Match Preview | Leek Town (H)

By Ben Ditchfield | 3 October 2025 | Comments Off on Match Preview | Leek Town (H)

Halesowen host Northern Premier step 3 side Leek Town as we look to continue our ‘nonleaky’ recent defensive record

Head to Head

There have been seven meetings between the two sides since Leek were formed in 1946, and this will be the first for almost a decade. The first meeting in August 1994 was an astonishing 5-4 scoreline at The Grove, but in the favour of the Blues. In the following league fixture against Leek in the 1994/95 season, we lost 3-0. The next game between the pair didn’t come until October 2012, 6,208 days after the last. From the 2012/13 to the 2015/16 season, the two played each other five times, four in the league and one in the cup. We won three of the fixtures, the two most recent meetings at The Grove, and kept two clean sheets.

Oppostition Preview

The goalkeeper position has mixed around so far this season for the Blues. First choice and 36 year old former Hereford man Dino Visser has started nine of Leek’s 13 games in all competitions. The South African, who spent the first decade of his career playing in South Africa, has listed Exeter City, Crewe Alexandra, and Port Vale amongst his former clubs, although never made an EFL appearance. Xander Parke has started the other four games. The 21 year old St Kitts & Nevis international used to play for Stoke City and Shrewsbury Town’s academy sides and is now in his third season at Leek.

In the full back positions Tom Curl, Ollie Heywood and Liam Buckley can all play versatile roles. Tom Curl, who can play on the left and right side of defense has started 10 of the 13 games he’s played this season. The 20 year old former Stoke City academy man is at just his second senior club, having also played for Hanley Town on loan. Ollie Heywood has started just five league games this season, but appeared seven times off the bench. The 22 year old signed in the summer from step 2 Chester, can play at left back and in midfield, and racked up 47 National League North appearances before his 21st birthday. Finally Liam Buckley, mainly a right back, but can also play left, has started 11 of his 13 games in all competitions this season, and once played for Cefn Druids in Wales.

The club have used four different players that can play centre half, in a squad that has seen 21 different players used in total. The main central defensive partnership has seen Julius Ndene and Liam Edward’s start 11 times and 10 times respectively in Leek’s 13 games. Julius Ndene is a 22 year old defender who like many Leek players used to play for Stoke City’s academy. Liam Edwards, one of the more experienced players in Leek’s squad, used to play for Stoke’s and Bolton Wanderers’ academy, in which he featured six times in League One for the latter in the 2019/20 season. Edwards has also made 79 National League North appearances across Chester and Southport. The two other players in Leek’s squad who can play centre half are Matt Fenton and Charlie Hayes-Green. Both have started two games, the former combining it with seven appearances off the bench. Fenton has had just two senior clubs at the current age of 25, and signed in the summer from step 5 1874 Northwich. 20 year old Hayes-Green is on a current two month loan from National League Halifax Town, and used to play for Liverpool’s academy.

In the midfield, Leek have six options amongst their ranks. So let’s go through them. Billy Reeves, a defensive midfielder, has started 11 of his 13 appearances this season, and the Welshman has 12 League One appearances under his belt for Port Vale, while his was a teenager. Hayden Campbell, a central midfielder has started six games this season. The 23 year old featured in Port Vale and Salford City’s academy sides, and has made 43 National League North appearances for Farnborough. Adam Porter has started in the centre of midfield eight times in his 11 appearances this season for Leek. The former Stoke academy man has eight National League appearances for Altrincham and 40 National League South appearances for Truro City under his belt. Ollie Shenton has started seven of his 12 games, and has had a very impressive too date. The former Stoke academy man has featured seven times on Stoke’s first team bench in the Premier League, and his claim to fame was a one minute cameo off the bench for them against Man City at 17 in the 2014/15 Premier League season. Shenton has also made 125 appearances in the National League North across three different clubs. The final other central midfielder Lucas Weir, has scored twice in his seven starts this season and played in the US for a year back in 2020. Finally attacking midfielder Jack Griffiths has started all four of his games this season, and scored once on dual registration with National League Rochdale.

Leek have a number of options in the attacking third. Alex Hurst who can play in almost any position on the pitch, but mainly through the middle or on the left of the forward line is the only Leek player to start all 13 games in all competitions this season. Hurst, who has four goals this campaign, is an experienced player, having played 21 times in League Two for Crewe, 38 times in the National League for York City, and 57 times in the National League North for Bradford Park Avenue. Connor Heath has started nine times in the attack and signed from fellow step 3 side Hyde United in the summer. Heath has previously played in Wales for six months in a spell at Colwyn Bay, while he has made 38 National League North appearances for Southport. Jordan Hodkin, an 18 year old on loan from Crewe has scored twice this season in eight appearances (four starts), and has also featured for 21 minutes in Crewe’s Carabao Cup tie against Stockport County in August. Tyreece Onyeka has also featured eight times (three starts), and has previously in his career played five minutes of football in the Football League. Will Russ has featured and started the same amount of games as Onyeka in the attack. The 22 year old currently on loan from step 2 Southport where he made 22 National League North appearances, is a former Leicester City academy starlet who is currently on his 5th loan in non-league. Finally the last Leek man to speak of is Tom Lawrence. No not the former Man United, Derby County and Rangers player, Lawrence instead is a former Chester academy player of whom he signed from for Leek this summer, and is currently on dual registration with 1874 Northwich.

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).

Leek

  • Leek are currently on a three match losing streak. The last time they lost four games in a row in all competitions was March 2017.
  • Leek have failed to score this season in six of their 13 matches.
  • 13 of the 21 goals Leek have conceded this season have come in the second half of games.
  • Leek have made the First Round Proper of the FA Trophy just once in the last 11 years and twice in the last 20 years. Leek have made the Final of the FA Trophy back in 1990, losing 3-0 to Barrow at the old Wembley.
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