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Added Tuesday 29th April 2008
 An evening of high farce ended after about 30 minutes of football with the score an improbable 3-2 to Chippenham. Monsoon like conditions put paid to a highly eventful, if short-lived, game of football. There was still time for controversy though. The referee failed to identify a Chippenham player who handled on the line and although he gave the penalty the defender in question escaped justice. I'm not sure who he was (unlike the man in black I was more than 10 yards away) - Deano and Ikechi came to the touchline and said it was their number 2 but other people seemed to identify different culprits. Deano's subsequent penalty and one from Eldon gave us a 2-1 lead before two goals in as many minutes put Chippenham back in front. Anyway, it doesn't really matter now as we will do it all again on Thursday evening when hopefully I won't return home with chafing from saturated trousers.
Added Monday 28th April 2008
 Biggest game for 25 years, biggest game for 135 years...Take your pick but it's happening tomorrow night! And then hopefully Saturday will become our biggest game for 4 days. Promotion to the Conference North (or South) is within the Yeltz's grasp. All we need to do is believe and the players will do the rest. Won't they?
Added Sunday 27th April 2008
Yeltz drew their final league game 2-2 at Mangotsfield yesterday with a much changed line up. A comfortable lead was again surrendered in the second half albeit in much less traumatic circumstances than against Swindon three weeks ago. Rodney Hicks (who I thought had left) and Tom Piotrowski, with his first Yeltz goal, were on the scoresheet as Halesowen extended their unbeaten run to nine games. Unfortunately Nick Amos twisted his ankle in the first half and appears certain to miss out on Tuesday night's play-off semi final.
Added Sunday 27th April 2008
 King's Lynn deservedly claimed the Southern League Premier title with a 2-0 win over the border in Merthyr Tydfil. Congratulations have to go to the Linnets who, over the entire season, have been the dominant side in the division. Despite their fans sometimes giving the impression on their forum that they are a bunch of bickering lunatics there are also enough of them to sustain football in the Conference leagues. Our form under Morell has seen us become arguably the best side in the league at this moment in time but ultimately we have paid for our slow start. Team Bath who drew at Chippenham will now hopefully fall at the first play off hurdle against Bashley. If not we will have to go to Twerton Park and beat them again.
Added Friday 25th April 2008
 Bath will become a ghost town tomorrow as Team Bath's committed fans travel in their droves to Chippenham for the game that could see them crowned Southern League champions. Several shops are not bothering to open their doors on Saturday afternoon as those unfortunate fans locked out of Hardenhuish Park pack into Twerton Park for a live satellite link-up of the game. "It's the least we could do" said a Team Bath spokesman, "the fans have been phenomenal this season. Every game has been a sell out. It seemed unfair that anyone should miss out." In stark contrast title rivals King's Lynn say only moderate interest has been expressed in their game at Merthyr Tydfil.
Added Thursday 24th April 2008
 For one day only the pressure is off for Halesowen as they travel to Mangotsfield to complete their league season on Saturday. There will be a party atmosphere on the terraces as the fans make the most of the situation before the serious stuff starts on Tuesday night. Whilst the team will undoubtedly be looking to regain a bit of impetus after the recent mini-stutter (if you can say that about a side that has only lost twice in 2008!), the real objective of the afternoon will surely be to get everybody through in one piece and fit to face Chippenham on Tuesday night.
Added Monday 21st April 2008
 News is reaching Halesowen that play-off opponents Chippenham may be relying on mind control jiggery-pokery in their efforts to overcome the Yeltz. A well known TV hypnotist, resident in Wiltshire, will be helping the worried Bluebirds focus their minds on overcoming Halesowen in next week's play-off semi final at The Grove. Apparently they will also all be cutting their hair in a storm, hoping a robin flies into their houses and sneezing three times before breakfast in an attempt to gain an advantage over the Yeltz who will presumably be concentrating on playing football.
Added Sunday 20th April 2008
Now that Halesowen's title hopes are gone all right minded supporters should hope King's Lynn take the title. It's hard to argue that they don't deserve it anyway but the alternative - that Team Bath win it - is too horrific to contemplate. No ground, no fans and no soul, they are everything that a football club is not. As a result, next Saturday (and for one Saturday only), I am a Linnet. Sean Canham and his freeloading mates can get stuffed.
Added Saturday 19th April 2008
Dean Brennan was named as Halesowen Town's player of the year after the game against Clevedon. Unfortunately it followed one of his poorest performances in a Town shirt but that shouldn't detract from his hugely impressive displays that have seen him net 20 times in 30 Yeltz appearances. Stuart Pierpoint and Dennis Pearce were second and third respectively.
Added Saturday 19th April 2008
 Halesowen will finish 3rd in the league after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Clevedon. The largest crowd of the season to date could not inspire the Yeltz to victory as they turned in a performance as poor as any seen at The Grove for some time. Nathaniel Waite's last minute equaliser rescued a point but it made no difference as results elsewhere conspired against Halesowen and raised the possibility of them having to travel for the play-off final (should they get there). Barring mathematical miracles that would leave Johnny Ball scratching his head Halesowen's first opponents in the play off lottery will be Chippenham Town. Improvement will be required if the Yeltz are to see their promotion dream materialise.
Added Friday 18th April 2008
Halesowen go into tomorrow's game with Clevedon in need of a win to keep the pressure on King's Lynn and Team Bath. A win for King's Lynn will kill off the Yeltz's faint title hopes anyway but the Linnets face a tough trip to play-off chasing Gloucester. Team Bath travel to relegation threatened Bromsgrove where Duane Darby will hopefully do some damage to the students' promotion hopes. A win for Halesowen will, at least, see the race for second go to the final day of the regular season.
Added Wednesday 16th April 2008
King's Lynn have a six-fingered hand on the Southern League trophy after an emphatic 5-0 win over a depleted Bashley who became the third side in five days to fail to help out the Yeltz. The title may be disappearing over the horizon for Morell's men but two wins against Clevedon and Mangotsfield will give Town a fighting chance of second place and the potential of two home play-off games. Elsewhere Gloucester heaped more pressure on Bashley for the final play-off spot by brushing aside relegated Cheshunt with a 4-0 victory.
Added Tuesday 15th April 2008
The Yeltz's affections are transferred to Bashley tonight as they travel to The Walks trying to become the latest side to try and end King's Lynn's long unbeaten run. They will have to improve on their recent record of one win in five if they are to do so however and a victory for King's Lynn will see them on the verge of ending Halesowen's title challenge.
Added Monday 14th April 2008
Saturday was not great for the Yeltz. Having the day off meant we were all Gloucester and Brackley fans for the day as these 'brave' sides travelled to Team Bath and King's Lynn respectively. True to form, they let us down. Gloucester surged into a two goal lead against the hated students but couldn't hold on conceding 4 times without adding any further goals themselves. Brackley put up a brave fight in the second half but could only find one goal in response to two Linnets first-half strikes.
The upshot of this is the title is now a long shot. Two wins in our remaining games will guarantee second provided Team Bath don't also win their remaining fixtures (unless they pick up four points and overturn a five goal deficit in goal difference). Two wins will also get us the title if King's Lynn only pick up four points from their remaining three games. Clear?
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