Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves 3- 1 Chasetown
Wednesday 17th March 2010
The Mikes Reserves 3- 1 Chasetown Reserves (6-3 on aggregate)
Midland Combination Challenge Bowl Semi Final Second Leg
The Mikes stormed through to the Challenge Bowl final, securing their passage in a highly entertaining contest at the Trevor Brown Memorial Ground.
The Mikes held a narrow 3-2 lead from the first leg, and the game started at a furious pace. Richard Dunleavy’s towering far post header from a Jorma Seabourne corner beat Jon Green in the Scholars goal, but was cleared off the line by Farmer.
A prodigious Chris Horton throw in ricocheted around the Mikes box, but Adam Jenkins saved. The Mikes were causing all sorts of problems from corners and Tom Laws might have scored when Green could only block Seabourne’s wickedly struck lick from the right, but the ball was cleared.
Johaine Thompson broke clear, but his effort was well saved by Green. Stone was now commanding the Mikes back line and dealing with Horton’s long throws, but had a couple of minor scares midway through the half. Chris Lewis headed wide, before heading a corner back across goal where O’Callaghan headed wide when he may have done better.
It was The Mikes who opened the scoring, and it came from another Seabourne corner after 34 minutes. Tom Law stole in front of Green to head the ball home from close range. Five minutes later it was 2-0. Johaine Thompson powered past Horton and slotted past Green to put the home side in command of the tie at 5-2 on aggregate.
Thompson was causing havoc, and was bravely denied by Green as the half drew to a close.
Half Time: The Mikes Reserves 2-0 Chasetown Reserves (5-2 agg)
The expected onslaught from the visitors duly arrived as they sought a way back into the game, but the Mikes continued to defend doggedly, with Stone and Dunleavy outstanding.
Rock had a chance when Jenkins miscued his clearance, but his instinctive lob cleared the bar. This rattled the home defence and Stone and Jenkins nearly contrived to present a chance to O’Callaghan, but Jenkins recovered.
It was all Chasetown, and the Mikes were grateful when a miscued right wing cross bounced off the face of the bar, but it would have been a fortunate goal had it gone in.
The Mikes finally sprang into life midway through the half. Thompson was put clear by substitute James Walker’s lovely through ball, but Green was equal to his effort to keep the Scholars in it. The visitors came back again and finally reduced the arrears with 15 minutes to go. Hawkins flighted the ball to the far post, where O’Callaghan headed down for Jack Scandrett to swivel and volley home past the diving Jenkins.
Scandrett flicked wide of the near post moments later, before the Mikes found the perfect response with a brilliant goal that showed Thompson’s attributes to the full. As the visitors poured forward in search of an equaliser on the night, the Mikes cleared the ball towards halfway. Law judged the bounce perfectly, rising above his marker to deftly flick the ball on. Thompson picked the ball up five yards in his own half, pursued by the Scholars’ pacy full back Farmer. Thompson powered away leaving Farmer in his wake, before emphatically driving the ball past Green into the bottom corner.
There was still time for Jenkins to produce the save of the game to deny Farmer’s diving header, but the Mikes deservedly progressed over the two legs to face Quorn in the final.
Full Time: The Mikes Reserves 3-1 Chasetown Reserves (6-3 agg)
Boldmere Team:
1 Adam Jenkins; 2 Jamel Wilson; 3 Jorma Seabourne; 4 Richard Dunleavy; 5 Jamel Fuller; 6 Ceiran McLean; 7 Cam Fowler (Captain); 8; Jack Stone; 9 Johaine Thompson; 10 Tom Law; 11 Andre Gonzales.
Subs:
12 Will Hutt; 13 Lewis Fenney; 14 Adam Morton; 15 James Walker (on for Fuller); 16 Sam Woodall
Chasetown Team:
Green, Hulin, Farmer, Lewis, Horton, Ivors, Billingham, Hawkins (Captain), Scandrett, O’Callaghan, Rock.
Subs:
Westwood (Rock 87), Wright (Ivors 59), Larvin, Aiton, Vassallo.
Scorers:
Boldmere: Tom Law 34, Johaine Thompson 39 & 80
Chasetown: Jack Scandrett 75
Related links: Post Match Reaction http://www.themikes.co.uk/challengebowlfinal10.htm
Opposition View:
http://www.chasetown-fc.com/index.php/component/content/article/4-res/311-chasetown-res-out-of-challenge-bowl
