Following on from last weeks morale boosting win at Colden Common the  boys had a very tough home fixture against a  good Testwood side. The game started exactly as the reverse fixture away at Testwood with Baddesley in complete control. The boys were playing some great football and deservedly took the lead through Cameron. Mr Parkes of course told the excited home fans it was all down to him but I prefer to emphasise the great strike ! The next 10 mins saw the boys continue to create openings with Callum and Jamie linking very well with Felix up front ably assisted by Artur !Sam and Cameron as always were playing very well and we looked well in control.

The game then changed after Testwoods 1st venture into our half saw them equalise via a well taken header from their 1st corner. This setback changed the whole complexion of the game and Testwood gained in confidence and gained control of the game. The defenders stood firm and George and Glen were again playing very well as were Joe and Jordi, Testwood were pushing us back and Jakes brilliance kept the boys in it.

We needed big hearts and they were shown today but slowly we began to wilt a little and the 2nd half in fairness looked like it belonged to Testwood. The 2nd goal against, came after another great save from Jake fell to their forward who smacked the ball home 2-1 down with 15 mins to go, could we come back ?

A controversial substitution then took place, not in footballing terms I may add ! Harry came on after recovering from his operation the day before and made an immediate difference. The boys who again had battled so well now had a fresh pair of legs to help them and the boys made the boost count. The last 15minutes belonged to us and a great shot from Joe was well saved by their keeper but for the 3rd week running Felix was on the spot to bang in the rebound 2-2. We couldnt win could we ? Visions of Birminghams cruel demise against the odds on Saturday raced through my mind. Harry had a clear penalty turned down but then a bizarre decision, the ref saw a push on Felix and gave a penalty, blimey a stroke of luck surely not but yes it was true ! Up steps Sam ,who had been great all game ,to sort of smash the ball in, as it trickled over the line the most important thing to realise was that it was 3-2 to us ! Victory was before us and keeps us on track for a top four finish not bad for a small squad but what a squad, we have character throughout and some real determination. Well done to you all .

Next week we have Goals and by then I should have been released from the dog house !

 

After what can only be described as a roller coaster week the boys ended one of the most unforgettable periods in my footballing life on a massive high. Last week the boys played a very direct Botley side and despite scoring 4 goals against a very good side still managed to lose by the odd goal, yet again ! The Bruces and the Parkes departed off to Wembley feeling as though the famous Gypsy curse that affected the Blues for 135 years was being transferred onto our boys, very cruel ! As we all know fate at long last smiled on the loyal subjects of south-east Birmingham and a trophy cupboard was quickly ordered for the mighty Blues.

The week wore on and normal service quickly resumed, we found out our beloved Chairman appears to be the only Chinese Billionaire who infact does not have any money, yes thats right Blues are skint, just like 90% of our fan base Carson Yeung has taken connecting with the fans to the ultimate degree.

Thus with trepidation the lads took on a very good Colden Common side with confidence a little low after the recent near misses, when would they get what they deserve ? Today was that day, we actually started a little slow but once some confidence flowed into their little hearts you had a feeling it was too be our day. 

The defence was well marshalled by George and with Joe, Glen , Dylan and Jordi all playing very well little was getting behind to the ever dependable Jake to clear up. The midfield was excellent with Sam and Harry playing like Bowyer and Ferguson ably assisted by Callum and the mercurial Jamie on the flanks whilst up front Cameron and Felix continue to form a great relationship latching onto some great through balls. The goals when they did come came from a great throw from Joe flicked on by Harry, Callum smashed it towards goal with too much force for the keeper and Felix knocked it in. The second goal came from another fine ball from the midfield that sent Jamie away and he produced a screamer like we know he can. More chances were created and Cameron seemed to be the main victim of the curse as a great performance was denied the goal it deserved. The game produced a quality performance from every player and it would be unfair to single anyone out. I would point out that the quickest any player moved today was Sam when his mom offered to give him a big kiss due to his injured knee !

Weve had some tough days this year and the lads deserve to enjoy days like these, well done !

Finally Happy Birthday to Mr Stuart Parkes who reached the 42nd milestone today !

