Heanor Town 3-0 The Mikes

Benign autumnal sun and lush, rain-wet turf greeted the Mikes on their arrival at the Town Ground, newcomer Jack Storer featuring on the left wing. Boldmere chose to play downhill, and the first half demonstrated the old adage that it’s easier to play uphill! Heanor held most of the territory from the off, though the Mikes managed to look dangerous on the break. The game was only a minute old when Lions’ full back Max Thornberry went down under a challenge from Storer, and emerged with blood trickling down his face. Generously bandaged, he took no further part in proceedings. Four minutes later, a shot directly to what Jonathan Agnew describes as “the lower groin” saw Joe Lyng doubled up - to unsympathetic laughter from the home crowd. Neither team was totally in control of the ball as things unfolded at 100 mph, the midfield being largely controlled by Heanor’s senior player Nick Hall (nominated by our hosts as their Man of the Match), assisted by Jordan Ball, who at times did a passable imitation of a limpet at the expense of the long-suffering Jack Skinner. Histrionics from home striker Jamie Sleigh under a challenge “earned” a booking for Joe Lyng, with nineteen minutes gone. The best effort in the early stages was from my Mikes new boy Storer; cutting inside two defenders his cross shot was parried at stretch by Jordan Pierpoint, as Simeon Tulloch looked to retrieve the loose ball the assistant’s flag waved him offside. It was to be the Mikes best effort during the game. Just when you were telling yourself that Heanor weren’t going to turn their possession into goals, they did. Tristan Matthews received the ball out on the left fed the overlapping full back Kyle Daley and his cross found Jamie Sleigh, who fired home through a ruck of defenders to give the hosts the lead ten minutes before the break. Joy from the home players, much noise from their raucous supporters!

The second half’s first twenty minutes were a repeat of the first period, as the Mikes strove hard to gain parity. Heanor brought on Jessie Vowles to replace winger Hazeldine as they regrouped under pressure. Now it was Boldmere’s turn to look ineffective in front of goal, Skinner shooting tamely wide as the three-quarter mark approached. The homesters mirrored things by looking dangerous on the break, Fenney having to push away a Sleigh effort on fifty-three minutes, and parrying a Matthews hot shot after the Mikes’ defence found it hard to keep upright on the greasy surface. Can you still get screw in studs? We could have done with some! Storer became the second Mikes man booked as the hour approached; and once it had passed, the Lions sewed the game up. Full back Kyle Daley, who’d put a shift in all afternoon, appeared on the left wing. With space to manoeuvre, he got in a shot from an acute angle which Fenney couldn’t hold, to put the home team two goals ahead. Worse was to follow within a minute: a long punt reached Sleigh who, outpacing his marker, lobbed the ball over the advancing Fenney to make it 3-0. It was nearly four minutes later, Fenney having to flap a shot away from under the bar, a desperate clearance by Gayle preventing any further score. The Mikes never gave up; but the Lions could relax by now, and played out time in free and easy manner, not worrying that remaining scoring efforts were well clear of the target. The most worrying statistic for the Mikes was that they only had two efforts on goal during the whole game.

Attention now turns to harvesting league points but not before a very difficult Birmingham Senior Cup tie at Solihull Moors on Tuesday.

The Mikes: Lewis Fenney; Cameron Gayle; Brad Lindsey; Jakob Burroughs (Harry Sweeney 57); Harry Craven; Joe Lyng; Simeon Tulloch (Brandon Williams 82); Owen Parry; Jack Skinner; Kartel O’Neill- Martin; Jack Storer. Sub not used: Jack Burgess; Kyle Byrne.