Leamington Hibernian were looking for a result yesterday afternoon to climb up the table and challenge for a top ten finish. It’s been a tough season for the hosts so far and yesterday was their first match in over a month since the 6-0 home loss to Boldmere Falcons. On a positive, they have a lot of matches left and were only five points off DSC United in 10th going into yesterday’s match. Castle Vale Town have been excellent in division three this season and were looking to respond to their 2-1 home defeat to Wake Green Amateur a few weeks ago. Their away form had been a real strength coming into this match with eight wins from eleven matches. The Spitfires were looking to continue their good record here to cement their position in the top five. The atmosphere around Stockton Football Club was relaxed and positive prior to kick off with both sets of supporters looking forward to the match. It’s a brilliant location for casuals groundhoppers across the West Midlands and can be accessed by getting on the 63 bus from either Rugby or Leamington. Supporters can stop at the Square in Stockton and it’s only a five-minute walk to the ground. Leamington Hibernian can go under the radar in division three, but they have been competitive this season and can be a tough test on their day. The people at the club were welcoming and down to earth yesterday and there’s a lot of effort that goes on behind the scenes from local volunteers. One of the positives of football at this level is a sense of localness which can add to the match going experience. Starting line ups Leamington Hibernian’s starting line-up included Roddy Attwood starting in goal and Zach Featherstone captaining the team from holding midfield. The formation looked like a 4-3-3 with a front two of Kallum Blake and Kyle King being supported by Jordan Featherstone in the attacking midfield role. There were four changes from the team that started against Boldmere Falcons with Jordan Barry coming into the team and playing in central midfield. The starting line-up for Castle Vale Town featured Alex Bowen starting in goal and Jordan McKenzie captaining the team up front. The formation appeared to be a 4-2-2-2 with a front two of Tarus Zaman and Jordan McKenzie up front. There were two changes from the team that started against Wake Green Amateur with Will Case coming into the team and playing at left wing-back. First Half The opening twenty minutes of the match were mostly cagey with both teams settling into it. With a lot of matches getting cancelled over the last few weeks this was understandable and both teams needed a bit of time before they settled into a passing rhythm. Out of the two, Castle Vale Town started the brighter and were looking to pass the ball through the thirds. The chances were few and far between in the opening stages of the first half with both teams well organised off the ball to limit the clear-cut chances. The main pattern of play involved Castle Vale Town looking to play a possession-based style with Leamington looking to catch them on the counterattack. The match came to life in the middle of the first half when the visitors managed to take the lead through a moment of quality. An excellent set piece routine gave Castle Vale Town a 1-0 lead. Jordan Evans delivered an accurate ball into the box to Ensa Jarju who had a powerful header go into the net at the near post. The rest of the half saw Castle Vale Town protect their lead and stick to their passing game to have a control of the match. None the less, there weren’t that many chances in front of goal which gave Leamington Hibernian some hope of getting something from it. Their best chance of an equaliser in the first half fell to Kallum Blake who had a header go the wrong side of the post. Despite Castle Vale Town having a control of the match, it was a tight affair in the first half with Leamington looking a threat in spells. It was well set up for the second half. Second Half The opening stages of the second half was similar to the first and it took a while for the match to get going following the half time break. The game opened up on the hour mark and the chances started to come in front of goal. Jordan McKenzie was getting into some good position around the box for the visitors and he had a great chance to make it 2-0 before firing wide inside the box. The best chance of an equaliser for Leamington came in the final ten minutes when a neat passage of play resulted in Jack Breen working the ball on the edge of the box and having a shot well saved by Alex Bowen. It was a moment of quality from Leamington Hibernian and showed what their capable of. Substitute Idris Oyeniyi had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 for Castle Vale Town in the final few minutes. He did brilliantly to beat his man and cut inside from the left before having a shot go the wrong side of the post. Substitute Alex Henry was sin binned in the final few stages of the match which set up a nervy finish for Castle Vale Town. The visitors did well to hold on across the five minutes of additional time and managed to clear a lot of dangerous balls into the box. They were awarded a penalty near the end of the match with Owen Reynolds being fouled in the box. Jordan McKenzie stepped up and took an excellent penalty into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0 and seal the three points. Full Time Leamington Hibernian were good in this match and put a lot of effort and endeavour in to get something from it. They have struggled in front of goal this season but were a lot more dangerous in