 

Sorry for the late report, last week the boys enjoyed a windy rain swept trip to Botley. The game of course  would not be called off, we were at their manor after all. Botley are a good strong side and started with the wind and the rain behind them, we were not in too much trouble until 2 very soft goals were conceded, goals we would not ordinarily concede. The problem is in such conditions you must make the advantages count and unfortunately we did not. The second half started with the boys well on top and knocking it around well, going down the flanks and pulling the ball back, indeed we did this on good number of occasions and should have been back in the game. The problem with not taking our chances and making the most of good opportunities is that you over commit and a quick break away puts you in trouble. At 3-0 down we faced a mountain we could not over come and despite pulling a goal back late in the day it was too little too late.

The boys will play better this season and put this down to experience, despite some good performance s over all this was not our finest hour. The good thing is we have Botley again on cup final day and hopefully we can make it a Blue nose double.  

The boys faced a daunting Tyro cup fixture against Div 1 leaders Eastleigh Whites on blustery Sunday morning. This fixture has been postponed more than a Birmingham City winners banquet, obviously thats changing this year and I felt we could do it. Eastleigh have a well deserved reputation for being a very good side and do not top Div 1 for no good reason. The lads however are a very good side themselves and just need to believe a little bit more. The lads started against the wind but in all fairness were little troubled, Eastleigh certainly did not get behind us too often but on the other hand we were not troubling them. Eastleigh took the lead with a bit of good fortune and a minute before half time added a second with a well taken goal. This could of course have been the signal to cave in and run up the white flag, the lads are made of sterner stuff and the second half belonged to us.

The wind of course played a part but we were as dominant in the second as Eastleigh were in the first. The tempo increased and the boys were back in it, getting hold of the ball and playing it quickly, the chances started to come. The ball was not being hoofed from back to front but being moved quickly via midfield, a little more direct than usual but the correct way to play. Chances were now being created and we needed to take one.

The chance came after another good through ball from midfield saw Dylan dumped on the ground at the edge of the area, a great shooting position for Callum who forced the keeper into a good save with Harrys follow up knocked off the line. Harry was fouled again on the edge of the box and this time Callum fired home with a great shot, it was game on. The fact we was in the game is no small part due to a fine defensive performance from Arty, Glen who again was immaculate, George again very solid, Sam played as a southern Jiri Jarenek and Jordi is in the zone with a Julian Dicks performance, all 5 of them were very good today.  

The midfield performed as well today as a unit as they have all season, Joe pushed up from full back and again broke superbly and was unlucky with a good header. Cameron had another good game and along with Harry who again had another very good game helped dominate the midfield. Callum whose shooting ability is 2nd to none also had one of his best games for the lads and helped jordi down the left hand side. 

The boys up front also had planty to offer, Felix was excellent coming from midfield to the fron t line bringing energy and skill, the best we have seen since the huge transfer fee in the summer. Jamie and Dylan did not stopped working and showed their great skill in the second half, never stopping in the quest for an equalizer.

Reading this you must think we are building up to a great ending with a goal to take us into extra time, alas no ! The boys deserved it but the Gypsys curse that afflicted Birmingham City for 135 years appears to have also moved down south, we are not the luckiest team in the world but after yesterdays performance they should be very proud of themselves.

We will now concentrate on the league.

 

For those who may not be aware "Blues are on their way to Wembley, were on our way, were on our way"

 

After the long enforced mid-winter break the Crusaders emerged to take on a resurgent Goals outfit who in their last 2 games had run St Francis close and beaten Testwood. The team shape was shuffled to allow a different approach which enabled us to play 2 up front. The final score of 4-1 suggests the tactic worked but in all honesty it did take a little getting used too. Dylan led the line very well and needs special praise for a goal of great individual skill plus a poachers effort after good work from Jamie. Callum scored a well taken goal from the edge of the box whilst Sam again scored a well taken penalty (twice). The entire team was solid and fully deserving of the victory, it was a nice way to resume playing with big challenges not too far ahead.

Well done to the entire team for a quality display. 

