Crewe. Really? Already?

[andy]

It feels like about 5 minutes ago the season finished. Summer hasn't started yet! But here we go again. Best of luck lads for another rollercoaster. Bring it on!

[lutleyyeltz]

Starting lineup.

[lutleyyeltz]

HT Yeltz 0 - 1 Crewe.

[juanillo]

0-3 currently

[juanillo]

0-5, but at least Crewe are fielding a lot of first teamers even if they did rotate all the players at HT.

[juanillo]

Finished 0-5

[andy]

It was a run out, that's all that can be said really. Quite clear that players did not know each other yet, perfectly understandable. Good turnout of over 900 though!

[DJ]

Pre-Season Friendly – Saturday, 8th July 2023

Halesowen Town 0 Crewe Alexandra 5

Halesowen’s first pre-season friendly ended in a five goal defeat at the hands of a strong League Two outfit in an entertaining contest, writes DJ.

Crewe started the game on top and it took a splendid double save from 19 year old stand-in Kiddy and former Stourport goalkeeper Josh Bishop to keep out Chris Long’s shot and Elliott Nevitt’s follow up after ten minutes. At the other end McKauley Manning’s 20 yard shot drifted inches wide in the 13th minute.

New home signing Ryan Wynters cleared off the line in the 18th minute before the Railwaymen took a 21st minute lead with a top corner finish from the edge of the area by Chris LONG.

The visitors added two further goals in simple fashion soon after the break and four goals in total during the second period. The League Two visitors fielded their strongest and more-or-less their first team during the second-half in contrast to Halesowen, who fielded their strongest team in the first period.

A 51st minute mis-kick from goalkeeper Bishop led to a simple 51st minute tap-in for Courtney BAKER-RICHARDSON and Joel Tabiner then set up Max WOODCOCK to slot home Crewe’s third goal in the 53rd minute. A mistake from Martin Riley let in Owen LUNT to curl past Bishop in the 64th minute and Crewe made it 5-0 just two minutes later when Tabiner crossed from the right for Zac WILLIAMS to tap home at the far post. Tracey was then denied by the Bishop’s legs in the 75th minute.

Visiting second half goalkeeper Tom Booth was rarely troubled as new Yeltz signing Miracle Okafor continued to plough a lonely furrow up front.

Halesowen Town (First Half): Josh Bishop; Josh Ezewele, Reece Mitchell, Jac Redhead, Ryan Wynters, Kieran Morris (c), Kieren Donnelly, Nathan Hayward, Miracle Okafor, McKauley Manning, George Cater. Second Half Substitutes: Martin Riley, Jack Byrne, Caine Elliott, Jak Hickman, Jack Holmes.

Crewe Alexandra (First Half): Harvey Davies; Lewis Billington, Connor O’Riordan, Luke Offord, Rio Adebisi, Regan Griffiths, Matus Holicek, Charlie Colkett, Connor Evans, Chris Long, Elliot Nevitt.
Crewe Alexandra (Second Half): Tom Booth; Ryan Cooney, Billy Sass-Davies, Zac Williams, Charlie Finney, Jack Powell, Owen Lunt, Joel Tabiner, Shilow Tracey, Max Woodcock (Zak Kempster-Down), Courtney Baker-Richardson.

Attendance: 927

[VanessaYeltz]

Good first half, could easily have come in level. Keeper had a great half (the definition of a “game of two halves from him)

Second half, crewe went up a gear and we moved things around and had an experiment. Less said the better - good run out and a glorified training session against a decent looking full time league club

Like the look of miracle, it was a good run our. Remembered why I promise myself every august that I don’t really enjoy friendlies, always end up going though.

[RobYeltz]

An entertaining game I thought, a much stronger Crewe side coming to The Grove this year than last year where it was predominantly a lot of their younger/reserve/fringe players. Interestingly they played much of their stronger players in the second half of the game.
Reading up on twitter their manager had stated they've been training twice a day and wanted all of their players playing 45minutes each. With only 45 minutes on the pitch they certainly showed their superior fitness levels and tempo. I guess that our lads have probably only had about four training sessions at most, with some of them even less. Starting our pre season campaign against a full time professional side was always going to be a big ask of our players, especially with so many new faces coming in and not really having a great deal of time to gel.
With no Platt, Hawker or Greggs yesterday I should imagine that's a good part of our spine not playing too. Wynter I thought looked exactly the player we know from his time at Chasetown. I liked the left back Reece Mitchell too, he was very vocal and Cater looked lively with some good touches too. Miracle up front did look a little isolated at time, which I guess was to be expected given the amount of ball Crewe had but I suspect we'll see more of him in the games against teams more at our level than Crewe!
All in all, lots of positives to build on.