Well, it's an early start for me today, as I'm making my way to the Red Lion ground in Bloxwich (home of Rostance Edwards FC) for a 10:30 am kick-off. The game in question is the Midland Combination's Challenge Bowl Final, between the Under 21 teams of Romulus and Worcester College of Technology. It's basically the Under 21 League Cup.
So I leave on the train from my local station at Shrub Hill at 7:35 am. Just have enough time to buy a newspaper, a cappuccino and biscuits before boarding the waiting train with a minute to spare. Damned uncivilised these early starts!
It's a gloriously sunny morning though and after a few sips of my coffee, I am feeling a bit more alive.
The journey goes well until we are just outside New Street station. Then we have to wait until a platform becomes free for our train. Instead of cursing London Midland train company, I strike up a conversation with a woman passenger sitting on the other side of the carriage. She turns out to be Spanish (who speaks excellent English) and is a football fan who supports Atletico Madrid. She is going to Birmingham to try out a roller skating club. Brave girl! The train gets in to the station a few minutes later and we say goodbye to each other. Maybe I will bump in to her again soon in Worcester or on the train? Well....probably not I suppose, knowing my luck.
So, I get the next train to Walsall and when I get there I have plenty of time to get some cooked breakfast at 'Dino's Diner' near the bus station.
Suitably refreshed I am soon boarding the No. 301 bus and 5 minutes later I arrive in Bloxwich and make the short walk to the ground in Somerfield Road. When I walk in to the club house, I pay the £5 admission and receive a free programme.
Although Romulus, who have already won the Under 21 league are the favourites I am hopeful that Worcester can provide an upset today. When I saw Worcester play at Heath Hayes a few weeks ago, I was very impressed by them that day.
So the teams are soon walking on to the pitch, with Romulus in their usual red & white stripes and Worcester in light blue shirts and dark blue shorts.
The first half is turning out to be a very even affair. Not many chances but still pretty entertaining. I am hoping that Worcester's No.11, Joao Sousa, is going to shine today as he scored the best goal I have seen this season when I saw them last.
Both teams are working hard but the final ball is a bit lacking.
However Worcester take the lead after 32 minutes when the Romulus keeper is adjudged to have impeded a Worcester College player just inside the box. The Romulus players are incensed and it takes a while for them to calm down. I'm not sure if it did deserve to be a penalty as I didn't see it very well.
(James Lemon,sends the Romulus keeper the wrong way)
Worcester score from the penalty and Romulus respond straight from the kick-off in style. They pass the ball all the way up the pitch and go very close to scoring the equaliser. Phew!
There is an unfortunate clash of heads at a Worcester corner as shown above. Both players get immediate treatment and the Worcester player has to go off to have his head bandaged up.
Worcester reach the interval still in the lead and it looks as if the game is going to be a very close affair.
It's a good crowd today, probably a 100+. There seems to be quite a few Romulus supporters here, which makes sense as we are quite close to Sutton Coldfield. Also there are a lot of WAGS here too,....well make that just girlfriends, as the players are probably a bit young to be married just yet.
I can see there are 2 guys videoing the game and 2 photographers who both seem to be concentrating on the Romulus team. Maybe I'm the only spectator from Worcester today?
The second half starts and it's Romulus who are starting the better team.
In fact they are outplaying Worcester now and after 55 minutes are awarded a penalty of their own when a Worcester player is adjudged to have handled the ball.
( Romulus score from the spot in the 55th minute)
So Romulus are right back in the game but Worcester are still working hard. Their attacks are more sporadic but they aren't giving in to their more experienced opponents.
Although Romulus continue to be on top, 90 minutes comes up with the scores still level. I am hoping that Worcester can find some inspiration in extra time and pull off the win.
Romulus have other ideas though and with the advantage of the slope again in the first period of extra time score 2 further goals to seal the game.
Firstly, a Romulus forward makes a run to the left of the Worcester goal, puts in a hard low cross and an onrushing covering defender puts the ball in to his own net.
Then 5 minutes later, Romulus's top scorer, Danico Johnson fires in a terrific shot from the right, in to the opposite top corner. Their players are jubilant as they know the have the game in the bag now.
So it's been a gallant effort by the Worcester lads but Romulus have been the better team from the second half onwards today.
I leave a few minutes before the end as I intend to get to another game this afternoon and I'm already late starting off.
Hello again to anyone who visits my Blog on a regular basis and apologies for the prolonged absence of activity over the last few weeks. Due to the bad weather and then other commitments I have not been able to see any games. However I managed to visit the Under 21 game at Heath Hayes this last Saturday to watch the academy side of Worcester City who run a side in conjunction with the Worcester College of Technology.
I thought about going to this game as I was meeting friends later on in Birmingham and after watching the Romulus team in the same division a few weeks previously, thought it would be a good opportunity to see a another game at this level and also see what the Worcester team was like after seeing in the Worcester press recently that the manager, Carl Heeley had been introducing players from the academy in to the first team squad, due to injuries and loan players departing. Indeed in the last game at Redditch United in the Worcs Senior Cup tie, the team had comprised of 7-8 players from the academy in the starting line up, which they subsequently lost 0-2 but had put up a good showing by all accounts.
As it was a 10:30am kick-off time I caught the 7:35am train from Worcester to New Street, Birmingham, then catching the train to Cannock and finally getting the No.32 bus from the local bus station which got me to the ground with 15 minutes to spare. It's a fine sunny morning but with a cold wind. Showers are expected this afternoon, so it's good that it's an early kick-off.
