BIRMINGHAM TIGERS 1-2 GNP SPORTS: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Opportunistic Wanless Leaves Tigers Winless In the League

Birmingham Tigers 1-2 GNP Sports

A brace of goals, assisted by Nathan Stoute and scored by right-back Sam Wanless won this scrappy game for GNP Sports in Yardley, played in very warm sunshine on a hard pitch, covered by grass which might have been shorter. And yet, had home replacement Yaser Ammora not squandered a simple chance just after the guests had taken a 1-2 lead, GNP would have been forced to accept the unacceptable: a draw. The fact that Ammora wore number 13 did not go unnoticed…

THE TWO EIGHTS TOSS...

Tigers lost ‘keeper Nihad Ibisevic during the first period because of a groin problem and he was replaced by Mohammed Sharif but the hosts also lost Munjed Ali during the half and he was relieved by Mohammed Ali. The injuries, the substitutions, the drinks break and the habit of the referee to take time over warnings and the awarding of free-kicks did not help to create a flowing game. Indeed, the encounter was bitty and untidy, it lacked cohesion and often the passing was really poor. The shooting was wayward too and GNP were the main culprits, failing to hit the target much of the time. Certainly GNP deserved to win the match but Birmingham were tigerish and in right-sided attacker Mohammed Nageeb they possessed a tricky and elusive customer and in central striker Abdullah Kenewa, they fielded a willing forward and he would be rewarded with a goal. Their standout performer though was skipper and midfielder Ishak Ibisevic, whose all-round display did not deserve to be on a losing team.

THE BRUM TIGERS...

Visiting skipper Matt Compton was in ebullient mood and was clearly unimpressed by his team’s often careless play and his annoyance boiled over later in the game and he took a well deserved caution for a very unpleasant challenge on a Tiger in the closing stages. Charlie Cook was simply unable to add to his three league goals from the previous two GNP league games, despite a number of shots but at times it seemed that Stoute was slightly too deep-lying and Cook lacked a strong target-partner who could hold up the ball and bring him into the play from his wider position. 

THE COACHES GET INVOLVED...

Younes Touaiti sliced an early byeline cross from Stoute over his own goal-frame, Tigers then lost possession leaving Nihad Ibisevic out of his goal and Sports’ Carum Samra drove his shot over the target but when the relaxed Stoute lofted a pass inside the full-back Younes Touaiti for Wanless to latch onto, the GNP defender made ground towards the right byeline and somehow squeezed a shot past the ‘keeper and the ball rolled inside the far upright, leaving the gloveman frustrated and kneeling like he was unable to fix a leaking pipe beneath his sink.

0-1...

WANLESS FOR GNP...

...& HE GETS A STOUTE HUG FROM HIS 'ASSISTANT'...

Incredibly, with their first real attack, the hosts stunned GNP with a soft equaliser and it was the ability of Nageeb which created the goal and the switched-on attitude of Kenewa which allowed the centre-forward to convert his chance. A centre from the right was simply side-footed inside the right post but GNP goalie Paul Lawrence appeared wrong-footed and he sank to the grass like a wilting rose.

1-1...

KENEWA & NAGEEB, WHO SCORED AND CREATED THE EQUALISER...
KENEWA SAYS: "GET AWAY, I WANT NO HUGGIN', MAN..."

The Tigers only managed a couple of shots from then until the break, both struck low from the right side of the penalty-box and both of which rolled wide of the left post, first from the escaping Kenewa and then from the lively Nageeb. Otherwise, the remainder of the first-half saw only a succession of GNP misses. Corey Jack Brookes appeared to be felled for a possible penalty claim which was brushed aside by the officious referee, Cook nodded a right-side cross straight at the ‘keeper’s midriff but Nihad Ibisevic did very well to block a drive near the edge of his own 18 yard box from Samra, after the home defence had become a wreck following a set-piece by GNP. Samra’s follow-up shot was superbly blocked by the sliding Abdelah Touaiti, albeit possibly with an arm but then Stoute finally slammed the loose ball wildly off target.

DRINKS BREAK...

...BUT NIHAD IS STRUGGLING WITH A GROIN...

THE COACH LAYS INTO HIS TEAM...

THE TIGERS ARE ATTRACTED TO THE WATER...

Two excellent one-twos between Cook and Samra saw Cook’s subsequent low shot go disappointingly wide from 10 yards, the otherwise effective Samra shot way too high as the match really became sketchy and irritable, before Cook’s first free-kick attempt soared a good way over the goal-frame. Mohammed Sharif, now in goals for Tigers, made a meal of saving a low Samra shot and then Cook’s second free-kick attempt struck the home defensive wall slightly on its way over the crossbar and his third free-kick shot bounced waist-high past the left upright. Aaron Donaldson, having switched from right to left for GNP, rapped a fine effort goalwards from the wing, catching the ‘keeper out of his ground but the ball fizzed into the side-netting and as the half thankfully drew to a close, a short Cook corner on the left to Curtis Breeze led to a centre and a glancing Donaldson header but the effort drifted wide of the far stick. 

COOK & ABDELAH TOUAITI...

NIHAD RETIRES TO THE SHADY AREA...

KENEWA LURKS BEHIND A DEFENDER...

The game had progressed without any real excitement or entertainment and one elderly spectator had resorted to picking berries from the ground’s surrounding bushes, pausing to ask me at the break whether it was still 1-1… Hmm, that just about summed it up really. Breeze, who had been faced by the skilful Nageeb during the first period was withdrawn by GNP at the break for the introduction of the beefy Arron Cheshire and Tiger Ammora replaced Abdelah Touaiti at the interval too. 

THE BERRY HUNTER...

...BUT DID ABDULLAH EAT ONE?

