Match Preview | Barwell (A)
Halesowen make the trip to Barwell just two days after the thumping win over Quorn, with a chance at finishing the night in the top 5
Head to Head
There have been 15 meetings between the two sides, but the Yeltz have only won five of those contests, which included two of the last three. The Yeltz have only won one of the last seven meetings at The Canaries Kirkby Road dating back to August 2014, and that win came in our last trip there, a 5-0 thrashing back in December 2024. Hopefully I have jinxed it with this next stat, but only four of the 15 meetings have featured more than two goals. A dull watch in prospect? The most recent meeting came last August, in our first home game of the current season. The Yeltz could not have asked for a better start when McKauley Manning opened the scoring just six minutes in to take his tally to two already this season. Barwell got their instant reply just three minutes later. A penalty was awarded and midfielder Prince Mancinelli stepped up and stroked the ball past Platt. A response to a half Russ Penn admitted was frustrating and lacked concentration needed to improve for the second 45, and it did. Jason Cowley opened his account for the club and added to his three goals in pre-season just eight minutes into the second half. The Yeltz added a third 20 minutes before the 90, as Kyle Finn scored his first Yeltz goal in the league since April 2022 during his first spell at the club.
Russ Penn’s Thoughts
“Our form is good against Barwell, but I am not sure whether it is just a coincidence. I like the 4G there. It is flat, and very big, which suits us. I don’t think there is a reason why we have performed well against Jimmy’s side. Nothing has stood out other than the fact that we on those days just played the better football. I think Barwell is having a good season this year compared to last. A lot expected much worse from them. There are a couple of sides unexpectedly in a worse place. A couple of local teams we know of. They are picking up points, and claimed a good win at home on Saturday so come into the game with confidence. Admittedly they did lose a couple of tough games beforehand, but there is no disgrace in that whatsoever. Barwell have troubled many sides this season, and we will have to be near enough our best on tonight if we want anything from the game. Jimmy Ginnelly (their manager) is like the godfather of non-league. He has to be respected, has lot of plans under his sleeve, and if you go there with too much confidence, his side will take advantage of you.”
Opposition Preview
Liam Castle – Goalkeeper
The 38 year old signed in 2024, but has a long history at Barwell which saw him make his debut for the club back in 2006. The veteran keeper featured in six league games last season, which included a clean sheet at The Grove. This season, Castle has only made two league appearances, but featured in the most recent game at the weekend.
Finn Osborn – Goalkeeper
The 19 year old signed in the summer from step 5 side Atherstone Town. The young keeper featured in all 34 league games plus their two play-off games, and kept a total of 10 clean sheets. This season, Osborn has featured in all but two of Barwell’s 31 league games, one of which the weekend’s game.
Billy Gough – Left Back
The 20 year old signed last week on loan from Championship side Derby County. The left sided defender is in his first stint of senior football, and started at the weekend for Barwell.
Jiah Medrano – Left Back
The 23 year old signed last month from St Ives Town. The full back who can also play further forward on the left, featured in 19 National League North games for Leamington last season. This season, Medrano appeared in 14 league games, and since his arrival at Barwell has played three times in the league, twice in the XI.
Saikou Brown – Centre Back
The 18 year old signed in the summer from step 5 Radford. The young defender has featured twice times for Barwell this season in the league, both of which off the bench.
Freddie Cook – Centre Back
The 20 year old signed in October from AFC Telford United, who he had only just joined in the summer from League One’s Cardiff City. The centre half featured five times in the Welsh League Cup, and six times in the Premier League Cup for Cardiff’s academy. This season Cook didn’t make a single appearance for Telford, but has started in all 22 league games since his arrival at The Canaries.
Elwalid Elhaghany – Centre Back
The 23 year old has signed in the summer from step 4 side Shepshed Dynamo, but failed to feature for the latter last season, and instead made one league appearance on dual registration with step 5 Gresley Rovers. The defender has featured 10 times in the league this season for Barwell, but only two of them has been in the starting XI.
Malaki Reeve – Centre Back
The 22 year old joined Barwell in the summer of 24. The centre half featured just once last season for the Canaries, but this season the former Coventry City academy man has made nine league appearances, all but one of which starts.
Jahdahn Fridye-Harper – Right Back
The 28 year old re-joined the club last week from step 2 AFC Telford United. The fullback featured 27 times in the league for the Canaries last season, before joining Telford and making 10 league appearances plus the two play-off games, where he scored in the final to make it 3-2. The defender featured in seven National League North games this season, and started the weekend’s game for Barwell on his return to the club.
Harry Hawkins – Defensive Midfielder
The 19 year old signed at the start of the month on loan from Derby County. The defensive midfielder featured 15 times on loan at Telford last season. Hawkins, who has 50 Premier League ‘2’ appearances in his career, featured in nine National League North games across loan spells at Bedford Town & Alfreton Town, before his move to Barwell where he has made three league appearances, all of which starts.
