Storming game !

        West Midlands Regional League. Premier Division

                              Wolves Casuals v Lye

Always a game to savour between two excellent teams, this lived up to all expectations. Lye had a bone to pick with Casuals; the hosts having denied them promotion in the final game of last season.
 
Driving to the match down Cat and Kittens Lane there was an almighty storm with thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain. I was expecting to reach Brinsford Stadium and find the game postponed but amazingly the game went ahead with water still lying on the pitch and a torrential downpour in progress. So much for the safety of the players.

The game itself was a belter although players struggled to maintain their footing and passes often were going astray with the ball sticking in the mud. Lye possibly had the upper hand in early exchanges and after taking the lead they were reduced to ten men following a sending-off for a challenge which was not helped by the conditions.

Half-time ; Wolves Casuals 0 Lye Town 1

The rain relented as the second half began and it was not long before Casuals were level and could have been in front but for missing a penalty. Although roles had switched somewhat with Casuals using their man advantage, the visitors always looked dangerous and it was they who scored a second. There was always going to be more goals and so it was as Casuals equalised for a second time. Neither side were prepared to settle for a draw and they both went at it right up to the final whistle.


My personal opinion is this game should not have been played in such conditions where the risk of injury is heightened ; these blokes have jobs to go to on Monday morning. Having said that, I congratulate every last one of them for giving it their all. They must all be absolutely bloody knackered !

Click on a pic to enlarge

Boo Hoo It's too wet

Safe to play on ?

 

Red-carded

Well-saved penalty

 

 

Result ; Wolves Casuals 2 Lye Town 2

 

Entrance ; £2(concession)

Programme ; n/a

Drink ; £1 - £1.10

Crowd ; About 65

Referee ; Good

 

 

Proper Football 1 Pro Football 0

Over the last three weeks I have had the pleasure of entertaining  a young visitor from America.
He is the Grandson of a former neighbour  who returned to his homeland some years ago.
Andrew has had a holiday in England before, but that was in summer some three years ago, when his Grandfather set him the task of buying me a pint of beer and putting a bet on in a betting shop, things that he could do legally over here at eighteen but not at home in Boston.
This year his task was to watch a football match.

His first ever live game was at Penncroft, for he had only seen football at home on TV.

A boring game it was not. Four goals, penalties, a red card, all it lacked was a bigger crowd.

 He thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that the next weekend he took in a game in the Cheltenham and District League whilst visiting friends in Gloucestershire.

Last Saturday I took him to what became Graham Turner’s last game in charge at Shrewsbury. Unfortunately  the Shrewsbury players  badly let down their manager and turned in an awful display. But Andrew still managed to find some good points in it, but admitted that he found Proper Football better.

Andrew has returned home now, but this time I have given him a task. That task is to take his Grandfather to a Proper Football game in Boston. Yes, such games really do exist. It is not all MLS over there.             Who knows ? We may even get a report.

Good luck for the future, Andrew, and I sincerely hope you get your wish to find an engineering job over here after your graduation next spring and then Proper Football will be a regular occasion.

Tipton leave it late !

                     Midland Football Alliance
                        Tipton Town v Quorn

The weather played a blinder this week leaving a very limited choice of games but this game certainly appealed,5th versus 2nd.The first half was largely forgettable as both sides battled to overcome a brisk wind and a sticky pitch which the visitors seemed to handle a little better than their hosts, goal attempts being few and far between. Quorn looked lively and were quick to defend and attack. 

Hal-time Tipton 0 Quorn 0

Quorn started the half on the front foot having the lions' share of possession but again, without really troubling the goalkeeper. As the half wore on the wind seemed to ease ,things were warming up on the pitch and a goal seemed in the offing and it duly came about the hour mark, the ball being prodded home from close range by the visitors. Tipton were playing ok but seemed to be struggling for a shot on goal and they were again punished for this 10 minutes later when Reed beat the defender to the ball on the half-way line and weaved his way passed two defenders to score .Classy. Shortly after,it could have been three but for Pemberton in the home goal. Game over,or so it seemed. Tipton had other ideas and following substitutions they mounted sustained pressure on the Quorn goal and got their just rewards with a goal 5 minutes from time. Quorn were forced into desperate defending, hoofing the ball anywhere as Tipton had the bit between their teeth, shots raining in from all angles. The Tipton pressure looked in vain as injury time ran down but up popped Waterhouse in the final minute to gain a deserved equaliser for town. Indeed Tipton could and should have won it with the amount of shots on goal in the final 10 minutes but a draw was a fair result.

