MFL Weekend Round Up (Divisions one and Two)

​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