Continental Star were looking to cause an upset against promotion chasing Feckenham at the Holford Drive Sports Hub yesterday afternoon in Perry Barr. The hosts were on a good run of form with three consecutive wins in the league coming into this one and presented a tough challenge for the Millers. Feckenham were looking to continue their excellent run of form yesterday and record their fourth consecutive win. The Millers have been one of the standout teams in step eight and were looking to make it five matches unbeaten going into this match. They were sitting in 2nd and a point better off than Northfield Town in 3rd prior to kick off. The match between Feckenham and Northfield on the 2nd of May could be crucial in determining how it shapes up going into the final weekend of the season. The atmosphere around the Holford Drive Sports Hub was welcoming with both sets of supporters looking forward to the match. Feckenham brought a good number of fans who made the trip up from Worcestershire to cheer on the Millers. The ground is an excellent location for casual groundhoppers across the West Midlands and is only a 15-minute walk from Perry Barr Train station. It’s definitely worth checking out and visiting for local supporters around the North Birmingham area. Starting Line Ups Continental Star’s starting line up included Armando Pepa playing in goal and Rhys Hoyte captaining the team from central defence. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with Kymani Hunter leading the line up front and being supported by Lawrence Taylor and Khadim Fall on the wings. There were three changes from the team that started against Birmingham Tigers a few weeks ago with Francesko Totti coming into the team and playing in attacking midfield. The starting line up for Feckenham featured Adam Watson starting in goal and Kian Davies captaining the team from central defence. The formation appeared to be a 4-2-3-1 with prolific forward Will Skelton playing up front and being supported by Ben Cox and Lewis Espley on the wings. There were two changes from the team that started against BNJS in mid-week with Josh Bowen coming into the team and playing in attacking midfield. First Half The opening stages of the match were fairly scrappy with both teams working each out and where to find the space to build attacks. It was evenly matched with both teams having a good share of the ball and looking to cause problems in the final third. Continental Star had a half chance from the edge of the box when Francesko Totti had a shot that was saved by Adam Watson. Feckenham managed to take the lead in the 14th minute through their first real chance in front of goal. It came from a well delivered corner into the box that was initially cleared by the hosts before the second ball was recycled well by the visitors with Kian Davies playing a ball into the box that found Will Skelton who finished into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0 to the Millers. Continental Star responded well to going a goal down and managed to settle into the match. There were not that many clear-cut chances for much of the first half as the hosts were building some momentum and reducing the Feckenham chances to stay in it. A lot of this was down to how well they were set up off the ball with Kona Campbell having a good game at the back and clearing dangerous balls into the box. The best chance for the hosts to get an equaliser came in the last ten minutes when Rumal Johnson had an effort on goal that was instinctively saved by Adam Watson. He tried to catch the goalkeeper off guard from the edge of the box, but the Feckenham stopper was alert to keep the clean sheet intact. Second Half The early stages of the second half were similar to how the first half left off with Continental Star having a lot of the ball and Feckenham looking to play on the counterattack. To the visitors’ credit they were resolute at the back with Ashley Bunn having an excellent game from central defence and clearing dangerous balls into the box. The visitors made it 2-0 in the 48th minute when Kevin Ingram capitalised on a goalkeeping mistake from a free kick into the box. Armando Pepa was looking to clear the ball away but struggled to connect with the ball with Feckenham anticipating the mistake and setting Kevin Ingram away on the right-hand side of the penalty box who finished well across goal. The hosts responded to the setback well and showed character and resolve to keep going. Marcel Simpson had a header saved from a good corner into the box. Substitute Michel Fueto came off the bench in the middle of the second half and made a positive impact in the final third. He held the ball up well and bought players into it to build attacks. The most clear-cut chance of the second half for Continental Star came in the 70th minute when Michel Fueto did well to find space in the box before putting an effort wide of goal. Just as the hosts were close to scoring, Marcel Simpson was sent off for an incident off the ball which reduced them to ten men. It was a shame as they were building something, and it disrupted their rhythm going forward. The visitors managed to make it 3-0 late on when a long ball resulted in another goalkeeping error from Armando Pepa who misjudged the flight of the ball. Will Skelton