Match Preview | Worcester City (H)
Halesowen welcome newly promoted Worcester City to The Grove on Bank Holiday Monday in the first meeting between the two sides in the league since 2003
Head to Head
The first recorded meeting between the two in a competitive fixture was a 2-1 Yeltz win on the 27th December 1902. The same year Worcester were founded. The game was just one of two Yeltz wins against Worcester in 15 games at the start of the 20th century. Our poor record against the Blues continued all the way into the end of the last century. The Yeltz only won three of the 11 fixtures from 1981 to 1992. We then went on to win three successive games against them through 1993 and 94, but then proceeded to lose four in a row. Our best record against Worcester came from 1995 to 2000, where we went 10 games unbeaten in the fixture. The last league meeting between the pair was in the 2003, before I was born in fact, where the Yeltz managed a 1-1 draw away from home. The last meeting was a Worcestershire Senior Cup Semi-Final fixture in 2011 that Worcester won 2-1.
Russ Penn’s Thoughts
“Our confidence is high at the moment. We have trained exceptionally well since the start of the season, and picked up some huge points, which has come from high levels on the training pitch. We showed at the latter end of last season the continuity of avoiding defeats, and have extended the run to 17 games with our four results so far this campaign. We are re-energised by that, it helps to tick us over, and allowed us to start the season the way we have. A lot of sides have found it hard to beat us because of our chance creation. In my opinion and trying to not be arrogant, I think we should have scored more goals than the nine we have scored so far. We still have areas to improve in particular our concentration in defense at times, but we work on it in training to make sure we improve. We have a more than healthy squad at the moment. The four who came on against Real Bedford and Stamford the other week are all good enough to be starters in my eyes, but with more players becomes more disappointment and upset if they aren’t playing regularly. It is up to me to control that, and keep them happy throughout the season, but they all relish it and the competitive nature of our squad.
“We have good leadership and resilience which has helped us pick up big points from losing positions, however if I’m being honest I am not entirely happy with that. The first half performances of some of our games have been a worry because we have been chasing our tail. Fair play to the lads for recovering from the set backs, but we could and should be making it much easier for ourselves. A big part of our game at the moment is from set plays, although we conceded one against Real Bedford last weekend for their second goal. It swings in both ways, we score some, we concede some, but if you look at our team with the likes of Wollacott, Willets, Gudger, Butterfield, and then how good some of the smaller lads like Cowley and Manning are in the air, we are a threat from those situations. The deliveries as well with Jak Hickman and Kyle Finn, who in my opinion are two of the best from those situations in the league.”
I also spoke with Penn about Jak Hickman’s improvements since the start of the season, which has seen him claim a goal and two assists, compared to last season’s overall tally of no goals and three assists. “The aim for Jak this season was to improve his output down the right hand side of the pitch. Him and McKauley Manning in fact. We have seen Jak’s improvements with his contributions to our goals in the opening few games, and all I want is for him to drive the levels because we have a competitive squad, and it is putting us where we want to be. If players are not at it they will be replaced, and that is healthy.”
Speaking on our opponents the Yeltz boss said, “They are a side full of momentum. A big club in a big city with a big stadium and a side who are probably not on the amount of points they expected to be on at this early stage. They are very well respected in the league, as well as their manager Chris (Cornes), who did well at Bewdley and now at Worcester. Newly promoted sides in the case of Real Bedford can be seen as unknowns, but not for Worcester City as I know a lot about them. I know a lot of the lads they have signed, and watched the clubs’ games across the last 15 months while they were at step 4. We have to be at it to beat them in a local derby in front of a huge crowd, but we are rufless at home at the moment and need to take the game to them.”
Opposition Preview
New Arrivals
Musa Ceesay. Recognise the name? Of course you do. Yes the 6 foot 4 midfielder has signed for our opponents, and believe it or not scored on his debut at the weekend. Musa made 18 appearances for the Yeltz last season, 10 of which starts, alongside two goals against Congleton Town in the FA Trophy and Barwell in the league. Aside from their most recent acquisition, Worcester have made another six new signings for their first season at step 3 since 2004. High profile striker Dan Sweeney arrived after a healthy eight goals in 26 league games for Alvechurch in an injury hit campaign last season. While ex Hereford and Kidderminster defender Ryan Downing signs from the latter, but is yet to feature in a Worcester match day squad too date. A second signing in the attack for the Blues was Aberystwyth attacking midfielder/striker Niall Flint, who replaced the Welsh top flight for the seventh tier of English football after scoring seven goals in 29 games last season. Impressive. The midfield duo of Teddy Rowe and Spencer Hamilton have already slotted in perfectly at their new club. The former arrived from Banbury United, while the latter arrived from step 3 Southern League Premier South side Gloucester City. The final of the seven Blues arrivals, and a second defender was Bedford Town’s Kieron Dawes. A player who ranks only the five current Southern Premier Central clubs amongst his old sides, featured 11 times in the league for the Southern Premier Central title winners at the end of last season.
Summer Departures
Nine players have left the Blues promotion play-off party, but in all honesty they were mainly bit part players across last season. Dan Moore, Cam Monteith, Dylan Hart, Calvin Dinsley, Elliott Keightley, Taylor Townsend, Reece Day, Harry Pitman, and Prince Henry all departed, but it was only Townsend who featured more than 20 times for Worcester in the last campaign.
Players to Watch
Haydn Whitcombe started in goal for the opening game against Quorn, but Jake Thompson has featured in the resulting three fixtures. Logan Stoddart has started all four games at full back, while on the opposite flank ex Bromsgrove man Shay Palmer has started three of the four. At the heart of the defense, the partnership of Hayden Reeves and new man Spencer Hamilton is yet to be broken up this season. A recogniseable Yeltz face in the middle of the park, Nathan Hayward has started all four opening fixtures, alongside Dylan Thomas and new man Teddy Rowe who have both featured in all four. But now Musa Ceesay has arrived, one of Thomas or Rowe will be expected to be dropped in their best XI you’d have thought. In the attack, midfielder Kyle Belmonte has featured in all four fixtures pushed further forward than the other midfielders. While the double summer arrival of Dan Sweeney and Niall Flint are the two men up top. The former has started all four games this season, but got sent off in their game at the weekend against Bury Town. Despite this the one week rule in which a red card suspension activates will not be reached for our game, so the ex Alverchurch and Macclesfield man is free to play.
Statistical Insights
Halesowen
• Only AFC Telford United (41), Spalding United (35), and Bromsgrove Sporting (32) scored more first half goals last season than the Yeltz’s 30, tied with Lowestoft Town, Bedford Town & Royston Town.
• Only Spalding United (19) and AFC Telford United (17) scored more goals in the 15 minute period before half-time in the league last season than the Yeltz’s 15.
• No other side in the league last season conceded fewer goals in the 15 minute period before half-time in the league last season than the Yeltz (5).
• Only AFC Telford United (23), Spalding United (21), and Bedford Town (19) won more points from losing positions in the league last season than the Yeltz’s 18, tied with Redditch United.
Worcester
• Worcester are one of six sides alongside Stamford, Bury Town, Bromsgrove Sporting, Stratford Town, and Stourbridge who have failed to score in three of their four games in the first half this season.
• Worcester have only led for 38 minutes in the league this season across their four games, and only Stratford, who have failed to take the lead this season have led for fewer minutes.