Match Report | Biggleswade Town (A)

Halesowen leave it late to edge past a stubborn Biggleswade Town

Written by Ben Ditchfield

The game that saw Gary Whild take charge of the team in the absence of Russ Penn on the touchline due to suspension looked destined for another disappointing point until an 89th minute winner which means the side go four games unbeaten for the first time since November.

Penn's side scored their 17th goal after the 75th minute this season, through Alex Cameron, eight minutes after his arrival into the game. A Mckauley Manning cross from out wide was drifted in towards fellow substitute, Cameron, who managed to get in front of the defender and head into the back of the net for his first Yeltz goal. A goal that now means, he has continued a trend of late goals, which has seen 12 of his 18 goals across this and last campaign, for Redditch and Halesowen, come in the second half, 10 of which after the 60th minute. The assist for Manning now means he has now achieved seven assists for the season, more than any other Yeltz player.

Yeltz assistant boss Gary Whild stated, "It was not the easiest game today, and credit to Biggleswade. We knew after Kettering that the preparations for this afternoon, and the game itself would be tough, and it proved so. They play a style of football where they get bodies forward quickly, which made it difficult. It is another clean sheet for us today, and the goal at the end was the icing on the cake. The difference in the end came from the bench, with a bit of magic from Manning, and Cameron, who was in the right place to head into the net. Credit to the boys for getting the win."

Instantly from kick-off, Ben Cassidy made a run past Nagheeb Ibrahim. He whipped a cross in towards the centre, which was headed away by Waders midfielder Charlie Briggs. Jak Hickman found Kieren Donnelly, but the Yeltz lost possession of the ball and the hosts proceeded to counter. Cyrus Babaie who had gone 17 games without a league goal before today, drove forward, and had Josh Steele up with him, but he ignored the run and hit a shot over the bar.

The game was end to end in the opening 20 minute period. Donnelly kept his balance as he ventured towards goal. He found Wragg on the egde of the area, who scooped a shot into the hands of Jack Berman. A ball clipped forward to Babaie saw Ryan Wollacott head the ball away, before Liam Andrews picked it up. The latter found Steele, as Biggleswade yet again fired over the crossbar. Tee picked up the ball and had Cassidy on hand with an overlapping run, which he ignored, to go backwards to Josh Smile. The Yeltz captain for the day, found Wollacott who returned the ball back over to Tee, to hit wide of the target.

The only clear cut chance of the half, came the way of Penn's side. Hickman just a matter of second from a clearance upfield, sprinted towards the by-line. The fullback clipped a cross field ball over to Tee, who managed a clean contact on a strike that smashed off the wordwork. The Yeltz had conceded just five times in the 15 minute spell before half-time, and they kept the record up as Biggleswade failed to test Platt once. Cassidy, who stood over several throw-in's throughout the half, spotted Donnelly, who searched for Charlie Wragg on the opposite side. The Walsall loanee was tackled by Callum Wilson, but won it back, and allowed Todd Parker to set up Donnelly, whose effort on goal was saved by Berman.

The Yeltz made a much needed change at interval. Wragg departed for Manning, as Whild and Penn spotted the need for a bit more width to the side, following a difficult opening 45. The change made an instant impact, Manning's cross came out to Tee, who also whipped in a cross, but this time into the gloves of Berman. Milan Butterfield hit a shot over the bar, just prior to Manning's second contribution in the opening 10 minutes of the second period. He passed to Donnelly, after Cassidy sprinted down the line and past first half substitute Ebenezer Kufuor. The Yeltz top scorer had a shot which was cleared to Wollacott, whose shot dipped on route to goal, and almost caused severe issues for the Waders' keeper.

The Yeltz management team dug into their subs bench once more just before the hour mark, when Reece Flanagan replaced Smile, for his fourth substitute appearance of the campaign. The game had gone into a lull, until a clearance off the line, which saw Donnelly battle with Ryan Doherty. The latter won the dual, but the Yeltz soon picked the ball back up into their possession and worked it to Hickman, whose cross fell to Manning, which forced the last ditch clearance. The Yeltz substitute was then forced to the ground after an arm in the back which saw a free-kick awarded to his side. Manning, Tee and Flanagan all stood over the ball, and it was the latter who took on the responsibility. He shot was on target and caused Berman to scurry across his goal line, after a deflection off the wall.

A flurry forward from Biggleswade, saw Wollacott hit a crucial clearance into the opposition half, after a link-up between Ibrahim and Steele. The Yeltz made two more substitutions, as Ryan Wynter and Alex Cameron made their arrivals into the game. The changes worked wonders, as Wynter was pushed further forward from his centre half role, and Cameron backed up Donnelly in the front line. The eventual scorer made an instant impact, when a ball found him in the box, but a slip forced the ball to roll away and into Berman.

Biggleswade, flew straight up the other end, and Michael Adu who had a fairly quiet game, hit over the bar. Just two minutes before the winner, Hickman took a throw in just inside the hosts half. Wynter in his rare attacking role, which almost found Cameron in the box. A ball from Manning reached Flanagan on the edge of the box, who hit over Platt's bar. Cameron's goal, his first for the club, was also his first in the league since he got one for Redditch in November, and just his third all season. The timing of the goal was perfect, and now means only Stourbridge (19) and Telford (18), have scored more goal after the 75th minute.

The win means the side end their six game winless run on the road, and claim a first away win since December the 14th. The side continued their fantastic defensive record since the turn of the year, as they recorded a fifth clean sheet of 2025, more than any other side in the division. It is now two clean sheets in a row too, the second time that has happened this year, after the side went nine months without one in consecutive games. The side also ended their four game winless run when level at half-time, which saw two stalemates against Kettering Town and AFC Sudbury, as well as defeats to Bromsgrove Sporting and Bedford Town. All of which came since the last win coming when level at the break against Redditch United in early December.

Biggleswade: Jack Berman (GK), Liam Andrews (Ebenezer Kufuor 30'), Callum Wilson, Charlie Briggs, Ryan Doherty (C), Josh Steele, Nagheeb Ibrahim, Seb Simpson, Dan Izekor (Obidinma Onyeagwara 87'), Cyrus Babaie, Michael Adu

Unused subs: N'Ardell Stirling, Patrick Staszewski, Jethro Hanson

Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Jak Hickman, Ben Cassidy, Josh Smile (C) (Reece Flanagan 60'), Jamie Willets, Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker, Conor Tee (Alex Cameron 81'), Kieren Donnelly, Milan Butterfield (Ryan Wynter 74'), Charlie Wragg (McKauley Manning 46')

Unused subs: Reece Mitchell

Attendance -