Highgate United Reserves 1-4 Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves
Depleted Mikes took this game on without a goal keeper (just like to make a special thank you to all our keepers in the club who made the enormous effort to participate, may you all rest in peace!) and showing five changes from Saturdays semi-final win over Oadby Town.
Mikes management requested a bright start to the game and it was found after five minutes when Tom Clews wriggled free of his marker and his speculative effort from distance made into the net where the home keeper will maybe think he could have done a little better.
The goal failed to deflate the hosts and they produced a half of good football to match the Mikes in most departments apart from the finishing, after half an hour a quick break by Mikes brought a brilliant 60 metre angled ball from the rejuvenated Jon Rutter into the speedy feet of Danny Dubidat, who forced his way passed the defender to set up top scorer Keiran Robinson with a stunning left footed goal into the roof of the net.
Robinson was at it again five minutes from the break when his stunned the home side with a thundering right footed drive into the net off the post. Link up play down the left from Robinson and in-form Jamel Fuller being the key element to the Mikes first half superiority.
HT Highgate United Reserves 0-3 Boldmere St Michaels Reserves
Highgate made a triple substitution but it was Mikes who got off to a dream start in the second half with Dubidat responding well to his half time pep talk climbing highest in the box to head in Mikes forth goal after good link up play again from Rutter, Robinson and Fuller down the left.
Dubidat was starting to add superior work-rate to his great pace, now Boldmere was starting to cause problems down both flanks, creating several promising opportunities but failed to capitalise on them due to wrong selection of final ball but Highgate continued to battle away.
It was only the excellent defending from Rutter, Jamie Fisher, Shane Healey and the inspirational Peter Gould that enabled Mikes to play expansive game with the on-song Declan Clarke spraying balls for fun into the pacy flank players with skipper Andre Calder forced back into his midfield protectors role for the first time in three months.
A special note to youth team defender, Shane Maydew, who donned the gloves in the absence of a recognised custodian and who proved to be an able deputy only being beaten late on by a brilliantly executed free kick that the home side.
FT Highgate United Reserves 1-4 Boldmere St Michaels Reserves
Boldmere Man of the match selected by the players – Jon Rutter
