By Peter Scherer
After a brief dip into league action with our 1-1 draw at home to Coleshill Town last Tuesday, it’s FA Cup time as we travel to Southern Premier League Central Division Halesowen Town in second qualifying round.
Mickleover have reached the third qualifying round five times in their history, the last being 23/24 when we went down 0-2 at Stourbridge.
Our hosts are currently 12th in the league with three wins from six games, but are looking for a fourth successive league and cup win, having beaten Leighton Town 4-2 at home last Saturday and knocked Basford out of the FA Cup the previous week.
Former Burton Albion midfielder Russell Penn has been in charge at the Grove since February 2024, having previously managed Kidderminster Harriers for four years.
Harvey Smith should be available for selection for Mickleover again, following his mandatory timeout after receiving concussion at Grantham and hopefully there were no more casualties from Tuesday night.
A number of our visitors players have been long servers, notably goalkeeper Dan Platt who is in his sixth season with the club in this spell. He started at Crewe Alexandra, before joining Telford following his release. Nantwich, Stourport, Evesham and Oxford City followed, before he first came to the Grove in July 2015. He stayed for four years before moving to Hednesford, spending two years at Bromsgrove prior to his current stay.
Right back Ben Cassidy had been at Alvechurch for six years before he joined our hosts in July 2024.
Matt Preston is one of the new arrivals, a centre back who came from Hereford in pre-season. His career started to Walsall, who loaned him IBV Vestmanmaeyjar in Iceland and Barwell, before a permanent move to Swindon Town.
Mansfield Town, Barnet, Solihull Moors and Kidderminster were his next moves. He also went on loan to Brackley before his two year stay at Hereford and has experience in both Leagues One and Two.
Fellow centre back Rob Evans came from Leamington last November for his third spell with our hosts. After starting out at Romulus, he played for Coalville, Sutton Coldfield and Coleshill, before coming to the Grove in July 2019 after six months at Redditch. He stayed four years before moving returning to Coleshill, but was back again four months later, before an 18 month stint back at Leamington preceded his last move.
Ryan Wollacott is another centre back in this third season with the club. He started at Stourport, before spending three years in the Welsh League with Aberystwyth. After a spell at Alvechurch he returned to Stourport and had three years at Redditch before joining our hosts in July 2024.
Left back Ethan Sephton was a pre-season arrival from Alvechurch. Derby County had originally picked him up from Solihull Moors, but he then joined Alvechurch following his release. He’s also played for Boston Utd.
Dan Meredith is a right back and former West Bromwich Albion Junior. He had loans at Maidstone and Leamington, before joining the latter on his release and came to Halesowen in pre-season.
Centre back Ryan Wynter is the current team captain. An ex Stoke City youngster, he was loaned to Stone Dynamos before spending time in the US with Blue Devils Athletic in Kansas. On his UK return he joined Stafford Rangers, before spending a few months at Mickleover in 2015.
He next stop was Chasetown for the first of four spells, interspersed with a return to Stafford and a couple of spells at Hednesford. He first came to Halesowen in May 2023, stayed two years and moved back to Hednesford from where he returned again in pre-season.
Patrick Wood is a homegrown defender, who spent part of last season at Dudley Town.
Central midfielder Jim Kellerman played his junior football with Wolves. He joined Aldershot on his release, before a season in Scotland with St.Mirren, which included a loan back to Fylde. He’s also played for Chesterfield, Kidderminster, Tamworth, Woking and Ebbsfleet, from where he joined our hosts in August 2025.
Former Bermudan Under 17 international midfielder Milan Butterfield started his career in his homeland with Robin Hood, before coming to the UK with Walsall. After a loan at Rushall he moved on via Kidderminster, Chesterfield, Guiseley, Alfreton, Nuneaton and Stourbridge. He first joined Halesowen in January 2025 on loan after six months at Basford and made his stay permanent at the start of last season.
Lewis Ison can play midfield or defence. He came from Stratford in pre-season, after a three-year spell with the Bards followed a successful spell at Hednesford, where he was team captain. His earlier career was at Coventry Utd and Rushall, plus a spell in the Bristol Rovers Academy.
Midfielder Todd Parker is another long server, now in his third season since arriving from Hednesford in July 2023.he had previously been at Wolves Academy.
Vanylson Da Silva and Samson Hewett are both midfielders too. Da Silva is dual registered with Tamworth and Hewett is on loan from Kidderminster.
Striker Tyrone Barnet is vastly experienced, with almost 300 League One and Two appearances to his name and over 60 goals. From the West Brom Academy he played at Rushall, Telford, Willenhall, Hednesford, Macclesfield and Crawley, before being rediscovered by Peterborough Utd. He went on to play for Ipswich, Bristol City, Oxford Utd, Shrewsbury, Southend, AFC Wimbledon, Port Vale, Cheltenham, Eastleigh and Hereford too, before joining our hosts from Stourbridge in October 2025.
Pre-season signing Callum Ebanks is a striker signed from Buxton. Most of his career has been with Cheltenham, where he was loaned to Worcester, Tuffley Rovers, Evesham, Bromsgrove, Eastleigh and Bath before joining Stratford on his release. After two years he joined Buxton who also loaned him to Bedford Town.
Fellow striker Jason Cowley came from Hereford at the start of last season. Redditch was his starting point, before a three-year spell with Bromsgrove. He then joined Stevenage and has played for Macclesfield and Stourbridge too. He’s another player with League Two experience.
Finally Luke Postle is another young striker currently on loan at Lye Town.
Kick off at the Grove is 3pm and for those who can’t make the trip, Halesowen have their own radio station https://ht-fc.co.uk/radio-halesowen-town/