The Coppice Colliery Ground is to be found off Newlands Avenue. There is a drive which takes you down to the car park and a training pitch is located in front. You walk along the side of this to get to the ground itself. At the end nearest the entrance is raised piece of ground dividing the 2 pitches. On the side nearest the entrance are 3 small stands (2 with seats) and the changing room complex & toilets. The other 2 sides are bordered closely by woodland.
This is the first time I have visited this ground. I saw the floodlights from when I was travelling to a game at Chasetown a few weeks ago. It's also the first time I have seen both of the teams at Under 21 level too.
Before the game started I had a chat with one of the club staff, who told me that several of their Under-21 players were now appearing regularly in the first team. Since promotion to the Midland Alliance 2 seasons ago Heath Hayes have struggled to achieve stability in that League. So they are building the club's future with these young players.
Both Worcester & Heath Hayes are right next to each other in the league table (3rd and 4th respectively), so it promises to be a tight game.
When the teams come out on to the pitch, Heath Hayes are in their usual blue & white kit while Worcester are in their change strip of red & black.
Heath Hayes take an early lead in the 3rd minute when one of their players is played in down the left and deftly lobs the keeper for the first goal. I can hear Mark Owen, the Worcester coach barking out orders for his side to not be caught out again like that. A few minutes later though an almost identical move sees another lob coming in from the left but this time Worcester ride their luck and the ball hits the cross bar and out (as seen below).
Worcester begin to settle down after their let off and ten minutes later draw level. They win a free kick on the left and when the ball comes over, their centre-forward, James Lemon, flicks the ball in to the far corner with a great header. I have been impressed with his play so far and can see why he's knocking on the door of first team selection.
For the rest of the 1st half, Worcester just about shade it and it looks as if the game could go either way.
The attendance for today, I find out later on the league website is officially 25, although in the first half I make a quick head count and make it to be 15, so some extra people must have come in at half time I suppose.
The second half sees Worcester bossing the game and 10 minutes later, after a particularly slick move, their No.11, Joao Sousa, volleys in spectacularly in to the corner of the net. One of the best goals Iv'e seen this season.
(An ecstatic Joao Sousa, 2nd left, receives his team mates congratulations)
It's not until the last 20 minutes that Heath Hayes start to come back in to the game. One of their best moves sees their No.9 make a good run down the right but his low cross is not converted by their incoming players.
.
At the start of injury time I have to make my way out of the ground, to ensure I catch the next bus to Cannock.
It has been an entertaining game today with some well taken goals. Mark Owen can be pleased with his young players progress this season and Heath Hayes look to have some promising players coming through too.
Today I am making my way to my first ever Under-21 match in the Midland Combination. The game in question is between the unbeaten league leaders Romulus and the village side from Warwickshire, Austrey Rangers.
It's a 10:30am kick-off so I have to get up early (7:15am) and have breakfast at Worcester Shrub Hill station before catching the train for Birmingham Snow Hill. It's a lovely sunny morning and after arriving on time I walk the short distance to New Street and catch the 9:35 train for my destination of Sutton Coldfield.
I walk the short distance to the town centre after my 20 minute journey and make my way through the extensive shopping area to Sutton Coldfield Town's ground in Coles Lane, which Romulus share. I have made such good time that the tea bar has not quite opened for business yet!
The wet artificial turf is glistening like jewels in the morning sun and soon I am supping a welcome warm cuppa.
I am meeting friends in Birmingham this afternoon, so thought it was a good opportunity to watch a game for the first time in this competition.
Romulus FC (founded in 1979) have a very good reputation for bringing on young local talent. Former players include ex-Football League stars like Dean Sturridge, Darius Vassell and Zac Knight. All this from a club that was formed initially to develop the best schoolboy talent in the north Birmigham area! I'm also intrigued by Austrey Rangers who were only formed in 2005 and they have only joined the Midland Combination this season.
There looks to be a crowd of between 30-40 spectators today.
Romulus take to the field in their usual red & white stripes while Austrey are clad in green & white hoops.
The artificial turf makes for a fast game of football. I can see it's easy to over hit the ball on this kind of surface and also at first some players have difficulty in being able to get enough height in their attempted crosses.
I am surprised by Austrey Rangers having more of the possession in the first 30 minutes although they aren't creating many goal chances.
Romulus open the scoring though when their No.7 is found unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and he coolly slots the ball home.
Austrey Rangers hit back in injury time when their No.6 tenaciously manages to get in to the Romulus penalty area only for his legs to be clipped by a Romulus full back (shown above). The penalty is duly dispatched and half-time sees a score line that's a fair reflection of the game so far.
During the break I talk to a guy whose son plays for the Romulus first team after recent promotion from the Under-21 side. He also informs me that about half the Austrey Rangers team is made up of former Tamworth players from their now disbanded academy team. Now I fully understand the quality of their side and why they are sitting well up the table.
Romulus step up their efforts in the second period and after 10 minutes have won a penalty after their dangerous No.11 is brought down with a clumsy challenge. The Austrey keeper is sent the wrong way for Romulus to take the lead.
For the rest of this half Romulus look very dangerous, especially with their tricky wingers getting plenty of the ball.
Austrey though are still dangerous on the break and their No.5 makes a sortie up field in their most dangerous attack and after playing a neat one two with a colleague, shoots just over the bar.
(A Romulus forward looks to break through in this attack)
The game ends in a well deserved win for Romulus despite the plucky efforts of their visitors. I have been impressed by the good standard of play by both teams today and will look to watch another game in this division before the end of the season.
