Lichfield City were looking for a huge result against Highgate United to progress to the play off final next Saturday and keep their unbeaten record at the Trade Tyre Community Stadium. The Staffordshire side had been outstanding at home throughout the league season with thirteen wins from 17 matches. They were looking to keep that going yesterday afternoon. Highgate United were looking to cause a bit of an upset against Lichfield City. It’s a big week for the visitors who are also involved in the MFL League cup final against Congleton Town at the Bescot Stadium. It’s been an excellent couple of weeks, and they got in the play offs courtesy of a eye catching 12-0 win against relegated Bewdley Town in their final game of the season. The Play-off format has been introduced this season at step five and it’s really benefited the MFL Premier and kept a lot of seasons alive for teams competing in the top half of the table in the hope of making the play offs. The other semi final involved Darlaston Town taking on Stourport Swifts at the Paycare Stadium. The atmosphere prior to kick off was brilliant and the set up at Lichfield City was friendly and welcoming. There was a programme, a club pin badge and the latest issue of MFL Matters available for supporters at the turnstiles which added to the experience. There was a notable number of Villa and Tamworth fans who turned up to support Lichfield which was good to see. Starting Line Ups Lichfield’s starting line up included James Beeson starting in goal and captaining the team. The formation appeared to be a 4-2-3-1 with Dan Smith playing up front and being supported by Jack Edwards and Liam Kirton on the wings. Jordan Clement was playing in a number ten role. There were three changes from the team that started against Studley a few weeks ago with Jamie Elkes coming back into the team and playing in central defence. The starting line up for Highgate United featured Reece Francis starting in goal and Aaron Williams captaining the team from central defence. The formation looked like a 3-5-2 with a front two of Ryan Harkin and Aaron Brown. There were three changes from the team that started against Bewdley Town a few weeks ago with Ben Vallance coming into the team and playing as part of a back three. First Half Lichfield started the match brightly and took the game to Highgate early on. They committed players into the box looking to take the initiative and were rewarded in the 7th minute when Dan Smith produced an excellent finish into the bottom left corner. It was promising start from Lichfield and helped them settle into the match within the opening ten minutes. They had a good chance to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute when Liam Kirton made a run down the right-hand side before playing a brilliant cross that found Dominic Lewis who headed over the bar. A goalkeeping mistake by Reece Francis allowed Dan Smith to capitalise and he produced a composed finish in the 14th minute to make it 2-0 to Lichfield. The visitors were struggling early on and it was not quite clicking in the final third. Their best chance to reduce the deficit and get into the match came in the twentieth minute when Bassit Manday did well to beat the offside trap and was one on one with James Beeson before having a shot saved. It was a snapshot into what Highgate were capable of in the final third and a warning for Lichfield. The hosts responded well and produced a timely goal to take control of the match a few minutes later. An excellent long ball was played to Jack Edwards on the left-hand side of the box who produced a quality finish into the net to make it 3-0. Lichfield then got a penalty near the half hour mark to have the opportunity to make it 4-0. Jack Edwards stepped up and his effort was well saved by Reece Francis in the Highgate goal who made up for the earlier mistake and kept the visitors in the match. The main concern for Lichfield in the first half was the injury to prolific forward Dan Smith who had to be taken off on a stretcher a few minutes before half time. He was substituted for Demitri Brown who filled in up front and looked promising. None the less, if Dan Smith is ruled out for next week’s play off final it could be a huge blow for Lichfield. Second Half The early stages of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Lichfield having a control of the match and looking to make things happen in the final third. A good corner into the box by Luke Childs found Dominic Lewis in the box who headed over the bar. The visitors had more clear-cut chances throughout the second half and Ryan Harkin had a good chance through on goal near the hour mark with his shot being saved by James Beeson. Luke Childs had an excellent curling effort go over the bar for Lichfield from long range in the middle of the half. Highgate were starting in build some momentum in the last twenty minutes of the match and showed character to keep going in search of a goal to set up a nervy finish. Lichfield were mainly content in holding on and