Saturday 29th May 2021 @ Vale Stadium, Castle Vale
BPSFA Chris Smith Cup Final
Erdington and Saltley A 1-6 South Birmingham
Team: Jack, Myiano, Reo, Rhys, Uzi, Kyle, Rion, Lennon, Keon, Omari, Ebrima and Jason
Goal: Lennon – rose like an angry salmon at the back post to crash home a thunderous header
Man of the Match: Rion – excellent in defence and not awed by the occasion despite playing a year up
Fresh from the blow of missing out on the Daniel Sturridge Cup seven days previously, the boys once again locked horns with South Birmingham in a showcase occasion. As the holders of the BPSFA Chris Smith Cup, the boys were determined to write their own headlines and bring the curtain down on their time as a team in style.
Alas, it didn’t go like that. Once again, South Birmingham were too strong for The Ton despite the fact that we beat them twice during our league championship winning campaign. Once again South capitalised when we failed to do so.
With 15 minutes to play, we were back in the tie with a bang when Lennon smashed home a bullet-header at the back post. With the wind in their sails and energy levels replenished, the boys could sense the tide was turning. However, football folk-law reliably informs me that a team is at its most vulnerable after just scoring and so this proved.
South just refused to lie down and reinstalled their two-goal cushion 90 seconds after Lennon’s header. From there it was all South.
However disappointed the boys felt after the game, it was just one game in a two/three year journey for the boys. Over the past three years, this team has evolved and grown in front of our eyes. They have won leagues, cups and reached national finals (curse you Covid!). In fact, for the likes of Lennon, Jason, Reo and Keon, they have won two leagues in two seasons without losing a fixture. Those sort of achievements do not get wiped out by one game. Those sorts of achievements live long in the memory, just like this team will.
It has been our pleasure to coach the boys and we are going to genuinely miss them.
Well done boys!
Up the Ton!
Erdington and Saltley Primary Schools' FA 