MFL mid-season review (Division Two, part two)

​Earlswood Town

League position: 10th  

LJ Challenge cup: Quarter Finals

Birmingham Saturday Vase: Second Round

The Earls have been ok in division two this season and are comfortably in mid table. The club is adjusting to Joel Hughes as their new manager, and it’s been a bit of a transitional season with some players leaving and others being signed. Their capable of achieving a top half finish if they can get a run of form going like they did earlier in the season. 

One of the main positives has been their run in the LJ challenge cup and they have a huge match against Central Ajax in early February to reach the semi-finals.     

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Knowle (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

20/1/24: Bealonians FC (Home) (AFA Senior Cup) (1:30 pm KO)

27/1/24: Cadbury Athletic (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

3/2/24: Central Ajax (Away) (LJ Challenge Cup) (2:15pm KO)

Fairfield Villa

League position: 13th

LJ Challenge cup: Quarter finals

Worcester Saturday cup: Quarter Finals

Fairfield are having a good season in division two which is going slightly under the radar. Their main goal is to stay up and finish comfortably in mid table which is achievable with only five points separating 7th from 13th. It’s a congested mid table in division two with a lot of clubs on the same number of points so a top ten finish for Fairfield is not out the question.

Their main strength has been at home with four wins and two draws which has given the Swans some breathing room from the relegation places. Their away form has been an issue with no wins from five matches which has stopped the club pushing on into higher mid table.

Their still involved in both the LJ challenge cup and the Worcester Saturday cup which is an excellent achievement at this stage of the season. If they could go far in one of those and potentially reach a final that would be brilliant.    

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Lane Head (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Birmingham United (Away) (Division Two) (3pm KO)

20/1/24: Knowle (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

27/1/24: Bredon Reserves (Away) (Worcester Saturday Cup) (2pm KO)

3/2/24: Littleton (Home) (LJ Challenge Cup) (2:15pm KO)

Hampton

League position: 8th

LJ Challenge cup: Quarter Finals

Birmingham Saturday Vase: Third Round

Hampton are having a good season in division two and are going a bit under the radar due to the title race at the top of the table. Their comfortably in mid table and despite the problems caused by the clubhouse fire at Field Lane back in August, their home form has not been much of an issue.

Their now back at Field Lane and are capable of finishing in the top six which would be an excellent achievement and have a few games in hand over the teams above them. The Solihull club have been reliably consistent this season and Ciaran Lawless has played well up front with 12 goals in all competitions.

Their also still involved in the LJ challenge cup and have the potential to go far in that competition.   

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Central Ajax (Home) (Coventry Charity Cup) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Bolehall Swifts (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

20/1/24: Cadbury Athletic (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

27/1/24: AFC Coventry Rangers (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

3/2/24: Birmingham United (Home) (LJ Challenge Cup) (2:15pm KO)

Inkberrow

League position: 15th

LJ Challenge cup: First Round

Worcester Saturday cup: Quarter Finals

Inkberrow have mainly struggled in division two and are involved in a relegation battle to stay in the league. There’s been signs that the club might climb up the table earlier this season. This includes notable wins against AFC Coventry Rangers and Central Ajax.

Their main problem has been defensively with 56 goals conceded which is the worst in the division. Their capable of picking up results in tight matches and they beat relegation rivals Littleton 2-1 in November so there’s scope for the defence to improve. On paper though, it’s probably going to be a struggle between now and the end of the season.

None the less, they have had a good run in the Worcester Saturday cup which should give the squad some confidence and belief for the relegation battle ahead. They have 12 league games left to pull clear of relegation and if safety is looking unlikely there might need to be an eye on building for step eight next season.   

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Cadbury Athletic (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Redditch Borough (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

27/1/24: Kidderminster Harriers U21s (Home) (Worcester Saturday cup) (2pm KO)

Knowle

League position: 1st

LJ Challenge cup: Quarter Finals

Birmingham Saturday Vase: Second Round

Knowle have been excellent this season in division two. The Robins have been one of the stories of the season at this level and they took the division by storm between late August to early November with 9 consecutive wins from the 28th August to the 4th November.

It’s mainly a case of staying consistent between now and April to win the league. Their main challenge is going to be Redditch Borough who have four games in hand with a 9-point difference to make up. Alcester Town and AFC Coventry Rangers could also be dark horses for the title so it’s far from over.

It’s testament to the strength of the league that there’s four teams that could genuinely win it.  

Their main strength has been their defence with only 10 goals conceded over 17 matches which is incredible and the best in the division. Another positive has been their home record at the Robins Nest with seven wins from nine matches. It’s been a fortress since the opening day loss to Alcester Town.

It’s shaping up to be an exciting second half of the season for Knowle supporters.  

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Earlswood Town (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Alcester Town (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

20/1/24: Fairfield Villa (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

3/2/24: Alcester Town (Home) (LJ Challenge cup) (2:15pm KO)

Lane Head

League position: 6th  

LJ Challenge cup: Second Round

Staffordshire challenge Vase: First round

Lane Head have really grown into the season and are now competing in the top half of the table following a tough start to the campaign. 12 points from their last six matches has turned their season around and changed what they can achieve. The Walsall club are well clear of any relegation worries and can focus on finishing as high up the league as possible.

It’s a shame they did not go on a cup run as it’s been a remarkable turnaround to be where they are in the league. Josh Lewis has been excellent up front with nine goals in all competitions. 

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Fairfield Villa (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: AFC Coventry Rangers (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

20/1/24: Bolehall Swifts (Away) (Division Two) (3pm KO)

27/1/24: Central Ajax (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

Littleton

League position: 14th  

LJ Challenge cup: Quarter Finals

Worcester Saturday cup: Quarter Finals

It’s been a tough season for Littleton at step seven and their involved in a relegation battle to stay in the division come late April. There’s hope of them staying up with new manager Adam Parker giving the squad some confidence and their not too far adrift of mid table.

It’s looking like a three-way battle between Littleton, Inkberrow and Bolehall to see who will stay in the division for next season. Littleton have a good chance of finishing above the line and using it as a platform to establish themselves at this level in the long run.  

Another positive is that their still involved in both the LJ challenge cup and Worcester Saturday cup which should give the squad a lot of confidence and belief to get out of relegation trouble.

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Coventrians (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Cadbury Athletic (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

20/1/24: Central Ajax (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

27/1/24: Worcester United (Away) (Worcester Saturday cup) (2pm KO)

3/2/24: Fairfield Villa (Away) (LJ Challenge Cup) (2:15pm KO)

Redditch Borough

League position: 3rd  

LJ Challenge cup: Second Round

Worcester Saturday cup: First Round

Redditch have been excellent in division two and are challenging for the league title. Borough are not too far off Knowle in 1st and if they can build a run of momentum and pick up five consecutive wins in a row they have a decent chance of winning the league.

Their early exits from the cup competitions might help them later on this season as they can just concentrate on the league and building a run of form. Redditch’s main strength has been at home with five wins from six matches and their also unbeaten on the road. They also have one of the best defences in the league with only 15 goals conceded which is a good foundation to build a title challenge around.

The likes of James Ward and Daniel Murphy have that quality in the final third to unlock defences and score goals. It’s shaping up to be an exciting second half of the season for Redditch Borough supporters who have hope of challenging for step six football between now and April.    

Upcoming fixtures:

6/1/24: Birmingham United (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

13/1/24: Inkberrow (Away) (Division Two) (2pm KO)

27/1/24: Alcester Town (Home) (Division Two) (2pm KO) 

Review feature written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League