The visitors number 6(don't know his name sorry, no programme) was all over the pitch and looks a great prospect.For Tipton credit must go to the whole team for never giving in when all seemed lost.


What started as a rather dull encounter(no fault of the players) served us an exciting finish. Well done to both teams for their efforts in very trying and tiring conditions.

 

 

New stadium announcer ?

Result ; Tipton 2 Quorn 2

Entrance ; £3(concession)
Programme ; Sold out
Drink ; £1
Referee ; Good
Crowd ; About 80

Hinckley Football Club

This lot deserve a collective medal. The now deceased Hinckley Utd is moving towards possible resurgence. Keep it going, you WILL get there.

http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/public-asked-help-pick-name-6483088.

Wulfrunians too strong for Heath Hayes

                        Midland Football Alliance

                               AFC Wulfrunians v Heath Hayes

 

 

After seeing Heath Hayes defeat Wulfs earlier in the season, at the Coppice Colliery ground, with two goals in the final few minutes, I was looking forward to this game, albeit the choice of games was limited,given the crap weather at present. Wulfrunians are always good to watch and HH have played nice football whenever I've seen them.

The game was pretty even-steven for the first ten to fifteen minutes of the game with both sides playing a nice pleasing-to-the-eye passing game. For the hosts,Thompsons running off the ball to wide right and cutting in-field,was creating havoc in the Hayes defence and it was from one of these runs onto a peach of a pass from Stevenson he fired the ball under Jenkins into the net. The standard of football being played by both sides was a joy to watch with Wulfs putting the visitors under increasing pressure. Midway through the half Wulfs were awarded a penalty,converted by skipper Sedgemore. Neither I nor anyone by me could see why the penalty was given but Wulfs now had a two goal cushion and were very unlucky with another two or three efforts.

Half-time ; AFC Wulfrunians 2 Heath Hayes 0

Wulfs had a couple of chances to increase their lead early in the half and the visitors also started brightly. Hayes reduced the arrears from the spot and an equaliser looked on the cards for a short while but Wulfs stood firm and continued to call the tune with Thompson still a continuing thorn in the visitors' side. Robertson was denied a spectacular goal when his shot from distance cannoned off the cross-bar with Wulfs upping the tempo and playing some smashing one-touch stuff. Substitute Rose-Laing very nearly got on the score-sheet before Thompson rose to head in with a couple of minutes left, to cap a fine display of front-running.

Without going overboard, this was a cracking game between two footballing sides and I for one, cannot understand why these games do not attract bigger crowds. Credit to both teams for such a whole-hearted game.

 

 

Sedgemores penalty makes it 2-0

Heath Hayes reduce the arrears

 

Result ; AFC Wulfrunians 3 Heath Hayes 1

Entrance ; £3(concession)

Programme ; £1

Drink ; £1

Crowd ; 100(est)

Ref ; Ok

Penncroft among the goals !

                                                             WMRL Division 1   
                             Penncroft v Bartestree

 With only 3 defeats and a goal difference of plus 37,Bartestree made the long journey from Hereford probably thinking  another win was more than likely, given  that Penncroft had only managed 6 wins all season.Their hosts had other ideas.The visitors attacked from the off but it was Penncroft who were showing the more incisive passing,often moving from their own penalty box to the other in 4 or 5 quick passes and but for some good goalkeeping would have taken an early lead.The home side were awarded a penalty about the half-hour mark but again the visitors' goalie denied them and they continued to look the more likely scorers.

Half-time Penncroft 0 Bartestree 0

The second half carried on in much the same vein and 'Croft were soon in the lead and looking full of goals.Bartestree were handed a lifeline when a home player was red-carded and for a while the visitors looked dangerous but the home defence stood firm.Penncroft substitute Smith came on and proved to be a right thorn in the visitors' side as he chased and harried and was rewarded with a well-deserved goal.His pace was causing all manner of problems for the visitors who were finding it increasingly difficult to use their numerical advantage.Penncroft continued to attack,ignoring their coaches instructions to 'take it into the corners' and scored a third goal which seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Bartestree players. There really was only one team in it and a fourth goal duly followed for Penncroft.

This was a fine performance by Pennncroft who played some oustanding football which was a joy to watch.Hard look on Bartestree to meet them on such a day.

Good penalty save

Red-card

Result ; Penncroft 4 Bartestree 0

Entrance ; £3
Programme ; n/a
Drink ; £1
Crowd ; About 12..........Really
Ref ; Ok