Match Preview | Lowestoft Town (H)

Halesowen host a leaky Lowestoft Town side with the aim of returning to the summit

Written by Ben Ditchfield

A run of six successive games without defeat send the Yeltz into a home tie against the leakiest defense in the league as the side look to return to the top of the table and go seven unbeaten for the first time under Russ Penn's reign.

This is just the fourth time we will play Lowestoft in at least 50 years, and just the second time at The Grove. A 5-0 win and 5-1 defeat have been out two most recent scorelines in the fixture, with a 1-0 home win the former of the previous three results. The return league game at Crown Meadow saw Kieren Donnelly grab the match ball, with goals from Conor Tee and Jordan Ponticelli wrapping up the five star showing. It was the clubs joint highest league win for over a year, when it equalled the 5-0 battering of Long Eaton United last season.

I spoke to Yeltz boss Russ Penn during the week, to get his thoughts on the match. "It was a fantastic win last weekend. We are 35 games into the season now, it is not all about the performance at this stage, and we are finding ways to win. We have been very consistent defensively, and in our team selection in general. Jamie Willets' arrival from Tamworth has helped give everyone a push, especially the two Ryan's. All three of them i have been extremely impressed with. The most recent arrival of Jamie, is a player i was chasing to sign at Kiddie and at the end of last season here. His record speaks for itself, he has six promotions and wants a seventh. Jamie has more experience than the rest, and he will be hugely beneficial going into the run in, which is a massive positive. But sometimes you need more than just experience, which is why our whole squad will need to contribute."

Penn also spoke about the clubs most recent signing Milan Butterfield, who started his 10th game for the club at Hitchin last weekend. "I have been extremely impressed with Milan, his win ratio of 63% has shown the huge contribution and big turnaround we have had since he joined. Since he came in and we beat Stamford in January, we have been really consistent, and he has been a massive part of our form. He has energy, speed and good legs, on top of his height. He knows the level well, he has been around a number of clubs over recent years in different areas of the Midlands, and hopefully now he has found a home. Me and him are very close and have a good relationship. I obviously managed him at Kidderminster, where we sold him to Chesterfield, but when he played for me during my time at Aggborough, he always put in 100%. We have not looked into his long term future here, because we tend to focus on the current season. Allthough what i wilm say, is that both parties are happy at Halesowen right now."

Speaking on our opponents, Russ stated, "They have a good record in the first half, scoring wise, but we have managed that period of the game well defensively off late. The game will not be as easy and fruitful as it was against them back in November, because they are fighting for their lives. I do not underestimate any teams in this league, each team come into games with their own pros and cons. Lowestoft will be no different as they come to us needing points to get out of the relegation battle. The manager who is fairly new there will get them going after a positive result against Kettering last week. Every team have their threats and goalscorers, and Harvey Sayer's is no doubt their biggest. 14 league goals in a brilliant record for a team that are down in the bottom four. Sayer is a player who plays off the right, comes in on his left foot, and knows where the back of the net is.

"There is not doubting his ability. He was a threat when we played them last year, and we managed to keep him quiet. That is something we will have to do again this weekend. We have to know their all threats in the attacking third, not just Harvey Sayer. This is something i spoke to the players about on Tuesday night, but i think their back four should be more worried about our front three, than the other way round. Turning the attention back to us, we are currently looking to add to our squad for the end of the season. But only players that are better or on par with what have currently got. I could bring in 10 players tomorrow if i really wanted too, but we are waiting on a few things, so it might happen, it may not. The deadline for our league for bringing players in is next Thursday (27th March), so we have not got much time left, but watch this space who knows."

Lowestoft boss Andy Reynolds was a player at the East Coast side, and made 405 appearances over 15 years. This put him 13th, on their all time appearance list. The Trawler boys boss, spent a 20 year period overseeing a number of roles at the club, as player, assistant manager and academy manager. He stepped away from the club in May last year, but soon returned to take over as first team boss in November. His first game in charge was against the Yeltz, after previous manager Jamie Godbold departed the club. He has been in charge of 21 games, but has just a 19% win ratio, and his side have conceded a whopping 52 goals, an average of almost 2.5 per game.

22 year old Harvey Sayer is the clubs top scorer this season, with 23 in all competitions and 13 in the league. He is the only Lowestoft player to have featured in all 40 games this season, and he has scored 3 times so far this month, only Isiah Noel-Williams, who just left Kettering Town, Barwell's Brady Hickey, and Harborough's Ben Stephens have scored more. Lowestoft use their bench a lot this season, and tend to bring on the same players when doing so. Four of their players have come on as a substitute at least 10 times, Ben Haddoch, Gabriel Overton, Joao Rangel and Rob Eagle. No other side has had more players come off the bench at least 10 times.

Lowestoft have conceded more goals in the first half (32), and second half (44), than any other side, and nine more in the second half than the next worse, Biggleswade with 35. Only Leiston and Biggleswade (4), and Banbury (2), have scored fewer goals in the opening 15 minutes of games than the Trawlor Boys. Only Spalding (4) and Sudbury (3), have scored fewer times in the opening 15 minutes of the second 45 than Lowestoft, with 5. Lowestoft's poor defensive record, has led to them conceding goals at crucial times in games this season. No other side has conceded more than them after the 15 minute period before half-time (15), and the 15 minute period before the full time whistle (21).

Key Seasonal Stats

Halesowen

League Position - 2nd

Season Record - PL40  21W 6D 13L  66GS 48GC

Form (Last 5 Games) - WDWWW

Top Scorer - Kieren Donnelly (25 Goals)

Most Appearances - Conor Tee, Todd Parker, Jak Hickman & Ben Cassidy (39)

Most Starts - Ryan Wollacott, Conor Tee & Dan Platt (37)

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 & 15th February - present)

Longest Winless Run - 3 Games (30th November - 14th December & 26th December - 14th January)

Lowestoft

League Position - 19th

Season Record - PL40  13W 7D 20L  67GS 92GC

Form (Last 5 Games) - LWDDD

Top Scorer - Harvey Sayer (23 Goals)

Most Appearances - Harvey Sayer (40)

Most Starts - Harvey Sayer (40)

Biggest League Win - 3-0 vs Bromsgrove Sporting & 5-2 vs Hitchin Town (Home - 24th August & Away - 22nd October)

Biggest League Defeat - 6-1 vs AFC Sudbury, 5-0 vs Halesowen Town & 7-2 vs Leiston (Away - 26th August, Home - 5th November & Away - 26th December)

Longest Unbeaten Run - 4 Games (15th October - 5th November & 15th February - present)

Longest Winless Run - 7 Games (7th January - 15th February)

🚨Clips of the full Russ Penn interview previewing Lowestoft, will he available on Radio Halesowen Town's Social accounts throughout the afternoon