anticipated the mistake well and was in the right place to produce a composed finish to seal the three points for the Millers. Feckenham saw the match out in the final stages to get a huge result and keep pace with Northfield and AFC Birmingham who both won yesterday. Full Time It was an interesting match to watch yesterday with Continental Star having a lot of the momentum in the final third but lacking that ruthlessness in front of goal. They created a fair number of chances which was encouraging. None the less, despite the visitors not having that many chances they were clinical when it mattered which was the main difference between the two teams. Continental Star should not be too discouraged by the result as they played well and put in a spirited performance against one of the standout teams in division three this season. The effort and endeavour were certainly there, and they looked well set up off the ball to get something from future matches. Francesko Totti had a good game from holding midfield and was linking up the play well going forward. Lawrence Taylor also looked a threat out on the right-hand side and was making things happen on the ball. There was a lot to be encouraged by yesterday for the hosts. Feckenham put in a professional effort to get the three points and see the match out against a tough Continental Star team. The visitors did enough to get the three points and a lot of the credit should go to the defence who did well to stand up to the pressure and get the clean sheet. Ashley Bunn was excellent at the back and made some key interceptions to break up promising attacks. Lucas Cooke also had an underrated game from holding midfield and was helping to link up the play and stop promising Continental Star attacks. It was a battling win from the visitors yesterday and they worked hard to get this result. Overall, it was an entertaining game to watch at the Holford Drive Sports hub yesterday which showcased both teams well. FT score: Continental Star 0-3 Feckenham Attendance: 34 Man of the match: Ashley Bunn (Feckenham) Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League AFC Birmingham V Gornal AFC Birmingham will be looking to respond to last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Feckenham with a convincing home win against Gornal at Illey Lane tomorrow afternoon. It’s been an excellent season from the hosts who are challenging for automatic promotion over the final few weeks. There only three points off Feckenham in 2nd with a game in hand over the Millers so it’s all to play for. They have been strong at home throughout the campaign with sevens wins and three draws from twelve matches. It’s shaping up to be a big week with upcoming games against Silhill (Home) and Castle Vale Town (Away) in the league. Regardless of what happens in the push for the top two, it’s been a successful season for AFC Birmingham who have been one of the standout teams at this level. Gornal will be looking to build on their encouraging mid-week win against Meadow Park on Wednesday with a statement result tomorrow afternoon. The visitors have been playing well of late and been competitive in losses to the likes of Castle Vale Town and Balsall and Berkswell over the last month. There’s been some positives for Gornal in their first season at this level. The likes of Habil Darboe and Jaden Muckley have impressed up front and Tyler Beach has been solid in goal and kept the visitors in matches. They could be a tough team to play tomorrow if they can build some momentum and settle into the match. AFC Solihull V Meadow Park AFC Solihull will be looking to continue their excellent form with a result against Meadow Park tomorrow afternoon. The league leaders have shown consistency throughout the last month with 15 points from their last six matches. There in a brilliant position with an eleven-point lead over AFC Feckenham in 2nd. Their main attacking threat to look out for is Jahvan Howell who has been excellent since joining from DSC United at the start of the season. He has 42 goals over the last two seasons in division three. Meadow Park will be looking to get a statement result against AFC Solihull tomorrow. The visitors are comfortably in midtable for the final few weeks of the season and are challenging for a top ten finish. It’s been a successful first season at this level for the Worcester club who have been competitive. One of their main issues has been away from home with ten points from twelve matches. There on a tough run of form over the last month and coming off six consecutive defeats. None the less, the season as a whole has been encouraging and it will be interesting to see how they get on next year. Balsall and Berkswell V Northfield Town Balsall and Berkswell will be looking for a statement result against promotion chasing Northfield Town tomorrow at Lavendar Hall Lane. The Hornets are on an encouraging run of form over the last few weeks with 13 points from their last five matches. They have been brilliant at home of late with four consecutive wins and could be a real challenge for Northfield in this match. They have been solid at home throughout the season with only three losses from thirteen matches and there challenging for a top half finish. Jordan Featherstone is a player to watch who has been an excellent