Bolehall were looking to build on their huge win against Central Ajax in mid-week with a result against Fairfield Villa at Rene Road yesterday afternoon. The Swifts are in a battle to stay at step seven for the remainder of the season and are looking to continue their home form to get them out of danger. They had won four out seven home games prior to yesterday. Fairfield were looking to get a result yesterday to create some distance between themselves and the bottom two. The Swans have done well in both the LJ cup and the Worcester Saturday Cup but have struggled in the league and were close to the relegation zone going into yesterday. A notable area where they struggled had been away with just one point from seven matches going into this match. The atmosphere around Rene Road was positive and relaxed prior to kick off and the weather held out for a huge relegation six pointer yesterday afternoon. Fairfield brought a commendable number of supporters who made the trip up to Tamworth for the match. The pitch looked in good condition and the weather was mainly windy with the odd bit of rain throughout the afternoon. The ground is an excellent location for casual groundhoppers to visit across the West Midlands and is accessible to get to by public transport. Supporters can get the number 5 from Victoria Road interchange in Tamworth Town Centre and get off at Ferrers Road. It’s only a five-minute walk to the ground and well worth a visit with an excellent view of the pitch and an eye-catching main stand. Starting Line Ups Bolehall’s starting line up included Greg Lewis starting in goal and Lewis Miller captaining the team from central defence. The formation appeared to be a 4-2-3-1 with Toby Hulland leading the line up front and being supported by Oscar Jackson and Jordan Hunt on the wings. There was only one change from the team that started against Central Ajax in mid-week with Toby Hulland coming into the line up and playing as the main striker. Fairfield’s starting line up featured Ben Maxwell starting in goal and Lewis Cosgrove captaining the team from central defence. The formation looked like a 5-3-2 with a front two of Shadai Mbi and Darren Green being supported by Jeson Dinanga in the number ten role. There were three changes from the team that played against Bolehall Swifts a few weeks ago with Ryan Moulton coming into the line up and playing in holding midfield. First Half The opening fifteen minutes were mainly scrappy with both teams settling into the match and working out where to find the space. Out of the two, Fairfield started the brighter and were looking to make things happen in the final third early on. Their best chance to take the lead in the early stages fell to Jeson Dinanga who had a good strike from the edge of the box hit the far post. It was a warning sign to Bolehall and a statement of intent from the visitors in the opening 15 minutes. The visitors made their early pressure count in the middle of the first half and were rewarded with a penalty when Lewis Miller got the wrong side of Darren Green before fouling him in the box for a spot kick. It was a clever run off the ball from Darren Green who created the space to leave the Bolehall defence stretched. Finlay Gaynor took a composed penalty into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0 to Fairfield on the 26th minute. To Bolehall’s credit they responded to the goal excellently and showed a lot of character and resiliency to get back into the match at the end of the first half. The Swifts were struggling to create notable chances in front of goal in the opening half an hour and were mostly reduced to half chances from around the box. This changed in the last ten minutes and Bolehall started to look a threat in the final third. The hosts had an excellent ten-minute spell and were linking up the play well and taking the game to Fairfield. Their first clear cut chance came following an excellent passing move which resulted in Jordan Hunt having an effort go wide in the box on the 43rd minute. It was a quality move from Bolehall and involved a lot of intricate passing through the thirds. Bolehall managed to find an equaliser near the end of the half to make it 1-1. An excellent ball into the box by Louie Barrett found Connor Thompson who headed the ball in at the near post for the equaliser. It was a clever move from Bolehall and came from a second ball from a corner routine. Second Half Bolehall continued the momentum they had at the end of the first half and built on it to take the lead early on. Oscar Jackson managed to steal the ball high up the pitch and accelerated into the box before squaring it to Toby Hulland who finished well into the bottom left corner. Both of the goals yesterday showed that the Swifts have quality on the ball despite their league position which is encouraging. Fairfield had a good chance to get an equaliser a few minutes later with Darren Green having an effort from the edge of the box go wide. The match was fairly even throughout the opening 15 minutes of the second half and both teams were having moments in front of goal. Bolehall had an excellent chance to make it 3-1 with Reece Beacon having a shot go over the bar following a