the final third than their goals scored record would suggest. They were getting into some good position around the box and just needed that final ball or composed finish. Their main strength was how well they were set up off the ball which stood out yesterday. Zach Featherstone was excellent in the holding midfield role and shielded the defence well to prevent the clear-cut chances for the visitors. Sam Newey and Samuel Ajayi also had underrated games at the back and stood up to the Castle Vale Town pressure well to keep them in the game. Kallum Blake also looked good up front and was getting into some promising positions around the final third. Amari Thomas was also a threat since coming on in the second half and was linking up the play well. Castle Vale Town were good yesterday and did well to have a control of the match since taking the lead in the first half. There’s quality both on and off the ball and Luke Evans has done a good job of making the Spitfires one of the top squads in a competitive division. Luke Smith and Talal Kelani were excellent at the back and were constantly clearing balls out of play throughout the afternoon. They got into the right positions and stopped Leamington Hibernian creating chances in front of goal. Ensa Jarju was also good in the holding midfield role and offered that composure on the ball to settle into the match. Jordan McKenzie played well up front and especially in the second half when the game was more stretched. He managed to get into some brilliant positions in the box and deserved a goal. Both William Case and Idris Oyeniyi impressed on the left yesterday for the visitors and were a genuine threat going forward. Overall, a brilliant advert for step eight football yesterday between two competitive teams. FT score: Leamington Hibernian 0-2 Castle Vale Town Man of the Match: Talal Kelani (Castle Vale Town) Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League AFC Birmingham V Birmingham Tigers AFC Birmingham will be looking for a result tomorrow to give their promotion hopes a boost. The hosts are currently two points off the top two and will have to rely on Feckenham and Northfield slipping up over the next few weeks to have a chance of promotion to step seven. They have been consistent throughout the season with just three losses from 22 matches and have made Illey Lane a fortress with five wins and three draws from ten matches. They have been impressive near the top of the table and are looking for their third consecutive win. It’s been a challenging season for Birmingham Tigers in division three. There in 17th with one point from 22 matches and it’s been a struggle both up front and defensively. One of their issues has been away from home with 69 goals conceded on the road and 12 losses from 13 matches. BNJS V Meadow Park BNJS will be looking for a result tomorrow to close the gap on the teams above them. There’s currently a four-point gap between themselves and Continental Star in 13th. The hosts have been ok in their first season at this level and have caused some notable upsets such as beating Northfield Town away. Despite their league position of 16th, they have not been too bad at the Hadley Stadium with two wins from eight matches. With ten matches remaining for BNJS, they will be looking for a few results so they can build on that for next season in division three. Josh Sarmento is a player to watch with 11 goals in all competitions. Meadow Park have been good since joining the MFL over the summer and are challenging for a top half finish between now and the end of the season. Their away form has been ok with three wins and a draw from nine matches. None the less, there undoubtedly better at home where they have picked up 17 of their 29 points. Tomorrow is a good opportunity to get a result to cement their position in the top half of the table which would be an excellent achievement. Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons V Solihull Sporting Boldmere Falcons will be looking to respond to their 7-0 defeat against AFC Birmingham a few weeks back with a result against Solihull Sporting. The hosts have been making significant progress since the appointment of Jordan Lengthorn and have notably improved with convincing away wins against Gornal and Leamington since the new year. Their home form has not been too bad with four wins and two draws from twelve matches. With nine matches remaining, the hosts will be looking to build some form between now and the end of the season. It’s all about building for Boldmere Falcons so they can challenge going into next season. Solihull Sporting have been good in division three and are comfortably in mid table going into the final few months of the campaign. One of their strengths has been up front with the likes of Gabriel Harding and Louis Buck impressing in the final third. One of their main issues has been away where they are yet to win from eight matches. This is a shame as their home form at the Tudor Grange Academy has been good with six wins from twelve matches. Similar to Boldmere, the visitors are building for next season and have impressed in spells this season. Continental Star V DSC United Continental Star will be looking for a statement result against DSC United tomorrow to make a push for a mid-table finish. Their currently four points off Boldmere Falcons in 12th and have been competitive against a range of teams in division three. Their home form has not been too bad given their league position with three wins and four draws from fourteen matches at the Holford Drive Community Hub in Perry