HALESOWEN Town will look to take a big step towards survival when Matlock Town visit the Grove this Saturday.

Second-from-bottom Yeltz missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and relegation rivals Sutton Coldfield due to a 1-0 defeat at Marine last weekend.

The loss was harder to take due to Jordan Goddard's last-gasp penalty miss and a sending off for midfielder Kevin Monteiro.

Boss John Hill admits it was a difficult afternoon as his side remain level on points with bottom-placed Sutton, though Halesowen have played a game less.

The manager said: "We were poor in the first half but were always in the game.

"We changed things around a little in the second and that seemed to work a bit better.

"We've then had the opportunity to come away with a point but missed the penalty. We've then had a man sent off, so the game has ended very badly.

"You go from the euphoria of beating Rushall and wanting to build on that to straight away being disappointed again.

"The players did needing lifting after that but we'll work hard and go again this Saturday.

On the sending off, he added: "Kevin Monteiro has been stamped on and reacted with a shove. The ref has seen that but not the stamp.

"The whole incident also delayed the penalty as well, which can't have helped."

Monteiro is the latest suspension blow for the Yeltz ahead of Saturday's clash with fifth-from-bottom side Matlock (3pm kick-off).

They will also be without skipper Dan Bragoli and defender Marcus Poscha, who both serve the final game of their suspensions.

Meanwhile, Hill has again been left frustrated in his quest to bolster his squad for the final months of the campaign.

"Three players from a lower level have all turned us down recently," he added. "We don't have the money to turn their heads but players aren't showing the ambition that they used to either.

"It's frustrating but we'll keep looking and may have to look at loans again."