seeing the match out to progress to the final. The visitors were awarded with a penalty late on for their efforts with a push in the box resulting in a spot kick. Aaron Brown stepped up and took a composed penalty into the left corner to make it 3-1 going into injury time. There was an excellent chance to set up a grandstand finish when substitute Jake Collins was in acres of space before having an effort go wide of the post. Lichfield did enough to see the match out in the final stages to set up a crucial play off final against Darlaston Town on the 4th May who beat Stourport Swifts 3-1 yesterday afternoon. Full Time This was an excellent game to watch for the neutral and both teams were going for it and looking to make things happen rather than waiting for the mistake. Play off games can tend to be attritional due to the circumstances and the pressure of the occasion. This match was the complete opposite of that and it’s a credit to both sides that they were willing to be positive and play on the front foot. Lichfield stuck to their possession style which has served them so well this season and were looking to build goal scoring opportunities in and around the box. Jordan Clement was brilliant yesterday and he’s got that quality on the ball to make a real difference in matches like this. His reading of the game stood out and he linked up the play effectively. Highgate United showed character and resolve to make a game of it in the second half and caused Lichfield a few problems. Ryan Harkins looked a threat in the final third and was holding up the play well for the visitors. Bassit Manday also looked promising in the final third and was making some good runs off the ball to create chances. Ben Vallance had an underrated game from the left of a back three and looked defensively solid against some quality players at this level. He was making some big blocks and interceptions in the second half to keep Highgate in the match. George Cleet also looked good defensively and was blocking dangerous shots in the box. Overall, this was an enjoyable match yesterday and an excellent occasion to showcase Lichfield’s season in the premier division to a wider audience. One of the benefits of the play offs is the value of drawing more casual supporters in and it was encouraging to see yesterday. FT score: Lichfield City 3-1 Highgate United Attendance: 424 Man of the match: Dan Smith (Lichfield City) Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League Premier Division Lichfield City V Highgate United Lichfield will be looking to continue their unbeaten home record at the Trade Tyre Community Stadium against Highgate United tomorrow afternoon. It’s been an excellent season for the Staffordshire side who finished 2nd at the end of the league season. Beating Studley was important in gaining some confidence and momentum going into the play offs following defeats at Highgate and Darlaston. They have been incredible at home with thirteen wins and four draws in the league. A key part of their success has been at the back with just 11 goals conceded from 17 home matches. In a squad full of quality, Dan Smith has been excellent up front with 34 goals in all competitions. The loss of captain Daniel Lomas due to injury is going to be the main concern for Lichfield but they have more than enough quality in midfield to make up for it with Dominic Lewis and Jordan Clement impressing this season. Highgate are going into this match with some momentum following a huge result against Hinckley AFC in the MFL League cup semi-finals on Tuesday. A place at the Bescot is secured for the visitors against Congleton Town on Wednesday and they have a huge match this weekend in the play offs. It’s going to be an exciting week for Highgate supporters, and it will be interesting to see how they get on. They notably got in the play offs following an eye catching 12-0 win against relegated Bewdley Town last week to beat Studley to 5th on goal difference. The main concern for Highgate going into this match is their away record which has been a bit hit and miss throughout the league season. Sevens wins, one draw and nine losses from 17 matches is ok but contrasts from their home form with only two losses from 17 matches. With the play offs being a one-off match, the visitors have a good chance of causing an upset and momentum is huge at this stage of the year. Ryan Harkin is their main attacking threat and he’s been incredible at step five over the last few seasons. He has a total of 67 goals across two seasons for Highgate United in all competitions. Darlaston Town V Stourport Swifts Darlaston are going into the play offs as the form team in the premier division. It’s been an incredible month for the Citizens with seven consecutive wins to finish the league season in 3rd. The most impressive thing about their run is their defence with seven consecutive clean sheets going into this match. They have been strong at the Paycare Stadium all season with thirteen wins from seventeen matches. There’s quality in the