Atherstone Reserves 2-2 Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves
Atherstone Town Reserves Boldmere St Michaels Reserves
Depleted Mikes with only one fit and one late arriving player on the bench were slow out the blocks and conceded a goal inside the first 17 seconds through some sloppy defending, but it still required a super finish from the big home striker to put into the top corner of the goal and give keeper Shaun Butler no chance.
Mikes continued to live dangerously and an under hit back pass from returning from injury skipper Neil Hanlon let in the rampant Adders to add to their lead and left Butler beaten only for Peter Gould to make a desperate goal line clearance and keep Mikes within a single goal lead of their hosts.
Mikes started to get a foot in the game but a surprising number of poor passes and silly cheap fouls by Mikes stopped any flowing football.
Mikes increased the tempo a little with Kevin Buxton at the hub of most of the good things in midfield and Danny Dubidat causing the home defence some jitters with his unselfish running brought the Mikes level, to gratefully make half time level.
HT - Atherstone Reserves 1 v 1 Boldmere Reserves
After a half time rocket, an improved display was expected from the Mikes but they was again caught cold with Adders making another quick break through with some more sloppy defending from the visitors and again the big home striker supplied an exquisite finish to put his side in the lead again.
Mikes made a double substitution, bringing on Declan Clarke and Kieran Robinson into midfield, and the improvement was emphatic with Boldmere slowly building up constant pressure on the home goal, and a move from midfield to defence for Andre Calder with his extra pace and power giving Mikes a much more
solid look.
Mikes finally pulled level when Dubidat chased a little hope ball at the home keeper and his electric pace just enabled him to poke it past the keeper and into the unguarded net for his forth goal in three games.
The home keeper then lashed out at Dubidat whilst on his way back for the kick off leaving him on the floor, to be very fortunate in only receiving a booking from the referee.
The game then petered out to a bore draw as far as the Mikes are concerned but the home side will be rueing a great opportunity missed in taking all three points.
HT - Atherstone Reserves 2 v 2 Boldmere Reserves
Boldmere man of the Match – Danny Dubidat
