Match Report | Play-Off Semi-Final

Halesowen suffer late play-off semi-final heartbreak at AFC Telford United

Written by Ben Ditchfield

The Yeltz managed to end their lack of scoring power at The News Bucks Head but fell to a third straight game without an away win at Telford as their season comes to an end in a disappointing but well acclaimed fashion.

Russ Penn's side opened the scoring inside 25 minutes through Kieren Donnelly's 28th of the season. At an angle Conor Tee picked up the ball and won a corner off former Yeltz man Jordan Piggott. On the left side, Tee delivered towards Ryan Wollacott at the far post, who headed towards the front post where Donnelly made no mistake from five yards out. The Bucks had scored more first half goals than anyone else in the division, with 40, and more than any other side in the 15 minute period plus stoppage time period before half-time. The two late goals saw the Bucks into the lead in a three minute spell of dreams for the hosts. A pass from Byron Moore to Matt Stenson saw the latter hold off Tee to venture into the space down the left. The striker had the run of Dylan Allen-Hadley, which he used, for the former Alvechurch man to strike the ball into the top right. Telford took the lead on the stroke of added time, through defender Orrin Pendley's second goal in the space of five days. The Bucks player of the season from last year, was in the right place at the right time when Stenson headed into the middle from a Jordan Cranston free kick, for Pendley to smash the ball into the net from a matter of yards out.

The Yeltz scored a crucial equaliser just 15 minutes before normal time, and just 10 minutes after scorer Charlie Wragg came off the bench. The big contribution from Reece Mitchell saw him run from back to front, and set McKauley Manning down the left. The Yeltz winger has now finished the season on 11 assists, more than anyone else at the club, and the latest allowed Wragg to flick a header unmarked into the bottom right. Halesowen seemed to have sprung momentum with the goal, but Telford went straight up the other end, and three minutes later retook the lead. A cross on the right from Jahdahn Fridye-Harper was missed by Wollacott, who slipped and allowed the ball to fall into the path of Stenson. The Yeltz captain Ryan Wynter was alongside the league's top scorer, but failed to close down Stenson in time, as he stroked the ball into the bottom left to spark jubilant Bucks scenes.

"Football is cruel. Today we saw a play-off semi-final, which was end to end with two good teams fighting to get into the final," stated Yeltz boss Penn. "We came out on the wrong side of the scoreline unfortunately, but I could not be more proud of the players, staff, fans and media across the course of the season. The club has come a long way in 12 months, and I want this to be a platform to kick on. We have played a gruelling 48 games across the season, and the majority of the lads have played in virtually all of them. We ended up five or six points off the top, and just fell short in the game tonight. We can get better as a side. We are learning day by day, and I am slowly starting to see my squad form into a top team. We have a couple of days to rest and recover from today, and go again next week to start another season."

The Yeltz, through nerves or a slow start, were completely on the back foot for the opening 20 minutes, and it would have been no surprise had Telford opened the scoring themselves. On the right, Stenson got the better of Wollacott, just three minutes into the game. The Bucks top scorer, now with 32 goals in 36 league games, swung a cross into Moore to win a corner. The ball from the corner delivered in by Cranston went towards Stenson, who headed over the bar. Telford had a 2v1 after a ball froward from Fridye-Harper saw James Armson break past the defense and stare down at Platt, with Stenson alongside the former. As the ball made it's way to Stenson, a vital interception from Ben Cassidy halted the attack, which allowed the Yeltz to set forward, but when Wynter won a free kick, Platt could only kick it onto the head of Pendley in the Telford area.

Halesowen's chance created was limited due to the fast start from the hosts, but we were still able to almost find a breakthrough. A brilliant ball from Tee in the middle after Wollacott won a header against James Armson, set Donnelly away down the right. He ventured into the box up against Oliver Cawthorne, and initially was goal side of the tall Telford centre half. The Yeltz top scorer had the goal in sight but snatched at the opportunity and hit over Brandon Hall's bar. The Telford pressure continued after the opening 10 minutes, and Allen-Hadley hit a shot over the bar after Moore beat Reece Mitchell for pace down the right. A huge block from Wollacott stopped a certain opener after a Cassidy tackle flew backwards and towards Stenson in the box. The Telford man failed to control the ball quickly enough, which allowed Wollacott enough time to get back and lunge at the ball to deflect it away from danger.

The Yeltz crafted a second guilt edged effort of the first 15, and it was yet again the Yeltz top scorer who was on the end of it. A ball from Butterfield into the Telford half to Manning, allowed the Yeltz winger to spin past Cranston and find the run of Donnelly, who smashed the post. Just before the goal, Josh Smile hit a ball long to Tee down the left. The Yeltz number eight was up against Fridye-Harper who did well to give away just a corner. The resulting set piece taken by Tee, lacked any direction and fell perfectly for Hall to punch the ball out of his area. Telford struggled after the Yeltz opener, and failed to find the momentum they created in the opening stages. A ball up towards Donnelly was dealt with by Cawthorne, before the loose ball was cleared by Cranston. Halesowen and Donnelly almost found themselves in on goal again. The Yeltz number nine had a scintillating half of football, and almost latched onto a ball from Butterfield, only for it to run through to Hall.

