The Mikes 0-1 Sporting Khalsa

Newcomers Ty Knight and Harry Sweeney came in as full backs, while returnee Rico Taylor slotted in as attacking mid fielder. Jack Skinner and Kyle Byrne occupied the wings.

In a game as close as the score would suggest, the visitors were first out of the blocks, and had the upper hand in the first twenty minutes. Boldmere gave away seven fouls in this period, Khalsa full back Carlo Franco taking a nasty blow on the head as he bravely put a head into Rico Taylor’s high clearance. The Mikes often had ten men behind the ball for the set pieces under this pressure; and yet their net wasn’t seriously threatened. Indeed, with 24 minutes gone, the homesters could have taken the lead, Rikardo Reid’s rolling effort going just wide after he’d sprung the off side trap. Four minutes later, however, the visitors took the lead, Tesfa Robinson heading home from a free kick near the corner flag. This deficit seemed to settle the Mikes, who now came into the game. The frantic action on show was witnessed to by the corner count: on 35 minutes, Boldmere got their first - making the corner “score “1-1! Three minutes later, a perfect ball to Jack Skinner put him clear of the visitors’ back line, another Boldmere attempt on goal going just wide of the far post. Close season changes to the rules puzzled some of the faithful, Referee’s Assessor Nigel Genner doing his best to explain things to the mystified. As the half closed, an off side Harry Craven effort went just wide, and a brave Sam Arnold dive denied Skinner as he latched on to a Kyle Byrne cross. Half time: The Mikes 0 Sporting Khalsa 1.

An early second half scare saw our old friend Mykel Beckley denied by Lewis Fenney, who had to come out of his box to clear. Rikardo Reid soon responded in similar vein, but his effort went straight into Arnold’s hands. An open, end to end encounter now ensued, chances being foiled in both goal mouths. Khalsa’s Kieron Whittaker hit the post; a slick three man Khalsa break was ended by Fenney’s mountainous clearance; once again Rikardo Reid lost his markers, and once again, as Arnold rushed out, he put it wide of the target; mayhem followed in the visiting rear guard after Reid hit the bar as the hour approached. Played in a constant 24 degrees, substitutes came on earlier than usual for both teams. The Mikes dominated proceedings as the game reached its closing stages, the Khalsa bar being struck again from a long Brad Lindsey throw. Three Khalsa corners went straight across the Mikes’ goal with no one making contact: that apart, Khalsa were at full stretch to stop late Boldmere pressure, Alex Perry being booked for bringing down Simeon Tulloch, Leon Miles for bundling an attacker over just outside his penalty area. That these were the only yellow cards issued, in a match that was fiercely contested in all quarters throughout, pays tribute to the maturity of all concerned. Both sides demonstrated that they could be challenging for honours, come the end of the season.

The Mikes: Lewis Fenney; Ty Knight; Harry Sweeney; Alister Brauns; Harry Craven; Joe Lyng; Jack Skinner (Simeon Tulloch, 76); Owen Parry (Brad Lindsey, 66); Rikardo Reid; Rico Taylor; Kyle Byrne. Subs not used: Barry Healey; Harry Buttery; Jack Coates.

Khalsa: Sam Arnold, Carlo Franco, Lewis Worsey, Leon Miles, Tesfa Robinson, Alex Perry, Keiron Whittaker, David Meese, Mykel Beckley (James McGrady 81), Gurjit Singh (Dan Westwood 81), Sean Williams. Subs not used: Michael Perks, Mark Smith, Alex Woodhouse