The Mikes
Matches
Mon 26 Aug 2019
BSMFC-Members Club. Reg No.00473418
The Mikes
1
1
Romulus
The Mikes 1-1 Romulus

The Mikes 1-1 Romulus

The Mikes28 Aug 2019 - 16:56
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Derby stalemate

The temperature before kick-off was 28 Centigrade...and the temperature after the final whistle was 28 Centigrade. One wonders why the powers that be hadn’t scheduled the game for 7.30. The visitors, now managed by former Coleshill and Heather boss Simon Lyons, included a number of faces previously seen at Church Road under his former Clubs’ colours, and had ex Mikes Callum Rudd and Dominic Perkins in their ranks; while the returning Steve Palmer featured in the home midfield.

The Mikes started on the attack, and with only 2 minutes on the clock a fine Gayle free kick from distance was nearly headed in by Harry Craven. Three minutes later, Rikardo Reid was comprehensively barged off the park into the stand wall, and took some time to recover. Boldmere had the balance of territory throughout the first period, but the Roms were displaying plenty of skill when they showed, and twelve minutes in, the first of three great saves throughout the game witnessed Fenney pushing a fifteen yard sizzler over the bar, following a Romulus free kick. The first of nine yellow cards appeared with fourteen minutes gone, after Reid had sawn down Dom Perkins: a little revenge being handed out, you wonder? Perkins was on the floor four minutes later; and everyone went to have a quick thirst quencher as he was treated. With a quarter of the tie gone, Fenney’s second super save saw him push a Simeon Colbourne snap shot round the post. Three minutes later, the Mikes were ahead with a well worked goal. Owen Parry latched on to a probing through pass. His ability to bamboozle the opposition in their own box showed itself as an intelligent ball came back to Simeon Tulloch, who had a simple task in scoring. Seemingly determined to let the opposition draw level, an eccentric clearance from Fenney saw the skilful Simeon Colbourne given a chance he couldn’t, eventually, capitalise on: soon afterwards, Roms playmaker Dean Rathbone missed a sitter of a chance from near the penalty spot. The equaliser, once the half hour had passed, bore a disturbing resemblance to Heather’s first goal in our last home game - ball kicked upfield by the keeper; second pass from midfield down the middle; tricky attacker runs through directly to score - in this case, the ever- threatening Colbourne. Second man in the book was Alex Tomkinson, for taking firm hold of Charlie Morris’s shirt as he steamed down the wing. Manager Stuart Grosvenor soon followed, having offered the referee verbal assistance once too often. Half time: 1-1.

The second half began with a flurry of three more yellow cards, one of which was actually deserved, increasingly little distinction being made between good strong tackles and actual fouls. Brad Lindsey, who had covered acres of ground in the cloying heat, flattened Trea Bertie, thus becoming booking number six. The second drinks break was soon with us: our Brad used the time to give our Official a detailed explanation of recent events! The two number twelves - Tom Massey and Danico Johnson - now entered the fray. As the half wore on, the visitors became more dominant, and a succession of chances, as the visitors tried to replicate their opening goal by running straight through the Boldmere back line, came and went. On the hour, Josh Willis had a golden chance from a curling cross, but was foiled by Massey. The Mikes were now looking to score on the break, and Perkins was booked during one of them for a lunge at Steve Palmer. The heat was now affecting the standard of play, Palmer’s distribution becoming increasingly erratic, Barry Healey visibly wilting as we reached the three-quarter mark. “Boldmere, wake up!”, bellowed Pete, from the veranda; “Wake up, come on, get in the game!”, echoed Groves as Romulus dominance reached siege proportions. Rico Taylor, coming on with twenty minutes left, raised the siege somewhat, but the Mikes were still perilously open to the direct thrust. Fenney’s third fine save, this time with his knees from Chris Cowley, who’d sliced open the home rearguard, kept Boldmere on level terms. By now no one was greatly happy with our referee, and Simon Lyons’ booking for venting his feelings made it “one Manager all” in our Official’s book. Once again Cowley closed in on goal, went down in the box - and had a free kick awarded against him! Josh Willis wasn’t far away from converting a cross from the left; Colbourne, cutting into the penalty area once again, was denied by an excellent last gasp effort from Healey. Boldmere, meanwhile, were playing out time by hacking the sphere as distantly as possible. Tom Massey entered the book in added time, to bring the Mikes' yellow card score to five.

The final whistle eventually came. The Roms sat down on the half way line, to analyse how they hadn’t turned their territorial advantage into three points. The Mikes trudged wearily from the field, looking for all the world like Napoleon’s army, retreating from Moscow. At least they’d gained their first League point of the season. Note to League Management Committee: next season, could we play this round of fixtures in the evening?

The Mikes: Lewis Fenney; Cameron Gayle; Barry Healey; Brad Lindsey (Tom Massey 57); Harry Craven; Joe Lyng; Simeon Tulloch; Steve Palmer (Rico Taylor 70); Rikardo Reid; Owen Parry; Charlie Morris (Kyle Byrne 70). Subs not used: Jack Burgess; Ty Knight.

Romulus: Josh Benton, Guy Clarke, Niall Rowe, Alex Tomkinson, Callum Rudd, Dominic Perkins, Kieron Donnelly, Josh Willis, Trea Bertie, Dean Rathbone, Simeon Colbourne. Subs: Danico Johnson, Chris Cowley, Tom Wheale, Jay D Llonga, Ryan Pace

Match details

Match date

Mon 26 Aug 2019

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

152
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Supporting The Mikes  - Amber Windows
Management Team Sponsor - Certified Pro Installs
Player Sponsor - JT Windows, Doors & Refurbishments
Supporting The Mikes  - Aquarius kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms
Official Trophy Supplier - Robert Chapman Presentations
Youth Team Change Kit - The Crimson Foundation