Match Preview | Aveley (H)
Halesowen host Isthmian League side Aveley in the top of making the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round for the first time in 20 years
Head to Head
Aveley were founded in 1927, and since at least the start of the 1970’s there have been no meetings between them and us previously. Whether there was one beforehand is anyone’s guess.
Oppostition Preview
In goal for Aveley this season, summer arrival Joe Wright has started in all 10 games across all competitions. The 33 year old featured for National League South Enfield Town last season, where he made 13 league appearances and kept two clean sheets.
In the fullback positions, Harry Critchley (left) and Tobi Tinubu (right) have both started all 10 games across the league and FA Cup this season. The former (Critchley) signed in the summer from step 4 Brightlingsea Regent, where he made 23 league appearances and kept six clean sheets. While Tinubu signed in the summer from step 3 Canvey Island, of whom he made 37 league appearances for last season, a standout in a side whose league season saw them finish in 17th place.
The back four of Aveley has pretty much hardly changed this campaign, with centre halves Ryan Henshaw starting all 10 games and partner Jayden Gipson starting nine, and scoring twice. 32 year old Henshaw featured 36 times in the Southern Premier Central for AFC Sudbury last season, where he scored three goals and kept 11 clean sheets. 24 year old Gipson signed from step 4 side Cambridge City this summer, one of his seven clubs at his tender age, where he scored a remarkable eight goals in 38 league appearances. Fellow centre half Adam Bailey-Dennis has made two appearances off the bench this season. A player who like Critchley signed from Brightlingsea, having kept 11 clean sheets in 40 league appearances.
In the centre of the pitch, Ollie Peters has started all 10 games in all comps, having scored nine goals and featured in all 42 league games of AFC Sudbury’s Southern Premier Central season in the last campaign. Alongside Peters, Alejandro Machado has started nine league games, a Spanish born former Real Madrid academy starlet who signed from step 4 Grays Athletic in the summer where he scored 14 goals and featured in 37 league games. The rest of the central midfield has seen former Leiston man Albie Armin feature nine times this season (6 starts), former Bishop’s Stortford man Anthony Church feature three times (2 starts), and another signing from Brightlingsea Jayden Robinson feature seven times (4 starts – including two goals).
In the attacking midfielder roles Jayden Brissett has featured in 10 games, four of which starts, while Elliott Sartorius has featured nine times, three of which starts. A former Norwich City and Brentford academy man, 24 year old Brissett signed from step 3 Basingstoke this summer, but was more well known for scoring 35 goals in one season for step 5 Southall. 23 year old Sartorius signed in the summer from step 4 Grays Athletic, where he scored eight goals in 42 league appearances last season.
Out wide, Suley Zuhdu, Ryan Charles, and George Saunders have all featured in the attacking line. Their joint highest goalscorer this season, with four goals, Zuhdu has featured in all 10 games this season and signed from step 4 Walthamstow this summer, where he made five league appearances, but he mainly spent last season at step 5 Buckhurst Hill where he made 20 league appearances, scoring 11 goals. 29 year old Saint Lucia international Charles signed from Bishop’s Stortford where he made 23 Southern Premier Central appearances last season, scoring 3 goals. Charles who has started four games for Aveley this season, is recognised amongst Yeltz fans for featuring in the Concord Ranges side who beat us in the FA Trophy Semi-Final during the 2019/20 season. Finally 27 year old Saunders joined Aveley in the summer from step 2 Hornchurch where he made 27 National League North appearances last season. Right sided man Saunders has started nine games this season, has played for just three clubs in his 10 year plus career, and has over 50 league appearances in the National League under his belt.
In the centre forward position, two men have featured in the forward line, Rowan Liburd and Chris Harris. The former signed from step 3 Chatham Town this summer having scored seven goals in 34 league appearances. A St Kitts & Nevis international, the 33 year old has featured eight times this season, and has had 15 different clubs in his career, made over 75 appearances in the National League North/South, and has featured 15 times for his country, six of which in World Cup Qualifiers. The latter (Harris) signed in the summer from Canvey, where he made 39 league appearances and scored 12 goals across all comps (11 of which in the league). The 30 year old has made just three appearances off the bench in all competitions this season for Aveley.
Statistical Insight
Halesowen
- Only Harborough Town (13) and Bishop’s Stortford and Spalding United (11) have scored more second half goals this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 8.
- Only Bishop’s Stortford, Quorn & St Ives Town (4) have scored more goals this season in the Southern Premier Central in the 15 minute period after half-time than our 3 goals.
- Only Kettering Town (9) have won more points from losing positions this season in the Southern Premier Central than our 4.
- Only Harborough Town & Bishop’s Stortford (48), Quorn (36), Kettering Town (35), Spalding United (30), and Alvechurch (17) have spent more days in the top 5 of the Southern Premier Central than our 14 Days (as of 26 Sept).
Aveley
- Aveley have won just two of their last 10 league games across this and last season. (four of their last 12 including cup games)
- Aveley have been awarded four penalties this season in the all competitions, all of which have been converted.
- 11 of Aveley’s 16 goals in all competitions this season have come in the second half of matches.
- Aveley have kept just four away clean sheets in all competitions since November 2023.