Long Eaton United 3-3 The Mikes

Unblemished sun shone down on Grange Park, Long Eaton’s home, on a pitch which looked so pristine that at first sight, it seemed to be a 3G surface. New signing Kartel O’Neil-Martin featured in the attack, the rest of the team having a familiar look.

The Mikes started strongly, putting on pressure without looking like scoring. It soon became apparent that the Blues had an ace in their pack: mountainous mid fielder Kieran Walker, throwing the ball at an idiosyncratic angle over his shoulder, hurled the sphere prodigious distances, keeping the Mikes in deep defence even when operating from his own half. The hosts were proving to be typical Nottinghamshire opposition - big and physical - and the ball saw a lot of the action from twenty feet up as it shuttled up and down the park. The players seemed allergic to spectators, most of the first twenty minutes being played well away from the main stand. With seventeen minutes gone, Long Eaton took the lead. A corner from Rhys Dolan (who was the homesters’ play maker throughout) found the unmarked Brad Wilson, who made no mistake with a three-yard header. Five minutes later, the Blues nearly doubled their score, as the ball flew across the Boldmere goal mouth, David Kolodynski firing wide from beyond the far post. Long Eaton’s passing was better than that of the Mikes, who looked disjointed in comparison with their opponents. Even so, on the half hour they were level. A well-judged interception by Simeon Tulloch saw him seize on a Brad Wilson header back to his keeper. The ball drifted away towards the goal line; but Tulloch was quick to bring it under control and, keeping the ball in play, squeezed it home from an acute angle. The Grange Park men were gifted the chance of retaking the lead on thirty eight minutes, after one of their men had subsided to a Steve Palmer tackle from behind. A minute previously, a free kick from a foul by Barry Healey just outside the box had been athletically parried away by Lewis Fenney: this time the tumble took place within the penalty area. A spot kick was awarded; but Fenney saved brilliantly and the ball was cleared for an unrewarding corner by Healey. As the first half drew to a close, Long Eaton had a couple of scoring chances. Fenney smothered a ground level shot, before having to come a long way out of goal to clear a through ball Kolodynski was pursuing. Half time: 1-1.

Boldmere showed first in the second period, Tulloch having a great run into the opposition defence before seeing his shot pushed round the post by Marcus Coombs. Eleven minutes in, a fine cross from Steve Palmer was nearly converted by Tulloch as he ran in on the far stick. With the hour just passed, the home defence was split open, and Joe Lyng was denied by an outstretched leg on the goal line. Mayhem reigned for a further ten seconds, until the ball was cleared out to Steve Palmer, whose swerving effort from twenty-five yards put the Mikes 2-1 ahead. The Blues shuffled their pack, bringing on James Cullingworth and James Shaw. Three minutes after falling behind, Long Eaton equalised with a goal to match Palmer’s. After clearing another long throw to the edge of the box Healey was again the miscreant bringing down Shaw just a couple of yards outside the penalty area. Jude Brittain, having spotted Lewis Fenney standing well to the left in his goal mouth, swung the ball right, netting past a five-man wall, with a free kick from twenty yards. Four minutes on, the Blues seemed to have taken the lead, when a deflection off a Shaw effort left Fenney stranded; but the off side flag was up, and Boldmere were still level. “Too easy” shouted non-playing Mikes as Long Eaton were next able to build a four man move, which needed a great Fenney save to deny a third Long Eaton goal. With the three-quarter mark passed, a long Brad Lindsey throw saw Coombs punching out, the resultant shot headed off the line. With seventeen minutes to go, however, the Boldmere defence was all at sea, the third Blues’ attempt at goal finding the net as Kieran Walker swivelled to score after the ball had ping-ponged round a crowded goal area. As the ball oscillated round midfield, Brad Lindsey was booked for something - the only yellow card shown in a sporting encounter. Steve Simpson came on for Owen Parry with thirteen minutes left - the Mikes' only substitution. With eight minutes remaining, Harry Craven rose to head home a long Lindsey throw in, to level once more. As the sands of time ran out, both teams could have taken all three points. Boldmere might have scored had Kartel O'Neill-Martin, on the break, gone straight for goal instead being caught in two minds to possibly set up Rikardo Reid; the Blues, right on the stroke of full time, skied over when well positioned.

The Mikes would have been happier with a point than their high flying hosts; but they showed plenty of character, as they gained their second draw.

The Mikes: Lewis Fenney; Cameron Gayle; Barry Healey; Brad Lindsey; Harry Craven; Joe Lyng; Simeon Tulloch,; Steve Palmer; Rikardo Reid; Kartel O’Neil-Martin; Owen Parry (Steve Simpson 77). Subs not used: Luke McGinnell; Harry Buttery; Jack Burgess; Harry Sweeney.