The boys today had another very tough game away at the home of Testwood. The often quoted saying "that the league does not lie" is actually not true as Testwood are a fine side who are capable of taking the best in the Tyro league the distance, ask Oaklands of Div 1. The game was a complete contrast to last weeks depressing affair as both teams tried to play football.The opening 1/4 of the game was mainly Baddesleys as we started brightly and looked like we could get behind their back line. We were looking solid at the back and Jake was little troubled, we then took the lead in some what controversial circumstances, Glen retrieved the ball and knocked a great ball down the line to Harry who set off into the opposition half and kept going. The run was finally ended with a clear penalty and up stepped Sam to give us the lead, not once but twice ! This could have been the signal to take full control of the game, however that part of the plan went slightly wrong.

Testwood played themselves back into the game without dominating and at half time we were worthy leaders. Time for inspirational half time team talk, fire up the boys and lead them to victory, its easy ask Alex Ferguson, however the effect was a little more Barry Fry !

The boys were battling both a strong wind and a strong side and were finding it hard to clear their lines, this invites pressure and the end result is ineviatable, we conceded ! The goal was a good finish  but the preceding play was a little disappointing. Defending is a team art and not just the job of four or five players, the same is true of attacking but make a mistake on the edge of our box and we are in big trouble. The fact is once a team concedes and the other team get a head up then it takes courage not to go further behind, Jake was great today, ably assisted by Joe and George but the team as a whole whilst not playing well did not fold. We have got to learn that we defend all the way from front to back, it is basics, if we dont then some one is dealing with 2 or 3 players, this is known as "bad news".

Towards the end of the 2nd half we were again playing ourselves back into the game and created a couple of great chances to have taken all 3 points, did we deserve them today? no not today  but you bet we did over the last 3 weeks. Testwood will win more than they lose and we have to make sure that we dig in and play as a team at all times, even if you are off your game you must make a contribution and that did happen today, we have got a good point.

The league as a whole is a tad unpredictable, look at Westons result against Colden Common and as such it is still all to play for. We are playing well but it is in patches and today we still played some very good stuff, it is worth pointing out that we do not lump the ball and as such all our play goes from defence  through midfield in short we play as a team, we are not far away from being a very good side. Keep the faith !

On Halloween the boys had quite a fright away to Eastleigh Reds. The game was always going to be a tough affair not made any easier on a very heavy pitch. The game itself started OK with some nice interchanges leading to Dylan powering through winning a free-kick on the edge of the box. This proved to be a little bit of a false dawn as the rest of the half descended into a turgid battle. No side got behind the other but Eastleigh were enjoying more of the possession without making Jake make a save of any note. Sam , George and Joe were comfortable and playing well. The team as a whole was not working as we would have liked and half time came with 0-0 just about summing it up. 

The team was changed at half time and a more recognisable shape took place, the game however was never more than a scrappy affair. Eastleigh are lively up front and a ball over the top was always a danger, Jake however was not being tested in part due to another good performance from George and the defence. The boys however were also not creating too much but a good passage of play could have seen Jamie put the boys ahead.

Disaster then struck when a ricochet fell kindly for the Eastleigh forward to put them 1-0 up, the game up to this point looked likely to end 0-0. The boys then had to decide if they could take the game to Eastleigh and twice great through balls from Harry split the defence and with a little luck an equalizer would have come. We do not often get the rub of the green and today was no exception, Dylan had a great chance which brought out a great save, then Sam was denied by a wonder save then finally in the last 30 seconds Sam clipped the top of the bar.

Well what can you say, another single goal defeat when a point was a decent reward, make no mistake we did not play anywhere near how we should have done and credit to the opposition who at critical times took their chance whilst their keeper kept them in front right at the death. The game itself was graced by the least amount of good football we have seen this season but thats football, some games do require a little extra.

The good thing about football is that there is always next week, somewhere along the line lady luck will smile again, dont ask me when but trust me !

On a positive note the mighty Blues went to the Citadel of evil and gained a 0-0 draw. 

The words of the greatest club song in English football should inspire the boys for next week :-

 

keep right on to the end of the road
keep right on to the end
though the way be long
let your heart be strong
keep right on to the end
though you're tired & weary
still journey on
til you come to your happy abode
where all the love you've been dreaming of
will be there at the end of the road  

WHERE ? At the end of the road

Birmingham Birmingham

 

The only problem with the Blues is the road is a rather long one and 135 years of no major trophies is a minor hiccup. The boys have just had a tough 3 games where they could have taken something from all 3, to a Bluenose it really is nothing to worry about  !

