Boldmere St. Michaels Res 2-2 Chasetown
Champions Chasetown visited Church Road with their strongest side of the season, boasting several players with Southern League experience. This was expected to be a testing time for last years runners up, but the inform Mikes where force into a number of changes from the excellent midweek win at Quorn. In came youth team centre half Shane Maydhew with veteran Steve Moore making a rare start, and Lyndon Weller returning after missing the last game through work commitments. Missing from the last game was Neil Hanlon and Kieran Robinson who were promoted to the first team bench and Andre Calder
who had to take his girlfriend away for the day!
The game started at a cracking pace with Mikes edging possession but the Scholars looking dangerous on the break, after fifteen minutes, super play by the dynamic Mikes midfield released Roland Agbor who outpaced his marker but he put the ball wide of the goal with only the keeper to beat. Boldmere increased the tempo and created several other opportunities of note and should have put the game outside of Chasetown’s reach, Lyndon Weller , Agbor and Sean Mann all missing golden opportunities inside of the penalty area much to the consternation of the home management team. Chasetown hit back with a series of quick breaks and one down their right side, and two missed tackles later, the latter inside the area resulted in a penalty that was put away with ease to put the visitors ahead against the run of play. The goal knocked the Mikes out of their stride and Chasetown took over the game for the remaining ten minutes of the half, creating a couple more decent opportunities, whilst Mikes continued to throw bodies forward.
HT Mikes 0 v 1 Chasetown
The Mikes came out for the second half totally committed to getting back on level terms, with their magnificent midfield of Tom Stevenson, Kevin Buxton and Andy Lewis continuing to dominate possession, Chasetown fought an admirable rear guard action with their defenders heading, tackling and covering with gusto. Mikes continued to prise open the scholars defence but lacked the composure to get their chances on target, Mikes got back on level terms with a slice of luck, fullback Jack Brown cut inside from the right and drove the ball left footed low and hard at goal that took a “slight deflection” that gave the visiting keeper little chance. The goal lifted Mikes and as Chasetown’s break’s become more sporadic, Mikes continued to create and miss good opportunities inside the goal area. With 15 minutes left, Chasetown breakaways started to become more dangerous as Mikes pushed men forward trying to get the winner, after Mikes got away with a couple of good opportunities for the visitors, another quick brake left the dangerous attack one on one with Brown whom the forward shrugged off to finish with quality. Mikes made substitutions and a system change in a frantic attempt to get something from the game they had dominated for long periods, and with time running out rising star Lewis hit an unstoppable shot from twenty five yards into the bottom corner of the net to give the Mikes a share of the spoils.
FT Mikes 2 v 2 Chasetown
Boldmere Man of the Match – Roland Agbor
Credit to both sides for providing a wonderful advert for the Midland Combination reserve team football.
