Match Preview | Harborough Town (A)

By Ben Ditchfield | 4 September 2025 | Comments Off on Match Preview | Harborough Town (A)

Halesowen face the toughest match so far this season with a trip to The Beehive to take on unbeaten and title ‘favourites’ in many’s eyes Harborough Town

Head to Head

The Yeltz have faced Harborough four times since the Bees were formed in 1975. The fixture has seen us have four different men in the dugout, Russ Penn, Paul Smith and the duo of Craig Nicholls & Martin Sockett. The Yeltz have amazingly had six different goalscorers for the six goals we have scored in the four matches, in order of : Simeon Cobourne, Josh Ezewele, Nathan Hayward, Jamie Insall, Kieren Donnelly & Conor Tee. The most recent meeting came back in March, when the top of the table Yeltz travelled to the 6th placed Bees. Early on, Ben Cassidy’s vital interception gave away what turned into five successive Bees corners, of which Josh Walsh and Luis Rose stood over. The latter from one of them managed to lift the ball on top of Dan Platt who had to awkwardly palm the ball over the bar. Crucial defensive interceptions from the likes of Conor Tee and Ryan Wynter was a feature throughout a testing opening 45. The Yeltz goal came in the first minute of the second half, a goal that happened so quick I was still coming back from the Harborough clubhouse after using the toilet. Thankfully kit man and Radio Halesowen Town co-commentator Nick Morgan was on hand to let me know what happened when I got back to my media seat. Harborough pushed the Yeltz back for the majority of the second half, and in a period where Russ Penn prior to the game had said he was ‘happy’ with the way his side finished matches, Harborough’s late pressure paid with an 86th minute Juttore Burgess equaliser. A break away with a Ben Starkie run and pass to Riley O’Sullivan, allowed the latter to give the ball to Dempsey Arlott-John to set up Burgess’ left footed strike to the bottom right. We should have stole all three points when Kieren Donnelly, who had missed two 1v1’s with Elliott Taylor earlier on, missed from five yards out in stoppage time after a scramble following a corner. A match of missed chances and game that Russ Penn labelled in his post match interview ‘neither deserved to win’.

Russ Penn’s Thoughts

“I was delighted with the performance and more importantly the result on Tuesday night. We took the game to Stratford and after we scored we pretty much controlled the whole game. We are getting good numbers at the top end of the pitch and that’s something that definitely wins you games. To get our first clean sheet of the season is always an achievement too so credit to the whole team for that. Overall a good week and a very good reaction from the Worcester game. Harborough will be a completely different test. A physical, well organised team who have made great strides under their chairman and manager over the years. A team we will respect very much on the day. But as I’ve always said Saturday must be about us. If we perform to our capabilities we are a match and more for anyone at this level. We will go there in confidence and will be looking to perform like we did on Tuesday. I know the fans once again will be out in numbers and we look forward to playing in front of a well attended away stand once again.”

Oppostition Preview

New Signings

The Bees have made six new signings, and they all hold high esteem. The duo from National League North Champions Brackley Town have arrived at The Bee Hive. Striker Danny Newton scored 19 goals at step 2 in the 2023/24 season, and seven goals in 32 National League North appearances last season. Not too shabby. Oh, and not to forget a National League North inductee from the last campaign George Carline, who scored seven goals and kept 18 clean sheets in 42 games from right back. Blimey. Just as if you thought it couldn’t get any better, Brady Hickey arrived in Leicestershire. Well he already played in the county and just moved a short 24 miles to Harborough. The midfielder needs no introduction, 18 goals for a side who finished 19th just proves the point. The other three new arrivals, Eliot Putman arrives with 40 NL North appearances under his belt for Peterborough Sports in the last campaign. Defender James kept 14 clean sheets for step 4 Uxbridge, while Devon Kelly-Evans was a stalwart in Kettering Town’s midfield last season. The final incoming.

Summer Departures

There have not been many, as Harborough made a theme of announcing retained player after retained during the summer, and who can blame the ones would wanted to stay under such an exciting project. Dan Cooper and Ben Starkie, the only two announced departures. Defender Cooper announced his retirement from football during the summer, while Starkie left to join National League Truro City.

Team Overview

In goal, Elliott Taylor who featured in 39 league games last season, kept 13 clean sheets, and conceded just 35 goals, has featured in every league games too date this campaign. In the fullback spots, George Carline has most likely featured at right back in all of the five league games he has started, while Eliot Putman has most likely picked up the left back spot. In the centre of defense Alex Morris has started all five league games, while Liam Dolman has started four, and new man James Taylor has featured four times off the bench. In the midfield, Josh Walsh has started in all five league games, while Devon Kelly-Evans and defensive midfielder Connor Kennedy have started four. The forward line has seen star man Riley O’Sullivan start every league game too date this season, scoring three times. While Danny Newton has scored once in four starts, and top scorer in the last campaign Ben Stephens has started three times. As with Harborough’s insane amount of squad depth, I haven’t even mentioned Brady Hickey and Dempsey Arlott-John who have featured in every league game so far, mostly off the bench, as well as young forward Jutorre Burgess, midfielder Luis Rose and defender Paul Malone who have all featured sparingly so far.

Statistical Insight

Harborough

  • Only Real Bedford (61) have picked up more points out of every Southern Premier Central side in 2025 than Harborough’s 57.
  • Only Bishop’s Stortford with 100% (5/5) have a higher scored first percentage this season in than Harborough’s 80% (4/5).
  • Only Bishop’s Stortford (9) have scored more second half goals and second half goals at home (6) than Harborough’s seven and five respectively.
  • Only Bishop’s Stortford (285) have led for more minutes this season than Harborough’s 250.

Halesowen

  • Only AFC Telford United (41), Spalding United (35), and Bromsgrove Sporting (32) scored more first half goals last season than the Yeltz’s 30.
  • Only Stratford Town (21), Banbury United (22), and Alvechurch (23) conceded fewer second half goals last season than the Yeltz’s 24.
  • Only Spalding United (19) and AFC Telford United (17) scored more goals in the 15 minute period before half-time in the league last season than the Yeltz’s 15.
  • Only AFC Telford United (23), Spalding United (21), and Bedford Town (19) won more points from losing positions in the league last season than the Yeltz’s 18.
Posted in Club News, Match News, Match Previews