Men's 1st Team Vs Old Silhillians 3rds

Old Silhillians M3s   4-4   City of Birmingham M1s

Goalscorers: Abrar Baig x2, Jeevan Chagger x2

CoB M1s travelled away to Old Sils this weekend, aware that a win that would all but guarantee a top 2 finish. But on what was a sunny but chilly afternoon, the Solihull air had other ideas. Both teams started off a little slowly, with lots of scrappy possession in the middle of the park, with CoB taking 10 minutes to find their gear. The visitors started to soak up lots of Sils pressure early on, camped inside their half for a good 5 or so minutes. CoB slowly got into rhythm and started to use the width of Jeevan and Kyle, finding Abrar and Noor up front and making in good runs behind, Noor and Kyle going narrowly wide. Alex and Zach took charge in the middle of the park with the latter making a great run into the D, but his shot clipped his own player before going narrowly wide.

25 minutes in and a quick substitution just in time before a short corner saw Jeevan and Abrar swap. Abrar would then get the opener with his first touch after his substitution, 1-0. From here on the visitors played their best hockey of the game, Akib and Jordan pushing up with Mat as a pivot, Abbasi holding up the ball well and Ash helping the midfield trio to unleash the attack. It was Abrar again who found the ball in space, drove into the circle, and crashed home his second. With the tables turned, Mat would be instrumental in the next build up, a nice ball towards Jeevan deflected into Noor, who drove at goal. The initial shot was saved by the keeper and then in what was a bizarre moment, the keeper lifted his foot to allow Jeevan to tap into an empty net 3-0. Shortly before the break, Sils hit back, countering the attacks of visitors and slotting home their first to bring it to 3-1.

Half time and the team talk a little similar to recent weeks, subdued with parts of the opening 35, slow out of the blocks, somewhat losing the style that the team has been working hard on.

Sils pressed back early on in what was an end-to-end half of hockey, grabbing 2 goals in the opening 15. With the game neck and neck, the visitors had chances of their own, Jeevan playing in Noor several times, reacted well by the keeper, Abrar and Alex having shots go wide and Kyle having his saved at the near post, the team was not short on goals. Despite this, CoB continued to build up play, Alex playing in Jeevan who shot the ball past keeper and defender to take a 4-3 lead. Moments later, it seemed the visitors might have had the winner, Akib and Jeevan doubling up on a Sils attack, Jeevan driving into the other half and slipping the ball to Noor on the line, only for it to be put wide on the opposite post. Sils continued to press and 5 minutes from time won a short corner, wrapping up a 4-4 draw.

Had the visitors not have been so wasteful, it may have been a different story.

Next week, the M1s host Olton at Home with 4 games to go.