Dec 30, 20245 min read

Match Preview | Bromsgrove Sporting (H)

Updated: Dec 31, 2024

Halesowen face a re-born Bromsgrove Sporting side in what is the seventh game in the space of a month and third in a week in a local New Year's Day matchup

Written by Ben Ditchfield

A New Year's Day classic could be on the cards between two towns that are separated by just 12 miles, as Russ Penn's side come up against a rejuvenated Sporting.

This is just the fifth meeting between the two sides since our opponents were founded back in 2009, after a group of supporters and directors formed them from the old Bromsgrove Rovers, who were in severe financial difficulties and faced closure.

Halesowen have won three of the four meetings, that subsequently hasn't yet featured a draw. The most recent victory came in the clubs 2-1 win against The Rouslers at The Victoria Ground in August. The side went behind to the now Yeltz loanee Charlie Wragg after just 20 minutes, but the side responded brilliantly to the setback and just under 20 minutes later, found themselves ahead thanks to Kieren Donnelly's equaliser and a Nat Kelly screamer that proved to be the winner of the contest.

This is the first time since the 2021/22 season that the side will be playing on the day of the turn of the year. That match saw the side come away with a 4-0 home victory over Sporting Khalsa thanks to goals from Simeon Cobourne, Richard Gregory, Joshua Hawker and Christopher Lait. The Yeltz have a brilliant record of just one defeat in the last six matches they have played on the 1st of January since the 2009/10 season.

The game will mark the return from suspension for Ryan Wynter, following his absence from the games against Redditch, Telford and Bedford. Three games that saw the side concede six goals, compared to the six we conceded in the seven games prior to his suspension. After a positive display off the bench on Saturday, Charlie Wragg could be line for his first start for the club, against the side this Wednesday, where he spent three months on loan, earlier this campaign, where he featured 12 times in the league, scoring 3 goals.

The game will also see Conor Tee, who has scored six league goals and eight in all competitions for the Yeltz this season, come up against his old side, a place where he scored 11 league goals from February 2023 to February 2024, where he then joined Rushall Olympic before joining Russ Penn's side in the summer. Radio Halesowen Town's Ben Ditchfield, spoke with Yeltz boss Russ Penn about the player ahead of this weekends fixtute. "I have been really impressed with Conor since he joined, he is a great character on and off the pitch and is a very technically gifted footballer."

"He is someone i enjoy working with, he is always fit and available for training, of which he never misses a session. He has gone under the radar at times this season, but he has featured in a lot of games and always gives 100%. I don't like to use the phrase 'true pro' but he isn't far from that and always dedicates his body and time to the game."

Penn also spoke on our opponents stating, "It will be really tough, their league position means nothing, i will approach the game the same, whoever we play. It can be dangerous against teams near the bottom of the table because they come here with nothing to lose. They go ruthless with their attacking instincts, could change formation and come here with the attitude off 'we're coming to Halesowen and will have a right go'. On the other hand, an early goal or a quick start to the game, could shatter their confidence and put us in a good position to be in for an exciting day."

"I will always look back to the game against Hitchin here, who were at the bottom at the time, and we lost 4-0, a game i will never forget with how bad i felt after the match. We must learn from that day, it happened, which means it can again, hopefully it will not but it is still there , so we have to respect a side like Bromsgrove. There has been a lot of change at Bromsgrove, including new players and a new manager, I am impressed with Scott's start at the club, he is dedicated to the job and will have a plan of how to beat us. I believe it will be a different contest to the one a few months for them, but not for us, we must carry the momentum we have had at times this season, that has included aspects like pride, emotion and speed. We have he ability to entertain with the goals we have scored and we want to do it again."

Our opponents are currently in the relegation zone and prior to the month of November had won just three out of 13 league games. This is the end of a tough week and a half of fixtures for the side, but they have passed the tests with flying colours, picking up wins against Stratford Town and Stourbridge as well as an 88th minute equaliser against Spalding United at the weekend. The side finished last season in 17th and started this season promisingly with two wins in their first three league games in what was then former Yeltz promotion winning boss Paul Smith’s side, whose team then went on a run of just one league win in 12 games before his departure from the club.

His departure led to the appointment of Scott Adey-Linforth as caretaker manager, where he oversaw two wins in his first two games against Pershore Town in an 8-2 win and a victory over Barwell by three goals to nil. The interim boss was then promoted to the role of manager following that string of results, where he fell to two defeats without scoring against AFC Sudbury and Alvechurch. He then got before a big win against Royston, the weekend after the midweek match where the latter got a win over the Yeltz, before winning the following two matches, the first time since January 2020 that Bromsgrove had won three successive league games, prior to the draw against Spalding.

Despite the sides recent woes, Jamie Meddows has been a shining light in Bromsgrove’s season. The frontman has featured in all 29 games this season for the side in all competitions, scoring 11 goals, six more goals than the next highest scorer, Theo Robinson who has five.

Stats show that Bromsgrove have a poor record that the Yeltz could get at. A lead at half time is almost as good as a victory over The Rouslers, as they have won just one of their last 61 league games dating back to February 2019 when losing at half time. They also haven’t won in their last 21 league games when conceding first with their last win when level at the break coming in the game against Halesowen at The Victoria Ground in September 2023.

Key Seasonal Stats

Halesowen

League Position - 2nd

Season Record - PL27 14W 3D 10L 49GS 37GC

Form (Last 5 Games) - LWWLL

Top Scorer - Kieren Donnelly (18 Goals)

Most Appearances - Todd Parker (27)

Most Starts - Ryan Wollacott (26)

Biggest League Win - 5-0 vs Lowestoft Town & Barwell (Away - 5th November & 14th December)

Biggest League Defeat - 4-0 vs Hitchin Town (Home - 21st September)

Longest Unbeaten Run - 6 Games (5th October - 16th November)

Longest Winless Run - 3 Games (30th November - 14th December)