Match Preview | Spalding United (H)
Halesowen look to avoid the dodgy Friday forecast for a chance to host second place Spalding United at The Grove on Saturday
Head-to-Head Record
The Yeltz have won four of the seven contests against Spalding since the start of the 2021/22 season. All four of which very memorable, a 3-0 away and home win in November 2021 and February 2023 respectively, a 2-1 94th minute win in the last meeting at The Grove, and the history making play-off final extra time home win in April 2023.
Russ Penn’s Thoughts
“There is always a game around the corner, and that is what we can say about this game after last weekend. We have things to rectify from the display in Suffolk last Saturday, but one thing’s for sure, I thought the second half performance was excellent. The only issue is that at half-time we gave ourselves too much to do. We have a chance to put that right today. I want our mentality to be different, as to what it was last weekend. Starting slow has been a common trait in our performances in recent weeks. A bad 20 minutes as we have seen can cost you the game, and that showed against Bury and in some other fixtures this season. Fortunately for us we have held out and have got the points we have warranted. I want the fans to keep faith in the lads, now and until the end of May. Your support has been amazing so far, but it can only continue like this if we give you something to feed off, which we have been doing that in recent weeks, Spalding for me is our toughest test of the season so far. Them and Harborough have set the mark and spent the most which is why they are the two sides to beat. I don’t think anyone is surprised that Spalding are where they are, but I know they will be disappointed with the games where they have unexpectedly dropped points, like us. Most notably last weekend when they lost at home to St Ives after winning, but I always say we can be anything we want. I mean that in a good way but also a bad way. We have shown this season at Harborough, at Quorn, at home to Needham Market and Real Bedford that we are not afraid of the big boys near the top in this league. We must carry on the belief, put the focus on ourselves, and on the remaining five tough fixtures this month. I want us to start it off today by putting in a performance from the start, which if we do, I am confident the result will come our way.”
Opposition Preview
In goal for the Tulips, there has been a lot of change since the end of last season. Tony Breedon started the opening 24 league games of the last campaign, before Aaron Chapman took over the number 1 jersey in the other 18 games. The latter in fact who kept eight clean sheets, but both of which have since left the club. This season, Spalding have used three keepers, Aaron Chapman (3 appearances), Paul Jones (4 appearances), and the current number 1 James Dadge, who has started eight league games, including the last six. 21 year old Dadge is currently on loan from Northampton Town, having made three league appearances on loan at Kettering Town last season.
The defense is much changed from last season as well with five news faces in the backline. In the left back spot, Matt Bondswell has started nine league games of the 15 this season. The 23 year old joined in the summer from Peterborough Sports, of whom he made 11 National League North appearances for last season, having made the one National League appearance for Hartlepool United beforehand. At right back, new arrival from Kettering Town, Ben Hart has also started nine league games too date. The 25 year old featured 39 times for the Poppies last season. In the centre half positions, there is some real depth. The main pairing has seen Connor Johnson and Liam Moore start 13 and 11 league games this season so far respectively. 27 year old Johnson is a former Wolves academy player, and signed in the summer from Kettering Town, of whom he made 36 league appearances for last season. 32 year old Moore is probably the biggest name in the Tulips squad. The former Leicester City academy player featured 24 times in the league for the Tulips last season, but has 11 Premier League, over 250 EFL Championship, and 32 League ½ appearances under his belt. As backups at the centre of the defense, 23 year old Ben Blyhe has started seven of his 11 league appearances this campaign, having made three appearances on loan at step 4 Bourne Town, and joined Spalding in the summer from step 4 Bradford Park Avenue, of whom eh made 30 league appearances for last season. While Lewis White, 24, has started three of his seven games, having joined in late August from Kettering Town, who he made 23 league appearances for the Poppies last season.
The midfield from last season has been kept intact. Four of the seven current midfielders at the club featured in the last campaign for the Tulips. The main midfield trio this season has included Alfie Bendle, Dan Lawlor, and Dion Sembie-Ferris, who have all featured in every league match. 20 year old Bendle has started all but one, having signed in the summer from Colchester United. The central midfielder featured for Colchester’s u21’s, and a combined 32 times in the National League South on loan across Chelmsford and St Albans City. 31 year old Lawlor and 29 year old Sembie-Ferris are two of the four who featured for the Tulips last season. Both central midfielders, Sembie-Ferris has started all but one of their games this season, while Lawlor has started 12. Both players made 27 league appearances for the club last season having both signed in November 2024. The rest of the midfield has rarely rotated. Josh McCammon has started nine league games having signed from Peterborough Sports in the summer, but the other three midfielders (Jordon Nicholson, Lamine Sherif, and Curtis Thompson) only have the six combined starts this campaign.
The attacking depth isn’t as stacked as the other positions, but boy is the quality there for all to see. Between all four forwards, there have been a whopping 27 goals, more from four players than any other side’s in the Southern Premier Central’s whole squad in the league, except for Quorn. Let’s run through the four. Former Rangers academy man Jack Roberts is the only Tulips player who has started every league game this season. The 20 year old has nine league goals, having scored 14 in the whole of last season across the Tulips and Bishop’s Stortford. Former Derby County academy player Bartosz Cybulski has started 13 of his 15 league games this season, and scored 10 goals. The only player in the division with double figures. The 23 year old 6 foot 4+ striker has four EFL Championship appearances under his belt for Derby, and featured 33 times for the Tulips last season, scoring 12 goals. 30 year old Gambian and former Hereford man Yusifu Ceesay has started all 11 of his league games this season, scoring six goals. The striker has over 150 National League appearances to his name, 43 of which he made last season for Hereford, scoring 10 times. Finally, Abduramane Sano-Sani completes the attacking Tulips attacking four. The 26 year old from Guinea-Bissau has scored twice in his 12 league appearances this season, just the one start, having made 20 last season for the club, and scored six goals.
Statistical Insight
Halesowen
• No other side in the league have scored the first goal at home more times this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 71% (5/7).
• Only Bishop’s Stortford (11), and Harborough Town (10) have scored more second half goals at home this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 9.
• Only Bury Town (58) have made more substitutions in the Southern Premier Central this season than our 56.
• Only Banbury United & Harborough Town (21) have used fewer players in the Southern Premier Central this season than our 22.
Spalding
• Only Harborough Town (77) have picked up more points in 2025 in the Southern Premier Central than Spalding’s 70.
• No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have scored more second half goals than Spalding’s 23. 15 of which away from home, almost a league high.
• No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have scored more goals in the 15 minute plus stoppage time period before half-time than Spalding’s 7.
• No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have scored more goals in the 15 minute plus stoppage time period before full-time than Spalding’s 10.