Halesowen Town 0, Blyth Spartans 5

TEN-men Halesowen were ruthlessly put to the sword by Blyth Spartans at The Grove.

A brace each for Dan Maguire and Matty Pattison and a Ryan Hutchinson header made sure the visitors took the points back north from a clash made even harder after the Yeltz had lost Danny Bragoli to two bookable offences at the end of the first half.

They had been one down at the time after Pattison curled in a fine left-footed free-kick from 25 yards on 24 minutes.

That was all that separated the sides from an even first half.

If anything, it was the hosts that spurned the best opening on 33 minutes.

The returning Lee Chilton played a one-two with Tyree Clarke before curling a cross to the far post where Malcolm Melvin had ghosted in. But his downward header was saved by the legs of keeper Peter Jeffries to make sure his side kept their lead.

The big turning point came when Bragoli, earlier booked for a late sliding tackle on six minutes, caught Stephen Turnbull in the air on 44 minutes.

The ref quickly produced a second yellow and handed Hales a tough second half.

The decision to take off the experienced Aaron Griffiths at the break also did the home rearguard no favours as they looked to somehow stop Blyth's waves of attacks.

The visitors kept the ball better and soon found their way through, bagging four goals in 13 minutes.

Maguire doubled their lead on 61 minutes before Hutchinson headed in a Turnbull cross four minutes later.

That third goal saw Halesowen heads drop as the Spartans continued to push on.

Three minutes later it was four as Pattinson latched onto a loose ball in the box and fired home.

Finally, Maguire bagged his second and Blyth's fifth to wrap up the scoring on 74 minutes.

Though the hosts can be pleased with how they had played before the sending off, the worrying way they fell apart with ten men in the second will cause concern for manager John Hill.

The Yeltz will look to hit back at Nantwich on Tuesday night.

Halesowen: Platt, Sho-Silva, Griffiths (Colley 45), Denny (c), Morrison, Charlton, Melvin, Bragoli, Anderson (Chiriac 36), Clarke (Williams 89), Chilton.

Unused Subs: Turner, King.

Blyth: Jeffries, Cartwright, Liddle, Caines, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Pattison, Wade (Rivers 57), Maguire, Reid (Richardson 69), Dale (c) (Armstrong 77).

Unused Subs: Parker, Pell.

Att: 376