second ball into the box from a corner. The final half an hour was cagey with Bolehall looking to see the match out and Fairfield pushing for an equaliser, and it made for an entertaining but nervy finish to the match. The best chance for an equaliser came from substitute McKenzie Hine who had a shot well saved by Greg Lewis in the Swifts goal in the 72nd minute. To the host’s credit they dug in for the remaining half an hour and managed to see it out for a huge three points. It puts them level on points with Fairfield and with a game in hand over the Swans. Full time It was a team effort from Bolehall yesterday which was the most pleasing thing about the result for the Tamworth club. They looked resolute off the ball to limit the Fairfield chances and showed quality on the ball to create key chances and score goals. There was a lot of effort and character on show yesterday from the hosts in their bid to stay up. Reece Beacon was brilliant at the back for the Swifts and read the game well from defence. He made some crucial interceptions and clearances to prevent Fairfield getting through on goal. Another player who stood out was Scott Goodby who was excellent from holding midfield. He offered that composure on the ball to help Bolehall settle into the match and was linking up the play well. Fairfield were decent in this match despite the result and were looking to make things happen in front of goal. Most of the time it was just that final ball that was missing rather than any lack of effort. It speaks to the strength of the league as both teams showed flashes of quality yesterday despite their league positions. Edward Quilty looked good at the back and was making some big clearances as part of a back three. Ryan Moulton played well from holding midfield and was linking up the play well to help the visitors get into the match. Shadai Mbi also looked promising up front and was making things happen in the final third. Overall, it’s not a lost cause for Fairfield and their more than capable of staying up. FT score: Bolehall Swifts 2-1 Fairfield Villa Man of the match: Reece Beacon (Bolehall Swifts) Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League AFC Coventry Rangers V Coventrians AFC Coventry Rangers will be looking to continue their recent form against local rivals Coventrians on Saturday. The hosts are currently on a run of two consecutive wins and will be looking for a result to challenge for the top four. They have been excellent at home throughout the season with eight wins from nine matches at the Coventry Technical Sporting Club. It’s their record on the road which has stopped them challenging for the league title this campaign. Their a brilliant team to watch on their day and have quality in the final third with Jordan Powell and Connoll Farrell impressing this season. Coventrians will be looking to stay up for the remainder of the season and avoid being involved in a relegation battle in the final few weeks. There currently seven points better off than Littleton in 15th and will be looking for a few wins over the next month. If they can finish above the bottom two it will be a successful season for the visitors who will be looking to establish themselves at step seven. Romano Graham is a player to watch with 10 goals in all competitions. Alcester Town V Birmingham United Alcester Town will be looking for a result against Birmingham United at the weekend so they can challenge for a top three finish. The Romans have been strong at Stratford Road with seven wins from ten matches to challenge near the top of the table. They have lost a few players recently with Odane Barnes joining Knowle last week so it will be interesting to see who steps up in front of goal. There on a decent run of form and are unbeaten in their last three matches with two wins and a draw. Birmingham United have been excellent since the new year with five wins from their last six matches to sit in 2nd and only a point off Knowle. There one of the form teams in the division coming into this weekend and will be looking to continue it against Alcester Town. Their record on the road has been impressive with seven wins from twelve matches to challenge near the top of the table. A key positive for the Blinders has been their recruitment and they have brought in a lot of quality players to challenge at this level. Rico Richards is class at step seven and has continued his good form from Alcester since joining a few months ago. Bolehall Swifts V Fairfield Villa Bolehall will be looking to build on their mid-week win against Central Ajax with a result against Fairfield Villa at the weekend. The result on Tuesday was huge for the Swifts and gives them a genuine chance of staying up come the end of the season. There now only three points off Fairfield Villa in 14th with a lot of matches left to play. Their home form has been one of the main positives for Bolehall in a challenging season. Four wins from seven matches is good given their league position and making it a fortress will give them a chance of avoiding the drop over the next month. They have not been too bad defensively over their last six matches with just seven goals conceded. There’s genuine hope of Bolehall