JD-LIONS 6-4 KINGS NORTON

Division Four
JD-LIONS 6-4 KINGS NORTON (ht:4-0)
at The City of Selly Oak Stadium

JD-Lions continue to climb the table as they leap-frogged fifth-placed Kings Norton in a ten-goal thriller. The two sides have swapped places with JD a point ahead of their south Birmingham rivals.
Alex Dandy proved to be the differance for JD again as he scored a superb hat-trick taking his goals tally for the season to eighteen. Defender Paul Slater, who had an excellent game, opened the scoring as he stabbed home from a Dave Sorensen corner to make it one-nil, Carlos made it two after five minutes when he thumped the ball beyond Kasey Kellar. Dandy grabbed his first of the night to give JD a three goal lead (pictured) and then made it four on the stroke of halftime with another fine finish having been teed up by player manager James Walker.

The game should have been wrapped up, however Kings Norton gradually go more into the game, Steve Burrows took the game by the scruff of the neck and steadied the Kings Norton ship. It was Burrows who pulled the fist goal back for Kings Norton as he played a long through-ball for Ronnie Rosenthal to chase but it eluded him and right-back Dave Swannick let the ball run through his feet which decieved Davis and the ball skidded through and in off both posts. It was an awful defensive mistake and reduced the arrears, four-one. Moments later and Kings Norton scored again this time Rosenthal did get on the end of a Burrows quickly taken free-kick and swivelled past Slater and beat Davis with a curling shot, four-two.

Davis took matters into his own hands, literally, as he slung a pitch-length through-ball pass for Dandy to chase and the JD striker made no mistake in scoring his hat-trick goal as he toe-poked the ball past Kellar to make it five-two. JD should have shut up shop again, but they didn't, sloppy play from Walker on the edge of his own area let Rosenthal have a shot which Davis tipped onto the post only to see the rebound slammed home by Mark Hately. Five-three. Within a minute Hately was on the scoresheet again Burrows slid a pass down the left-flank and Hately drilled it in. Five-four. Carlos made sure that there would be no comeback and secured the points for the Lions when he smashed in a sixth goal to end Kings Norton's brave resistance.

Player/manager James Walker wa able to celebrate his birthday with a win: "We made that a lot harder than it needed to be, we defended terribly and really let our foot of the gas but it's a win and that is the main thing at this time of the season and I thought Dandy and Carlos were superb tonight. We did miss Richie Summerfield tonight, to be fair and we've still got no Steve Harris but if we can keep winning we still have a chance of getting out of this division."

JD Lions are now unbeaten in eight games in division four and sit in fifth place and face upsurging Athletico MaBad FC next sunday in what is surley a 'must-win' game.

1.Davis 4.Walker 23.Slater(sub:13.Swannick) 12.Sorensen 9.Dandy 17.Carlos (Man-of-the-match: Alex Dandy.)
Division Three
LOKOMOTIV SELLY-OAK 0-2 FC DISASTA (ht: 0-1) at the Tesco Express Arena

Player/manager Matt Shotton was without striker Dean Powell (flu) and left-back Richie Summerfield (groin) going into a tricky clash with promotion chasing FC Disasta. It was a night of frustration for the big yorkshireman however as his side were outgunned and are back in the relegation zone, second from bottom on 'alphabetical difference'!

FC Disasta started brightly and played some good football, slick passing was the order of the day and meant that they carved out several chances and could have gone infront as early as the third minute when Darren Higginbottom drew Davis out of position and squared the ball to George Kinkladze who had an open goal but somehow Davis recovered and stretched to claw the ball out to safety. Davis was in action again moments later when Oldfield was turned on the left-flank by Kinkladze whose shot was tipped onto the post by the brummie veteran and the ball bounced harmlessly back into the 'keeper's arms. Andreas Lewald was singled out for 'special treament' by the Disasta players and Kinkladze and Higginbottom were both spoken to by the referee for late challenges from behind on the big german. "Well, you know, I am really flattered that they went after me, maybe they thought that I was a real threat? But it's okay, you know, I'm not hurt, I can handle it. I had fun."

Matt Shotton was having another sterling game at the back, marshalling his defence in the absence of his defensive partner Summerfield. Indeed Shotton began Lokomotiv's best move of the game as he linked up with Dimbylow who fed Dandy with a great through-ball but the striker fired wide as he was one-on-one with Lenny Pidgley. Moments following that and FC Disasta wer ahead, right on halftime as Higginbottom peeled away from Lewald from a quickly taken free-kick and lobbed the onrushing Davis to break the deadlock. "It seemed like whoever scored first was going to win this one, to be honest. It was a bit like chess to start with and just after Dandy missed that chance they smelt blood and took advantage of us being a bit slow at the back and it's cost us dear." said player/manager Shotton.

In the second half Martyn and Dimbylow were causing problems and making decent headway in the midfield but just couldn't breach the Disasta backline and they lacked any real open goalscoring opportunities, FC Disasta put more pressure on and as Lokomotiv tired Davis ended up being the busier 'keeper and kept the score at one. With time running out though Disasta did get their rewards for the hard work as a quickly taken free-kick from Kinkladze flew past Shotton and Stewart, Davis didn't even move. Two-nil and it was all over.
"I can take some positives out of it, certainly. Charlie Martyn and Dimblylow are both playing well and link up well so I do see us with potential, we just need to be a bit more organised and alert at the back, we did miss Summerfield, to be honest but Mark Oldfield has done superbly to fit in at the back and keep up with the midfield, We're getting there but we're playing with a new couple of lads each week and it's tough to get a regular pattern going but I'm certain that we'll get there and that we'll be safe. I've added Mark Gustavson and Martin Stewart to the squad and they both had very positive debuts for us, which is great." said and upbeat Matt Shotton at the post-match press conferance.

Lokomotiv face Maypole allstars next sunday Maypole Allstars who are still not safe from the relegation zone as they sit just above and one point ahead of Lokomotiv: "It's a big game, we need to get somthing there otherwise we could drop back into the relegation zone." Lokomotiv will have to do it without german defender Andreas Lewald and Richie Summerfield who will continue to miss out due to a groin injury. Man of the match: Phil Davis.

1.Davis 3.Shotton(sub:14.Lewald) 4.Oldfield 5.Martyn 6.Gustavson(sub:12.Stewart )10.Dimbylow(sub:9.Dandy)

Friendly
REAL-JD 2-6 RUBERY (ht: 0-2)

at Tesco Express Arena

Real JD had no opposition in division two and as a result were awarded a 5-0 forfeit victory.The forfeit, albeit frustrating, has kept Real-JD in fourth place and piling pressure on Winalot Penguins.

Real-JD approached the game with little intent and didn't play much in the way of good football, Rubery were clearly the more enthusiatic and switched on of the two sides and they passed and moved quickly with invention and tested Davis regularly so it came as no surprise as Rubery were two up at the interval.

Dave Sorensen and Alex Dandy claimed the two JD consolation goals. Man of the match: Dave Sorensen.

1.Davis 23.Slater 4.Walker 13.Swannick 12.Sorensen 9.Dandy(sub:17.Carlos)