Match Preview | Alvechurch (H)
The Yeltz make a swift return to The Grove against Alvechurch on Tuesday night looking to end a run of three games without a win
Head to Head
This is a fixture we have enjoyed at The Grove in recent memory. We haven’t lost to the Church at home in all competitions in our last 14, dating back to 1979. This includes a seven match winning run from 1983-1990.
The most recent meeting came at our home 11 months ago. It was a late show that gave us all three points, despite being denied the opener from a foul just after the 80th minute. Instead, it waited until the 83rd for Milan Butterfield to put us ahead, before Jason Cowley rounded the keeper in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal the win.
Opposition Overview
Manager (s)
Kyle Storer
The 39 year old is in his first managerial position, having been given the job at the start of this season after an interim period dating back to November last year. The former Wrexham, Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham Town & Solihull Moors player has won 17 of his 41 games in charge since replacing Tim Flowers.
Goalkeepers
Redman Evans
The 21 year old signed in the summer from Swindon Town. The young keeper spent the season on loan at the Church in the last campaign, where he kept 12 clean sheets in 40 league games. He has started all 10 of their league games this season, and has kept six clean sheets.
Defenders
Jessy Bavanganga
The 25 year old signed in the summer of 2025 from Rushall Olympic. The right back, who can also play at centre half, kept 10 clean sheets in 36 league games for the Church last season. He has started all 10 of their league games this season, but went off injured in the 19th minute of their game at the weekend against Bury Town.
Archie Crowther
The 22 year old signed in the summer from Leamington. The centre half played for the Church in the 2024/25 season, and was their only player in the campaign to feature in every league game. His season earnt him a move to step 2 King’s Lynn Town last summer, but proceeded to be sent out on loan to Kettering Town a month later. The defender kept one clean sheet in seven league appearances, before joining then step 2 Leamington from King’s Lynn in September last year. He ended the season with 21 National League North appearances, before rejoining Alvechurch. He has started all 10 of their league games this season.
George Forsyth
The 29 year old signed in the summer from Kettering. The former Yeltz man featured in 32 league games for the Poppies last season, having played for both Banbury United & Bromsgrove Sporting in the season prior. He has featured just twice this season for the Church, and both were as a substitute.
Jack Kelly
The 30 year old signed in the summer from Bromsgrove. The former Nottingham Forest academy man featured 31 times in the league last for the Rouslers, having starred in the 24/25 season for Redditch United. He has featured in all 10 of Alvrchurch’s league games this season, eight of which in the XI.
Harry Reilly
The 30 year old signed in the summer from Stratford Town. The right sided defender was one of the standout defenders in the 24/25 season, featuring in every league game for Banbury, before making 22 league appearances at the Bards last season. He has started all 10 of their league games this season.
Midfielders
Nick Clayton-Phillips
The 27 year old signed in the summer from Rushall. The midfielder played for the Yeltz at the start of the 24/25 campaign, and has featured for Redditch, Bromsgrove, as well as the Pics and now the Church. The former West Brom academy player made seven league appearances for Bromsgrove at the start of last season, before ending the campaign for Rushall. He has featured in all 10 of Alvechurch’s league games this season, six of which in the XI.
Billy Corns
The 20 year old signed in March from step 1 Solihull Moors. The young midfielder featured at step 4 Darlaston Town on loan from September last year to the New Year, before making seven league appearances for the Church upon his permanent move. He has featured just the once this season in the league, which was as a substitute in August.
Jonny Ngandu
The 24 year old signed in the summer of 2025 from Spalding United. The wide midfielder scored once in seven league games for the Church on loan at the end of the 24/25 season. The former Coventry City academy player scored twice in 34 league games last season for the Church. He has featured in all but one of their league games this season, five of those nine in the XI.
Jamey Osbourne
The 34 year old signed in the summer from Solihull. The midfielder ended an eight and a half year stay at the Moors, closing it out with one goal in 32 NL appearances last season. The man with over 250 NL matches to his name, as well as 21 EFL games, has scored twice and featured in all but nine of the Church’s league games this season, eight of those nine in the XI.
