PICS END THEIR BARREN SPELL

HALESOWEN TN 1 RUSHALL OLYMP 2

RUSHALL ended the season with a first win in ten games.

Former Pics man Mo Diop and Ben Clarke hit early shots wide for Halesowen.

But Rushall grabbed a 15thminute lead when Stan Mugisha beat his last marker to roll the ball past goalkeeper Dan Platt after breaking upfield from Danny Bragoli’s free-kick. Lewis Probert then crashed a shot into the Yeltz side-netting.

Nathan Walker and Lee Chilton went close with freekicks for Halesowen before the Pics missed a great chance to double their lead when former Yeltz midfielder Aaron Forde squared the ball for Mickael Partodikomo to blaze high.

Halesowen’s Andre Johnson punished the Pics by levelling on the stroke of half-time with a fine finish past Jose Veiga to claim both his first goal and Halesowen’s first in six games.

Visiting substitute Marcus Jackson struck the top of the crossbar after 64 minutes, but the Pics hit a 69th minute winner when Partodikomo laid the ball off for Craig Bannister to drill home from the edge of the area.

Lewis Probert shot past the Yeltz post with four minutes remaining and Rushall then ran down the clock to end the season on a high note.

STAR MAN: Aaron Forde (Rushall) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★