Today I am going to cover the Midland Combination match at the Triplex Sports Association ground in Kings Norton. The home team, Pilkington XXX, who are lying next to bottom in the Premier League table are taking on 10th placed Stafford Town.
Indeed this is the second time in the last week that these 2 teams have locked horns. The previous game, a Les James Cup tie at Stafford's Evans Park, was a bit of a classic, the game went to extra time and Stafford triumphed in a 6-4 win. I think both team's managers must have had a few sleepless nights this week contemplating this match. Although both teams played in that recent exciting game, the attendance looks to be a poor one with kick-off just 5 minutes away. I can only count another 8 other spectators in the ground at this point. Thankfully there are some latecomers and a few more emerge from the club house.
Due decorum is observed, when after both teams take to the field, a minutes silence is observed in respect of the fallen in the World Wars.
Stafford have to wear their 2nd strip of all yellow today while Pilkington are in their red and dark blue kit. The day has a definite autumnal feel to it, distinctly chilly with the sun having to struggle from out of the clouds.
Pilkington start off in attack mode and are definitely looking to make amends for last week's result. Stafford have great difficulty in breaking out of their own half for the first 10 minutes.
Although Pilkington are in territorial control of the game so far, they are struggling to put the ball in the net. Stafford though do come back in to the match for the last 20 minutes of the first half.
In my view the best chance of the half, sees Stafford's No.11 attempting to clear the ball from his team's penalty area but only succeeds in giving the ball to the Pilkington centre-forward, who opts for placing his shot and sees it turned around the post by the keeper. Should have been 1-0!
All in all, I think Pilkington should be ahead at half-time and I'm sure the Manager will be telling the players that too.
The second-half sees Pilkington still in the ascendancy and after 63 minutes they take the lead! Their lively muscular forward, Odane Barnes, who scored a hat-trick in the cup game at Stafford the previous Saturday, is left unmarked at a free-kick and duly obliges by rising up and flicking the ball with his head in to the net.
While the players are trekking back to the half way line, a member of the Pilkington coaching team who is passing by, shouts encouragingly 'Come on The Pilks, let's build on this!' Unfortunately his words seem to goad the Stafford team to act in retribution and within the next minute have equalised. I didn't even see the goal as I was quickly checking on my camera if I had captured the Pilkington goal (I got the player on screen but not in focus).
The game ends with the teams all-square but I thought Pilkington shaded it on the day and their display bodes well I think for the rest of the season.
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