Halesowen Town vs Tamworth

Halesowen could not have asked for a better start. After just 70 seconds, a cross from Trialist 11 on the left found Cowley at the far post, and he finished with relative ease to give the Yeltz a 1-0 lead inside two minutes (2').

Kellerman thought he had doubled the lead on 42 minutes when he found the net, but the referee had spotted a push in the back of Handley as he burst into the area and ruled the goal out. Halesowen went into the break 1-0 up.

Halesowen doubled their advantage on 67 minutes. Meredith loaded another cross from the right and Trialist 11 connected with a header, guiding it back across goal and under the dive of the Tamworth goalkeeper into the bottom right corner (2-0, 67').

Tamworth introduced seven substitutes on the hour mark, and the fresh legs swung momentum. A strong run from Bramble into the area on 72 minutes saw him go past a couple of defenders before being upended — the referee pointed to the spot. Kurtaran sent the keeper the wrong way, drilling the penalty to the right to reduce the arrears (2-1, 73').

That goal gave Tamworth belief. With 10 minutes remaining, the Lambs' pressure told. Lyttle's long throw found Parkes, who connected sweetly with a thumping finish to level the scores (2-2, 85'), earning a hearty cheer from the travelling faithful.

J. Cowley (Halesowen) — Scored inside two minutes and was a constant threat from the right flank, forcing a flying save from a 30-yard strike on 74 minutes.

Trialist 11 (Halesowen) — Provided the assist for Cowley's opener and scored the second himself with a well-placed header on 67 minutes.

Tom Parkes (Tamworth) — The centre-back turned match-winner at the other end, staying on the pitch after the mass substitutions and scoring the crucial equaliser with an 85th-minute finish.

Teo Kurtaran (Tamworth) — Introduced on the hour, won and converted the penalty that sparked the comeback.

Tamworth's expected goals (xG) data was not available for this pre-season friendly, but the pattern of play told a clear story: Halesowen led 1-0 at half-time and 2-0 after 67 minutes before Tamworth's seven-man substitution wave transformed the game. The Lambs' 73rd-minute penalty was the catalyst — after that, they created three clear chances before Parkes' equaliser on 85. The attendance of 731 was notable given the segregated crowd, implemented on Police advice after trouble in the town the previous Saturday.

Both sides continue their pre-season preparations. Halesowen, managed by Russ Penn, play in the Southern League Premier Division (Step 3 of the English pyramid). Tamworth, of the National League (Step 1), return to action on Tuesday 28 July when Macclesfield visit for their penultimate pre-season friendly. The result keeps both sides unbeaten in pre-season — Tamworth's record now reads one win, one draw and one loss across three friendlies, while Halesowen have one draw and one loss from two matches.

A game of two clear halves and a tale of substitutions. Halesowen looked comfortable at 2-0 but could not withstand Tamworth's depth and momentum after the hour mark. The Lambs' resilience — particularly Parkes' determination to stay on the pitch and score — will encourage manager Andy Peaks with the National League season approaching. For Halesowen, the early goal and second-half cushion showed promise against a side two tiers above them.