signing for Balsall from Leamington Hibernian. He has three goals from four matches for the Hornets. Northfield are challenging for promotion to step seven over the next few weeks and are only a point off Feckenham with a game in hand. It’s going to be a huge two weeks with six matches left to play which includes a huge match away at Feckenham on the 2nd of April. They have responded brilliantly since losing 2-0 at Boldmere Falcons and are on a run of three consecutive wins going into the weekend. A player to watch for the visitors is Ermand Kaloti who is hitting a good run of form with seven goals from his last three matches. The main positive for Northfield is that promotion is in their hands if they can keep getting results and win away at Feckenham. Birmingham Tigers V Castle Vale Town Birmingham Tigers will be looking to build on the positives of the 3-2 home loss to Solihull Sporting with a good performance against Castle Vale Town tomorrow. It’s been a challenging season for the Tigers who are mainly playing for pride over the next few weeks. If they could tighten up at the back, they could cause the visitors some problems tomorrow. It’s not been too bad up front of late with five goals from their last two matches. Castle Vale Town have been excellent in division three and are challenging for a top six finish over their three remaining games. The Spitfires have been strong away from home with nine wins from fourteen matches. A key part of their success has been at the back with only 19 goals conceded on the road. When they have got the quality of Jordan McKenzie and Tarus Zaman up front in a tight match, they have a good chance of getting points. Luke Smith is a player to watch in central defence who has started all of the Spitfires’ 29 league games. Continental Star V Feckenham Continental Star will be looking for an eye-catching result against promotion chasing Feckenham tomorrow afternoon at the Holford Drive Community Hub. The Perry Barr club have a busy schedule over the next week with upcoming matches against BNJS (Away) and Meadow Park (Away). It’s been a relatively good season for the hosts who have been competitive against a range of quality sides in division three throughout the campaign. One of the highlights was beating Feckenham away from home 3-1 at Mill Lane a month ago. Given their league position, they have been tough to beat at home with four wins and four draws from fifteen matches. Feckenham are in a good position for that second automatic promotion spot with five matches to go. It’s been an excellent season for the Millers in division three and there’s a lot to play for over the next few weeks. If they can keep on getting results and win at home against Northfield Town, they have an excellent chance of promotion to step seven. The Millers are hitting a good run of form at the right time of the season with three consecutive wins going into this match. They got a crucial home win against AFC Birmingham last weekend alongside not dropping points at BNJS in mid-week. William Skelton is a player to watch in this match who scored a hat-trick in the win against BNJS on Tuesday evening. Silhill V Leamington Hibernian Silhill will be looking to build on their excellent 5-0 win away at Gornal last weekend. The Solihull club are challenging for a top six finish over the next few weeks, and it’s been an excellent first campaign at this level. They have adjusted to step eight well and not looked out of place. They have been excellent at home of late with eye catching wins against AFC Solihull and Northfield Town at Sharmans Cross. It’s been a tough place for teams to go with just two losses from thirteen matches for Silhill. Gilad Grant is a key player to watch who has that quality on the ball to unlock defences. Leamington Hibernian will be looking to respond to the mid-week losses against Balsall and Berkswell and Wake Green Amateur with a result against Silhill tomorrow. There’s been positives for the visitors under new manager Kyle King and they played well to beat Solihull Sporting last weekend at home. They will be looking to frustrate Silhill and keep the match tight to see if they can get something out of it. It’s all about building for Leamington Hibernian with one eye on the bigger picture. Solihull Sporting V Wake Green Amateur Solihull Sporting will be looking to build on the 3-2 win at Birmingham Tigers with a result against Wake Green Amateur tomorrow. The hosts are comfortably in mid table and looking to see the season out with a good run of form. One of their main strengths has been in the final third with a total of 61 goals scored from 27 matches which is encouraging. A player to watch is Fiifi Kwofie who has 12 goals in all competitions for the hosts. Wake Green Amateur will be looking for a result to cement their position in the top half of the table. There on an excellent run of form with three consecutive wins over the last week which includes away wins against Boldmere Falcons, Leamington Hibernian and DSC United. Ashley Smith is a key attacking threat for the visitors with 36 goals scored over the last two seasons. Preview feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League |
MFLThe official news channel of the Midland Football League (founded 2014) Archives
March 2024
Categories |