Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves 3-1 Barwell

The Mikes Reserves maintained their perfect seven-game record at the Trevor Brown Memorial Ground in all competitions, with what was also their seventh straight victory. The win allowed The Mikes to keep second spot in the Midland Combination Reserve Division, in which they are currently the leading scorers.

With Barwell looking to avenge their narrow Challenge Bowl defeat in Leicestershire four weeks earlier, the Mikes looked prepared for the challenge as they started brightly. Barwell posed a threat on the counter attack, in what was shaping up to be an entertaining contest.

Barwell threatened first when their left-winger cut in and beat several Mikes’ defenders, but delayed his shot before being crowded out. However, it was The Mikes who drew first blood thanks to a mix up in the visitors’ defence. Under pressure from Andre Gonzales, the Barwell right back directed a back pass which wrong footed the advancing keeper, which allowed the Mikes wide man to walk the ball home for his third goal of the season.

Adam Morton was causing problems with his strength and control and flashed a shot wide when he probably should have played in Gonzales. Weller then did the opposite when he tried to square the ball to Gonzales, when a shot at goal looked the better option. Morton then stung the keeper’s palms with a neat turn and shot from the edge of the box, but the visitors’ stay of execution was temporary.

Sam Woodall directed a neat ball through the Barwell defence. Tom Law showed superb touch and poise, switching the ball quickly between his feet to totally out-fox the onrushing keeper, before calmly slotting the ball home passed a covering defender.

The Mikes were totally in command now playing some lovely passing football. Weller again had a ball intended for Gonzales that was cut out when a shot looked to be the best choice. Tom Law then went close to a third, swivelling 25 yards out and unleashing a vicious shot that crashed against the post with the keeper well beaten.

The Mikes still needed to be mindful of the threat posed by the visitors, as they broke at pace to fashion a clear-cut chance in the inside right channel, but the wide man’s vicious shot was superbly kept out by Louis Connor in the Boldmere goal.

Half Time: 2-0

The Mikes picked up where they left off and started the second half brightly and it was soon game, set and match to the home side. The visiting defence was caught square as Tom Law broke clear to expertly lob the ball home over the stranded keeper for his fourth in four games.

The Mikes threw on all three substitutes on the hour mark, changing their formation. This disrupted the rhythm slightly, and Barwell enjoyed a period of sustained pressure.

The Mikes defence stood up well, with Jack Stone prominent, and Louis Connor was only called upon to make one save of note. The Mikes then re established their stranglehold on the game, and looked the more likely scorers as the visitors were reduced to efforts from long-range.

The game turned scrappy in the closing stages as the visitors’ frustration threatened to boil over and the game was broken up by a series of fouls. The worst of which came on substitute Andy Lewis, who was completely cleaned out as he nicked the ball past the Barwell skipper, who was rightly carded for the challenge. Things erupted again in injury time when a skirmish following yet another niggling foul resulted in cards for Cam Fowler and a fellow substitute from the visitors.

However, an unseemly end to the game shouldn’t be allowed to take away from another convincing performance from the Mikes Reserves.

The Mikes: 1 Louis Connor; 2 Neil Watkins; 3 Will Hutt; 4 Sam Woodall; 5 Jack Stone; 6 Anthony Juxon ©; 7 Lyndon Weller; 8 Darrell Francis; 9 Tom Law; 10 Adam Morton; 11 Andre Gonzales.

Subs: 12 Kallum Blake (on 60m for Gonzales); 13 Rob Clarke (not used); 14 Cam Fowler (on 60m for Francis); 15 Andy Lewis (on 60m for Morton).

Scorers: Andre Gonzales, Tom Law (2).