 

Keep right on

Neil 

  

The boys today played arguably the best side in the Division, boasting no less than 2 academy bound and 2 ex academy players and for the first 15 minutes sadly it looked like it. The boys started no-where near the high standards they have set themselves and at 2-0 down it was not looking very pretty. The team needed some structure and it was provided by a very strong 1st half performance from Harry who helped gain the boys some breathing space, the left footed shot from the edge of the box to get us back in the game was quality. Callum then got into the game marking one of their academy bound players slowly out of the game, well done. The end of the first half had seen Callum just miss the far post with a great strike, by the end of the half the balance of the team was just about right, could we take it to St Francis in the second half ?. 

The answer was yes, we started the half very strongly and with Cameron now outplaying their centre midfield player Baddesley  pressed for the equalizer. The football was excellent and we really stretched the opposition, Harry had a great header cleared off the line whilst Jamie and Sam both went close. Baddesley then hit the post and our worse fears were starting to come true, felix made his long awaited comeback as we tried to find the key to a deserved equalizer. Sadly it was not too be, the boys had got themselves back in the game but lady luck was not their companion. The boys had given an awful lot to get back in the game and as energy ebbed away the final reward eluded them. A 2-1 defeat is hard to take but to know we gifted them an easier start than is usual will make us all a little wiser.

We can all learn something from today, the Defence showed great character to play themselves back into the game after a tough start which is a massive plus. The midfield after the 1st 10mins also matched theirs and credit must go in particular to Harry, cameron and Callum who at times more than matched the midfield of the opposition. We have real quality in the side and must remember that it does not always go your way and a bad game is only temporary not permanent !

All in all a disappointing result but the positives outshone the negative, other teams could have collapsed after such a poo start but that they did not is too their credit.

So the Tyro leagues very own "old firm" game had ended in heartache for the Blue half, it is just as well that the correct team won the original "old firm" game today !

Crowd watch - strangely subdued and isolated after the police enforced cordon pushed the mob too far back !

For a local derby very few scuffles - bring on the Villa !

In preparation for next weeks quiz night I have set a little task please identify this team, answers on a post card please !

On notice board on the Tyro website.

 

Players Wanted - **** ******* U11s
**** ******* U11s (2010/11) are looking for 1 or 2 additional players to play in Tyro Division ?. We are a successful team promoting playing football in the right way, positive coaching and a friendly atmosphere !

The Crusaders today had a tricky away fixture at a Weston side who had started the season very well. Weston have some very good skilful players and an excellent goalkeeper, the bad news for them is so do we ! The first half started with the Crusaders in the ascendancy and Cameron who had a very good game throughout tested the keeper with a rasping drive. The boys were now playing some decent football when Sam, who is now repaying his huge transfer fee, skinned the right back to cross for our big "Cyrille Regis" Dylan to finish expertly for his 8th of the season. The theme continued with Weston only briefly looking a danger and their keeper in constant action. The back four were solid and decisive learning lessons from the previous week, no more could be asked of them. Joe who is enjoying playing right back, reminding the masses of David Langan at his very best, linked very well with the mercurial skills of Jamie, how many teams would want such a partnership. The only worry is we never seem to finish teams off and at 1-0 Weston were good enough to still be in it. 

The second half started very much as the 1st ended with Baddesley playing some sweet football but not converting all their chances, to be fair the one save from Sam and Dylan was top draw. We needed to keep unlocking the Weston defence and the quality of the passing from Harry and Cameron was 1st class, when they play like this they do look a high quality partnership very much like their hero Barry Ferguson. Harry played a great pass splitting the 2 centre backs for the big man to smash home his 9th of the season. We were well on top now and Glen strode forward out of defence ala Alan Hansen style to pick a great pass to Jamie, he now forms a great partnership with George which I suppose makes him Mark Lawrenson ! The reality is that it is hard to really comment on individuals when everyone played so well, Jordi was back to his best and Callum had one of his best games for Baddesley. The fact is that again they played football the right way and one day they will get the avalanche of goals they deserve. I would also like to deny the vicious rumour that a Chilean miner on his release had asked the question "have Baddesley Park made a substitution yet ? "     

Crowd watch - good travelling contingent, well under control just one minor violation from the Lulus !