.png)
Halesowen return to the top of the league following a comfortable win over Lowestoft Town
Written by Ben Ditchfield
The Yeltz replied brilliantly to an early setback to score three first half goals and breeze through a second period of complete dominatoin in a 3-1 victory over the league's leakiest defense to go seven games unbeaten for the first time since September 2023.
The visitors had scored 24 goals in the first half this season, a stat that despite their low league position, has been bettered by just seven sides. Their 25th came inside five minutes, when a free kick on the far right was delivered in by top scorer Harvey Sayer. The 22 year olds cross went to Sam Johnson at the back post, before Kyle Haylock stabbed the ball into the net, after an initial Platt save.
A 13 minute period of a chaotic fashion shone through just after the half hour mark. The Yeltz equaliser on the 32nd minute came through captain Ryan Wynter. A Conor Tee cross went to Ryan Wollacott at the back post, and after a scrap in the box, the Yeltz captain fired it in from close range for his fourth goal of the campaign. Alex Cameron gave Penn's side the lead just five minutes later. Tee was again involved, when his free kick was whipped to the back post. Wynter hooked the ball towards the centre, where Cameron watched it over his head to slam it home. The home side added a third in first half stoppage time, after Wollacott set up Manning just inside the box, who rifled a strike into the bottom right.
"We had a major issue today with the illness that went around the club this last week," said Yeltz boss Penn. "A few did not play today, as well as one member of staff who was unavailable because of it. I have had it and some of the lads who played today, so to come out on top today was tough. We did not make it easy today, but fair play to Lowestoft. They have a right sided player who is probably one of the best in the league for what he does, with crosses and his on the ball ability. We found a vulnerability in them on set pieces, and we used that to our advantage today, which is what won us the game."
Penn's side started the game slow, which allowed Lowestoft to asert their dominace early on. The side who travelled just over 200 miles for today's match, showed no signs of early nerves. The first five minutes passed, and the early goal for the visitors seemed to kick the Yeltz into gear. A Manning shot took a nick off Sam Johnson and through to Ronnie Yeo in the Lowestoft goal. Just before a shot from Cameron went over from a tight angle. Jak Hickman burst down the right, and whipped a beautiful ball onto the head of Cameron at the back post. His header was hit with a clean and direct contact, but a crucial block took the ball away from goal.
The Yeltz had several bursts forward before the side eventually found the net through Wynter. A second Hickman sprint down the right occurred, this time in a more mazey fashion. He put two crosses into the box, the first cleared by Jesse Ayoola, and the second by Joao Rangel. In a five minute spell after the quarter of the hour, Manning received the ball in the centre, before he found Milan Butterfield. The latter raced through on goal, but could not quite venture close enough to the final third. This led to a strike from outside the area on the left, which rose over the bar, after pressure from Dylan Ruffles. Lowestoft keeper Yeo, was forced into a brilliant reaction stop from Butterfield's driving strike. A cross which resulted in a Yeltz corner, after Johnson's intervention was played to Wynter at the back post, and into the middle where Parker set up Butterfield's effort.
The Yeltz first half goals was the first time the side had scored three goals before half-time in a league game since August 2023. The side started the second period where they left off in the first 45. Manning went on a sprint down the line on the right and towards the Lowestoft penalty area. His cross turned into a shot, which narrowly missed the top left of the back peddling Yeo's goal, and instead onto the roof of the net. Two big chances went begging for the side just before the hour mark. Cameron received the ball from Tee, after the latter darted down the right. Cameron went for an audacious effort, which went just wide. Shortly after Manning had another strike that went just wide of the right post.
Lowestoft had chances of their own in the first part of the second period, but at a lower frequency. Sayer raced down the right to find Charlie Norman, who was tackled by Wynter for a corner. The ball was swung towards the back post, where Wollacott's attempted clearance came off Johnson and ricocheted just wide. The bright Sayer was involved again, when he cleared from a Hickman cross that came from a Yeltz throw in. The man with 23 goals this season for the Trawler Boys, found Joe Duffy. His pass looked on, until it raced away from the latters path at the last second, to give Penn's side an early second half let off.
The Yeltz controlled the final half hour, and hardly let there opponents out of their own half. The latest in a conveyor belt of corners, saw Tee's attempts to catch out Yeo from the corner flag, force a top save from the young keeper to flick it away. Yeo was involved shortly after, when he saved a Manning shot. The game fizzled out around the 75th minute, which allowed Lowestoft to create a few chances of their own. One of the Trawler Boys second half substitutes Rob Eagle, linked up with Duffy and Haylock, but the trio failed to create an opening to goal. Platt, who was largely a spectator in the second 45, was finally forced into action. Sayer beat Yeltz substitute Reece Mitchell on the right, before his cross from the by-line forced a touch from Wollacott's boot and Platt's right glove to awkwardly divert it away from goal.
The Yeltz almost finished the game in perfect style. Butterfield who was one of the best players on the pitch, was at the centre of the late move. The Halesowen midfielder received the ball after Hickman's great work down the right. Butterfield went for an audacious scissor kick, which flew just wide of Yeo's left post. The Yeltz cruised their way to victory, and even gave a debut to former Villa youngster Jack Birch off the bench. A player who has spent the last few years in building up a reputation in America. The victory sends the side to their fourth straight win, and seven without defeat at The Grove. The first time the club have managed that feat, since their return to step 3 in 2023.
Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile, Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker (Jack Birch 90+1'), Conor Tee, Alex Cameron (Reece Flanagan 80'), Milan Butterfield, McKauley Manning (Reece Mitchell 71')
Unused subs: Archie Oliver, Lewis Solly (GK)
Lowestoft: Ronnie Yeo (GK), Charlie Norman (C), Josh Lewis, Louis McIntosh (Rob Eagle 66'), Dylan Ruffles, Jesse Ayoola, Joe Duffy, Sam Johnson, Joao Rangel (Ben Haddoch 66'), Harvey Sayer, Kyle Haylock (Gabriel Overton 80')
Unused subs: Travis Cole
Man of the match - Conor Tee
Attendance - 1,584