The slight pressure from Penn's side swiftly ended, as Telford re-found their groove in the wake of their two goals before the break. A free kick for the hosts was awarded after Cassidy took down Cranston. The latter and former Redditch defender drifted the ball into the box from the far left, and all the way to the unmarked Stenson in the middle, who headed over the bar. A ball forward from Fridye-Harper was planted towards the run into the attack from defender Piggott, but the ball ran away from him and into Platt. The Yeltz had one final chance to double their advantage before the Telford bombardment. A foul saw Moore foul Tee in the Bucks half. The latter and Mitchell stood over the ball, but it was Tee who took it to the far post, where Wollacott watched the ball spin past him and out of play. The last action of the half was Telford's two late goals, and it came at a rare period for the Yeltz, as no other side in the regular season had conceded fewer goals in the 15 minute plus stoppage time period than Penn's side's five.

The second period saw Telford carry on their stubborn defending, and fruitful attacking play. A ball into the attack from Cranston reached Allen-Hadley, who juggled with the ball. The scorer of the Telford equaliser moved onto his right foot, but Wynter got his foot in the way to make the tackle and clear. The Telford man of the match was involved a second time in seven minutes at the start of the second 45. Allen-Hadley made a central pass to Armson, who was able to pick out the run of Moore down the right wing. His crossed into the middle was cleared, just before the hosts grazed the bar through a Cranston cross. Halesowen's second half opportunities were again limited, just like in the first 45 before the goal. The only real chance of note before Wragg's equaliser, came through Manning. The latter scooped a ball out wide to Donnelly, whose touch was sublime to set himself into his stride. The cover of Cawthorne was enough for the hosts to stunt the flurry forward, and crucially win the themselves a goal kick instead of a Yeltz corner.

The Halesowen leveller came against the run of play, as 10 minutes before the 75th minute equaliser, the Bucks continued to be on top. A tackle on Cranston from Manning, earnt the Yeltz number 11 a yellow card. The former took it for Telford, but it was headed away by Mitchell, while Telford fans screamed for a penalty in the middle after Butterfield pushed Stenson to the ground. The Bucks were shortly awarded a second free kick, less than a minute after the previous. It was again took by Cranston, and towards Cawthorne, who almost glanced his header into the bottom right. An Armson sprint forward and past Butterfield into the box, saw him hit the ball off Mitchell and out for a Bucks corner. The set piece was taken by Cranston, and claimed by the grateful grasps of Platt in the middle.

The Yeltz equaliser came at the perfect time, and from Wragg's 14th appearance from the bench for the Yeltz, but Telford got the instant response they graved. The Halesowen loanee almost scored to make the scoreline three a piece and extend his incredible introduction to the game. The 20 year old and Donnelly linked up on the egde of the box, before the latters insightful pass drifted towards Wragg, but Cawthorne got there first to clear. Penn's side tried everything to score a late equaliser, and brought on two more subs to the two prior, as Alex Cameron and Jak Hickman came on, while Telford took Stenson and Moore off for Sam Whittall and former Yeltz man Rhys Hilton.

The Bucks initially nearly found a late fourth, when Allen-Hadley's ball across the goal missed both Hilton and Moore. The the moments at the death of the match belonged to the Yeltz and in particular Platt. The Halesowen keeper came up for numerous throw-ins and corners in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th minutes of second half stoppage time. The key moment of the closing stages came from substitute Reece Flanagan's throw in, and a Hickman cross. The Yeltz substitute found Platt in the centre, whose astonishing leap and header almost found the net, only for a sublime save from Hall to tip the ball over the bar. The last moment to salvage the Yeltz play-off hopes was greeted by the full time whistle, but what a season it has been. The heartbreaking result will stick for weeks, but the game will only spur the club on to avoid a similar feeling in future, and go one step better next season and beyond in the attempt to reach the promise land of step 2.

Telford: Brandon Hall (GK), Jahdahn Fridye-Harper, Jordan Cranston, Jordan Piggott, Orrin Pendley, Oliver Cawthorne, Luke Rowe (C), James Armson, Matt Stenson (Rhys Hilton 84'), Dylan Allen-Hadley, Byron Moore (Sam Whittall 89')

Unused subs: Remi Walker, Ellis Brown, Harry Hawkins

Yeltz: Dan Platt (GK), Ben Cassidy (Charlie Wragg 65'), Reece Mitchell, Josh Smile (Reece Flanagan 90+1'), Ryan Wynter (C), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker, Conor Tee (Jak Hickman 84'), Kieren Donnelly, Milan Butterfield (Alex Cameron 83'), McKauley Manning

Unused subs: Lewis Solly (GK)

Attendance - 3,204