Birmingham United V Knowle (Division Two)

​Birmingham United were looking to bounce back from their 6-1 loss to Northfield Town in the LJ Cup last weekend with a statement result against league leaders Knowle. The Blinders were unbeaten at home coming into this match with six wins and two draws from eight matches at the Trico Stadium.

They have been one of the standout teams at this level over the last few seasons and were sitting in 2nd with just two losses from twenty-two matches. A top three finish is a realistic aim for Birmingham United who have built on last season’s 6th place finish in division two under manager Joe Sims.    

Knowle were coming off an eye-catching loss to Littleton last weekend which put an end to their unbeaten run in the league. The Robins were looking to bounce back with a result against Birmingham United to put the pressure on title challengers Northfield Town whose match against Coventry Alvis got postponed earlier in the day.

The Solihull side’s form away from home had been incredible with eights wins from nine matches and just one goal conceded on the road.

The atmosphere around the Trico Stadium prior to kick off was friendly and welcoming. The weather conditions were challenging throughout the afternoon with freezing temperatures and showers at Birmingham United. The facilities were impressive with a well-presented clubhouse and wide selection of drinks available for supporters.    

​Starting line ups

Birmingham United’s starting line-up included Tristan Ramsay starting in goal and Brett Fellows captaining the team from attacking midfield. The formation looked like a 3-4-3 with Urio Hijambazapo playing up front and being supported by Brett Fellows and Foday Nabay from attacking midfield.

There were six changes from their cup match against Northfield Town last weekend with Ben Birch coming into the team and playing as part of a back three alongside Kyle Batchelor and Aaron Brown.

Knowle’s starting line up included Oscar Slater starting in goal and George Seeley captaining the team from holding midfield. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with Odane Barnes playing up front and being supported by Hayden Purves and Callum Burston-Keeley on the wings.

There were four changes from their match against Littleton last weekend with Jack Duggan coming back into the team at centre back alongside Ricardo Dudley. 

First Half

Knowle got off to a brilliant start and took the lead inside the opening few minutes. The visitors moved the ball quickly on the break before finding Callum Burston-Keeley down the right-hand side. He ran into the box before finishing across Tristan Ramsay into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0.

It was a quality goal from Knowle that helped them settle into the match early on.  

​The Robins had a guilt edged chance to make it 2-0 inside the opening ten minutes when Hayden Purves beat a few players before squaring it to Joseph Drake-Cervantes at the back post who couldn’t quite get it on target to trouble Tristan Ramsay in the Birmingham goal.

Birmingham United gradually grew into the match as the first half went on and were working hard off the ball to limit the clear-cut chances for Knowle. Kyle Batchelor and Ben Birch were impressing as part of a back three and reading the danger well to keep Birmingham in the match at 1-0 down.

The formation from the Blinders relied on attacking width coming from the wing backs of Alessandro Pierpoint and Josh Gilmour with Kartel Martins and Ryan Pierpoint looking to control the tempo of the match from central midfield.

Birmingham United were moving the ball around well following the early pressure from Knowle and starting to build some momentum on the ball. Kartel Martins was linking up the play well when building attacks and Brett Fellows was getting into some promising positions in the final third.

The only thing missing was the clear-cut chances in front of goal and Knowle were doing a good job of cutting out the danger. Jack Duggan was heading and clearing long balls away with Ricardo Dudley limiting the space available for Birmingham United to build attacks from.

The first half was a bit cagey in terms of chances with both defences cancelling each out following the early pressure by Knowle.

Second Half

Knowle had some good chances to seal the match in the early stages of the second half. Callum Burston-Keeley was making things happen down the right-hand side and taking players on. He had a shot that flashed wide of the left-hand post in the 47th minute.

Birmingham United had a bit of hope as the second half went on with Aaron Brown playing well as the centre of a back three and helping them get on the ball more to build some momentum.

Odane Barnes had a quieter game for Knowle yesterday but was still making some encouraging runs into the box. He had a guilt edged chance to make it 2-0 when he ran off the shoulder before being through one on one and dragging his shot wide of the far post.  

Knowle missed some good chances at 1-0 down which gave Birmingham United some belief in the second half and they had a lot more of the ball than they did in the first. The Blinders were moving it about well in midfield and down the wings but struggled with that final ball into the box to stretch the Knowle defence.

The visitors had the best defensive record in the league going into yesterday with only seven goals conceded from 22 matches. The organisation off the ball was brilliant and played a part in Birmingham United struggling to create chances.

The best chance for the Blinders came when substitute Connor Doyle made a good run into the box before finding some space to get a shot off. Oscar Slater stepped up and made a crucial save for Knowle to keep it at 1-0.

Not long after the Robins went up the other end and scored on the break when Callum Burston-Keeley broke free in the box before producing a volleyed finish into the bottom left corner for 2-0.

Callum Burston-Keeley had a huge chance to complete his hat-trick with just the keeper to beat. He shot straight at Tristan Ramsay with just a few minutes left.

He also had a half chance for a third goal when substitute Harry Stone played a brilliant low ball across the box which he couldn’t quite connect with.  

Birmingham United also had a late half chance when Ben Birch was free in the box but dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Not long after the referee blew for the full-time whistle with Knowle making it nine consecutive away wins in division two.

Full Time

Birmingham United will feel a bit disappointed with the result yesterday, but they battled well with Knowle throughout the match. The Blinders showed character from going 1-0 down early in the first half and the back three played well to keep them in the match.

When looking at the bigger picture, there a club on the up at this level and one to look out for over the coming seasons.
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Their upcoming fixtures include a run of home games against Bolehall Swifts, Littleton, Earlswood Town, Coventrians and Central Ajax to close the season.

Knowle played well yesterday and had that quality both on and off the ball to get the three points. It’s a brilliant way to bounce back from the loss last weekend and should give them some confidence and momentum for the last few months of the season.

The result increases Knowle’s lead to fourteen points over Northfield Town in 3rd who have four games in hand. Depending on what happens over the next month, Northfield V Knowle on the Saturday 5th April could be huge within the context of the title race in division two.

Knowle’s upcoming fixture list includes a run of away games against Earlswood Town, Coventrians and Central Ajax over the next few weeks in their hunt for the division two title.                 

FT score: Birmingham United 0-2 Knowle

Man of the match: Callum Burston-Keeley (Knowle)  

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League