West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division
The Grove, Halesowen
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 24 (head count)
Match Rating: 3
After four consecutive soggy Saturdays, I decided to make use of expiring Tesco clubcard vouchers to book a National Express return ticket for free from London to Birmingham for today, with options of 3G pitches readily available if required. As it turned out, the last of the rain fell on Thursday night, meaning very few games would be postponed anywhere today, and I decided to take in some step 6 football, at a ground which also hosts step 4 Northern Premier League football, being the home of Halesowen Town, and which I had heard was well worth a visit.
Having arrived at Birmingham Digbeth coach station, I then caught a bus to Halesowen bus station, from where The Grove is about a ten minute walk, although en route I stopped off at the excellent Waggon and Horses pub, with a really impressive wide selection of local real ales to choose from. Spectators enter in one corner of the ground, through a roadside turnstile block, and once inside there is a small clubhouse to one side, and this was the only spectator outlet open today. To the other side, there are white huts, one to obtain programmes and “memorabilia” from, the other is a club shop, but logically both were closed today, as they are Halesowen Town outlets. After passing a toilet block, the really pleasant sight of the ground itself comes into view. Stretching along the length is a bank of uncovered terracing of 13 steps, complete with hand rails, and which stretches to behind the far goal, although as it passes immediately behind the goal, the terrace is diagonally cut off. Behind the goal closest to the entrance is a covered terrace of 7 steps, perched above a grass bank, and it has an intimate feel thanks to a low roof. Along the remaining length, an all-seater stand stretches along about two thirds of the length, offering good, unobstructed views for those who do not wish to take advantage of the fabulous terrace areas. Indeed, there really is something for everyone inside this fabulously old-school ground, which is well maintained and easy on the eye. The 16 page programme issued today was basic in terms of being on regular paper, but it was more than adequate, containing some welcome messages and all of the stats to give a good preview of the match. Although the programme had the wrong date on it, it was otherwise up to date inside.
Black Country Rangers are having a good season so far, coming into this game in second place in the division, with 16 wins and seven draws from their 28 league games. Promotion looks a very long shot though, with only one club promoted to the Midland Football League Premier Division, as they are four points behind leaders Malvern Town having played a game more, but also only a point ahead of third placed Tividale having played six games more, and six points ahead of fourth placed Wolverhampton Sporting, having played nine games more. Stone Old Alleynians were in 17th in the twenty team division, having won five and drawn one of their 22 league games. When the two teams met on the opening day of the season back in early August, Black Country Rangers triumphed 1-5.
On a bright and sunny afternoon, the predicted comfortable home victory, based on league positions, never materialised, as particularly in the first half, the home side just didn’t seem to be able to get their game going. They did have slightly the better of things, and had a few sights of goal, but the visitors were holding their own and a level scoreline at the break was a fair reflection on proceedings.
Black Country Rangers would go on to dominate the second half, camped in the opposition half and coming close to scoring on several occasions, but as it increasingly looked only matter of time before they would score, it was the visitors who took the lead thanks to a very attack on 81 minutes, Cameron Sinclair diverting a deflected cross just out of the teach of the keeper and into the net. Eight minutes later and Black Country Rangers came agonisingly close to an equaliser when a low shot across the keeper came back off the far post and into the keeper’s arms. But in the last minute of added on time, they did grab an equaliser, a low cross from the left into the six yard box was tucked home at the far post by Jamel Fuller. The home side pushed for a winner, but there just wasn't time, with barely a minute left before the referee blew for full-time.
Overall, a point apiece was probably a fair result despite Black Country Rangers' dominance in possession, as generally theirs was a rather flat performance, and Stone were rewarded for plugging away and staying in the game.
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