Signs of hope amid the gloom as Halesowen Town prepare for relegation

That is most certainly the hope at Halesowen Town, after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Leiston pushed them closer towards a relegation now less feared than expected.

With just six games remaining, the Yeltz sit eight points from safety in the Southern Central division and it seems increasingly likely they will find themselves playing in step four of the non-league pyramid for the first time since 2014.

This game, in many respects, summed up the season. Though there was plenty to admire about the home side’s grit and determination, a much-needed sixth league victory of the campaign ultimately proved elusive due to the problem which has dogged them since last August: putting the ball in the net.

Time and again in the second half the Yeltz looked certain to break the deadlock, only for their chances to go begging.

On this evidence it was easy to understand why, with just 23 goals to their name, they remain the lowest scorers across the top five levels of non-league football in the country. How Lee Hughes, the club’s player-boss, would have loved some of the opportunities which fell the way of Aaron Birch and particularly Josh Craddock.

The former Albion striker could only watch from the dugout, having chosen to leave himself out of the matchday squad due to a foot injury.

Last Tuesday’s 5-1 defeat at Lowestoft remains the club’s only defeat since Hughes replaced Rob Smith in the hotseat earlier this month and he can justifiably claim to have stopped the rot.

But in these circumstances only wins will do and they have remained elusive. Relegation, whenever it comes, will sting, yet there is also a bigger story here and no shortage of irony in the fact the club should experience one of their toughest ever seasons on the pitch when off it things look better than they have for a long time.

Last autumn’s takeover by Karen Brookes and Keith McKenna stabilised a club which for a decade had stood on a financial precipice and was, at one stage last year, teetering on the brink of administration.

The signs of progress are evident in a refurbished and revamped sponsors lounge, together with improved facilities which has seen extensive work done on a pitch which until recently ranked among the poorest in non-league.

Yet for all the advances made to infrastructure, the fortunes of the team have plummeted.

Replacing the long-serving John Hill with the experience of Smith and his assistant Larry Chambers looked a shrewd move but backfired spectacularly.

“It’s taken longer than we ever expected to sort things out on the pitch but we will get there,” said McKenna. “In some ways it feels like we have done things the wrong way round. The infrastructure is now great and as soon as things start going right on the pitch we will be fine.

“A couple of weeks ago we had 500 people through the gate and we were sitting second bottom of the league.

“I think people can see the difference we are making and if we can just get on a bit of a run, get a bit of momentum, we will be fine.”

Another healthy crowd on Saturday provided further cause for optimism, yet Brookes and McKenna know they must get some big decisions right to begin the turnaround, the biggest of which being who manages the team next season.

Hughes for one hopes to still be at The Grove in some capacity and there is no doubt he has the players motivated.

If Birch had been able to place his shot either side of Marcus Garnham, rather than straight at the Leiston goalkeeper, just prior to the hour mark, Hughes would surely have been celebrating his first win since taking charge.

Craddock would later head wide from point-blank range before an almighty goalmouth scramble in stoppage time ended with the ball rolling wide after bouncing through a sea of legs.

“We’re not having a lot of luck in front of goal at the moment,” admitted Hughes. “Coming off the back of a 5-1 defeat it would have been easy for the lads to jack it in but they showed their character. I couldn’t fault the work-rate.

“It’s very difficult but we won’t stop fighting. There are still 18 points to play for and we’ll try and get as many as we can.”