Kirkby FC 1–3 Edgbaston FC: the draw streak ends

Match report

Edgbaston FC ended their habit of sharing the spoils with a 3-1 victory over Kirkby FC on Sunday 2 August. It was Matchday 8, and for a Kirkby side sitting 17th, it was another afternoon of doing just enough to look competitive before the wheels drifted off.

The deadlock broke in the 30th minute. Demétrio Costa-Brasil provided the assist for Frederik Fennema to make it 0-1. Fennema has developed a knack for the decisive contribution lately, though his output is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. In fairness, he is a precise finisher, but the goal felt more like a lapse in Kirkby's concentration than a moment of magic.

Kirkby responded in the 39th minute. Hideyoshi Ikari levelled the scoring with a header from an Armin Reck cross. It was a goal on the stroke of half-time that flipped the momentum, giving the home crowd a brief, dangerous belief that they might actually secure a result. It is a peculiar feeling, that fleeting hope, usually lasting just long enough for the referee to blow the whistle for the interval.

The second half was a stalemate of attrition until the 80th minute. Costa-Brasil, who had been the most influential individual on the pitch, turned provider into scorer to make it 1-2. The goal broke Kirkby's resolve entirely. They didn't so much collapse as they did slowly stop trying.

Casimiro Colmenar added the third in the 86th minute, assisted by Max Foulkes, to ensure the result. In a ranking of today's performers, Costa-Brasil sits comfortably at the top, followed by Fennema and Colmenar. The others were merely passengers.

The breakdown is simple: Edgbaston had the clinical edge, while Kirkby continued their trend of being out of sorts. It was typical, really. They found a way back into the game only to forget how to stay there.

There is little time to reset. Edgbaston move on to Matchday 9 tomorrow.