squad with Tom Allsopp impressing in goal and Alexander Foreshaw and Ben Podmore having good seasons at the back. The main concern is the injury to attacking player James Rowland who had the ability to unlock defences. None the less, there’s more than enough quality to step in with Kieron Miller playing well up front and Aaron Bishop a threat in the final third. Stourport Swifts finished the season strongly to get in the play offs. The visitors finished the league campaign with three consecutive wins to finish in 4th and have some momentum going into this match. The most pleasing thing was the three wins coming away from home which has been one of their main issues this season. They battled to beat the likes of Atherstone and Stone Old Alleynians and put in a professional performance to beat Bewdley Town. Alongside having a notable run in the FA Vase where they reached the last sixteen before bowing out to Worcester City, the visitors have had an excellent season at this level and will be looking to cause a bit of an upset tomorrow. Benjamin Tilbury is one of their main attacking threats with 16 goals in all competitions. Another notable player is Ben Jevons at the back who has been excellent for the Swifts in his last season in non-league football. Division One Allscott Heath V Droitwich Spa Allscott Heath have been excellent since coming up to division one from the West Midlands Regional League and have been one of the stories of step six. To finish in 2nd is an excellent achievement from the Shropshire side in their first season at this level. They have been strong at home throughout the season with fourteen wins from nineteen matches at Shawbirch Road. It’s been brilliant at the back with only 25 goals conceded at home. There also on a run of four consecutive clean sheets at home. They have got some momentum going into the play offs with fifteen points from their last six matches. The main concern is losing to Droitwich Spa in the league away from home which could be a psychological factor. None the less, throughout the campaign they have proved they can take the game to anyone on their day. Droitwich go into the play offs looking to bounce back from the mid-week loss to Wednesfield on Tuesday. The Saltmen have been hit and miss over the last few weeks and a bit unpredictable in terms of results. On their day they can beat anyone in the league and there on a good run of form with ten points from their last six matches. One of the encouraging factors for Saltmen supporters at the weekend is Droitwich’s away form. The visitors have won ten and drawn four of their 19 matches on the road. Another positive for Droitwich is the experience they had last season in the play offs when they lost to Ashby Ivanhoe in the final. This could serve them in good stead in a tight match and make a real difference. Josh Hurdman is a player to watch for Droitwich who has 14 goals in all competitions. OJM Black Country V Ingles OJM will be looking to continue their excellent form against Ingles tomorrow at the Triplex Sports Association. They have been one of the form teams in the league coming into this play-off match and are on a four-game unbeaten run. Their home record is excellent with ten wins and six draws from 19 matches. Their main strength throughout the season has been their defensive record with 40 goals conceded across 38 matches which is the best in division one. OJM have really stood out at the back throughout the league campaign with Callum Nimmo captaining the team and making a real difference. With a solid defensive platform, it gives OJM a brilliant chance of play off success if it all clicks up front. They like to play a possession brand of football and work the ball through the opposition to create chances. It’s an eye-catching style and brilliant to watch for OJM supporters and neutral spectators. It’s a squad full of quality with the likes of Jordan Sangha and Blake Kindred impressing in midfield. Taylor Homer is also a key attacking threat down the wings and has 17 goals in all competitions. Ingles have been excellent this season and go into the play offs with a bit of momentum. The Leicester side are four matches unbeaten and will be looking to cause an upset tomorrow to advance to the play off final. One of the positives for the visitors is their record on the road with twelve wins and three draws from nineteen matches. They also have one of the best defensive records in the league with only 48 goals conceded across 38 matches which is excellent. A key part of Ingles’ success has been their ability to stay in matches and keep it tight at the back. There well set up off the ball and defend as a team which can go a long way in picking up results. There’s also quality on the ball to cause teams problems with Jack Allen having a brilliant season and emerging as one of Ingles’ main attacking threats. He has 17 goals in all competitions this season. Preview feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League |
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