Alfons Sampsted scored the only goal in the friendly between Birmingham City and Solihull Moors
Birmingham City reporter for BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail
Alfons Sampsted of Birmingham City
A goal from Alfons Sampsted ensured Birmingham City retained The Arthur Cup with a 1-0 win over Solihull Moors at St Andrew’s.
Blues fielded a weakened team for their rearranged friendly with Moors but their most senior player popped up with the only goal just before half-time.
There was a poignant applause in the sixth minute for Arthur Labinjo-Hughes who tragically lost his life in 2020, aged six.
The crowd crammed into the Kop Stand didn’t have much to get excited about until Emil Hansson almost opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
George Hall exploded down the right and crossed to Hansson at the far post. The Swede controlled the ball and slotted underneath onrushing Moors goalkeeper Laurie Walker only for defender Brad Nicholson to clear the danger.
Hansson was one of three senior players deemed surplus-to-requirements by Chris Davies that started The Arthur Cup, along with Dion Sanderson and Sampsted, and the latter gave Blues the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Hansson raced down the left wing before turning his marker inside out and picking out Sampsted at the far post. The advanced right-back dusted off the cobwebs to volley into the corner.
As ever with pre-season friendlies, the inevitable raft of changes disrupted the rhythm of the game after half-time.
The first meaningful chance fell to Moors left-back Cameron Green but his shot cannoned wide off the post and Blues escaped.
With that went Moors’ best chance to stop Blues from retaining The Arthur Cup. For the first year in a row The Arthur Cup stayed at St Andrew’s but, more importantly, vital funds were raised for the NSPCC.
Brad Mayo
Mayo is a first team squad member who never plays so supporters were able to get eyes on him against Moors. The Brummie stopper did well with a couple of looping crosses and claimed one corner superbly in the second half.
Alfons Sampsted
Sampsted looked rusty before he buried a volley emphatically on the stroke of half-time. If any scouts were watching then Sampsted didn’t do himself any harm with that finish.
Tommy Fogarty
Fogarty is one of the more established Blues youngsters but his future appears to lie away from St Andrew’s. He was decent enough in possession before his evening was cut short by a head injury.
Dion Sanderson
The quality of the centre-back was clear in possession and positioning but he did overhit a couple of passes that he would have expected to make.
Menzi Mazwi
Mazwi is a midfielder by trade but often ends up playing at left-back in training games like this. He impressed the crowd with one sprint and double challenge to thwart his man in the first half.
Alfie Chang
Positionally Chang was spot on and he always showed for the ball, but could have moved it quicker and with more precision at times. Then again, it is pre-season.
Alfie Chang of Birmingham City
Cody Pennington
Pennington wanted to get on the ball and stood on the toes of Blues’ centre-backs at times. He recycled it well enough and showed a good range of passing.
George Hall
Hall showed his athleticism a couple of times and created one stand-out chance for Hansson that wasn’t taken.
Zaid Betteka
Betteka didn’t shine as brightly as he did against Sevilla out in Portugal but the quality of players around him played a part in that. There were some nice touches in tight spaces and Betteka does fill spaces intelligently.
Zaid Betteka of Birmingham City
Emil Hansson
Hansson was the sharpest of Blues’ senior trio. He went close to scoring himself before creating Sampsted’s goal with a brilliant piece of wing-play which saw him beat his man twice to pick Sampsted out with a pinpoint cross.
Daniel Isichei
The winger played through the middle because Blues were without a striker and acquitted himself well. Isichei was a willing runner and set the press.
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Billy Burrell (for Fogarty, 36)
Called upon earlier than expected and performed well on both sides of central defence. Burrell was composed on the ball and committed in the challenge.
Ben Wodskou (for Hall, 46)
The striker carried an aerial threat and worked the Moors goalkeeper with a header in the second half.
Briar Bateman (for Hansson, 46)
Bateman is a versatile forward and played on the right against Moors. There were some good ball carries and a willingness to track back and help out defensively.
Cameron Eubank (for Chang, 46)
Eubank lived up to his name with a combative midfield display and he worked the goalkeeper with one excellent effort early in the second half.
Godfred Boakye (for Sanderson, 46)
Boakye slotted in alongside Burrell for the second half and did well against experienced forwards in the Moors line-up.
Caleb Sanders (for Sampsted, 46)
The right-back played with a strapped up right leg but didn’t show weakness with a solid defensive display.
Zach Willis (for Pennington, 65)
Battled in midfield alongside Eubank for the final 25 minutes to ensure Blues held on.
O’Shea Ellis (for Betteka, 65)
Ellis closed the game on the left-wing and made sure Mazwi wasn’t overawed at left-back.
Alezandro Da Silva (for Isichei, 65)
Da Silva closed the game in the number 10 position where his main job was to apply pressure as Moors looked for a late leveller.
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