Sam Perry
The 24 year old signed in the summer of 2024 from Macclesfield FC. The midfielder and former Aston Villa youngster with 36 EFL appearances under his belt, featured in 31 of Alvechurch’s league games last season. He has featured in all but one of their league games this season, all nine of which in the XI.
Callum Sullivan
The 22 year old signed in the summer of 2024 from Birmingham City. The midfielder at his first permanent senior football club, scored three goals in 35 league appearances last season, also winning their Fan’s & Players’ POTS awards. He has featured in seven of their league games this season, all of which in the XI.
Kieran Wakefield
The 22 year old signed in the summer of 2024 from Birmingham. The attacking midfielder was the Church’s joint top scorer last season with six goals in all 42 of their league games. He has scored once and featured in every league game this season, seven of which in the XI.
Forwards
Jaiden Francis-Caesar
The 18 year old signed on loan from West Brom last week. This is the striker’s first taste of senior football, having scored three goals in 17 Premier League 2 games since the start of last season. The young forward has already played at The Grove this campaign, having scored West Brom XI’s second in our friendly back on 1st August. He made his Church debut at the weekend.
Manny Ilesanmi
The 21 year old signed in the summer from step 2 AFC Telford United. The young striker made three NL North appearances at the start of last season, before joining the Church on loan from December till the end of the campaign. The former Harrogate Town academy forward scored five goals in 21 league games. He has already scored four this season, and featured in all but one of their league games, five of the nine in the XI.
Will Marshall
The 20 year old signed in the summer. The young forward went out on dual registration with step 4 Coleshill Town for the first two months of the season, and scored once in seven league games. He made his Church debut in the weekend’s defeat to Bury.
Danny Newton
The 35 year old signed on a one-month loan from step 2 Harborough Town last week. The striker born in Liverpool scored 26 goals in 77 National League North appearances for Brackley Town across the 23/24 & 24/25 seasons. The man three shy of 100 goals at the level, scored three goals in 26 league games on route to Harborough’s title win last season. He made his Church debut at the weekend.
Tope Odabeyi
The 36 year old signed in the summer of 2025 from Kidderminster Harriers. The former Bolton Wanderers & Kilmarnock striker has over 100 EFL & 50 Scottish Premiership appearances to his name, and scored five times in 28 league games for Alvechurch last season. He has made five league appearances this season, all of which as a substitute.
Miracle Okafor
The 25 year old signed in the summer from Brackley. We know Miracle very well, as he was our top scorer our first season back at step 3 (2023/24), scoring 21 goals in all comps. The striker only played eight times last season, all in the NL North across both Brackley, and in a brief loan at Worksop Town. He has scored five goals for the Church this season and started all 10 of their league games.
Gus Sanches
The 22 year old signed in the summer from Quorn. The forward scored five goals in 36 league games last season across both Bromsgrove & Quorn. He has featured six times this season for the Church, all of which as a substitute.
Ben Stephens
The 29 year old signed in the summer from Harborough. The striker spent two seasons at the Bees, securing promotion last season, and scoring 31 goals in 72 league games across the two step 3 campaigns. He has scored once this season for Alvechurch in eight league games, half of those appearances in the XI.
Statistical Insight
Halesowen
• No other side in the league have conceded fewer first half goals this season than us (1)
• We are amongst four sides in the league who are yet to win a point from a losing position (alongside Bishop’s Stortford, Leamington & Stamford)
• We are the only side in the league yet to score a goal after the 76th minute this season
Alvechurch
• No other side in the league have kept more clean sheets this season than Alvechurch (6)
• Only Real Bedford (18) & Bromsgrove Sporting (12) have scored more second half goals this season in the league than Alvechurch (10)
• No other side in the league have conceded fewer second half goals this season than Alvechurch (2)
Tickets
Tickets for the game can be purchased on the gate with cash or card, for the following prices:
🎟️ £14 Adults, £11 Concessions, £8 U18’s, £4 U12’s
To speed up the process of getting into the ground for this fixture, and helping us out on the turnstiles, tickets can also be purchased online ⤵️
🔗 https://ht-fc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/alvechurch2627
Played for Both Teams
Yeltz: Ben Cassidy, Ryan Wollacott & Ty Barnett
Alvechurch: Miracle Okafor & George Forsyth & Nick Clayton-Phillips