Bilbrook keep in touch with the leaders.

               ⚽West Midlands Regional League Div1⚽

Bilbrook FC  3  Punjab United 1

This was a decent game with hosts,#Bilbrook needing the three points to keep on the coat-tails of the leaders and visitors #PunjabUnited hoping to advance their table position.

The visitors were straight out of the blocks, taking the game to Bilbrook whose defence were standing firm,that is until the half-hour mark, their keeper,receiving a back pass, shanked it and in doing so, put it on a plate for the Utd number 7 to tap into an empty net⚽ ; red faces all around. 

Ten minutes after the break the hosts were level. A long corner to the far post was lofted back in ,leaving the forward with an easy header into an empty net⚽. Less than 10 minutes later Bilbrook increased their lead with a right thunderbastard,giving the keeper no chance⚽.

Punjab were having plenty of possession but were not really threatening the home goal and it was the hosts who were upping the pace. Minutes from the end Bilbrook put the game to bed with a third ; a simple ball in from the left leaving the forward with a tap-in⚽.

As stated at the start, it was a good game with Punjab giving their all but Juniors were well worth their win.

Entrance ; £1 concession !!!

Drink ; £1.50

Referee ; 9/10

Crowd ; 45est

Entertainment ; 9/10

High-Flying Lichfield survive a tough time at Tividale

      ⚽Midland Football League Premier Div⚽

Tividale 3  Lichfield City 3

Table-toppers Lichfield arrived at The Beeches with a 24 point advantage over their hosts having lost just twice ; it counted for nothing as hard-working Tivi took the game to them and for long periods, there was not an ounce of difference in the two teams.

Tividales hard work paid off on 32 minutes with a peach of a goal when a 20+ yards shot went straight and true into the top RH corner giving the keeper no chance⚽. The highlight of the first half was undoubtedly the number of 'meaty' tackles on display,with most coming from the hosts but this wasn't a dirty game. 

City equalised in the 63rd minute with a fine low drive into the far RH corner⚽. Game on ! Tividale were not to be denied and less than 5 minutes later they were ahead again with a clever goal from their number 5⚽. City were finding the Tivi corners difficult to deal with and this was highlighted on 77 minutes as they conceded again following a corner⚽. The visitors showed their true colours by scoring in the 86th minute⚽ and rescuing a draw with seconds of the game remaining⚽.

This really was an absorbing contest with Tividale refusing to be overawed by their high-flying visitors who,when the chips were down, showed why the lead the table. 

Entrance ; £5 concession

Drink ; £1.50

Referee ; 9/10

Att ; 100 est

Entertainment ; 9/10

Wolves Casuals and Uttoxeter Town in a Blood and Thunder encounter.

      ⚽Midland Football League  Premier Div⚽

Wolves Casuals 2  Uttoxeter Town 1

                                                                                                                 Played at Brinsford Stadium

These two teams may well occupy the bottom two league positions but judged on this display, both should hold ambitions of moving in an upward curve. Make no mistake, this was an exhilarating display of  attacking football allied to solid defending with the visitors having the lions share of possession,looking the more threatening but matching their hosts with the paucity of shots at goal, the highlight being a  Casuals move down the right which resulted in an excellent attempt which was matched by goalkeeping heroics.

Things certainly livened up after the break with Casuals reacting to their half-time chat and going for broke from the off and the earlier thoughts of this ending in a 0-0 draw were fast fading. Town were matching their opponents efforts and also the meaty(but fair)tackles.Something had to give and on 78 minutes following a lofted ball which beat the defender, the Town keeper made a superb save from a blistering shot only for Casuals number 7 being Jonny-on-the-spot to tap the ball home⚽. Town responded and were unlucky on a couple of occasions but their efforts paid off on 89 minutes with a well-deserved equaliser⚽. That was seemingly it for the day but following a melee in the Town area, Casuals number 15 picked his spot with a low drive into the far corner in the 93rd minute⚽. So Town and Casuals swop table positions but this observer would be  surprised if they are still there come seasons end.

No doubt about it, this was a real blood and thunder encounter which we thoroughly enjoyed. Credit to both sides and the Midland Football League.

   

Entrance ; £5 concession

Drink ; £1.50

Referee ; 9/10

Att ; 80 est

Entertainment ; 9/10

Bilston and Coton Green share points in a dour contest.

                       ⚽ Midland Football League Div 1⚽

Bilston Town 1  Coton Green 1

 A dour contest only really came to life very late in the game.

The first half was dominated by defenders, especially those of the visitors, their no-nonsense approach proving difficult for their hosts to breach with their passing game ; added to this, the more direct attacking game from Coton negated most attempts by Town to bring the ball down and play to feet. Having said that, Town will be kicking themselves for not scoring after enjoying the bulk of possession.

Things improved after the break with the visitors upping their game and enjoying plenty of possession. From a throw-in, the ball was  passed infield and followed by a defence-splitting pass which resulted in Coton taking the lead⚽. For a while it looked as the visitors were destined to take the points home but Town were not to be denied and were awarded a penalty late in the game, it being duly despatched⚽. To be fair, Bilston will feel they should have taken all 3 points but the visitors are not joint top because they're a bunch of pussies, its because they are difficult ot beat !

On reflection, a draw was probably a fair result from both perspectives.

Entry ; £5 concession

Drink ; From £1.50

Referee ; 6/10

Crowd ; 160c

Entertainment ; 8/10