Khalsa snatch it at the death

                          Midland Football League Premier Division

Tividale 2  Sporting Khalsa 3

Prior to making my way to 'The Beeches' I'd listened on 5live to the Man U/Arsenal game which was apparently dreadful,according to the commentators😞 They really don't know what they're missing.I have watched  MFL/WMRL/NPL games nearly every week of the season for the past three or four years and I've yet to see a poor or boring game.This was yet another of those terrific local non-league derbies;the visitors enjoying a fine season after a stuttering start and the hosts only just getting it together after a disastrous early spell.Indeed,this Tivi side is unrecognisable from the one that started the season.

Khalsa took the lead on 20 minutes and were unlucky 5 minutes later,the ball rebounding off the foot of the post to deny them a 2-0 lead but it didn't take Tivi long to level things with a superb free kick on 32 minutes.The strange thing was,going into this game,the visitors had twice as many points as their hosts which was not that evident from what we were seeing on the pitch.Again,on 32 minutes the visitors went ahead but  2 minutes later, back came Tivi with an equaliser of such quality;a left-wing cross being met with a bicycle kick giving the keeper no chance(you wont see anything to better it on MOTD tonight).To all intents that was it;with 2 or 3 minutes left,I was moving towards the exit when Khalsa bagged the winner.Another superb game with everything for the partisan and neutral spectator.To sum up,this result is probably hard for Tividale to take after giving as good as they got but I suppose you have to hand it to Khalsa;they're in their league position for a reason

Entrance ; £3 concession
Programme ; £1.50
Drink ; £1
Crowd ; 40 est
Referee ; 7/10
Entertainment value ; 9/10

Lye made to work for the spoils

              Midland Football League  Premier Division

Lye Town 3 Brocton 1

Following the dross served up by England and Scotland,this game was a treat.Brocton may well be looking marooned at the bottom but they belied their position with some stylish football and made joint league-leaders Lye work for everything.We tend to forget that the standard in this league is so good,every team is there on merit.

Lye went ahead on the half-hour but it was never a comfortable lead with the visitors seeing plenty of the ball but possibly lacking a cutting-edge where it mattered. The home side increased their lead on the hour and it looked all over bar the shouting; and it was, other than a ball over the top from the visitors midfield which brought the home keeper rushing out to boot the ball away only for it to cannon off the Brocton forward and loop over the keeper and into an empty net.Suddenly,game on ! Brocton could sense there may be something for them in this game and credit to them,they really went for it but as already stated,that lack of a cutting-edge was to let them down.Indeed,on more than one occasion the hosts were to break from defence at speed only to be let down by some poor finishing or repelled by an athletic visiting keeper.In added time Lye put clear daylight between themselves and the visitors with a stunning volley,restoring their two-goal advantage and taking them to joint top with games in hand.Credit to both sides for a cracking game.Eat your hearts out England and Scotland !

 

Entrance ; £4 concession
Programme ; £1
Drink ; £1
Crowd ; 120est(plus 1 dog)
Referee ; 5/10
Entertainment value ; 8.5/10