Match Preview | Leiston (H)
Head to Head
There have been seven known historical meetings between the two sides, and the first came seven years ago in a 4-0 away defeat for the Yeltz. In the three resulting meetings before the 2024/25 campaign, there was a win, draw and defeat a piece, before a second win and draw followed against our hosts last season. The most recent meeting came in a 2-2 draw in the first game of the current season. The Yeltz were rocked early on by a 13th minute own goal from the unfortunate Jak Hickman. The defender was helplessly forced to turn the ball in his own net, after Joao Rangel squared the ball across the box. We found a late first half equaliser through McKauley Manning, after a terrific cross from Hickman and header across the goal from Jason Cowley. A half-time substitution saw Walsall loanee Charlie Wragg arrive onto the pitch for his 18th league appearance in a Yeltz shirt. The teenager gave us the lead 10 minutes after his arrival into the game, after Hickman got around the back of the defense and squared across for Wragg to smash into the top right from a tight angle. We had to withstand a lot of Leiston pressure in the closing stages, and eventually their pressure paid. A left footed cross from fullback Seb Dunbar went straight towards the star man Rangel, who added to his early assist to slam home the equaliser. A point a piece the reward for a topsy turvy game.
Russ Penn’s Thoughts
“We have worked hard over the last week to prepare for this game and try and tighten up from our last few games defensively and as a team. The mood around the group after a couple of difficult comebacks from bad positions has made it a bit more buoyant. Now we are creating a lot of chances and if we can sort it out at the back, the results will come. We must respect Leiston. They will have a long trip to just five days before Christmas, but that will only motivate them to come away with a result. I have said it all season and will not stop for the rest of the campaign, but my only concern is us and starting the game well. We haven’t done recently, but if we start to, we will have some good afternoons. We are now at the halfway stage, but it has been a first half of the season which I have not been entirely happy with. Content, yes, but not happy. We all know we have dropped some serious points this season and drawn a lot of matches when the games have been there for us to win. It is in our hands to get where we want to be, but the league is tough, and all we need to do is fight. Overall, I am excited to see where the second half of the season can take us.”
RUSS ON JASON COWLEY’S INJURY
“Jason is in contention for the game today. He has been going through some severe treatment and still is after that nasty bang in training the other week. I was happy going forward with the way we dealt with not having him on the pitch last weekend, and against Stourbridge last month when he was suspended. One thing we do miss though is his leadership. He is a leader of men, works hard without the ball, and I think we have missed that. Jase is an allrounder and offers a lot for us out of possession, which we have missed. As you would expect we are wrapping him up in cotton wool at the minute, so I can’t say for definite if he is available.”
Opposition Preview
Billy Johnson – Goalkeeper
The 26 year old is in his second season at Leiston having signed from step 4 Wroxham at the start of the 2024/25 campaign. The former Norwich City academy man featured in all but four of Leiston’s league games last season, and has featured & started in all but one of their 20 league games so far this campaign.
Marcus Mehew – Goalkeeper
The 18 year old who came through the Blues’ academy featured in & started two league games last season for the Blues at just 17. The teenager has started just the one league game this season, at home to Quorn in early September.
Wyatt Hill – Right Back
The 32 year old joined from step 4 Wroxham in the summer of 23. The centre half featured in 29 league games last season for the Blues, 24 of which starts, and has featured 16 times this season, all but two in the starting XI.
Ben Batho – Centre Back
The 19 year old who came through the Blues’ academy featured in 13 times last season, but only one of them in the starting XI. The defender has featured eight times for Leiston this season in the league, half of which in the starting XI. The teenager also featured in & started 13 league games on loan at step 4 Brantham Athletic this campaign, but is now back at Leiston.
Kyle Callan-McFadden – Centre Back
The 30 year old Irishman signed in the summer from step 2 King’s Lynn Town having featured 36 times in the National League North last season, all but two in the starting XI. The centre half who once played for Orlando City in the MLS (USA) has featured in & started 16 league games this season.
Eddie Jackson – Centre Back
The 23 year old joined in the summer of 23 after a lengthy spell in the Norwich City academy. The young centre half featured in & started 36 league games last season, and like Seb Dunbar, has featured in every Leiston league game this season, all of which starts.
Seb Dunbar – Left Back
The 33 year old is in his fourth season at Leiston, having already previously been at the club from 2012-13 & 2017-19. The left sided defender featured in 22 league games last season, 16 of which starts, but could already match that this weekend, having featured in all 21 league games this season, all of which in the XI.
