Boldmere St. Michaels 1-2 Highgate
Visitors Highgate United gained swift revenge for their League Cup semi final first leg defeat five days earlier.
The Mikes paid the price for a lack lustre first half performance, leaving themselves the proverbial mountain to climb.
The visitors were quick out of the blocks and took a deserved lead on 8 minutes, Luke Edwards ghosting in to head a bouncing ball home from 12 yards via the underside of the bar.
Highgate were bouyant and soon doubled their lead on 12 minutes. A long ball out of defence saw Adam Wood set to head the ball back to keeper Jenkins, but the alert Chris Gummery nipped in to divert the ball past the stranded keeper.
Gummery missed a similar chance minutes later as the home side struggled for a foothold in the game.
The Mikes gradually enjoyed more possession, but the rest of the half was played out mostly in a scrappy midfield battle, with little else in the way of goalmouth action.
After being left in no doubt what manager Rob Mallaband thought of the first half performance, the Mikes started the second half in more lively fashion. Lee Osborne broke free of his marker to drive the ball against the outside of the post from 12 yards, but may have been better served by squaring the ball to the unmarked Jason Holmes.
On the hour, Adam Swain proved the point when he was played in behind the visiting full back and played the ball across the box for Holmes to sweep home from 10 yards. The goal was no more than Holmes deserved, as he was far and away the best Mikes performer on the day.
The Mikes were firmly in the ascendancy, and the vistors had keeper Cox to thank for a superb block to deny Osborne. The visitors retreated back to defend their 18 yard box. The Mikes produced a succession of corners, but were unable to produce a clean strike on goal as Highgate doggedly defended their goal line. The Mikes frustration was complete when in the dying seconds McNaught headed a far post corner back across goal. Substitute Mark Mason bravely threw himself at the loose ball, but was crowded out.
Highgate's dogged defence secured them the points. The determination of The Mikes second half performance could not be denied, but they will rue the concession of two sloppy goals in a poor first half performance which eventually proved too much to claw back.
The Mikes have the luxury of a free midweek, which will prove the ideal chance to recharge some batteries before next Saturday's vital trip to Barwell in the Aspire MFA (3pm).
