It's an early start on my travels this Saturday, as I am on my way for a 10:30am kick-off for the Under-21 clash at Sutton Coldfield who are taking on Bromsgrove Sporting in the Midland Football League's, Under-21 Challenge Bowl competition.
As I am not able to go to a match this afternoon, I have decided to go for an early kick-off and check out the form of Sutton Coldfield, who are doing very well at Under 21 level this season.
The weather forecast is for cloud for most of the day with the chance of a spot of rain. I catch the 7:35 am train from Worcester Shrub Hill station and I am surprised at the the number of passengers, possibly Christmas shoppers?
After changing trains at Birmingham New Street, I get the connecting train to Sutton Coldfield and get there quite early. I have time to get some breakfast and have a good look around the shops before walking to Coles Lane to the Central Ground, home of Sutton Coldfield Town, who also share with Romulus FC.
I had thought of going to see Paget Rangers Under 21's who play in Erdington but was worried their game might be called off due to the large amount of rain we had had yesterday, so I have gone for the safer option of Sutton's all weather pitch.
The ground has the main stand and changing rooms on the right as you enter the ground, where there is seating for 200 spectators. The club house (including tea bar) is situated in the far left hand corner and also on the far side is cover for standing spectators.
After buying a cup of tea just before kick-off I stand by the goal at the club house end. This match is in the Challenge Bowl competition.
The teams have come out on the pitch with Sutton in their all blue strip and Bromsgrove in their all green away colours. I saw Bromsgrove play at Sporting Khalsa a few weeks ago and were a bit unlucky not to get a draw while eventually losing 1-3. Sutton Coldfield are going to be a different proposition though as they have been winning all their games so far.
Right from the kick-off, Bromsgrove are pinned back in their own half for long periods due to Sutton's pressing game, not giving their opponents not much time to settle on the ball.
After 16 minutes, Sutton Coldfield have the ball in the Bromsgrove net but is ruled out for offside.
The Bromsgrove goal is leading a charmed life, with a combination of good goal keeping and desperate last ditch defending. This is personified in the 26th minute when 3 shots by the hosts are either charged down or saved by the keeper in quick succession. In the very next minute a Sutton forward races through, taking the ball round the keeper, shooting at goal and the ball being cleared off the line by a covering Bromsgrove defender and then from the rebound another shot is saved by the keeper who has rushed back to his goal, (as shown below).
Phew! I am wondering if Bromsgrove might survive with a clean sheet until half-time. This scenario does not come to pass as after 33 minutes, when the Sutton No.9, Ryan Boothe, takes the ball round the valiant Bromsgrove keeper and scores the first goal. The same player goes close again at the end of the half by hitting a post with another shot.
So it's 1-0 to the home side and they know that it should have been more. Bromsgrove Sporting have put up some very spirited resistance though and look determined not to have a repeat performance of their earlier 1-7 home defeat against the same opponents at their own Victoria Ground.
One of the Sutton Coldfield officials told me earlier on that their synthetic pitch had cost £300,000 and was funded by their wealthy Chairman. It's been money well spent as over the last few years it must have saved them and their tenants, Romulus, from many postponed games. Also the pitch does not suffer much from continued use, as the Sutton first team are playing here this afternoon.
When play resumes for the second period, it's Sutton who are still calling the shots. Indeed they should have scored after just 3 minutes when a cross from the right is headed just wide of the far post when it looks to have been easier to score.
The Sutton substitute, No.14 is the next to go close when he sees his shot saved after just coming on to the pitch.
It's 2-0 soon after though when it's Ryan Boothe again shooting from the right in to the opposite top corner of the goal.
Bromsgrove Sporting though now have their best spell of the match.
First the Bromsgrove captain,Dennis Pickett, who looks like the smallest player on the pitch, flicks a header over the Sutton bar from a free kick. Then they pull a goal back after 79 minutes, when from another free kick, the ball bounces over a Sutton defender and a Bromsgrove forward runs round to hit the ball in to the top right hand corner.
