3rd May 2025 was CUFC last match of the season, and the last in League 1 after 4 seasons. It was a nice day for a party, and plenty of Birmingham fans were in party mood with some in fancy dress. A friendly bunch too, wanting to see their team, and reports of CUFC fans being offered silly money for their match ticket meant the possibility of away fans in home areas. Luckily no repeats of nasty incidents like with Orient fans a couple of weeks ago.
Brum had sewn up the title a few weeks ago, then took the most points in a season title, so we all hoped their players would be “on the beach”. Then I found out there was the “most wins in a season” title still to be claimed!
More new fans came to the cabin, this time a couple of supporters of MVV Maastricht. I hope they enjoyed their visit to the Abbey.
Gina and I had a 15 minute break from our duties in the Cabin (thanks to Leanne and Paul for stepping in) to present James Brophy with his Player of the Season award. Well deserved in my opinion, he has played in every league match this season, starting in 43 matches, and 3 league goals puts him 5th highest goal scorer.
Starting line up of Bishop in goal, back 4 of Bennett, Morrison, Watts and Gibbons, Kaikai and Brophy wide of Digby and Stevenson, Kachunga behind Lavery. With no big target man Digby went forward as a target when U’s had a goal kick.
As usual I missed the opening minutes but the wonders of video allowed me to see what I had missed. Kachunga had a great chance in the opening minute when he intercepted a defensive pass for a run on goal but his shot from the corner of the 6-yard box was blocked by keeper. Cutting the ball back for Lavery might have been a better option, but at least he had a shot on target. Kachunga soon had another chance to shoot, but this time the ball went wide.
U’s had another chance when Kaikai won a corner with a low cross. The corner was half cleared, Brophy had a shot blocked the ball coming back to Kaikai who crossed to the back post where the unmarked Kachunga tried a scissors kick which hit the side netting.
Brum seemed content to keep possession with the occasional diagonal ball to their wide players but Gibbons and Bennett defended well. Brum full back Laird tried to beat Gibbons with some tricky play and probably could have crossed but played the ball back for Klarer to cross. Defenders and attackers were nowhere near as the ball went over Bishop and dropped in the goal off the back post. Klarer seemed embarrassed to celebrate! 0-1 on 24 minutes.
Kachunga got booked for a bit of push and shove at a Brum throw in, the defender going down as if hit with a baseball bat! The yellow card would cost him dear later in the match.
A long channel ball from Bennett on our right, the bounce beat a defender allowing Lavery to run at goal and put a good shot across the keeper and in at the far post for the equaliser.1-1 on 35 minutes.
Brum did manage to produce a half chance but put the ball wide.
Half time: 1-1. 50/50 draw ticket #23213 won £542. Birmingham had scored from their only attempt on goal!
The second half saw a U’s change with Lavery replaced by Ballard. Did he injure his hamstring when scoring the goal?
U’s started on the front foot and had a great chance when first Kachunga could have shot but passed to Kaikai who also could have shot first time but chose to stidestep then shot from a tight angle and the keeper smothered the ball.
Bishop made a good save from a snapshot, then he did well to push away a 25 yard shot that was moving as it travelled.
68 minutes on the clock when Kachunga tussled for the ball, he got the ball but his foot rolled across the side of the ball and his studs caught the shin of #16 Myung Jae who went down as if his leg was broken! A second yellow card so off he went. Myung Jae was soon back on his feet but was loudly boo’ed by U’s fans whenever he got the ball.
We feared there would be a goal fest for the champions, a near post header wide then a cross resulted in a corner which was half cleared for another cross to the 6-yard line which hit the head of Watts as he was being pushed by a forward for an own goal.1-2 on 81 minutes.
Bishop made a good save, then a free kick from wide hit the U’s bar and went away for a throw.
Loft and Stokes came on for the last few minutes in place of Kaikai and Bennett, and unusually instead of Loft it was Stokes who was booked for a foul with his first touch of the ball. I’m not sure Loft got a touch at all!
Final score: 1-2.
Brum players celebrated another win in front of their fans having gained 111 points, 34 wins and a goal difference of +53, U’s players left after a short walk round the pitch to muted applause for at least having made Birmingham work for the 3 points.
The match had the feel of a pre-season game against much higher opposition, the U’s fans not as noisy as usual now we were relegated, and Brum fans not as noisy as I expected. You can’t fault the players effort, and up to the sending off the shots, and shots on target stats were in U’s favour. But as with so many matches this season we didn’t make the chances count, and at the end of the season if you haven’t got enough points you get relegated.
If the team was a computer I would use like to use the Restore function to get back to a known good squad, but Ctrl/Alt/Delete for a full reset will have to do.
Next season will be better. Please.