Stone Storm to Group B Title!

On a crisp, cold late winter’s evening, the final round of matches in Girls League Group B took place at Yardley Fives and the action was unrelenting and pulsating. At the start of play any one of five teams could have won the title and any four out of eight sides could have made the top four, and a place in April’s finals.
However, Hillstone, Having won all four of their games on the night, pulled away from the pack and completed an unbeaten ‘nine-out-of-nine’ game season to secure the Group B crown; ‘stone scored 48 goals along the way and shed only 6 – deservedly champions.
Hillstone were both lethal and ruthless throughout and dispatched Erdington Hall and Rosary, 7 and 6 nil, respectively as well as a 6-2 win against Brownmead and a narrower, 4-2, victory over an impressive St Matthew’s outfit.
Brownmead, Rosary, Erdington Hall and Parkfield all had play-off ambitions, albeit outside chances, and early defeats for all four meant that Lea Forest, St Matthew’s and SS Peter & Paul would all have comfortable passages through to the play-offs. All three schools finished on 21 points and were only separated by goal difference and in a real twist all three beat each other: SSPP done Lea Forest 3-1, Forest in turn won a tight and often tetchy game, 3-2, against St Matthew’s who then finished their games with a 5-3 triumph over SSPP – crazy stuff!
Forest, Matt’s and SSPP won all of their other games and in regard to the final table, were only separated by goal difference. Lea Forest’s was superior by nine goals to St Matthew’s, meaning they finished second and with Matt’s three-goals better than SSPP, meant they ended up in third spot with SSPP, fourth.
Champions Hillstone along with the three schools above will meet again at Yardley Fives on April 23rd for the Girls League play-off finals and will be joined by four schools from Group A, with only already champions, Short Heath, guaranteed a place in those finals; Group A concludes on March 25th.