Match Preview | St Ives Town (H)
Halesowen return to league action at The Grove after almost four weeks with the visit of an in-form and much improved defensively St Ives Town
Head to Head
The Yeltz are unbeaten in four of the last six games between us and St Ives, with those two defeats coming away at Westwood Road. The most recent meeting between the sides was just a few months ago in April. In a game which saw us go nine league games unbeaten at the time, a 0-0 was the outcome, with the only damage coming the way of an early red card. Ironically it is the man who will miss this weekend’s contest due to suspension who got sent off back in the meeting in April, Jamie Willets. The now Yeltz captain, who made his 10th club appearance in the game at Westwood Road in April, was penalised for pulling the now former Ives player Ben Mensah down while being the last man. Russ Penn made the quick switch which saw Ryan Wollacott replace McKauley Manning. A switch which proved decisive with Penn stating post match ‘Ryan and Ryan Wynter were outstanding today’. Just before being sacrificed after the sending off incident, Manning received a ball from former Yeltz man Kieren Donnelly, but missed his 1v1 chance with now former Saints number one Dan Wilks. In the 22nd minute, four after the dismissal of Willets and introduction of Wollacott, the latter made a decisive intervention in the middle to deny on loan Cambridge United forward George Munday after superb work down the right from Mensah. The resulting corner found Munday, who flicked a head towards the ball and spun it off the post. In the remainder of the first 45, a Munday header went wide for the hosts, while a Donnelly and Wilks collision at the other end allowed former Yeltz man Conor Tee a sight at goal, but his header went over the bar. In the opening stages of the second 45, for the hosts a Jernade Meade free kick was saved by Platt, while an Alex Collard header found the net, but the flag was raised on the far side of the main stand. Unsurprisingly defensive actions were the main priority for a Yeltz side desperate for any points to cement a play-off spot at the time, and this allowed the hosts, who were in a relegation battle, to dominate the latter stages. A ball out wide from Meade to Aaron Smith, saw the latter cross into the middle and almost find the net, but instead the head of Reece Mitchell. In the 84th minute, the best chance since Munday’s 22nd minute post hit arrived, and it came through striker Amir Hadi, who at an angle scooped a shot at Platt which was superbly tipped over the bar. Four minutes were added at the end of the 90, and in one of the most impressive clean sheets of the campaign, the Yeltz got the 0-0 draw over the line. Here’s hoping for a more entertaining clash this Saturday.
Oppostition Preview
New Signings
St Ives have added six new players to the squad they mostly lost from the 2024/25 season. Ollie Taylor signed as the new number one in early June. Taylor featured 15 times at the start of the last league campaign for Stourbridge, before he made 21 appearances for Redditch United. He kept nine clean sheets throughout his time at the two clubs last season, and conceded just 26 goals for Redditch (just 1.2 per game). St Ives added no new faces to the back four, except for Matty Miles from AFC Sudbury, who can play right back but mainly in the midfield, where he featured 38 times in the league for the Suds last season. One other midfield recruit was added, Liam Cross who featured 15 times in the National League North across Needham Market and Brackley Town last season. Three forwards have been brought in, and two in the form of a former players. Wide man Theo Alexandrou has had a lively few years, featuring for St Ives in the 2023/24 campaign, before last season featuring for step 3 Wingate & Finchley 14 times, and 19 times in the National League South across Welling United and Dorking Wanderers. The other familiar face in Cambridgeshire is George Munday. Yes the man who caused the Yeltz so many problems in the meeting in April is back on loan at St Ives, after featuring 15 times for them at the end of last season, scoring five goals. The final Saints arrival was 24 year old Jamal Adams. The striker featured 41 times for step 4 Rushden & Diamonds last season, scoring 12 goals for the side who finished 14th.
Summer Departures
Five players have departed the St Ives squad who ended last season, and they were all highly influential figures. Ever present goalkeeper who started every league game last season Dan Wilks departed for National League North Bedford Town. Star defender Will Glennon departed the Saints as well, and also for Bedford Town, but only until he then departed for Kettering Town. Glennon scored 10 goals from centre half in his 30 league games last season and ended the campaign as St Ives’ top scorer. To make things worse, Glennon’s centre half partner for most of the campaign Alex Collard departed for Stratford Town after featuring 39 times in the league for the Saints last season. Fullback Ben Mensah who shone for the Saints in our most recent meeting departed for National Legaue North Peterborough Sports, after he made 32 league appearances for Ricky Marheineke’s side last season. Main man in the midfield, 21 year old Peter Abimbola who bossed the middle of the park against the Yeltz in April departured St Ives for Banbury United after making 39 league appearances last season. The final St Ives departure this summer saw Josh Allen, who scored seven goals in 27 league appearances leave for newboys Real Bedford.
Team Overview
In goal new man Ollie Taylor has featured in all seven league games so far, and has played behind their first choice centre half partnership who have also started every league game Duncan Idehen and Jordan Williams. The full back position have been taken up by Ethan Creary (right) who has started six league games and former Arsenal youngster Jernade Meade (left), whose started all seven. In the midfield, Jiah Medrano who can also play full back has started six league games, while new man duo of Liam Cross and Matty Miles have started five league games, the latter who also has two appearances off the bench. Fellow midfielders Gibou Njie and Michael Richens have started four league games, the latter of which has scored two goals. In the forward line, Kobe Chong featured on the left of the attack, but left to join Worcester City the other week, while new man Theo Alexandrou has started on the right. The latter of whom has started all seven league matches, scoring once. The striker role has been rotated. Amir Hadi has started three league games, including four appearances off the bench, while Neo Dobson and new men Jamal Adams and George Munday have started one league game a piece. To complete the squad of 19 who have featured in St Ives’ league campaign too date, Albie O’Keefe (midfielder) has featured four times, Alfie Shepherd (winger) has featured twice, while Aaron Smith (defender) has featured once. St Ives have had 10 different goalscorers this season in the league, more than any other side, which has meant their highest scorers are Michael Richens and Ethan Creary who have scored just twice each.
Statistical Insight
Halesowen
- Only Bishop’s Stortford & Harborough Town (9) and Spalding United (8) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 6.
- Only Bishop’s Stortford, Quorn & St Ives Town (3) have scored more goals this season in the Southern Premier Central in the 15 minute period after half-time than our 2 goals.
- Only Kettering Town (6) have won more points from losing positions this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 4.
- Only Harborough Town & Bishop’s Stortford (43), Quorn (36), Kettering Town (29), and Spalding United (27) have spent more days in the top 5 of the Southern Premier Central than our 14 Days (as of 20 Sept).
St Ives Town
- No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have kept more clean sheets than set Ives’ 4, tied incidently with our last two league opponents Harborough Town and Alvechurch.
- Only Leiston with 14% (1/7) have a lower conceded first percentage in the Southern Premier Central this season than St Ives’ 28% (2/7).
- Only Harborough Town (1) have conceded fewer first half goals in the Southern Premier Central this season than St Ives’ 2.
- Only Harborough Town (41), Quorn (50), and Bishop’s Stortford (68) have been losing for fewer minutes in the Southern Premier Central this season than St Ives’ 86 minutes.