Sudbury Updates

[drummyb]

So good, delighted for everyone at the club. Throughly deserved. Keep it going. We mustn't lose again this season

Now now. Careful what you wish for.

[Dazzie76]

Well earned 3pts today looks like a real team spirit coming together with the players looking like they want to play for this great club. Thought the back 4 were superb today as a great platform to build from. Onto the next

[andy]

Massive character shown by the team today. We made life a little difficult again at home by going a goal down but the response was magnificent. We pull the game level and then go down to 10 men.( Was Manning booked in the first half or did he pick up 2 yellows in the same incident?) I would then have settled for a point. All game Sudbury had 2 deep lines of 4 for us to break down and I couldn't see us doing it with 10 men. I thought we would sit back and try to see the game through. But we still kept taking the game to them and deservedly went ahead. And still we pushed forward when possible and got a cracking third. Shame KD got involved in the following fracas ( after probably being subbed to stop him being sent off) and will now miss a game, but it couldn't diminish from what i thought was the performance of the season so far.
Excellent lads!

[piearce9]

So good, delighted for everyone at the club. Throughly deserved. Keep it going. We mustn't lose again this season

Loving this

[Simons]

I think the 1st yellow for Donnelly was his 5th of the season, so he would have been suspended anyway, but whether getting the red means an extra match who knows

[YeltzDoc]

I think the 1st yellow for Donnelly was his 5th of the season, so he would have been suspended anyway, but whether getting the red means an extra match who knows

HH usually.

[DJ]

Southern League Premier Central – Saturday, 9th November 2024

Halesowen Town 3 AFC Sudbury 1

Joint top-of-the-table Halesowen reeled off a sixth straight win with three more goals from in-form strike partners Jordan Ponticelli and Kieren Donnelly, writes DJ.

Yeltz manager Russ Penn summed up a dramatic afternoon’s entertainment and correctly called it “a fantastic performance from start to end. We dominated the game - even at ten men I felt comfortable… they are a really good footballing team. We can score at all times from any areas, we’ve got a fantastic group – they’re all contributing.”

Sudbury forced two early corners in a lively first period and took a 10th minute lead when Liam Pearce crossed for captain Joe NEAL to turn with his back to goal and he planted a low shot past goalkeeper Dan Platt to finish off a flowing four-man move.

From that point Halesowen laid siege to the Sudbury goal and Ponticelli fired at visiting goalkeeper James Bradrook in the 15th minute after being put through by Donnelly. Conor Tee then hit a fierce 19th minute shot at Bradrook and Bradrook saved McKauley Manning’s 21st effort for a corner.

The Yeltz pressure eventually paid off with a 36th minute equaliser after central defender Ryan Wollacott headed on Tee’s corner for PONTICELLI to nod home from close range. As Halesowen’s intensity continued, Bradrook made a fine double save seconds before the interval to keep out both Tee’s 20 yard free-kick and Ponticelli’s follow up.

At the start of the second half Bradrook palmed away Ponticelli’s spectacular volley after more good work from Tee. But Halesowen suffered a blow after an hour when Manning received his second yellow card and was therefore sent off. Undeterred, the home side went close again on a lightning break forwards with Tee only thwarted by a great block from Matty Miles after 62 minutes. Sudbury also went close when Myles Cowling’s low shot rebounded off Platt’s post after he picked up a loose ball from a 65th minute corner. Donnelly then blazed over the Sudbury bar at the end of a good move and build up play three minutes later.

Halesowen’s hard-working ten men finished the game with a great final flourish to take all three points and remain joint top-of-the-table with two superb late goals.

Ponticelli burst free in the 82nd minute and, after being forced wide, he crossed for in-rushing DONNELLY to crash the ball home. As tempers flared near the dug-outs, the Sudbury manager was then sent off and Halesowen’s off-the-pitch Donnelly was also harshly red-carded for his second bookable offence. But even better awaited for the rampant Yeltz with another well worked goal when a forward ball was played to substitute Nick Clayton-Phillips and he squared for PONTICELLI to bag his sixth goal in six games in the fourth minute of added time.

Halesowen Town: Dan Platt; Ben Cassidy (Jak Hickman 72), Reece Mitchell, Josh Smile, Ryan Wynter (c), Ryan Wollacott, Todd Parker, Conor Tee (Musa Ceesay 72), Kieren Donnelly (Nicholas Clayton-Phillips 84), Jordan Ponticelli (Nat Kelly 90+6) , McKauley Manning. Sub Not Used: Adi Yussuf.

AFC Sudbury: James Bradbrook; Charlie Lewis, Benjamin Isaacson, Thomas Dickins, Matthew Miles, Oliver Peters, Joe Neal (c), Myles Cowling, Liam Pearce, Ben Bradley, Joshua Allen. Subs Not Used: Jack Munson, Luca Terminiello, Jenson Goode, Oliver Okeh.

Referee: Jason Porter Attendance: 1,021
Booked: Allen (28), Dickins (45), Manning (49), Hickman (74), Donnelly (80), Ponticelli (86)
Sent Off: Manning (60), Donnelly (90+4)
Tulleys Print HTFC Man of the Match selected by Richard Hallard: Jordan Ponticelli

[juanillo]

Good report, although the timeline of events is slightly awry, as the altercation and red cards occurred after the 3rd goal.

There was a lot of posturing and verbals going on, so it's probably not surprising that cards were shown.

[Rich]

Ponticelli burst free in the 82nd minute and, after being forced wide, he crossed for in-rushing DONNELLY to crash the ball home. As tempers flared near the dug-outs, the Sudbury manager was then sent off and Halesowen’s off-the-pitch Donnelly was also harshly red-carded for his second bookable offence. But even better awaited for the rampant Yeltz with another well worked goal when a forward ball was played to substitute Nick Clayton-Phillips and he squared for PONTICELLI to bag his sixth goal in six games in the fourth minute of added time.

Think this is in slightly the wrong order DJ

[lutleyyeltz]

A great game to be at for entertainment!
At one time going a goal down early in the game we would have lost impetus and struggled.to find a way through.
Not today. We fought back and never lost heart.
Pont was magnificent, but for me Smile was M o M. He had composure on the ball and his distribution was sublime.
For the short time that he was on the pitch Musa Ceesay was a tower of strength ( pun intended) he was just what was needed at that point in the game.
It is disappointing that we had two players sent off, but it shows the winning desire that seems to be endemic throughout the squad.
They'll both be missed, but these situations happen during a season..