Charlie Dowd – Central Midfielder
The 26 year old signed in the summer from step 4 side Bedworth United. The former Burton Albion academy man featured in 15 league games last season, and since his arrival at Barwell has made 18 league appearances, all but two of which starts.
Ethan Hill – Central Midfielder
The 23 year old signed in the summer after a short spell at Leamington. The midfielder spent last season at Barwell, where he scored three goals in 39 league appearances. The former Nottingham Forest & Mansfield Town academy man featured five times in the National League North for Leamington, and since his return to Barwell in September has made 22 league appearances, all of which starts.
Prince Mancinelli – Central Midfielder
The 24 year old signed in January last year from now step 4 Basford United. The midfielder made 20 league appearances for the latter last season, before his winter move to Barwell where he made 16 league appearances at the end of the campaign. This season, Mancinelli has been a key man, scoring one of his five league goals at The Grove in the reverse fixture, and featuring in 25 league games this season, all but one of which in the XI.
Isiah Osbourne – Central Midfielder
The 38 year old signed in February 2024 from the former Nuneaton Borough. The veteran midfielder who started his career with Aston Villa in 2006 featured in 21 league games last season for Barwell. The man with over 200 Football League, 30 Scottish Premiership & 19 Premier League appearances has featured seven times this season, all but one of which in the XI.
Sonny Singh – Centre Midfielder
The 22 year old signed in the summer from Stoke City’s academy. The midfielder featured four times at step 5 for Atherstone Town on dual reg this season, and has also featured 21 times in the league for Barwell, 12 of which in the starting XI.
Tyree Wilson – Attacking Midfielder
The 23 year old signed in the summer from Kettering Town. The attacking midfielder/wide man scored twice in 32 league games for the Poppies last season. Since his arrival at Barwell, he has scored twice in 23 league appearances, just under half of which in the XI.
Mario Mendez – Left Winger
The 32 year old signed last month from step 5 side GNG Oadby Town. The winger scored 10 goals in 29 league appearances for the step 5 side this season. Since his arrival at Barwell he has made three league appearances, all of which starts.
Labeed Ahmada – Striker
The 18 year old re-joined in the summer from step 5 side Leicester Nirvana. The striker scored four goals in 17 league appearances for the Leicestershire side last season. Ahmada made three league appearances for Barwell at the start of last season, and since his return has made two league appearances this season, both off the bench.
Zayn Hakeem – Striker
The 27 year old signed in the summer from step 4 side Anstey Nomads. The former Nottingham Forest academy man featured in 37 league games plus the two play-off matches they featured in last season, scoring 10 league goal in the process. This season, Hakeem has scored seven goals in 29 league appearances, 25 of which starts.
Harrison Iwunze – Striker
The 20 year old striker joined on loan from Notts County, just over a weeks back. The young forward is playing his first season in non-league, and had spent a month on loan at Kettering Town in December where he came off the bench three times for the Poppies. Since his arrival at Barwell, he has made one league appearance off the bench.
Emmanuel Nnaji – Striker
The 27 year old, like Mendez signed last month from GNG Oadby Town. The striker scored eight goals in 28 league appearances for the step 5 side last season. Since his arrival at Barwell he has made three league appearances, one of which in the XI.
Jevin Seaton – Striker
The 31 year old signed in the summer from step 4 Grantham Town. The striker scored four goals in 17 league appearances last season, but since his arrival at Barwell has been more prolific, scoring five goals in 19 league appearances, eight of which starts.
Statistical Insight
Barwell
- Only AFC Sudbury with 25% (8/31), Stourbridge with 30% (9/30) & Stamford with 33% (10/30) have a lower scored first percentage this season in the Southern Premier Central than Barwell’s 38% (12/31)
- Only Stamford (21) & AFC Sudbury (20) have had more games this season without a first half goal in the Southern Premier Central than Barwell’s 18.
- Only us (12), Royston Town (11) & Bromsgrove Sporting (10) have conceded more goals in the opening 15 minutes of Southern Premier Central games this season than Barwell’s 9.
- Only Royston Town (10) have had fewer goalscorers this season in the Southern Premier Central than Barwell’s 12.
Halesowen
- Only Spalding United (46) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 39.
- Only Spalding United (20) have scored more goals in the Southern Premier Central this season after the 76th minute than our 17.
- No other side in the Southern Premier Central this season have conceded more goals in the first 15 minutes than our 12.
- Only Stamford (21), Barwell, Stourbridge & AFC Sudbury (19) & Alvechurch (18) have had more games this season in the Southern Premier Central without a first half goal than our 16.