AFC Solihull were looking for a result yesterday afternoon to keep their title charge going in division three. The hosts had picked up 13 points from their last six matches to sit top of the league on 49 points coming into this one. Their home form at the Tudor Grange Leisure Centre is one of the reasons why it’s been an excellent season with just one loss from nine matches prior to yesterday. Balsall and Berkswell have been good in division three and were going a bit under the radar coming into yesterday. The Hornets were comfortably in mid table and were looking for a statement result against the league leaders. The visitors had been competitive away from home with three wins and two draws going into yesterday. The atmosphere around Tudor Grange Leisure Centre was positive and relaxed prior to kick off with both sets of supporters looking forward to the match. AFC Solihull had a good turnout of local supporters who turned up to cheer the team on. There was also a good following for the Hornets who passionately got behind their team throughout the afternoon. The ground is a brilliant location for casual groundhoppers across the West Midlands. It can be visited by getting the 6 bus to Solihull from Birmingham near Moor Street Station. There’s a stop which is opposite the leisure centre near Solihull station. When walking up to the Leisure Centre, turn right and the ground can be found there. Starting Line Ups AFC Solihull’s starting line up featured Keaton Chalal starting in goal and Bradley Andrews captaining the team from central defence. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with Lee Chakmak playing up front and being supported by Jake Davis and Owen Williams on the wings. There were six changes from the team that started last weekend against Silhill with Deon Colstock coming into the team and playing at right back. The starting line up for Balsall and Berkswell included George Gane starting in goal and Danny May captaining the team from central defence. The formation appeared to be a 4-2-3-1 with Emmanuel Edogiawerie leading the line up front and being supported by Lewis Campton and Lucas Van Spelde on the wings. There were six changes from the team that started against Continental Star last weekend with Kamil Dziudziek coming into the team and playing at left back. First Half The opening 15 minutes of the match were lively with both teams getting involved and having early chances to take the lead. Balsall and Berkswell conceded an early penalty in the first minute when Kamil Dziudziek brought down Abdo Said in the box. He stepped up and took a good penalty that was excellently saved by George Gane in the Hornets goal where he pushed an effort away from the top left corner to keep it goalless. The visitors also had a good chance to take the lead in the opening 15 minutes following a free kick into the box. AFC Solihull struggled to clear the ball away from danger and Lewis Campton came close to turning the ball into the net. The match settled down after the opening 15 minutes with a pattern of play emerging. AFC Solihull were playing a possession-based style where they were looking to work the ball into the box and convert their chances in front of goal. Balsall and Berkswell were well organised off the ball and were looking to catch AFC Solihull out on the counterattack. The rest of the first half was tight and cagey with not many notable chances in front of goal. The hosts had a good chance from a corner delivered into the box which Adrian Cooney narrowly headed wide. None the less, the best chances emerged near the end of the opening 45 minutes. George Ginn had a good chance from the edge of the box for the Hornets which was well saved by Keaton Chalal in goal. Jake Davis also had an excellent chance for AFC Solihull where he made a brilliant run down the right before cutting inside and getting a shot off that was well saved by George Gane. At the end of the half, it remained goalless with the visitors doing an impressive job to contain the league leaders. Second Half The second half got off to an intriguing start for the neutral with Balsall taking a surprise lead early on. Lucas Van Spelde got into an excellent position in the box and showed good composure before finishing well to make it 1-0 to the visitors. This put the emphasis on AFC Solihull to see if they could turn the match around. To AFC Solihull’s credit, they sticked to their effective passing game and were patient with working balls into the box and creating opportunities to score against a resolute defence. They were playing well and passing the ball around with purpose. None the less, it was not quite clicking in the final third and there was reason to suggest it might not be their day in front of goal. A key strength of AFC Solihull is their strength in depth which really stood out yesterday. Manager Dean Newman brought on Jahvan Howell and Ross Kaar off the bench when they were a goal down and it made a significant difference to the match. It gave the hosts something different in the final third with both players liking to make late runs into the box. AFC Solihull found an equaliser in the middle of the second half through Ross Kaar who reacted excellently to score on a rebound from a Jahvan Howell shot from the edge of the box. It was unlucky for George Gane who saved the initial shot but the anticipation from Ross Kaar made the equaliser. The hosts managed to take the lead a few moments later when an effort by Ross Kaar hit the bar before Jahvan Howell was on hand to finish the rebound into the left corner to make it 2-1. The goal was very similar to the first with