Mikes get bogged down at Studley
Saturday 20th February 2010 – Studley 1-1 The Mikes
The Mikes returned from Worcestershire with a point following a 1-1 draw in farcical conditions at the Beehive.
The pitch was frozen at the time of the original early morning inspection, but was thawing by the time the referee looked again at 11:30. Unfortunately, by kick of time the thaw had continued, leaving the teams to contend with an absolute quagmire.
As soon as the game got going, it was clear that any passing football was impossible on most of the pitch, with players struggling to move the ball around the pitch. During the second half, the match balls became increasingly caked in mud and even the most basic pass proved difficult.
The Mikes went behind shortly after the break, but recovered when Jason Holmes weaved his way clear in the box, leaving Lee Osborne to force the ball home.
The Mikes were in the ascendancy and were given a golden chance to win the game following a handball from a set piece. The Mikes recent penalty woes surfaced again, with home keeper Matty Harris producing an excellent save from Holmes’ well-struck kick. The rebound fell invitingly for Lyndon Weller, but he miscued horribly into the side netting.
Manager Rob Mallaband reflected “The ball wouldn’t roll. It was an absolute lottery, so we take the point and move on.”