The Tigers actually began the second-half strongly, as GNP’s Cheshire slotted in at centre-back alongside Manjinder Dhaliwal and thus allowing Manjinder Dhesi to cover the dangerous Nageeb. So what did Nageeb do? He moved across to the left… A long throw by fearsome Tigers’ central defender Junayd Sharif allowed Ammora’s low delivery from the right to be struck by Nageeb but his shot was too high, before a 22 yard Ishak Ibisevic free-kick dipped just over Lawrence’s crossbar. From thence, GNP were more offensive but it was some time before the home team’s stubborn resistance was worn down.

STOUTE KNOWS WHAT'S COMING...

...WAIT FOR IT...

YEP, A YELLOW CARD...

A long punt by Lawrence bounced over a defender and Cook stole in but was unable to head the falling ball strongly enough to worry the ‘keeper, Brookes won possession and strode forward and after being egged on to shoot by the coaching staff, his 21 yard effort flew wide of the left post, before Donaldson aimed a 25 yard free-kick but drove it well over the target. Another Cook shot bounced wide from distance, Stoute received a caution, possibly for being over-zealous on the home goalie, Cheshire headed a Compton free-kick well off target and it seemed by then that the Tigers’ defence would not be breached. However, Wanless would soon take his second chance…

Stoute calmly fed a pass right to Wanless and he smashed in a shot from 25 yards, a few strides away from the right corner of the penalty-box, the ball appeared to nudge the chest of Junayd Sharif and spin slightly, before soaring spectacularly and high into the right corner of the net, leaving Mohammed Sharif grasping only floating chaff from the long grass behind the goal.

1-2...

...& AGAIN WANLESS IS THE SCORER...

In response, the Tigers were influenced hugely by Ishak Ibisevic and his shot from 18 yards was just too high following a corner, then Lawrence got into a mess on the left-side of his 6 yard box near the byeline and Ibisevic won the ball, before passing it to the totally unmarked Ammora, 6 yards out but the replacement was unable to strike the ball properly and his miscue trickled towards the goal-line where the grateful Lawrence picked it up. An unpleasant clash between Ibisevic and Stoute led to a booking for the Tiger but Stoute was probably right to leave the scene quickly, for he’d already seen yellow and he had yanked at the Birmingham playmaker in the scuffle.

ANOTHER BORING WARNING...

ISHAK IS ABOUT TO RECEIVE HIS CAUTION...

A fine falling volley by Ibisevic flew straight at Lawrence from 18 yards, before the by now incredibly hyped up Compton was booked and GNP replacement Aadil Patel’s low shot was saved by the goalie. Then, following a strong run and a pass by Patel, Stoute fell as he entered the penalty-box, tripping on an opponent’s heel but obviously no penalty was forthcoming and Stoute must have wondered whether the official would suggest he had dived and thus show him a second yellow card. He didn’t. Following an error by the hard working Tiger Younes Abdulqader, who had scored the home team’s only goal in the 1-6 defeat to FC Stratford recently, Cook latched onto the ball and fired in a low 15 yard drive which the ‘keeper saved with a boot and after Arrandeep Konkon replaced Stoute for GNP, Compton decided to waste time in possession near a corner-quadrant and quite soon the game ended… 

WATCH THE BALL, GROWL A LOT, SHOVE YOUR ARSE OUT & HOPE THE REFEREE BLOWS FOR FULL-TIME...
HE DIDN'T.

HANDS ON HIPS, CHARLIE COOK CAN'T BELIEVE HIS LATEST SHOT HAS DRIFTED SO FAR OFF TARGET...

The Tigers battled so hard, GNP made life difficult for themselves and although the home players were so disappointed at the end of the game, they knew that GNP had surely deserved to win what had proved to be a really messy match. Bilal Arad had performed well in the home midfield, Junayd Sharif had been a beast in the Tigers’ defence and although quieter during the second period, the slim and lean Nageeb was a clever footballer. Ibisevic emerged as a strong player for Birmingham and Kenewa was always available in attack, never shirking.

GNP needed Compton’s competitiveness, for the creativity from his team was lacking, Dhesi and Dhaliwal kept calm for their team in defence, Cook was never afraid to shoot, despite the fact that he suffered an off-day in truth, Samra was often very influential and Stoute breezed through the match, perhaps suggesting that he might be such a useful playmaking midfielder sat in front of his defence. He liked time on the ball but in that more advanced role in this match, he was too often harried and hurried. Brooks was unable to find midfield space but worked hard, although in the end it will be Wanless who is remembered, netting twice and remaining steady in his team’s defensive unit. 

I was grateful to the Tigers for the fine welcome and I really hope that things improve for them during the season… GNP? Nine players to come back into the frame for selection apparently and this could be a fascinating first season for them in the Midland League Division 3…  

TEAMS:

BIRMINGHAM TIGERS:

NIHAD IBISEVIC, MOHAMMED NAGEEB, YOUNES TOUAITI, ABDELAH TOUAITI, JUNAYD SHARIF, BILAL ARAD, MURJED ALI, ISHAK IBISEVIC (CAPT), ABDULLAH KENEWA, MOHAMMED TOUAITI, YOUNES ABDULQADER.

SUBS:

MOHAMMED SHARIF, YASER AMMORA, MOHAMMED ALI, ASHLEY RAWLINS.

GNP SPORTS:

PAUL LAWRENCE, SAM WANLESS, CURTIS BREEZE, MANJINDER DHESI, MANJINDER DHALIWAL, NATHAN STOUTE, AARON DONALDSON, MATT COMPTON (CAPT), CHARLIE COOK, COREY JACK BROOKES, CARUM SAMRA.

SUBS:

ARRANDEEP KONKON, AADIL PATEL, ARRON CHESHIRE.