Saturday 19th October 2019 @ Vale Satdium, Castle Vale
Birmingham Primary Schools’ FA League
Erdington and Saltley 3-2 South Birmingham
Team: Danny, Ethan, Hughey, Reo, Markie, Lennon, Keon, Jason, Joshua, Kayden and Oscar
Goals: Markie x 2 and Joshua
Man of the Match: Kayden – changed the game after slotting in up front
Today we showed our ability to roll our sleeves up and fight as a team. After falling behind during the opening minutes of the game, we bounced back to lead, only to see South level with ten minutes to go. Not to be deterred, the boys claimed the three points after taking the lead for the second time in the game.
Recent weeks have been awash with goals. Today was about digging in and standing firm. Today we showed true character, with all boys fighting for the cause and backing each other up.
After falling behind to an early South goal, we attacked in numbers, hitting the woodwork and going close through Markie several times.
As the second period passed the halfway mark, the score was still 1-0 to South. Enter Kayden. Playing up front, away from his normal spot on the wing, Kayden chased every ball from the second he stepped on the pitch. Putting the South keeper under pressure, he won the ball back before crossing to Markie who finished to tie the game.
The improvement wasn’t just led by Kayden but also Keon who switch from striker to winger and began to exert more influence on the game.
The final third started with a Markie goal; The Ton captian scoring after 20 seconds. Yet despite taking the lead for the first time and creating chances, the boys were pegged back by South who levelled with ten minutes remaining.
Once again the boys showed brilliant spirit to bounce back and score for a third and final time when Joshua scored at the back post.
The drama was far from over though. South were determined to score a third of their own and flooded forward at every opportunity as the clock ticked down. But that was just an invitation for the boys to dig in even deeper. Keon and Jason incessantly defended their respective wings. Osacr through his body on the line up front, before dropping into defence to support the trio of Reo, Ethan and Hughey who was repelling everything that South threw at them. Likewise, Danny pulled off an incredibly important save, rushing out and diving to push a JP shot out for a corner. While Markie and Josh dropped deep in midfield to shield their backline.
The final tackle of the game fittingly fell to Lennon. A sliding, diving, squirming, full force of a tackle. The kind that the midfield enforcer has mad his trademark over the past 18 months. The kind that he made all game. Is there anyone who celebrates a tackle as much as Lennon?!
What a performance. What spirit. Well done boys!
Up The Ton!
Erdington and Saltley Primary Schools' FA 