On possibly the coldest day Birmingham has ever had to endure, the Lions conquered the Stallions as the boys braced the cold with a victory of 3-1 after the game was called off due to the unsavoury conditions.
Mother Nature was relentless in her endeavour to cover Metchley in a thick blanket of snow, which resulted in a disjointed fixture in which tempers frayed and fingers developed frostbite on Wednesday afternoon. The first half was a tightly contested affair, during which the referee was forced to produce a number of yellow cards to the opposition who were clearly growing frustrated with the bitter weather.
A free flowing forty-five minutes looked to be heading into the break goalless, before a spectacular individual effort from the Northampton winger broke the deadlock.
Picking up the ball just inside Birmingham’s half, the player used quick feet to skip past the Lions’ midfield, holding off the last defender to burst into the box and drill a crisp low shot into the far bottom corner of the goal. The keeper was given no chance.
Similarly however, the Stallions were given little chance to celebrate their lead as in added time at the end of the half, the Lions reacted sharply and quickly to equalise just before the break. Utilising the pace of their wingers, Birmingham were released down the right wing on the counter, before a calculated pass found the striker in acres of space on the edge of the box. Opting for placement over power, he passed the ball with perfection into the bottom right corner to bring the game to 1-1 at half-time.
As the weather grew harsher and the blizzard grew thicker, the opposition campaigned further for the game to be called off. However a break in the snow allowed play to continue. Just minutes into the second half, the Lions’ striker was brought down in the box and awarded a penalty which the Northampton keeper did well to keep out with an unbelievable save.
This setback only served to drive Birmingham onwards, as seconds later a Lion midfielder rose the highest in the box to nod in a delicate header from the resulting corner. With the score now 2-1, momentum seemed to swing in favour of the home team, who stepped up their attacking play in order to create a number of good chances, one of which was denied by the woodwork as the Lion’s left winger drove a powerful shot across goal.
Ultimately, Northampton were unable to handle this relentless pressure. Playing out from a goal kick, the Lion’s fullback drilled a pinpoint pass across field to the opposite winger, who threaded the ball through to the onrushing striker, whose low shot was fired directly at the keeper. The Stallion’s shot-stopper had a moment to forget as he watched the ball arch towards him, only to see it slip through his fingers and dribble across the line into the far corner.
Following this, the game was called off in the 70th minute due to the pitch resembling something out of The Day After Tomorrow. It’s an excellent 3-1 victory for the Lions, who rise to 4th place in the table. Best of luck in the final fixture against Loughborough from all here at Burn FM!