Then Bromsgrove score again when a shot rockets straight over the top of the Sutton keeper in to the top of the net. A most unexpected turn of events and I'm wondering if we are going to see an upset?
Sutton Coldfield score in the very next minute though with their No.12 (another substitute) cleverly lobbing the keeper.
Just a few minutes later and Sutton Coldfield's No.7 scores from the penalty spot after their No.10, Troy Herbert, is brought down.
They have enough time to score a fifth through Troy Herbert who slides the ball in with the Bromsgrove keeper helpless to prevent it (shown below).
The final whistle sounds soon after and Sutton Coldfield have a well earned win for their attacking efforts despite stubborn resistance from their opponents.
I will be very surprised if there are any better teams in the Under-21 divisions this season than Sutton and it will be interesting to see if they win both the Challenge Bowl and their division in the Midland Football League.
They top their group in the Challenge Bowl competition and are guaranteed a quarter-final place after 5 wins out of 5, while Bromsgrove Sporting are rooted to bottom place with just one point from 5 games.
Entertainment value: 7/10
Match attendance: 25?
Entrance fee: none
Match programme: none available
Mainly due to an unfavourable looking weather forecast for Saturday afternoon, I have decided to go for a morning kick-off game in the shape of the Under 21 encounter between Sporting Khalsa v Bromsgrove Sporting. It's in the Challenge Bowl competition in the Midland Football League.
Khalsa play at the Aspray Arena in Willenhall, the former home of Willenhall Town and Sporting Khalsa bought the ground in May 2010 when it went in to receivership.
I have been there before in 2011 to see Khalsa play in the FA Vase against Heath Hayes, when they were sharing the ground with Willenhall Town.
When I make an early start on the train at Worcester, it's cloudy and a bit misty, with rain forecast for early afternoon. After changing at New Street I get to Walsall at about 9am. Plenty of time to have a cooked breakfast at 'Dino's Diner' near Walsall bus station.
I embark on the bus at 9:30 and 20 minutes later have reached Willenhall. This is the second week in a row that I am seeing a game in the Black Country and I remember reading that Willenhall was an area that specialised in the making of locks. Hence the football team having the nickname of 'the Lockmen'.
It takes me about 20 minutes to walk to the ground and I can see on the other side of Noose Lane, is the road haulage firm of 'Aspray', who I presume must sponsor the ground. On the one side of the ground is Fibbersley Primary School and on the other is Fibbersley Nature Reserve. At the front of the ground is the '442 Bar & Lounge'. It's not readily apparent where the entrance is but then I spy a chap who is walking to the left of the Bar area, follow him round and voila, there it is!
The ground has certainly changed since I last came here. I am at one end of the ground with a new looking modern stand, the main one, on my left (with blue and yellow seating) and a smaller one on the right which is for standing spectators only. At the far end, as far as I can recall, there used to be slope at the back but it's certainly not there now. This ground is a complete contrast to Lye Town's, where I went last week, modern and a bit characterless. It's neat enough and would seem a bit better if there were more spectators around.
When the teams come on to the pitch, it seems they are both playing in their away colours. Khalsa in red and black striped shirts and Bromsgrove in an all green kit.
It's an open game with play switching from end to end. Bromsgrove have a shot on goal from the left after 13 minutes but it's pushed round the post by the Khalsa keeper.
Sporting Khalsa's No.10 has a shot well saved 6 minutes later and then go ahead after good work on the left of the penalty culminates in a shot slotted in by their No.8.
Bromsgrove go close to equalising in the 35th minute, when their No.5 sees his header crash against the bar after the ball is cleared to him by the Khalsa keeper from a corner (as shown below).
Bromsgrove come back strongly in the next few minutes when the Khalsa keeper makes a great save from a header by the visitor's No.9 and then from a corner they see a header cleared off the line by the post.