AFC Solihull reacting quickest to the second ball and capitalising to take the lead. AFC Solihull were reduced to ten men late on when Scott Saunders was sent off for a late challenge which set up a nervy final few minutes. None the less, the hosts managed to see the match out to get the three points and cement their position at the top of the division. Full Time AFC Solihull played well yesterday and showed character in the second half to get their 8th home win of the season. The team looked well organised off the ball for the majority of the match with Bradley Andrews playing well at the back and making some big interceptions. He’s a key player for AFC Solihull as he gives them that composure to start off attacks from defence to midfield. Jake Davis had an underrated game on the right wing and looked a threat throughout. He was getting into some good positions around the box and had that quality on the ball to cause problems. Jahvan Howell was brilliant since coming off the bench and injected a sense of urgency to get the result in the second half. He’s got that quality in the box to take chances which is huge at this level. Balsall and Berkswell played well despite the defeat and will feel a bit disappointed not to get something from yesterday’s match. They were well organised defensively and gave AFC Solihull a few problems throughout the 90 minutes. Danny May was excellent in central defence and was constantly clearing the ball away from danger and leading by example at the back. George Gane had a brilliant game in goal and made some big saves to keep Balsall and Berkswell in it, especially in the first half. Kamil Dziudziek also had an underrated game at right back and looked promising both defensively and on the ball for the Hornets. FT score: AFC Solihull 2-1 Balsall and Berkswell Man of the Match: Jahvan Howell (AFC Solihull) Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League AFC Birmingham V Feckenham AFC Birmingham host Feckenham in a huge match for the promotion places at Illey Lane, Halesowen. The hosts are currently in 4th and only five points off Feckenham in 2nd with a game in hand over the Millers. If they can win on Saturday, it gives them a good chance of competing for the top two for the final few months of the season. Their home form has been good so far with just one loss from six matches and includes three wins and two draws. They also have one of the best defensive records at home with just 9 goals conceded. Rahiem Faulder is a key player for AFC Birmingham with 14 goals in all competitions. Feckenham have been brilliant since joining the MFL over the summer and are in contention for promotion to step seven. The Millers are currently in 2nd with 45 points and have adapted to division three well this season. Their main strength has been up front with a total of 71 goals scored in the league. They have also been good at the back with just 17 goals conceded from 19 matches. William Skelton is a key threat for the visitors with 19 goals scored in all competitions. AFC Solihull V Balsall and Berkswell AFC Solihull will be looking to keep their title charge on track against Balsall and Berkswell at the Tudor Grange Leisure Centre on Saturday. The hosts are currently in 1st with 49 points and have a seven-point gap over Northfield Town in 3rd who have a few games in hand. Their home form has been a strength this season with seven wins from nine matches. Another positive for AFC Solihull has been their consistency with just three losses from 20 matches which has put them in a good position in the league. They have impressed up front with 63 goals scored in the league. It’s been a team effort from the hosts with Jahvan Howell, Owen Williams and Cherno Say scoring goals in the final third. Balsall and Berkswell are comfortably in mid table going into this match. The Hornets are in 8th and have been solid on the road with three wins and two draws from eight matches. Goalscoring has been the main issue for the visitors which has stopped them competing higher up the table with 28 goals scored from 17 matches. Jack Archer is a player to watch for the Hornets who is a threat in the final third. Birmingham Tigers V Northfield Town It’s been a tough season for the Tigers in division three who have struggled to get a run of form going to climb up the table. The hosts are currently bottom of the league with one point from 19 matches. It’s been a struggle up front and defensively with the worst records in the league with 15 goals scored and 102 goal conceded. None the less, they have players up front who can cause problems. Ahmed Mohamed and Bol Karbinho have stood out so far this season. Northfield are challenging for promotion and have been excellent since joining the MFL over the summer. The visitors are in 3rd and only three points off 2nd place Feckenham with a game in hand. Their away form has been a key strength, and they are currently unbeaten on the road from eight matches with six wins and two draws. If they can get a result tomorrow it will put pressure on the top two to keep up their form. Ashley Prince is a player to watch from midfield for the visitors who can go a bit under the radar. Continental Star V Meadow Park Continental Star will be going into tomorrow’s match with Meadow Park with a bit of confidence having competed well with Balsall and Berkswell last weekend. Given their league position of 14th, their home at the Holford Drive Community Sports Hub is not too bad with one win and four draws from eleven matches. As shown by the narrow 1-0 defeat to AFC Solihull on Boxing Day it can be a tough place to go for visiting teams. Their