Match Preview | Stamford (A)

Halesowen Town FC
Apr 25
5 min read

Halesowen contest for play-off home advantage as they face Stamford in their final game of the regular season

Written by Ben Ditchfield

The Yeltz make the four hour round trip on the final weekend of the season to the Zeeco Stadium as Russ Penn's side hope to secure a home tie in the semi-finals of the play-offs while Graham Drury's Daniels search for a needed win to sneak into the last spot in the top 5.

Halesowen have won their last five home matches against The Daniels, but away from it is a different story. The Yeltz are winless in their last three at the Zeeco, and have not won at Stamford's Lincolnshire ground since November 2019. A more promising sign ahead of the weekend is that the club have kept three clean sheets in their last four against Drury's side, and won the most recent meeting in January. The Tuesday night fixture at the start of the year, featured Josh Smile's first and only Yeltz goal, and a penalty from Conor Tee in a comfortable 2-0 victory.

I caught up with Yeltz boss Russ Penn during the week to get his thoughts on this weekend's trip. "The lads were slow in the first 45 against Telford, but we went into the dressing room at half-time and had a chat about being more aggressive. I was delighted with the second half performance we produced, and on another day we could have easily won all three points. We have trained really well since the game on Monday, full of confidence and excitement for what we have coming up in the next week. The first task is to go to Stamford and take home a much needed three points to do our bit in sneaking into that third spot.

"I am delighted with the way we turned around our fortunes away from home since the New Year. We had a poor run around the period between Christmas and mid-January, but now we are six unbeaten on the road. The team have grown a resilience because of the good run, and that comes with confidence from solid performances like the ones at Kettering on the final in February, and Leiston last weekend. I think Stamford will be a different test this Saturday. The pressure is on both sides, us because we want to secure a home play-off tie, and Graham's side so they can join us in the top 5. They have not had the best defensive record against teams near the top, which can put doubt tactics wise into their heads as to what to do against us. Do they come out of the blocks from the first minute, or be a bit more cautious and grow into the match.

"Our game against them in January was the turning point in our season. We came into that game on the back of defeats to Telford, Bedford and Bromsgrove, and under pressure. The lads put in a brilliant performance on a chilly Tuesday night, and showed great character in no doubt what was the toughest part of our season. I have educated myself to the point where I know a lot about all sides in this division. I do not just base opposition performances on their recent games against us, but also their matches against the other 20 sides. We have had a very competitive season this year. The fact the club are only in their second season back at step 3 and could finish 3rd or 4th, is a testament to the work on the pitch, behind the scenes and in the stands."

I also spoke to the Yeltz boss about the last nine months overall, as we head into the 42nd and final game of the season. "We have had a grueling last year. It has been a slog, and last August feels like it was a million years ago. A couple of our performances have not been to the standards we would have wanted them to be, but we have also picked up a few points here or there that we had to grind for. The aim was to finish in the top 5 at the start of the season, and we have achieved our objective with a game to spare, which puts a huge weight off our shoulders going into Stamford. We have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to aim higher as the season has gone on, and now we are at this point, we want success and want it now."

Stamford boss Graham Drury has been at the helm in Lincolnshire since November 2015, racking up 413 games in the hot seat, with a 50% win ratio. The club have scored 738 goals since his arrival almost a decade ago, and have had five ever presents in their 43 games across the current campaign, Jordon Cooke, Lee Shaw, Tendai Chitiza, Tobias Liversidge and goalkeeper Tom Jackson. The side's top scorer Jack Duffy was given the captain's armband just last month. The man with over 400 appearances for The Daniels has 11 goals this campaign, but has not found the back of the net since a 1-0 away win over Barwell at the start of last month. The forward missed the game against the Yeltz back in January, and is set to miss this weekend's clash after a straight red card against Stratford Town two weeks ago. In his absence James Blunden will be Stamford's biggest scoring threat. The club's vice captain has seven goals, but has also fallen to the sides recent goal drought, and like Duffy has not found the net since the start of last month.

The Daniels have a remarkable scoring record this season. Drury's side have a higher scored first percentage (65% - 27 of their 41 games) than any other side in the division. Their defensive record also stands out across the last nine months. The side's ever present keeper Tom Jackson has kept 15 league clean sheets between the sticks, and only Banbury United's Jack Harding has kept more. The club's stellar defensive display this season has seen them concede just three goals in the first 15 minutes of matches this season, and no other side in the league can boast a better record. Drury's men also have one of the meanest defenses before half-time. Only the Yeltz (3), and Banbury United (6) have conceded fewer goals in the 15 minute plus stoppage time period before the break.

Key Seasonal Stats

Stamford

League Position - 6th

Season Record - PL43 20W 8D 15L 52GS 55GC

Form (Last 5 Games) - DWDWL

Top Scorer - Jack Duffy (11 Goals)

Most Appearances - Tom Jackson (43)

Most Starts - Tom Jackson (43)

Biggest League Win - 3-0 vs Lowestoft Town (Away - 7th January)

Biggest League Defeat - 5-0 vs Spalding United (Away - 21st April)

Longest Unbeaten Run - 5 Games (10th August - 31st August)

Longest Winless Run - 3 Games (24th September - 19th October & 8th February - 25th February)