Sporting Khalsa then increase their lead after 38 minutes when their No.9 takes the ball past the keeper and slots the ball home.
The hosts diminutive but lively No.6 then bends in a shot towards the top corner but it's tipped over the bar by the Bromsgrove keeper.
So it's 2-0 to the hosts after a closely fought first-half but they have looked to be the more dangerous side so far.
Sporting Khalsa ('Khalsa' meaning 'Brotherhood') were founded in 1991, firstly playing in the Walsall Sunday League.
In 2004 their first team joined the 2nd Division of the West Midlands Regional League and have made steady progress since then. They are now enjoying their best start in the Premier Division and are currently occupying 3rd place with games in hand on the top 2 teams of AFC Bridgnorth and Black Country Rangers. They have 3 Academy teams (including the Under 21's) and youth teams down to the age of 8, so have a steady stream of young talent coming through.
The sun has shone briefly twice in the first half but it's looking pretty gloomy at the start of the second period.
Sporting Khalsa are the first team to go close with a hard shot just going the wrong side of the post after 10 minutes by their speedy No 7.
But Bromsgrove come back strongly and in the space of 3 minutes have gone close to scoring 3 times. They are making most of their sorties down the right flank and after 21 minutes their No.4 again goes down the right, crosses across the face of the goal but again the chance is not converted.
(Bromsgrove Sporting starting yet another attack on the Khalsa goal)
They are finally rewarded 10 minutes later when their tall gangly looking No.8 (Luyanda Kwinana) shows good close control and composure to evade 3 challenges and place a shot past the keeper in to the far corner.
Sporting Khalsa however finish the game strongly. In the last 10 minutes they go close twice from headers on goal and then deep in to injury time one of their forwards is brought down from behind by the Bromsgrove keeper near the edge of the penalty area. The penalty is put away for a 3-1 win for the home side.
They have been pushed all the way today by Bromsgrove who could have got a result if their finishing had been better.
Match attendance: 12
Entrance fee: free
Match programme: none available
Entertainment value: 7/10
Today I have travelled to the Triplex Sports Association ground of Pilkington XXX, which is located close to the Kings Norton railway station, in Eckersall Road, Birmingham.
I had texted the Pilkington Chairman, Saul Gray, the previous day asking if he thought the game would would be played, as I had noticed that on Saturday, many games in the Birmingham area had been postponed. He said that he would text me as soon as possible the next day about this.
So today just after 10am he texts me affirming that it will go ahead. I have taken photos here on 2 previous occasions and the club have used my photos to illustrate their programmes and I get free admission!
Pilkington XXX unfortunately are having a bad season and find themselves just 2 places off the bottom of the Premier Division table, while today's opponents, Bromsgrove Sporting find themselves in a creditable 3rd place after their promotion from last season.
About 70 Bromsgrove fans,have boosted the attendance to a healthy 102 after making the short trip north for this game.
I station myself at the Club House end of the ground to photograph potential Pilkington attacks. After the game starts, Pilkington certainly do attack for most of the first 20 minutes.
( The Pilkington number 9 has a shot blocked)
However, with only their 2nd or 3rd attack of the match, Bromsgrove break away quickly down the left after the breakdown of a Pilkington corner and score the first goal!
( Pilkington forward, Dan Carter, manages to fire in a shot )
Unfortunately for the home side, Bromsgrove repeat this feat 3 more times before half-time to kill the game as a contest. Of course this pleases their supporters and they applaud their players off the pitch at the interval.
The second-half sees Bromsgrove in good control of the game and Pilkington have to defend desperately at times.
Sporting however only manage to score one more goal and achieve the double over Pilkington with an identical scoreline from their first match.
So Bromsgrove will be looking to finish the season with a top 5 finish considering some teams below them have games in hand but Pilkington will have to fight hard to make sure they don't finish at the bottom after they lost to Racing Club Warwick 2 days previously.