staying up if they can get a few wins. Fairfield have had an interesting season and are competing on a lot of fronts. There in the semi finals of the LJ Challenge Cup alongside the Worcester Saturday Cup and in a battle to stay in division two over the final few weeks of the season. The Swans currently have a three-point gap over the bottom two. One of their main issues has been away from home with just one point from seven matches on the road. An area where they’ve struggled has been up front with six goals scored away from home. None the less, there’s quality in the squad to give supporters hope with Darren Green and Samson Omotayo impressing in the final third. Cadbury Athletic V Coventry Alvis Cadbury will be looking to build on their encouraging goalless draw with Alcester Town last weekend with a result against Coventry Alvis at the Bournville Recreation Ground. The main aim for Cadbury is to avoid relegation and build in division two under manager Daniel Moses. They have an eight-point gap over the bottom two with seven matches remaining. They have struggled for wins at home with two wins from ten matches. None the less, there’s quality in the squad with Callum Devlin impressing as the main striker with 11 goals in all competitions for the Chocolate Men. Similar to a lot of teams, it’s all about building for Cadbury and looking at the bigger picture. Coventry Alvis have been reliably good in division two and are in the top half of the table. The Tankmen are on a decent run of form with three wins from their last five matches. The visitors have been competitive on the road with five wins and a draw from twelve matches. Jagit Aujla is a player to watch with 14 goals in all competitions. Central Ajax V Knowle Central Ajax will be looking for a statement result against Knowle at Ajax Park on Saturday afternoon. It’s been a positive season for the Warwickshire club at step seven and they have adapted to division two well since coming up from division three last season. They will be looking to respond to the away loss at Bolehall in mid-week going into this weekend. They have been tough to beat at Ajax Park in the league with just three losses from nine matches. They have a bit of breathing space over the bottom two with an eight-point gap over Littleton in 15th. There’s quality up front with Shaye Eden and Adam Taylor impressing this season with a combined total of 25 goals in all competitions. Knowle will be looking to continue their excellent form this weekend against Central Ajax. The Robins have been one of the form teams in division two since the New Year and are unbeaten from their last six matches. It’s all about keeping pace with Redditch Borough so they can have a shoot of challenging for the league when they play them home and away. They have been brilliant away from home with six wins from nine matches and just 4 goals conceded. Jay Rendell is a player to watch who has 12 goals in all competitions for Knowle. Earlswood Town V Redditch Borough Earlswood will be looking to cause a shock result against title challengers Redditch Borough at the Pavilions at the weekend. It’s been a transitional season for the Earls in division two and there comfortably in mid table. A top ten finish would be a good season for Earlswood come early May. There on a tough run of form with one win from their last six matches. It’s been a stop and start season with the number of games called off stopping them from building some momentum. They have struggled at home with two wins from seven matches and are better on the road. Redditch Borough are on a seven-game winning run going into this weekend and will be looking to continue it against Earlswood Town on Saturday. The Borough are eight points off league leaders Knowle with five games in hand over the Robins. Their away record has been excellent with seven wins and two draws from nine matches. They have impressed at the back throughout the season with just 16 goals conceded in the league from 16 matches. Hampton V Littleton Hampton will be looking to build on the home win against Cadbury Athletic a few weeks ago with a result against Littleton. There on a decent run of form with three wins from their last five matches. They will be looking to finish in the top half of the table and make a run in the LJ Challenge Cup for the remainder of the campaign. The Solihull club have been strong at Field Lane and temporary home New Mill Lane with six wins from ten matches. Ciaran Lawless is a player to watch with 14 goals in all competitions. Littleton will be looking to build on the encouraging win against Bolehall Swifts last weekend. There’s hope for the Worcestershire side with a three-point gap to make up over Fairfield Villa in 14th. They have not been too bad away from home given their league position with two wins from seven matches and have been tough to break down with just 17 goals conceded. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks for the visitors who are also in the semi finals of the Worcester Saturday Cup. Preview feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League |
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March 2024
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