Added spice to this 'Number Nine Derby'

Meetings between Halesowen Town and Stourbridge don't usually require added hype but tomorrow's FA Trophy clash undeniably contains some extra spice.

That's because the visiting Stour side is likely to contain no fewer than six players who used to ply their trade at the Grove.

Chief among them are Tom Tonks and Kristian Green, who both swapped Yeltz blue for the red and white stripes of the Glassboys during the summer.

They come with Stour skipper Stuart Pierpoint, who returns to the club where he used to wear the armband nearly a decade ago.

In addition, Matt Dodd, Chris Lait and Justin Richards have all been on the home side's books in the past.

It's little wonder Halesowen chairman Colin Brookes is looking forward to welcoming some old friends.

He said: "It will be good to see them, they are all good players who are doing well though, obviously, I hope they have a bit of an off day on Saturday.

"These games are always special no matter the competition but I suppose this does give this one a bit of extra edge."

While Stourbridge have been making headlines with their FA Cup exploits, Halesowen's season has been steady but recent signs suggest John Hill's team are clicking into gear.

Seven points from the last three games sees them sit 11th in the table, just a point behind their rivals.

They took four points from them last season in the 'Number Nine Derby' – so called after the bus route which connects the two towns.

Last year's league fixture at the Grove attracted an 1,800-strong crowd and Brookes is hoping the first qualifying round tie will attract a similar audience.

He said: "We won the home game against Stourbridge last season, but they are a stronger team now.

"We lost seven or eight players in the summer and made a slow start to this season.

"But we have a good manager and coaching team and our form has been decent. I think we are in for cracker."

Halesowen will be without Jay Denny, who serves the second game of a three-match suspension and Nathan Waite is cup-tied after appearing for Chasetown.

Stourbridge are gearing up to play in front of their second big crowd in seven days, after more than 2,000 watched last Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup win over Kidderminster Harriers.

Manager Gary Hackett said: "We are at full strength, in terms of injuries. Just hoping to shake off a few aches and strains.

"I have got a very healthy respect for John Hill. I think he's done a fantastic job at Halesowen, but I'll forget all that for 90 minutes.

"It's a big local rivalry, there's no love lost between the two teams. I'm really looking forward to it, it's what you get involved in football for."