Match Preview | Royston Town (A)

By Ben Ditchfield | 10 October 2025 | Comments Off on Match Preview | Royston Town (A)

Halesowen return to league action with a trip to a ground the Yeltz have scored once in three games, in Royston Town

Head to Head

This will be the 7th meeting in the last seven years between the two sides. Our record isn’t the worst, a 50% win ratio, but we have only scored four goals in the previous six matches, and only had one game where we’ve scored multiple goals, the last meeting. The Yeltz have kept three clean sheets against the Crows, two of which at Royston’s ground, Garden Walk.

Russ Penn’s Thoughts

“If we take away the week of cup games, the disappointing results not performances regarding the Aveley and Leek games, we are in a good place. We are looking to build on the two 1-0 league wins over St Ives and Stratford. Those two games will give us confidence. We will go to Royston on Saturday and do our jobs. We know we have a big month ahead of us, with two midweek and three weekend games. If we want to come out of those games with the points we need, we’ll need to improve with chance creation and more importantly our finishing. We have to be more ruthless. We have played a lot of games since the start of the season, 16 in fact. I don’t like excuses, but I do believe the amount of games had taken it’s toll in the recent cup matches. We have used this week to our advantage with no midweek match to get the lads bodies recovered for Royston, and beyond, but we are still carrying a few knocks and niggles. Hopefully we can get a few bodies through the door, and be as strong as we can going into this Saturday. I am confident with the squad we have, that we can get a performance out of what we are trying to build.”

Oppostition Preview

Team Overview

Let’s have some fun and run through Royston’s squad and potential XI on Saturday. Let’s deep dive into who their players are, and who to keep an eye on.

In goal, Jamie Head, yes the man who had so much fun, and a bit of banter with our fans in the most recent meeting under the lights at The Grove, has started all eight league games for the Crows so far this campaign. The 31 year old featured 13 times in the league for Royston last season.

In the defense and starting with the fullbacks. James Brighton has started on the left side of the defense for every minute of this season’s league campaign, and missed just four of the Hertfordshire sides league games last season. At first glance, there is no clear out and out right back at Royston, although the most likely candidate for the role is the versatile Anton Matthews, who has started five of their eight league games. A new summer arrival from step 4 Witham Town, of whom he featured 36 times for in the league in the last campaign. The centre half options at Royston are eye catching, and with the depth they have, it’s hard to see why they’ve conceded almost twice a game on average. Luke Warner-Eley and captain Adam Murray are the two main options, having started all eight and seven league games respectively this season. The former signed from Bishop’s Stortford, of which he featured in 34 league games at, while Murray featured 31 times as the Crows captain last season. Archie Locke whose started three of his five appearances this season, and Harvey Beckett whose started two of his three can also do more than a job in the role.

In the middle of the park, Jack Thomas is the only man to have started every league game this season. The 27 year old featured in 36 of step 3 Cheshunt’s league games last season. Greek Thomas Avgoustidis, who recently turned 20 as recently as Today! notes down as an attacking midfielder but can also fill in further down the pitch more centrally, where he’s started five of his eight league games. The Birthday Boy if you’re reading this on Friday, is on loan from League One Leyton Orient, and featured in five league games, scoring once for step 3 Potters Bar Town. In regards to the rest of the midfielders, Jordan Frederick has started four of his seven league games this season, Jesse Akubuine four of his six, and Tom Newman who can also play up front, has featured three times off the bench.

In the attack, star man Kian Harness has started all eight league games and is their tied joint top scorer this league season with three goals. The striker featured 31 times in the Southern Premier Central across Bishop’s Stortford and the Crows last season, scoring seven goals. Josh Boorn is the only other attacking player to have started every Royston league game this campaign, having featured for Bedford Town, Marlow, and Bracknell Town last season. New striker Joe Iaciofano scored five National League South goals in 26 appearances for Hampton & Richmond Borough and Hemel Hempstead last season, but the needed replacement for the outgoing Luke Johnson has started three of his four games this season, but scored three times. Clinical. Rio ‘the real deal’ Deall, a recognisable face from last season’s relegation Hitchin Town recently joined the Crows in August, having scored nine goals in 32 league games for a relegated side last season. Wow. Harrison Rookard, the Royston scorer in the 2-1 Tuesday night game between the two in January, and Edward Toiny-Pendred round up the remainder of the Crows playing squad this season.

Statistical Insight

Royston

  • No other side have spent more days in the relegation of this season’s Southern Premier Central than Royston’s 60 days (as of 11 Oct).
  • Royston are one of two Southern Premier Central clubs who are yet to keep a league clean sheet this season, alongside Stratford Town.
  • Only Barwell (27) and AFC Sudbury (30) have picked up fewer points in the Southern Premier Central in 2025 than Royston’s 32.
  • Despite their league position and on a more positive note. Only four clubs in this season’s Southern Premier Central (Quorn, Kettering Town, Banbury United, and Redditch United) have scored more first half goals than Royston’s six.

Halesowen

  • Only Harborough Town (13) and Bishop’s Stortford and Spalding United (11) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 8.
  • Only Bishop’s Stortford, Quorn & St Ives Town (4) have scored more goals this season in the Southern Premier Central in the 15 minute period after half-time than our 3 goals.
  • Only Kettering Town (9) have won more points from losing positions this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 4. 
  • Only Harborough Town & Bishop’s Stortford (66), Quorn (54), Kettering Town (53), Spalding United (48), and Alvechurch (35) have spent more days in the top 5 of the Southern Premier Central than our 14 Days (as of 11 Oct).



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