Match Preview | Stourbridge (H)

1 day ago6 min read

Halesowen host Stourbridge in the number 9 derby with both side's sights set on promotion

Written by Ben Ditchfield

The beloved number 9 derby takes place this weekend, as we look to go four unbeaten against The Glassboys for the first time in 15 years, and extend our incredible record of just one defeat in our last seven matches against them.

This will be the 52nd edition of the fixture (the 28th in the league), since the start of 1980, and the Yeltz have won 22 of them (43%). The side could win back-to-back home matches against The Glassboys for the first time since 2010, having gone nine games at The Grove without. The Yeltz have scored 72 goals in the fixture since 1980, but the side have scored multiple goals in the matchup just 23 times (45%).

There are two long-awaited player records that could be broken, involving Dan Platt and Kieren Donnelly. Platt could become the first Yeltz player in over 50 years to record a fourth clean sheet in the fixture, surpassing Tim Clarke’s three from October 1989 to April 1990. Donnelly, on the other hand, could become the first player in over 50 years to score multiple goals in back-to-back matches in the fixture, if he scores a brace or more today.

I caught up with Yeltz boss Russ Penn during the week, as he shared his thoughts on the game and the situations surrounding the players. “I am extremely looking forward to my first derby at The Grove. I do not need reminding of the game because all you must do is look at the coverage on it from the local press. I had a little taste of it in Stourbridge, and what a game that was, we will have two teams at it this Saturday, and two teams with plenty to play for.

"Our home crowd will be massive this weekend, all you must do is look at our recent form here. Our fans are massive, they are the 12th man and have always supported well in numbers. Both us and them will need to be tight and organised, but there will be spells in the game where it will be like a basketball match and very free for all. We must make sure to be the ones to score more, we know what Stourbridge are about because we have watched them the last couple of games, so we will be ready.

"On Saturday, we were two up and cruising the game with no right to lose it, but we almost did. We must manage spells this Saturday, I like to go in 15-minute intervals and that will be no different against Stourbridge. We are aware of their late goals this season, so we need to be switched on, but that is something I have seen this season, teams in this league's alert and switching on levels is not as good as teams higher up the pyramid, and that is why that statistic is probably high for a few sides.

“It will be a big test this weekend against Stourbridge, even if it was top against bottom, a local derby is always very tight and close. I respect them as a football club and they are in form, with the play-offs in their sight. They need to take points off us to chase to us, and we need points off them to make the gap bigger. I respect their boss Liam McDonald a lot, he dropped down a level to join Stourbridge and try and get promotion, that is what he was appointed for, and that is their challenge for the next years. He has been backed well and signed some good players.

"They may not have started well but they will always be near the top, so we must be careful of that. He has a good reputation around the area, I respect every manager, there is only one of us at a club and we all have tough jobs to do and pressure on us. They score a lot from the bench, and that is why we must switch on for their substitutions on Saturday, one even scored against us at their ground earlier in the season. We must be prepared for it, but we go through their team and changes, and what they look like. Our subs have also made big impacts, so we will be ready for whatever gets thrown at us this weekend.”

Ryan Wynter will miss the game, and I chatted to the Yeltz boss about the issues that will surround his absence. “He will be a massive miss, we really suffered without him over Christmas, and on Saturday when he went off. It is not ideal, but these things happen, and every club has their adversities, and we just must deal with it”.

I also spoke to Penn about Kieren Donnelly’s rediscovered form, “His form is important, not only has he scored three goals for us, but he has created a lot of chances. He will be disappointed that he has not scored more, but it just shows you what he and us as a team are creating in the attacking third. He is one of the league top scorers, and for us to be successful this season we need someone like that, so hopefully there are more goals to come."

Glassboys boss Liam McDonald has been in charge at The War Memorial Ground since May last year, when he replaced Leon Broadhurst, who was sacked six weeks earlier. The 39-year-old, who is the same age as Yeltz boss Penn, has been in charge of Hednesford, where he managed 22 games, Solihull Moors where he was in charge for 45 games and Rushall Olympic where he spent seven years and managed 266 games. His decision to leave the latter for a new challenge led him to The Glassboys. He has since been in charge for 37 matches, which has included 17 wins, and 58 goals scored.

The club have had 17 different scorers this season out of the players who are still at the club currently. The recent success story of Tyrone Barnett has claimed the headlines, the 39-year-old who joined them last month and has scored four goals in six appearances. Elliott Durell also has four goals this campaign, while Toumani Sidibe, who has not featured for the club since November due to injury, has six in 13 games. Alex Bradley with seven is the runner-up on the goalscoring charts to Ethan Freemantle, who has 10 this season.

Freemantle is a player our boss knows very well, having coached the forward while we was the boss at Kidderminster Harriers. Penn spoke on the forward while speaking to me during the week. “He is very similar to Kieren Donnelly, in the fact that he is a runner, but a bit more powerful. I had Ethan when I was at Kidderminster in our promotion campaign, and he always backed up Amari Morgan-Smith, and when he did, he was fantastic. I have not one bad word to say about him, he was great for me and there is a lot of respect between us." Stourbridge are a danger at both sides of the pitch, the side have kept nine clean sheets this season, something that only Royston Town, Stratford Town and Banbury United have done more of.

McDonald’s side have also scored 28 goals away from home this campaign, more than any other team in the league. They have also scored 29 goals in the second half of games, only bettered by Bedford Town, Kettering Town and Telford United. Stourbridge have scored an extremely impressive 19 goals after the 75th minute in games this campaign, again more than any other side, but if the Yeltz can draw one bit of confidence from ever flowing number of information, only Lowestoft Town and Redditch United have conceded more goals in the 15-minute period after half-time, than The Glassboys.

[Clips of the Russ Penn interview ahead of the Stourbridge game, sharing more in-depth insight, will be posted on the clubs socials throughout Friday afternoon]

Key Seasonal Stats

Halesowen

League Position - 6th

Season Record - PL35 17W 5D 13L 59GS 46GC

Form (Last 5 Games) - WLWLD

Top Scorer - Kieren Donnelly (21 Goals)

Most Appearances - Ryan Wollacott, Conor Tee, Todd Parker & Jak Hickman (34)

Most Starts - Ryan Wollacott (34)

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 & 26th December - 14th January)