Bell Back with Bang!

Plenty of action in the Premier division on Thursday evening with four of the top six sides scheduled for action.
Lea Forest were due to go across to Maryvale, but a late cancellation meant they were awarded a 4-0 walkover and that result secures their place in the play-offs.
At Castle Vale Stadium, Harper Bell, back to full strength following recent player discretions, took on the always unpredictable Colebourne. What ensued was a cracking game of football in which neither side seemed keen on defending. Bell flew out of the traps and scored three swift goals, but the Coles dug in and though Bell netted again, the game was in the balance at 4-2. VAR (who’s paid for that?) was apparently called into use for Colebourne’s third goal but Bell showed their strength and netted twice more to seal an important 6-3 win.
Corpus Christi still have play-off ambitions but needed six points from their two games at CVS. Corpus opened up against the aforementioned Colebourne and in a game of goalkeeping errors, manged to sneak a 2-1 win. The yellow and blacks backed that result up with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a plucky Firs outfit who entered the game fresh from a 2-1 win against Parkfield. Parkfield suffered another set of negative results for the second week running as they were beaten 3-0 by Highfield in the Alum Rock derby. Highfield were thankful to the post and a terrific save from their ‘keeper to keep themselves at level pegging, but their excellent attacking pay was reward with three unanswered goals.
In Shard End, Heathlands started the brighter against visitors, Paget, and raced into a two-nil lead, both coming from clinical finishes. Paget, however, always carried a threat and at the beginning of the second half pulled one back. Heathlands though were not to be denied and going in search of three points towards their own play-off bid, did this with another two quick goals – 4-1 to the home side following a very entertaining game. The Oval then took to the field to tackle their hosts and they started the brighter of the two sides. Oval created several chances with Heath’s ‘keeper making some great saves before finally, the Kitts Green side took the lead. In the second half Heathlands poured forward and scored a deserved equaliser. Chances came and went for both sides in a very open second half however neither side could breakthrough and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Lea Forest lead the way and with their league campaign of 16 games now completed, they have 38 points, two ahead of Mapledene who have two games in hand and remain favourites to take the title. Harper Bell, reigning Premier champions, are all but out of the running as though they are six points behind Forest and have two games in hand, their goal difference is 33 worse than the leaders’. Corpus remain poised for a play-off spot and have three games left and sit on 27 points, and Heathlands are also in the mix. Heath are a point further back but have four games left, one of which is against Mapledene. Should Highfield win all four of their remaining games, they will amass 32 points and could conceivably still make the top three, but they would be reliant on a series of unlikely mishaps to those teams above them.