​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 

​Division One

Allscott Heath 1-1 Nuneaton Griff

Allscott Heath got a good point at home to Nuneaton Griff on Saturday in their hunt for the play offs. The draw makes it seven points from their last three matches and leaves them in 4th with a six-point gap over Cradley Town in 6th. They have been strong at home throughout the season with nine wins from fourteen matches.

A good crowd of 50 supporters turned up to watch the match at the weekend at Allscott Heath sports club in Telford.

Nuneaton Griff took the lead in the first half through Steven Pywell thanks to an overhead kick to go into the break with a 1-0 lead. The hosts responded in the second half and managed to find an equaliser through Harry Morris to get a valuable draw. It’s a good point for both teams and is something to build on for Nuneaton Griff who competed well in this match.  

Droitwich Spa 8-1 AFC Bridgnorth

Droitwich continued their excellent home form with an emphatic win against relegation strugglers AFC Bridgnorth on Saturday. Their form at Kingy’s has been a real strength with ten wins from twelve matches to leave them in 3rd and with a six-point advantage over Cradley Town in 6th. A top three finish would give them an excellent chance in the play offs as it sets up a home semi final match.

An excellent crowd of 156 supporters turned up to watch Droitwich get their 17th win of the season.

Most of the danger was done in the first half to settle the match. The Saltmen got into a 3-0 lead in the opening 25 minutes thanks to a brace from Cory Rudd and a goal from Josh Hurdman. It was 4-0 on the 25th minute thanks to a strike from James Lemon.

AFC Bridgnorth responded and got a goal back in the 38th minute through a penalty by Chris Sterling to make it 4-1. Perr Moss scored a few minutes before half time to make it 5-1 at the break.

Further efforts in the second half from Josh Hurdman and substitutes Lucas Edmonds and Woody Hawkett made it 8-1 at full time. It’s an excellent win for Droitwich and should give them confidence for the matches ahead.

It was a tough day at the office for AFC Bridgnorth and not good for their goal difference. None the less, if they can beat the teams around them, they might have a chance but it’s looking an uphill struggle to stay up at this stage.   

Ingles 3-0 Smethwick Rangers

Ingles continued their good form with a convincing win against Smethwick Rangers at the Thringstone Miners Centre. The result leaves them in 2nd with 60 points and in the hunt for the top three to put them in a strong position for the play offs. 

A good crowd of 62 supporters turned up to watch Ingles get their 8th home win of the season.

A solo effort from Jack Allen and a brace from Jude Ayetine gave Ingles the three points. They have been one of the most consistent teams in the league with just one loss from their last eight matches.

Smethwick are probably going to be playing step seven football next season. It’s all building for the visitors over the next few months and looking at the bigger picture.

Stapenhill 1-1 Hinckley AFC

Stapenhill held league leaders Hinckley AFC to a draw at Maple Grove on the weekend. It’s a battling point for the Swans and an encouraging result against one of the standout teams at this level.

An excellent crowd of 110 supporters turned up to watch the match in Burton on Trent.

Lewis Campbell scored for Stapenhill on the 35th minute before the visitors responded a few minutes later thanks to an effort by Lewis Rankin in the 42nd minute to make it 1-1. The Swans held out in the second half for a good point. It’s a good response from Stapenhill to the 4-0 loss at Hinckley AFC last weekend.

Hinckley AFC are in a strong position in division one and will be looking to wrap up the league title over the next few weeks.

Division Two

Birmingham United 5-0 Earlswood Town

Birmingham United continued their excellent home record with a convincing 5-0 win against Earlswood Town at the Trico Stadium at the weekend. The result makes it eight wins from thirteen home matches in the league. It leaves them in 2nd with 48 points and it’s been a good season for Birmingham United at step seven which sets them up nicely for next season.

Goals from Ricardo Richards, Leonard Obuadam, Conor Doyle, Gerson Ladila and Randy Osei gave the Blinders the three points. It was a team effort in front of goal from the hosts which was encouraging. They probably won’t win the league this season but are setting themselves up to challenge next season at step seven. 

Cadbury Athletic 0-0 Alcester Town

Cadbury Athletic did well to hold Alcester Town to a goalless draw at the Bournville Recreation Ground on Saturday. A brilliant crowd of 80 supporters turned up to watch the draw which would suit the hosts more.

The Chocolate men are in a relatively comfortably position in the league and have an eight-point gap over the bottom two. The teams below them do have a few games in hand so if they could get a few more wins between now and the end of the season in May they should be fine.

Alcester Town are in a good position in the league and comfortably in the top five despite the draw. Similar to Birmingham United, the rest of the season is all about building so they can challenge for next season.  

Inkberrow 1-1 Coventry Alvis

Inkberrow got a good draw against top half side Coventry Alvis at Sands Road at the weekend. It’s a good point for the Worcestershire side and they are well clear of any relegation concerns.

Sahad Amir opened the scoring in the 2nd minute for Inkberrow before the visitors responded through Jagit Aujla to make it 1-1 at full time.

Both teams have had relatively good seasons in division two and will be looking to challenge next season.

Knowle 3-1 Lane Head

Knowle got a brilliant win at the Robins Nest at the weekend to put pressure on Redditch Borough for the league title. The Robins have been brilliant at home throughout the season with nine wins from twelve matches and it continued here against Lane Head.

A good crowd of 57 supporters turned up to watch Knowle get the three points on Saturday.

A brace from Jack Mullen and a solo goal from new signing Odane Barnes got Knowle’s 15th win of the season in division two. Craig Tuckley scored what turned out to be a consolation goal for Lane Head who have had a good season despite the result.

The result leaves Knowle top of the league with an eight-point gap over Redditch Borough in 3rd who have five games in hand. The main positive for Knowle is having to play Redditch Borough home and away which could have a big say on who wins the league come early May.  

Littleton 1-0 Bolehall Swifts

Littleton got a crucial win at the weekend at Five Acres in Worcestershire in their battle to stay in step seven. It’s been a challenging season for the Tonboys but they have got hope for their remaining matches with only a three point gap to make up over Fairfield Villa in 14th with the same number of games played.

A James Batchelor free kick was enough to separate the two teams and settle the match. The way Littleton battled in this match and held on for the clean sheet is encouraging in their battle to avoid the drop. They also competed well in recent losses to Birmingham United and Alcester Town, so they have a good chance of staying up based on current form.

The same issues continued for Bolehall in this match against Littleton. The Swifts have competed well against a range of tough teams in division two and are not too far adrift of safety with a six-point gap to Fairfield Villa in 14th. However, they have struggled in front of goal, and it’s been a season long issue with the lowest goals scored tally in the league with 14 goals from 17 matches.

The season is not over just yet for Bolehall Swifts, but they could do with finding a goal scorer to give themselves a chance of staying up.     

Round up feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League