Tom Parkes saved the day for Tamworth with an 85th minute equaliser as the Lambs battled back from 2-0 down at Halesowen.

The centre back produced a powerful finish to salvage the draw after Teo Kuratan’s penalty had helped us back into the game just 12 minutes earlier.

It was a spirited comeback but it could not disguise an awful start against Russ Penn’s Southern League Premier side.

Tamworth started with Jake Hutchinson as a lone striker supported by a midfield five behind him but found themselves a goal down after just 70 seconds!

Town’s Cowley finished off with relative ease at the far post after a fine cross from Halesowen’s number 11, a triallist.(1-0, 2 mins)

It could have been worse if former Lamb Jim Kellerman had not mishit his side footer on three minutes, again teed up by the number 11.

Tamworth tried to rally. Nathan Tshikuna set up Ben Milnes with a deft flick but the captain’s low strike was well blocked by the home defence.

Then a threaded pass from Ben Acquaye through the right channel released Tom McGlinchey but his low cross was cut out although Hutchinson picked up the ball and fired low at keeper Platt from 12 yards.

Two minutes later a deep cross from Meredith on the Halesowen right was met with a powerful header by Meredith but he couldn’t get it on target to test Jas Singh.

Another spell of Lambs’ possession followed and Milnes was upended in the middle of the opposition half on 17 but Tshikuna’s free kick cannoned off the Halesowen wall for a corner.

The home side responded through Barnett who curled a low right footed shot from the edge of the box out past the left hand post on 20 minutes before Lambs’ defender Tom Handley reacted well to head Cowley’s cross away for a corner.

In the 25th minute Meredith advanced well but blazed over from from 30 yards and then produced a couple of dangerous crosses to keep up the pressure.

Kellerman then thought he’d put Halesowen further ahead three minutes before half-time when he burst into the area and unleashed a powerful left foot finish. Luckily for the Lambs the referee had already blown for a push on Handley.

HT: 1-0

Tamworth almost conceded an early goal at the start of the second half, losing the ball in midfield on 50 mins but Cowley’s final touch let him down when he looked to have the goal at his mercy.

Cowley was then allowed time and space to try a strike from the edge of the are after 57 minutes, curling his effort around the far post with the Lambs’ keeper in full flight.

At the other end McGlinchey picked up a good ball from Milnes to put a cross into the far post and Acquaye got his head to it but glanced it wide of the mark.

The Lambs reacted by making seven changes on the hour, with only Parkes, Tshikuna and Oliver Dyson remaining on the field with Dyson promptly whipping a cross into the far post for Kieren Donnelly who connected well only to see ‘keeper Platt smother the effort.

It was Halesowen, though, who made the breakthrough, doubling their advantage on 67minutes when Meredith arrowed in another cross from the right and Trialist 11 heading it back across goal and under the dive of the keeper into the bottom right hand corner (2-0, 67 mins).

Now Tamworth had to dig deep and Donnelly forced Platt into a close range save on 69 minutes from Daniel Creaney’s flick on into the box.

Moments later a Kurtaran cross was turned behind for a corner which he took himself and again ‘keeper Platt intervened, leaping highest to clutch it away from any Lambs attention in the six yard box.

TJ Bramble then made a strong run into the area, gliding passed a couple of defenders before being upended in the area. Kurtaran despatched the resulting penalty to the keeper’s right to reduce the arrears (2-1, 73 mins)

Halesowen soon returned to the attack, though, when Cowley picked his spot from fully 30 yards forcing the Lambs keeper into a flying save.

Adam Jasper came on for Tshikuna with just ten minutes remaining and almost made an immediate impact.

Donnelly beat his man down the right to cross low into the edge of the area where Jasper connected but saw his strike blocked by Butterfield.

There was no stopping match saver Parkes, though, who rescued a draw in the 85th minute when he connected sweetly with a bouncing throw from Tyler Lyttle. (2-2, 85 mins)

The Lambs might have nicked it in the end with two late corners. The first came to nothing and, although Jordan Cullinane-Liburd got his head to the second, it was gratefully cleared by the Halesowen defence just as the final whistle blew.

Halesowen Town
Platt, Meredith, Preston (Trialist 53), Parker, Cowley (c.) (Trialist 87), Trialist (Postle 77), Butterfield, Sephton, Trialist (Wood 53), Kellerman, Barnett (Ebanks 65)
Subs: Austin, Trialist

Tamworth
1 Singh (13 Trialist HT); 3 Handley, 27 Fogarty, 23 Parkes, 24 Calder; 19 McGlinchey, 8 Milnes (c.), 15 Dyson, 29 Tshikuna, 7 Acquaye; 21 Hutchinson
Subs: on 60: 33 Creaney, 11 Kurtaran. 30 Lyttle, 22 Bramble, 20 Donnelly, 10 Roberts, 28 Cullinane-Liburd
Subs on 80: 35 Jasper

Referee: (unknown)

Attendance: 731