HALESOWEN Town chairman Colin Brookes has praised manager John Hill after the team guaranteed themselves a play-off finish.

The current Northern Premier League Division One South leaders are still well in the fight for the title, but reaching the play-offs was the club's aim this season.

The Yeltz achieved that goal when beating Scarborough Athletic 3-0 at The Grove last Saturday.

Brookes said: "John and his team have done a fantastic job. At the start of the season we sat down and set out our goals. The main aim was to get in the play-offs, so to achieve that with five games still to go is phenomenal.

"This season has lifted the whole club. The place was buzzing on Saturday and we had more than 600 people come to watch us. John, his staff and the players all deserve a lot of credit for what they have achieved so far."

Halesowen secured themselves a play-off place, as well as widening the gap at the top of the table to four points, with a comfortable victory.

Ben Haseley soon set the Yeltz on the road to triumph by polishing off his 30th goal of the season from close range in the ninth minute.

Just seconds later Haseley missed a glorious chance to increase the lead when he planted a free header wide after being set up by Iyseden Christie's header across goal. Christie then glanced an 18th minute header wide after Neil MacKenzie delivered a free-kick.

After a slow start to the second period, man-of-the-match Christie deservedly doubled the Yeltz's lead by confidently smacking home a 56th minute penalty after being brought down by Plummer.

Haseley completed the scoring in the 84th minute by lofting a brilliant finish over the goalkeeper after latching onto MacKenzie's through ball down the left.

Now that Town has bagged the play-off place, Brookes thinks anything is possible.

"We just want to keep hitting those goals we set. The next is to finish in the top two or three so that we will give ourselves home advantage in the play-offs. Once we do that we can see if we are in with a chance of winning it. Then we can start to get greedy," he added.

The Yeltz will now travel to take on Mickleover this Saturday.

Defender Asa Charlton is a doubt after picking up a toe injury. However, Elliot Turner is back in light training after recovering from a broken toe.