Tipton Town progress in Birmingham Vase

                                                 ⚽ Birmingham Saturday Vase ⚽

                              Tipton Town 3 Continental Star 1

Played at Tipton Sports Academy

This was a very decent game with Town entertaining their MFLDiv3 visitors. The first quarter was very nip and tuck as both teams enjoyed periods of possession but a youthful looking Town always looked the more likely to score and so it was they who closed the half with a 2-0 lead.

Following the break the hosts continued to appear the more threatening with some fast,flowing moves especially down the left and try as they might,the visitors found an impregnable defensive line blocking their advance. Town added a well-deserved third before Star raised their game for a final push which earned them a penalty, duly despatched, to put a more respectable touch to the scoreline.

 

Entrance ; £3 concession

Programme ; N/a

Drink ; £1.50

Refereee ; 8/10

Entertainment value ; 8/10 

Wolves Casuals and Atherstone Town play out an exciting draw.

                  ⚽Midland Football League Premier Division⚽

               Wolverhampton Casuals 1 Atherstone Town 1

Played at Brinsford Stadium

This was certainly time well spent as these two sides served up some excellent entertainment.

Atherstone were cheered on by a sizeable, vociferous following, with plenty of banter being thrown around, most of it aimed at the referee 😁. 

The visitors look an accomplished side and they showed why they're in the top half of the table during a first half of many to's and fro's, having the bulk of possession but on every occasion spoiling good build-up work with poor finishing. Casuals were not by any means overawed, also having their moments but found an almost impregnable defence facing them,

The hosts must have had a discussion during the break as they put the visitors under pressure from the off and were rewarded with a goal on 57 minutes. Thereafter it was they who called the tune and threatened, on numerous occasions, to increase their lead. All seemed set fair for a home victory but for some astute substitutions by Town ; the pendulum swung completely as they bombarded Casuals,who were just about clinging on. Something had to give......and it did. On 90 minutes,following an almighty goalmouth scramble the ball was stabbed home and Town got their just reward for playing to the final whistle.

A highly entertaining game played in an excellent atmosphere.

 

Entrance ; £5 concession

Programme ; £1

Drink ; £1

Referee ; 9/10

Crowd ; 90-100 est

Entertainment ; 9/10

Shifnal Town blitzed at Wulfrunians

                      ⚽Midland Football League  Premier Division⚽

                        AFC Wulfrunians 5  Shifnal Town 0

                                                                                                                          Played at CKW Stadium

The visitors made a bright enough start, knocking the ball about and enjoying lots of possession. That said, there was little or no end result and Wulfs showed them how it was done on 23 minutes when Bishop(who apparently is moving to  a higher grade) waltzed his way through 3 players before scoring. Still Shifnal continued to enjoy possession and were again shown how when Ray added a second for the hosts. So Wulfs enjoyed a 2-0 half-time lead without, it has to be said, really impressing.

Things were obviously said during the break and Wulfs came out firing on all cylinders and on 57 minutes Sharman despatched a smashing curling shot leaving the keeper wrong-footed. This seemed to somewhat take the sting out of the visitors as the home side really ramped up the pressure and a fourth was added  10 minutes later via a Reeves header. Shifnal tried to respond but there was no let up from the home side and they added a fifth with possibly the best goal of the lot as Poole chased a lost cause, forcing the defender into an error and rounded the keeper to pass the ball into an empty net.

This was a scintillating display from the home side to which the previously unbeaten visitors had no answer .

 

Entrance ; £5 concession

Programme ; £1.50

Drink ; £1.50

Referee ; 9/10

Crowd ; 90 est

Entertainment value ; 9/10

Tividale progress in FA Vase

                              ⚽Isuzu FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round⚽

Tividale 1  Abbey Hulton Utd 0

Played at The Beeches, Tividale

There was a good atmosphere at The Beeches mainly due to the visitors bringing a sizeable contingent of fans and they had plenty to cheer early on as their team saw plenty of possession without seriously troubling the home keeper and this was a recurring theme for them throughout most of  the game. The two sides were fairly evenly matched, with the visitors looking more compact and organised,that is until the 26th minute when the hosts number 3 despatched a wonderful free kick leaving the visiting keeper rooted to the spot. The visitors continued as before, plenty of the ball with little end result.

The second half was altogether different as the hosts upped their game considerably and as a result there were many hairy moments in the visitors' penalty area but the ball was cleared on each occasion and the hosts were unlucky not to add to their lead.

The visitors piled on the pressure as the game drew to a close but Tividale held firm  and it is they who progress to the next round.

A good game with plenty of entertainment from both sides.

  

It's a goal !

Entrance ; £4 concession

Programme ; £2

Drink ; £1

Referee ; 9/10

Entertainment value ; 9/10

Crowd ; 100 est 

Warstones and Gornal in a Goal-fest

                           ⚽ West Midlands Regional League Div 1⚽

                     Warstones Wanderers 5  Gornal Athletic 3

                                              Played at The Cottage Ground, Amos Lane.

This was pure football entertainment. You name it, this game had it; thundering(but legal, well mostly) tackles, two red cards and most importantly.....goals galore.

The visitors were quickly into their stride and certainly had the momentum for the first 25 or so minutes and were justly rewarded for their endeavors with a goal around the half-hour mark.Their lead lasted about two minutes as Wanderers roared back to level the scores.

With half-time fast approaching the hosts dealt Athletic a devastating blow with two goals in as many minutes.

Gornal started the second half by reducing the arrears on 40 minutes and were bossing possession when I idly remarked to my mate ' You watch, Wanderers will break away and score after Athletic have been all over them '. Prediction correct, score now 4-2. Athletic, still looking dangerous were all over Wanderers who were relying on breakaways .The visitors were having none of it and replied with a third of their own.

Wanderers were reduced to 10 by a red card but it didn't stop them as they added a fifth before losing another player to a red card. It was then 'backs to the wall' stuff but the hosts hung on for a victory in an extremely entertaining clash. Credit to both teams.

Entrance ; £3 concession

Programme ; £1 

Drink ; 50p

Referee ; 7/10

Entertainment ; 9/10