Cam Rayworth – Defensive Midfielder
The 20 year old who came through the Blues’ academy featured in 17 league games last season, nine of which starts for the club in his first season as a first team player. The young midfielder has featured nine times this season in the league, four of which in the XI.
Fraser Alexander – Central Midfielder
The 22 year old joined the club at the start of last season from the then relegated step 2 side Bishop’s Stortford. The central midfielder who can also player further back featured in & started all but two league games last season for Leiston. Alexander is the third player at the club who has featured in & started all 21 league games for the club this season, alongside Seb Dunbar & Eddie Jackson.
Willie Clemons – Central Midfielder
The 31 year old signed in the summer from step 4 side Felixstowe & Walton who failed to achieve promotion to step 3 last season, in which Clemons featured in 33 league games last season, and the additional two play-off games. The midfielder has featured in 14 league games for the Blues this season, 10 of which starts.
Jude Frostick – Central Midfielder
The 19 year old signed in the summer from the academy of National League side Boston United, having featured once for the latter’s first team last season (in the National League Cup). The teenager has featured in 15 league games for Leiston this season, eight of which in the starting XI.
Ryan Jarvis – Central Midfielder
The 39 year old joined Leiston in the summer of 22 from fellow west coast side Lowestoft Town. The veteran midfielder has four Premier League and over 250 Football League appearances under his belt dating all the way back to 2003, and featured in 15 league games for Leiston last season, 11 of which starts. Jarvis has featured in & started 12 league games for this season so far.
Jack Manly – Central Midfielder
The 21 year old signed just over two years ago from step 4 side Maldon & Tiptree, having previously been at the club on loan from Ipswich Town in the 2023/24 season. The young midfielder made three league appearances for Maldon & Tiptree at the start of last season, before making 17 for the Blues, all but three off the bench. Manly has featured 15 times in the league this season, all but three in the starting XI.
Ewan Parlett – Central Midfielder
The 17 year old who came through the Blues’ academy featured twice off the bench last season for the first team in the league. The young midfielder has also featured twice of the bench this season.
Joao Rangel – Right Winger
The 24 year old born in Portugal who represents Timor-Leste signed in the summer from fellow east coast side Lowestoft Town. The right sided winger scored six goals in 36 league appearances last season, and for his new side this season, he’s already matched those six goals, in just 19 appearances, all but three in the starting XI.
Ronnie Blois – Striker
The 18 year old signed in the summer from step 5 side Dereham Town where he scored six goals in 21 league appearances. The young striker has scored four goals for his new step 3 side in 17 league appearances, 10 of which in the XI.
Ben Fowkes – Striker
The 26 year old scored 8 goals in 39 league appearances in his first season at the Blues last season. The striker also spent time at the club from September 2022 to July 2023, and has missed just one league game this season, starting all but two of those 20, and scoring four times.
Harvey Sayer – Striker
The 22 year old spent last season at Lowestoft Town where he scored a remarkable 16 goals in all 42 of the relegated sides league games. The young striker was rewarded with a move to National League side Tamworth where he scored twice in 12 league games. Now the striker is on loan for a month at Leiston, and has already scored once in five league games, all but one starts.
Adam Mills – Left Winger
The 28 year old joined in February this year from the then step 2 side Needham Market. The left sided winger/midfielder scored twice in 26 National League North appearances last season, before making the move to Leiston and scoring four times in 15 league appearances, all but two in the starting XI. This season, Mills has scored five goals, and featured in all but two of their league games, starting all but one of those 19.
Statistical Insight
Halesowen
- Only Spalding United (34) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 26.
- Only Spalding United (16) have scored more goals in the Southern Premier Central this season after the 76th minute than our 13.
- No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have had more games without a first half goal at home than our 8.
- Only Royston Town (16), AFC Sudbury (15) & Leiston (14) have dropped more points in the Southern Premier Central this season from winning positions than our 13.
Leiston
- Only Harborough with 72% (13/18) have a higher scored first percentage in the Southern Premier Central this season than Leiston’s 66% (14/21).
- Only Spalding (34) & us (26) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than Leiston’s 21.
- Only Royston (16) & Sudbury (15) have dropped more dropped more points from winning positions this season in the Southern Premier Central than Leiston’s 14.
- Only Stourbridge (14) & Royston (12) have conceded more first half goals away from home this season in the Southern Premier Central than Leiston’s 11.