"Bucks battle Yeltz for important promotion positioning"

Match Date : April 21st, 2025 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : The Grove, Old Hawne Lane, Halesowen, B63 3TB
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks will round out the Easter weekend with a trip to promotion rivals Halesowen.

The Yeltz returned to Step 3 in the 2023/24 season and, after a mixed campaign, ultimately finished up in 8th. That was following a change of manager, which saw Paul Smith depart at the end of February 2024 to be immediately replaced by former Kidderminster boss Russ Penn.

Penn’s arrival stopped the rot at The Grove, with the Yeltz eventually finishing seven points outside the playoffs. And after a summer of statement signings, Halesowen have been challenging towards the top of the table all season this time around. Currently 4th, Penn’s side are locked together with the Bucks on 72 points – Wilkin’s men sit 3rd thanks to a slightly better goal difference.

Summer signings Ryan Wollacott (Redditch), midfielder Josh Smile (Gloucester City) and attacker Conor Tee (Rushall) have all become fixtures in Penn’s starting XI – Smile anchors the midfield while Tee has hit 15 league goals. Up front, Kieren Donnelly is among the division’s most dangerous marksmen, bagging 22 goals this campaign.

The Yeltz are unbeaten in 11 but, like the Bucks, that run includes more draws than they might have liked. Penn’s side have the division’s joint second best home record (only the Bucks have picked up more points at home) and haven’t lost at The Grove since New Year’s Day. What’s more, Halesowen head into Monday’s game having not conceded in their last three fixtures.

Positively for the Bucks, though, Kevin Wilkin’s men have kept a clean sheet in each of the three games that they have played against the Yeltz over the last two seasons. The Bucks were perhaps fortunate to come away with a point when the two sides played out a goalless draw at the New Bucks Head in August 2023, but the Wilkin’s men turned in a couple of outstanding performances to win 2-0 on each of the last two Boxing Days, winning at The Grove in 2023 and at the SEAH Stadium earlier this campaign.

Heading into the Easter weekend, the Bucks are 14 unbeaten and haven’t lost in five on the road, although equally Wilkin’s men haven’t won away from home since a 3-2 success at Bedford on 11 January.

While either side could still be crowned champions yet, that looks like a very slim possibility and relies on Bedford and Kettering both slipping up. But even failing a tilt at the title, both clubs will be aiming to finish as high as possible to secure home advantage in the playoffs, so all three points could prove crucial in the final reckoning.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

This game is all ticket and will be segregated.

Tickets can be purchased through our Ticketco site. Tickets will be available to purchase up until Sunday 20 April 8pm. There will be no entry on the day without a ticket.

Seating will be available by request on the day. These can not be reserved, request to a steward once in the ground. Seating is limited to 40 in the non segregated zone.

There is no on site parking. Parking is available at the near by town centre.

Website: www.ht-fc.co.uk

Ground Address: The Grove, Old Hawne Lane, Halesowen, B63 3TB. Away fans should access the ground via the Stourbridge Road entrance, B63 3UN.