RUSS Penn urged Halesowen Town to unite and make the Grove a fortress after Yeltz hit the top.
Early second-half goals from Conor Tee and Kieren Donnelly saw the visitors to a 2-1 victory at struggling Hitchin.
Even though a Brad Bell goal gave the Canaries hope late on, Halesowen dragged themselves over the line.
The victory lifted Penn’s men to the summit on goal difference after Bedford could only draw at Redditch United.
It is by the most slender of margins – one goal’s difference – but with ten games to go the one automatic promotion slot is open to whichever club puts on a solid run of form until the end of the season.
And that outfit, at the moment, is Halesowen.
Penn told the club media: “There’s ten games to go – and it’s all a bit cagey.
“No one gets a foot on and plays but I always say that whoever runs hardest and shows the most endeavour…we’ve got the quality and two moments of it won us the game.
“All we could get was three points.
“We’ve managed to do that. I’d like to think we’ll get a good crowd next week and we have to put it on Lowestoft. They’ve been fighting for their lives.
“It’s time to turn up at the Grove next week and make it as loud as we can.”
The influential Tee has picked up a knock and won’t train on Tuesday – meaning Yeltz will check on him this Thursday ahead of the game against the Trawlermen who, like the Canaries, are battling at the wrong end of the table.
Penn added: “We have got to keep them all on it. We’re a 16, not an 11. We’re going to need that from now until the end of April.”
