Midland League
Division 3
Thursday 26th December 2024
Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01
Balsall & Berkswell 5 Birmingham Tigers 1, attendance 12
22’ 1-0
56’ 2-0
58’ 3-0
62’ 4-0
71’ 4-1
73’ 5-1
@ The Triangle
Lavender Hall Lane
Balsall Common
CV7 7BN
No Admission or Programme.
This was one of just three grounds hosting a game in England today that I hadn’t yet visited. With the other two being in Cornwall (Pendeen Rovers and Truro City) it was the obvious choice, being in Balsall Common, roughly midway between Warwick and Birmingham. Very light traffic, combined with the roadworks shutdowns, meant a drive of about two and a quarter hours each way. Heading north on the A452 out of Balsall Common, Lavender Hall Lane is a right hand turn, with the ground a couple of hundred yards along on the left. There is a large car park, with the changing room building to the left. The pitch is to the right, on the far side of a cricket square, running lengthways, with grass banking along the right hand touchline, which houses a pair of dugouts, flanked either side by a small section of advertising boards, while the near side is roped from the corner to the halfway line. The only refreshments available were from a mobile coffee van, which was parked in the car park on the opposite side of the road and there to cater for the dog walkers, rather than the football.
The match was 8th versus 13th (out of 15) in the league table and a game unlikely to end goalless, as there had only been one draw in the 36 league games involving these two so far this season. Midway through the first half that run continued, when a diagonal cross in from wide on the left was finished with a cushioned volley at the far post to put the hosts ahead. They also hit the post a couple of times in the next few minutes, but it remained 1-0 at the break. Three goals, in a six minute spell around the hour mark, saw B&B make it 4-0 and the points were safe. Tigers did pull a goal back with nineteen minutes left, but it only took the hosts two minutes to restore their four goal lead, finishing from a tight angle after being played through on goal.
For once, rain wasn’t a problem today, but fog could have been. Although it was present for most of the game, it never really got bad enough to halt the game, although it was getting gloomy towards the end.