main issue has been goalscoring with 23 goals scored from 20 matches which has prevented them climbing higher up the table. Meadow Park have been a welcome addition to the MFL since joining over the summer and have competed well against a number of teams. The visitors are comfortably in mid table going into this match and could be dark horses for a top half finish. They have struggled on the road with just one win from seven matches. Their main issue away from home has been goalscoring with just 10 scored on the road compared to 28 at home. Mason Taylor is a player to watch for Meadow Park who has six goals in all competitions. DSC United V Silhill DSC United have gone a bit under the radar due to the battle at the top of the table. They are having a good season in division three. Their currently in 9th and are challenging for a top half finish between now and the end of the season. Their home form at the Triplex Sports Association has been ok with two wins and three losses from five matches. None the less, they have been tough to break down with just six goals conceded at home. Rabab Ali is their main attacking threat with 18 goals in all competitions. Silhill have been excellent since joining the MFL over the summer and are comfortably in the top six. The visitors are in 6th with 36 points and have a 13-point gap over Wake Green Amateur in 7th who have a few games in hand. A top six finish would be an excellent achievement by Silhill. Their away form has been a notable strength with four wins from six matches on the road. A key part of their success has been at the back with just five goals conceded on the road. Gilad Grant is a key threat for the visitors who can change matches up front. Wake Green Amateur V Solihull Sporting Wake Green have been good in division three and are in the top half of the table. Their currently in 7th with 23 points from 15 matches and similar to DSC United, have gone a bit under the radar. Their home form at the Holloway has been decent with five wins from eleven matches. A key strength has been in the final third with 44 goals scored which has helped them climb up the table. Adam Turner is a key threat with 10 goals scored in all competitions. Solihull Sporting have been fine in division three and are comfortably in mid table. The visitors are in 10th with 21 points and a key strength has been up front with a total of 46 goals scored. Their main problem has been struggling to get results away from home which has prevented them climbing into the top half of the table. No wins from six matches away contrasts with their home record where they have six wins from 12 matches. Gabriel Harding has emerged as their main attacking threat this season with 12 goals scored in all competitions. Castle Vale Town V Leamington Hibernian (Saturday 3pm Kick off) Castle Vale Town have been excellent over the last few weeks and will be looking to continue their recent form against Leamington Hibernian tomorrow. The Spitfires have picked up 13 points from their last five games and have cemented their position in the top six over the last month. Their home form at CV Stadium was an issue earlier in the season but they have been playing well there of late with three consecutive wins against Silhill, DSC United and Boldmere Falcons. Another strength has been up front with 49 goals scored from 21 matches. Tarus Zaman has been playing well over the last few weeks up front and is a player to watch in this match. Leamington Hibernian are comfortably in mid table going into this match. The Hibs are 12th in the table with 16 points from 16 matches. Their main strength has been their away form with four wins and one draw from twelve matches which has helped them avoid being near the bottom of the table. Their main problem has been goalscoring and they have one of the lowest records in the league with 18 goals scored. Kyle King is a player to watch with five goals scored in all competitions. Gornal V Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons (Saturday 3pm Kick off) Gornal are currently transitioning to step eight and have been ok so far this season. Their currently in 16th with 10 points from 14 matches and have a few games in hand over the teams above them to climb up the table. One of their main strengths has been their home record at the Wombourne Leisure Centre with three wins and one draw from eight matches. Their main problem has been up front with 22 goals scored from 14 matches which has stopped them climbing up the table. None the less, they have quality up front to cause teams problems and Habil Darboe is a player to watch with 12 goals in all competitions. Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons have been playing well over the last few weeks and competed well against Silhill and Castle Vale Town. The Falcons are currently adapting to the level and transitioning to a new coaching set up. Their league position doesn’t tell the full story and they are currently in 13th with 15 points. None the less, the signs are looking positive and there’s quality throughout the side to suggest they could be competing next season. Their away form has been a problem with one win from eight matches. However, they have been competitive away over the last few weeks. Marvelous Omoregie is a player to watch who is a threat for the visitors and played well last weekend against Castle Vale Town. Matches kick off at 2pm on Saturday except where noted. Preview feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League |
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March 2024
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