Chasetown 2 - 1 Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves Challenge Bowl Final
Boldmere lost this cup final after extra time was needed to separate the teams, the bigger more physical Chasetown side who recently retained their stranglehold on the reserve league competition fully deserved their victory after the Mikes marathon end to the season started to show its impact, with over twenty games played in eight weeks finally caught up with the players who looked increasingly leggy after the opening twenty minutes where they dominated proceedings and took the lead through Danny Dubidat.
After this spell, little was seen of the Mikes attack, and the Scholars slowly took over the midfield that they never looked like relinquishing. Chasetown equalised ten minutes into the second half and it was a hotly disputed decision given by one of the linesman after what seemed to be tangling with his own feet. It was awarded as a Scholars a free-kick, a scuffed shot, twelve yards out hit a grass divot and bounced three feet over keeper Sean Butler diving hands.
Up till this part the Mikes rear guard of Skipper Neil Hanlon (replaced after being on the receiving end of a poor tackle after an hour – Hanlon will now miss out on the Mikes remaining two cup finals), Andre Calder, Jamal Fuller and youth team star Shane Maydew had stood up to everything the Scholars threw at them.
Right on ninety minutes, Mikes was presented with a golden opportunity to lift the trophy when an error in the Chasetown rearguard let in Dubidat for a free strike at goal when under no pressure but the striker failed to hit the target.
Extra time looked a dead event and as penalties where just five minutes away, a long punt into the Mikes half of the pitch created indecision between Fuller and Jon Rutter, that eventually led to a magnificent finish by the home team striker to deservedly make it a league and cup double for the Champions.
Boldmere Man of the Match – Shane Maydew
