Goals late in each half were deserved as Halesowen had the better of the game and but for a number of good saves by Adnan Kanuric would have run out easier winners.

"We had too many players today who didn't put in good performances." Said Adam Smith. "We needed good performances all round the pitch, but didn't get them today. We didn't create chances and got what we deserved."

Halesowen's Reece Hewitt was the difference on paper and he had the first chance for the home side on 10 minutes. His low shot was turned round the post by Kanuric.

Grantham dominated possession for a period before the half hour mark, but didn't threaten the Halesowen back line. Craig Westcarr delivered a low effort at goal, but it was comfortably gathered by Halesowen goalkeeper Bradley Catlow.

The home side took control of the game for the last third of the first half. Simeone Cobourne beat James Berrett in midfield and drove a short past Kanuric that hit the inside of the post and came out for the Gingerbreads defence to clear.

After half an hour, Joshua Hawker had two chances to give the home side the lead. A header and a short were both desperately blocked by the Gingerbreads defence. The Grantham back line was breached four minutes before the break. Corbourne laid the ball off for Hewitt. Hewitt was allowed to work the ball onto his right foot and drive a low shot past Kanuric.

Grantham swapped from a 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 at the break, but it made no difference as the home side came out fired up to get a second goal. Early chances fell to Montel Gibson. Kanuric saved his first effort, then a minute later he miskicked from a good position.

Paul McCone headed wide and Kanuric saved again from Gibson as the home side dominated the game with the Gingerbreads finding no answer to their threat. Gibson combined with Cobourne after 65 minutes to create another chance, but again Kanuric came to the Gingerbreads rescue saving from the home striker.

In a rare Grantham shooting opportunity, James Berrett had an effort blocked a quarter of an hour from time, but the game slipped away from Grantham six minutes from time. Jamie Molyneux hopefully chased a wide ball with Jacob Green and robbed the Grantham defender. With plenty of time on his side, Molyneux passed to Hewitt who took a touch before beating Kanuric again.

Five minutes into injury time, Francois Zoko got a consolation goal for the Gingerbreads when he bundled the ball over the line after Craig Westcarr touched on a cross, but it was too little too late for Grantham.