Younis ‘buzzing’ after securing OJM Black Country play-off victory
Boss Adam Younis praised the "massive achievement" as OJM Black Country sealed a tense promotion to Midland Premier – in part thanks to the cool head of experienced player-coach Steve Leslie.
OJM prevailed in their Midland Division One final at home to Droitwich Spa but had to rely on a late show and nerves of steel from the spot, initially seven minutes from time and then from a dramatic penalty shootout.
Leslie, the 36-year-old Scot who played more than 100 career games for Shrewsbury Town as well as Hereford United, Wrexham and Solihull Moors among others, kept his cool from the spot to equalise for Black Country in the closing stages after Taylor Homer had been felled. Droitwich had led since the opening half hour after Jordon Sangha's own goal.
Leslie's spot-kick took the tie to penalties after Droitwich hit the woodwork in the closing stages. Leslie then missed the first penalty of the shootout, but two saves from goalkeeper Tom Clapp allowed Zaqib Hussain to bury the decisive kick to win 4-3.
"I didn't want to look, it went in off the underside of the bar. We're just buzzing," said boss Younis, who launched OJM as a Sunday League club in 2007 before a merger with Black Country Rangers in 2020.
"It's a massive achievement, we started on a Sunday named in honour of a friend of ours who died and had the opportunity to merge.
"The journey from Sunday to Saturday is a big change, it's quite difficult. Some players came with us and full credit to them, I'm taking no credit, it's those boys that go out and perform, especially with the schedule of 12 or 13 games in three weeks, they deserve all the credit."
The manager added of the influence of player-coach Leslie: "He's a calm head and very composed on the ball. He didn't have his best game but settled things down. He's played at Wembley and is great to have around. I always tell him not to expect too much from the lads."
It was a tight contest in front of more than 550 supporters at the Triplex Community Stadium as hosts OJM booked their place in the step five Midland Premier next season.
"There was nothing really in the game, I don't think either goalkeeper had a save to make from open play," Younis said.
"They scored from a free-kick and we scored from a penalty, the only open-play chance for any team was they hit the post late on. It was a very cagey game, my lads were nervous.
"We tried to defend as well as we could, we knew they'd hit us with set-pieces. They scored from one, an own goal but the ball that was so good there was nothing we could do."
