Halesowen Town were boxing clever on Friday as they dealt a knockout blow to Worcester City with a late winner in front of almost 2,500 fans at Sixways Stadium.
The 2-1 victory saw them remain on the coat-tails of the top five in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central.
“We battled well all game and found a way to win,” said McKauley Manning, who recently broke through the 200 appearance milestone for the club. “It was great to see such a large following at the game and they helped to drive us on.
“Our never-say-die attitude has certainly helped us this season and we’ll certainly need it for the battles that lie ahead for us.
“We set our objectives over the summer and we won’t stop until we achieve what we set out to do. We know what we are capable of and we’ll be doing all we can to show this on a consistent basis over the course of the second half of the season ahead.
“We’ve put ourselves into a strong position and now we have to be able to build on it.”
Manning made his Yeltz debut in November 2019 and has played his part in the club’s progression since then.
“To pass through the 200-game landmark is an achievement that I am particularly proud of,” he added. “They say that time flies when you’re having fun and that has certainly been the case here.
“I’ve loved every single game and being part of the club. I hope that I can make another 200 appearances!
“There’s such a strong sense of family here and it showed with the tragic passing of Colin Brookes recently.
“Everyone came together to support each other, especially in the way that it happened during our game at Stratford Town.
“The comforting thing was that he passed doing what he loved most, watching Halesowen Town play. He had so much pride and passion for the club, built up over so many years.
“His passing certainly brought us all even closer together and everything we do is for him and that’s why we are desperate to bring a positive and successful end to the season.”
2026 gets underway on Saturday as they play host to Bromsgrove Sporting in what promises to be another mouth-watering local derby.
IMAGE: Halesowen Town FC
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