Barr. The host’s main issue has been up front with a total of 33 goals scored from 24 matches which has stopped them challenging higher up the division. DSC United have been good in division three and are challenging for a top half finish. They have gone under the radar due to the exciting promotion race but are having a solid campaign at this level. Their away form has been good with five wins from eleven matches on the road. Rabab Ali is a player to watch up front with 18 goals in all competitions. Feckenham V Silhill Feckenham will be looking to continue their good form against Silhill at Mill Lane tomorrow afternoon. The Millers have been one of the form teams in division three with 16 points from their last six matches. There currently in 2nd and a point better off than Northfield in 3rd who have a game in hand. With AFC Solihull clear at the top, the race for 2nd is going to be intriguing over the next few weeks. Their home form has been a key strength with eight wins from ten matches. Another strength has been their defensive record with just 19 goals conceded from 21 matches which is excellent and the best record in the league. They’ve got a run of home matches over the next few weeks against Continental Star and DSC United in the race for the promotion places. Silhill have been excellent since joining the MFL over the summer and have adapted to division three well this season. Their comfortably in the top six and challenging for a top five finish over the next few months with eleven matches remaining. Their away form has been a strength with five wins from nine matches. They have also been good defensively away with just 13 goals conceded which is encouraging. The visitors are on a decent run of form with just one loss from their last five matches and will be looking to get a statement result tomorrow against one of the standout teams in division three. Gornal V AFC Solihull Gornal will be looking to get a statement result against league leaders AFC Solihull tomorrow at the Wombourne Leisure Centre. The hosts have been competitive in division three since joining the MFL and have managed to get results at home. Five wins and a draw from twelve matches is a good return given their league position of 15th. The main issue which has stopped them competing higher up the table is their away form with seven consecutive losses. They have also been better in front of goal at home compared to away with 28 goals scored at home to six goals scored on the road. AFC Solihull have been brilliant since the new year and have been finding ways to win to keep their league title push on track. Alongside Feckenham, there one of the form teams in division three with 16 points from their last six league matches. Consistency has been their main strength with just three losses from 24 matches which is excellent. They have been excellent away with ten wins from twelve matches. A key strength away from home has been at the back with just 12 goals conceded. Jahvan Howell has been their main attacking threat with 24 goals scored in all competitions. Leamington Hibernian V Castle Vale Town Leamington Hibernian have been ok in division three this season and have been competitive against a range of quality teams higher up the table. Their only five points off DSC United in 10th and are capable of climbing up the table over their remaining 14 matches. They have been playing at a new ground since the clubhouse fire of Field Lane and are now playing at Stockton football club based in Warwickshire. They have struggled at home so far with one win from five matches with their away form being notably better. Their main issue has been in front of goal with just 20 goals scored which is one of the lowest in the division. If they can find a quality goal scorer, they’re capable of climbing up the table. Castle Vale Town have been brilliant in division three and are comfortably in the top six. The Spitfires have been one of the stories of the season at step eight and were in 11th with nine points this time last season. Their currently in 5th with 45 points and challenging for a top five finish for their remaining eight matches. Their away form has been a real strength with eight wins from eleven matches. They have also impressed at the back away from home with just 17 goals conceded. Idris Oyeniyi is a player to watch on the wings who can make things happen in the final third. Northfield Town V Wake Green Amateur Northfield will be looking to continue their good form against Wake Green Amateur tomorrow afternoon at Shenley Lane in their hunt for the top two. The hosts are only a point off Feckenham in 2nd and have a game in hand over the Millers. They are unbeaten from their last six matches with four wins and two draws. They have been brilliant at home since joining the MFL over the summer with seven wins from ten matches. Wake Green will be looking to cause an upset against Northfield, and they have an outside chance of finishing in the top six. Their comfortably in mid table going into the final few months of the season and will be looking to build on the positives going into next season. They have been good away from home with three wins and one draw from six matches. One of their strengths on the road has been their defensive record with just 13 goals conceded. Adam Turner is a player to watch in the final third who has 13 goals in all competitions. Preview feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League |
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March 2024
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