Match Report | Leiston (A)

Halesowen confirm a spot in the top 5 after a comfortable win at Leiston

Written by Ben Ditchfield

The Yeltz guaranteed at least a spot in the play-offs thanks to a Conor Tee brace and single goal from Kieren Donnelly in a 3-0 win on the East Coast to end our three game unbeaten run and set up a blockbuster six pointer against AFC Telford United on Easter Monday.

Kieren Donnelly opened the scoring in the 10 minutes that remained in the first half. Donnelly secured his 23rd league goal of the season after Reece Flanagan picked the pocket of Adam Mills and won a corner. Conor Tee proceeded to curl the ball beautifully for the Yeltz number nine to stab home. Tee doubled the Yetlz advantage bang on the hour mark. The latter won himself a free kick after a foul by Ollie Yun. Tee and Smile stood over the ball, before the former dipped a shot perfectly into the top right. The Yeltz number eight added his second and 15th goal of the campaign 10 minutes later from the penalty spot.

"I am very happy that we have qualified for the play-offs, but we still have plenty to play for in our remaining games," stated Russ Penn. "Our first objective at the start of the season was to finish in the top five, so I am delighted the boys have achieved it. I thought today was our best performance on the road this season. We were in complete control from minute 1-90. The wind again just like at Harborough was very strong, and it is one of those games where you just had to take a lead in at half-time, which we did. The goal allowed us more control and to manage the weather in our favour. Leiston started to go long and we dealt with virtually everything they put onto us. I do not think Dan made a single save, just like last week. We have a long trip home but we know we go into the Telford game with confidence."

The Yeltz started the game in complete control, and inside a minute profited from an error from Blues keeper Billy Johnson. The poor clearance allowed Tee to collect the ball, and faced up against Yun, hit a shot just over. McKauley Manning clipped a ball over to Donnelly in the area, but Eddie Jackson got there first to clear long. Penn's side re-worked the ball forward, as Reece Mitchell on his first start since the number 9 derby in February, saw his pass shephard out by Jackson. The barrage of chances inside the first 10 minutes, ended with a Smile effort which was curled just wide. A ball hit from back to front by Dan Platt on the free kick, was gathered by Ryan Wynter. The Yeltz captain popped the ball to Flanagan who won the corner which led to Smile's effort at goal.

The two sides failed to gain any sort of possession in the opening stages, but it was Halesowen who were more productive in the final third. Leiston had only scored three goals in the first quarter of games this season, and only Banbury United could boast a worse record. The club's early struggles was clear for the 249 in attendance too see. Manning almost opened the scoring before the quarter hour mark when his timed run saw him beat the offside trap, but not Johnson. The Yeltz winger proceeded to lay a ball off to Todd Parker in the minutes that followed, whose drilled shot went out for a third corner of the game. The right footed in swinging delivery from Tee was almost kept in by Ryan Wollacott, but instead dribbled out for a goal kick.

Just before the opener, Parker and Tee linked up, before the ball was cut out by Ben Fowkes. The away side won it back, and Seb Dunbar almost put the ball in his own net. Only AFC Telford United and Spalding United had scored more than Halesowen's 14 goals in the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time period before half-time. The Yeltz added their 15th, and shorty after in the one additional minute of time added on, almost produced another. A race forward from Flanagan and past the hosts backline allowed the midfielder a clear sight at goal. The fearless and ever mentioned in the first half for Leiston, Johnson, managed to thwart Flanagan 1v1, and keep just the one goal between the two at the break.

The hosts created virtually nothing in the opening 45, but Chris Wigger's half-time team talk almost profited. The current Blues top scorer George Quantrell turned past Tee, and spread a ball out wide to Fowkes. The latter was faced up against Mitchell, and won a throw in. Leiston worked the ball to goalscoring defender Kyran Clements, who featured as a false nine for periods of the game. Clements' shot was almosf diverted into the net by Mills, but Platt got down low to preserve the Yeltz advantage. This was largely all the Blues could muster for large proportions of tbe second 45, and instead the Yeltz almost doubled the lead, just before they actually managed too. The Yeltz won possession back after a Mills ball was clipped over to Quantrell, which was greeted by the offside flag. The Tee sprint forward that proceeded, saw the Yeltz number eight eat up a lot of ground. Tee hit the crossbar, before he executed a ball across the goal line, which failed to meet a white shirt.

The second and third Yeltz goal followed, which was the first time the side had scored three or more in an away game since Barwell in December. A rare Leiston flurry forward with 10 minutes remaining on the clock almost gave the Yeltz a nervy ending. The second half midfield substitute Ismael Fatadjo drove forward and knocked the ball off Yeltz sub Jak Hickman for a throw in. Leiston were allowed to pick out Mills for a second time in the game from a throw. The prolific Blues goalscorer almost found Quantrell at the back post, only for a raised flag. Ollie Saunders, who came on the pitch at the same time as Fatadjo, found a Mills run into the box. The man with four in 12 for the hosts, hit his header straight at Platt, before his ambitious screams for a penalty were waved away.

The Yeltz survived the slight Leiston pressure late on, and substitute Charlie Wragg contributed to two attempts at securing a fourth goal. A mis-hit clearance from Albie Armin was collected by the Walsall loanee. Wragg had Tee up with him in the attack, but instead Armin managed to get back and snatch the ball away from the youngster forwards grasps. Wragg's secondary contribution occured in the third minute of the four added on at the end of the 90. The loanee ventured into the space in the final third, and forced a brilliant save from Johnson. The corner that followed forced a second save in under a minute, after a header by substitute Alex Cameron. Russ Penn's side cruised to the whistle, and added a 13th clean sheet to their league season on top of on a crucial boost to their goal difference.

Leiston: Billy Johnson (GK), Ollie Yun, Seb Dunbar, Albie Armin, Kyran Clements (Ismael Fatadjo 63'), Eddie Jackson, Wyatt Hill (Ollie Saunders 63'), Fraser Alexander (Ryan Jarvis 76'), Ben Fowkes (Ewan Parlett  89'), George Quantrell, Adam Mills

Unused subs: Jack Manly

Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy, Reece Mitchell, Josh Smile, Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker (Jack Birch 83'), Conor Tee (Alex Cameron 87'), Kieren Donnelly (Charlie Wragg 77'), Reece Flanagan (Milan Butterfield 86'), McKauley Manning (Jak Hickman 77')

Unused subs: None

Attendance - 249