HALESOWEN Town football supporters helped swell the coffers of the Black Country Food Bank by staging a bucket collection during their pre season friendly with local rivals Stourbridge.

Over 1,100 supporters packed into the Grove for the annual contest when they clubs compete over two legs for the Brookes/ Clark Shield.

Halesowen Town secretary David Hawley confirmed: “We tend to do a couple of food collections for the Black Country Food Bank every year.

“We usually do one just before Christmas and then a second if the food bank stage an appeal when their stocks are running low.

“It’s a sad state of affairs, that here we are in 2022 and we still need food banks, so it’s the least we can do that we play our part”.

Stourbridge had started Saturday’s game like a house on fire and went 2-0 up within four minutes of the kick off, Gibraltan striker Reece Styche turning home Lee Vaughan’s cross in the opening seconds before Callum Gittings robbed Nathan Hayward to smash home a second goal.

Halesowen hit back and reduced the deficit on 41 minutes when Rob Evans rammed home from 30 yards out following a well worked free kick move,

Kieron Morris then completed Halesowen’s recovery when he scrambled home from a corner with three minutes remaining.

The second leg has been rearranged to take place at Stourbridge’s Amblecote ground this Thursday.