Archdales 73 3 - 6 Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves
The reserves completed their official pre season games unbeaten with a resounding 6-3 win at Worcester based Archdale's. Archdale's started brightly, playing neat intricate football but lacking any real penetration, then on five minutes the excellent Adam Swain made a terrific 70 yard break into the final third to force a throw in on the right hand side, this resulted in Swain whipping in a glorious cross for big John Williams to score yet another pre season goal with a towering header into the top corner. This deflated the home side a little and Boldmere took over the game dominating possession but failing to get in the crosses that would have surely wrapped up victory but ten minutes before half time the relatively subdued Kieran Robinson, made a forceful break into the penalty are and scored with aplomb.
Boldmere made a number of substitutes at half time, and found the score level at 2-2 within ten minutes, the home side brought on a more physical striker and went more direct, and the stiffs defence where looking increasing fragile, an unfortunate error by the home keeper allowed Mattie Lay to tap in to put the stiffs back in the lead, but an immediate break by the home side sliced open the Mikes defence but an Archdale's forward in an offside position was amazingly played onside by the statuesque linesman to level the game again. The Mikes then made a couple of more substitutions with twenty to go, bringing back on John Williams, and impact was immediate, Mark Morris link up play with Williams enabled Morris to terrorise the home defenders and deservedly getting himself a goal to put the Mikes back in front, last weeks extra heavy training sessions was starting to pay off for the Mikes with Colson and Robinson's second goal of the game giving them the deserved victory. This performance left the Reserves management with more questions then answers!
A big thank you to Archdale's who where excellent hosts, provided us with a super game on a nice playing surface and may feel that the result flattered us?
