Saturday 9th February 2019 @ Vale Stadium, Castle Vale
Erdington and Saltley 1-2 Wolverhampton
Team: Danny, Kian B, Elijah, Jeval, Romaeo, Callam, Toby, Markie, Kyran, Rhys and Jack
Goal: Callam
Man of the Match: Kian S – tenacious in defence and probing in attack
A tense league encounter was made even more nail biting by the gale force wind that shook Vale Stadium to its foundation. A two minute lapse in concentration was enough to decide a thrilling, end-to-end game and leave us needing a miracle to claim the league title.
The opening twenty minutes saw both teams through on goal, with Wolverhampton having the advantage of playing with the ferocious wind behind their sails. As the wind numbed the onlooking crowd, the woodwork of both Erdington and Wolverhampton was rattled on more than one occasion. Yet despite the considerable advances of both teams, the scoreline remained goalless as the first third drew to a close.
Now playing with the wind on our side, the boys took the lead via a thunderous Callam penalty after the left winger was fouled by the Wolverhampton fullback. Despite being good value for our lead, the boys knew they should probably have had more to show for their efforts after forty minutes of face paced action.
The final third saw us at a disadvantage once again, especially as the wind showed little sign of abating. It was during the final period that a lapse in concentration from the team saw the game turn on its head. With two goals in the space of a couple of minutes, Wolverhampton managed to transform the game. As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, Toby then saw his direct free kick chalked off just when the boys thought they’d pulled themselves off the canvas. The closing minutes saw The Ton throw everything at Wolverhampton, albeit without getting anything in return for their herculean efforts.
With Leicester in town next weekend, there is no time to dwell on the result as the boys seek to get their league campaign back on track and rediscover their goal scoring form.
Well done boys! We could not be prouder of your effort today. Thank you for giving it your all!
Up The Ton!
Erdington and Saltley Primary Schools' FA 