Solly in goal who was excellent and i thought Martin Riley was the pick of the bunch.
"We've got a good depth in the squad, it can be difficult mentally for some when we're doing well in the league, some played good minutes Saturday and will do this Saturday and then this in between, it wad a bit of a hindrance for both clubs but at the end of the day we respected it and both played strong teams and put in top level performances".
Leamington started the contest on the front foot in the opening stages with Ted Rowe at the heart of the hosts attacks in the opening minutes. The Brakes number 11 drifted in a free kick that was cleared 10 minutes in, before he delivered a 15th minute cross low into the box that was cleared over the bar before the arriving Paratore could get a touch.
Just prior to the 20 minute mark, a huge clearance off the line by Martin Riley got the Yeltz off the hook before an offside flag went up following an effort on target that saw some neat play between Berridge and Rowe. Just after the half way stage of the first period, the first proper Yeltz opening was crafted by Jak Hickman, who placed a corner onto the head of Patrick Wood that diverted the ball back for Pa Njie before the offside flag was raised.
On the half hour mark another crucial defensive intervention from Martin Riley saw the club's assistant coach clear the ball away from the inevitable danger following Harry Lloyd's effort that came within as whisker of finding the back of the net as it ricocheted off the post. Five minutes after Tom Connell was able to fashion the space and time to deliver a ball into the Halesowen penalty area, only for the ball to drift away for a goal kick.
Just moments prior and after the Leamington opener, McKauley Manning went for an audacious effort over a backpeddling Callum Hawkins, that the Brakes keeper managed to grasp on the goal line. An excellent challenge just after the opener from Musa Ceesay sent Hickman free, but his cross couldn't quite find Ryan Fletcher at the back post.
The Yeltz leveller a minute after the whistle for the second period, prompted the Yeltz into a prolonged spell of pressure on the Leamington goal. Five minutes after Fletcher's goal, Hickman and Njie combined, before the latter executed a cross that evaded all waiting in the box. A minute later, Manning delivered a cross that only just missed Adi Yussuf before falling into the grasps off Hawkins. The pressure from Russ Penn's side overwhelmed the hosts and an effort just after the hour mark again saw the ball narrowly evade Yussuf after another cross in from Jak Hickman.
The introduction of Brakes academy talent Ethan Ritchie just before the hour mark, almost set up the debut of dreams for the youngster as the ball fell to his feet just inside the box on the right before his shot took a slight deflection to take it inches from nestling in the corner. From the resulting corner, Berridge got a flick that saw a clearance on the goal line, before the ball fell out to corner taker Rowe, who fed the ball back to Leamington's number 10 to strike past the upright.
15 minutes from the 90, Leamington finally started to build on their early pressure from the first half, a slip from Berridge while he fashioned a shot on goal saw the ball roll out to half time substitute George Ward whose effort spun out for a corner. Minutes later Josh Quaynor's deflected low stirke against his former employer's caused all sorts of problems for the Yeltz in the box, that saw the ball cleared away at the last second.
Tim Berridge almost raised the roof at the Your Co-op Community Stadium, with a last minute effort that very nearly nestled into the back of the net before it drifted wide at the last second. The defeat on penalties followed for the Yeltz, but a largely positive outing in Warwickshire will certainly give Russ Penn some positive notes ahead of the sides meeting with Stamford at the weekend.
Leamington: Callum Hawkins (GK) (Jacob Humphries 81'), Tom Connell, Jiah Medrano (Tobias Cousens 70'), Josh Quaynor, Theo Streete, Rob Evans (C) (George Ward 46'), Charlie Beddows (Ethan Ritchie 59'), Robbie Paratore (Ewan Williams 70'), Harry Lloyd, Tim Berridge, Ted Rowe
Unused subs: None
Yeltz: Lewis Solly (GK), Jak Hickman (C) (Todd Parker 84'), Luke Postle, Patrick Wood, Nat Kelly, Martin Riley, Musa Ceesay (Ben Cassidy 73'), Pa Njie, Adi Yussuf, Ryan Fletcher, McKauley Manning (Mason Heather 65')
Unused subs: Ryan Wollacott, Dan Platt (GK)
Attendance - 171