Sporting Khalsa 2-0 The Mikes

As was the case with our League game against Sporting last season, the Saturday nearest Remembrance Day was marked by the arrival of a Colour Party from the British Legion, who conducted the two minutes’ silence for us. There was barely a fidget from onlookers or participants as the incessant rain, which prevailed all afternoon, lashed down upon us. From the comfort of the Stand, your correspondent found himself thinking about our noble predecessors, many of them younger than those we would be watching on the park, who had to endure this weather without the luxury of a warm shower, or comfy bed, at the day’s end.

The first half was an enthralling, end to end affair, Sporting having slightly more of the territory but Boldmere looking dangerous on the break. Indeed, they could easily have been two goals to the good inside the first seven minutes. With only two minutes gone, neat Owen Parry footwork saw him put a shot just wide of the post. Five minutes later, Jack Skinner nearly headed home a Luke Shearer cross. As the quarter hour mark approached, Owen Parry went down in the box under a late challenge, to loud appeals for a penalty from the visiting faithful, even the ardent home fans and the Khalsa defender Leon Miles could scarcely believe their luck as referee Charles Dickens waved play on, maybe he should start writing. Khalsa immediately responded, a diving save being required from Lewis Fenney to deny James McGrady, who had a fascinating duel with Brandon Williams throughout the afternoon. Once the half hour had passed, the game changed complexion as our hosts gained a grip on mid field. The incessant deluge discomfited the Mikes, and McGrady, McKenzie and Gurjit Singh all went close within three minutes for the homesters. With ten men back in the box, Boldmere were reduced to hitting and hoping in the general direction of Jack Skinner, ploughing a lone furrow up front. A goal felt imminent, and five minutes before the break it came, Gurjit Singh (who was a dynamo for his team all afternoon) sliding the ball across the goal mouth and inside the far post from seven yards out. This visibly rocked the Mikes, and before they’d mentally reassembled themselves, they were two goals down. Defensive feet seemed to be set in concrete as Singh was allowed to stroll through Boldmere lines and double his account, banging a high ball into the net. Liam Armstrong was just over the bar from twenty-five yards out as half time arrived, and the Mikes were able to trudge off and regroup.

The second period was less memorable than the first, Khalsa knowing that, could they maintain their two-goal advantage, the points would be theirs. Even so, a third goal could have come their way. A McGrady shot from way out on the left hit the inside of the opposite post and somehow came back out on 52 minutes; and three minutes later, the same player was just wide, after a rebound gifted him with a chance. Boldmere responded positively, desperate defence needed to deny Luke Shearer and Jack Skinner as they steamed up field. 58 minutes in, Brad Lindsey and newcomer Pierce Kiembi entered the fray. With the water level constantly rising, Fenney was having trouble giving his goal kicks any range or height: from one such, towering Khalsa "stopper" Tesfa Robinson hit a speculative fifty yarder which eventually drifted wide of Boldmere's right hand post. Sporting, meanwhile, had to rely on a well ordered off side trap to keep the Mikes at bay as the visitors came more into the game. Even so, over elaboration at the back nearly let in Liam Armstrong with nine minutes’ normal time left; but he skied his effort at goal. In a well-mannered encounter, two minutes before time Brandon Williams received the game’s only yellow card after Singh reacted theatrically to an ill-timed challenge.

Cold and wet, the visiting contingent set off back home to watch “Pointless” by their welcoming hearths, our new Manager's run of six League games without defeat having come to an end; but at least the game had been played, when nearly all grass bound jousts had been cancelled.

The Mikes: Lewis Fenney; Brandon Williams; Harry Sweeney; Jakob Burroughs (Brad Lindsey 58); Harry Craven; Joe Lyng; Daniel O’Sullivan (Pierce Kiembi 58); Steve Palmer; Jack Skinner; Owen Parry; Luke Shearer. Subs. not used: Kartel O’Neil-Martin; Owen Bennett; Jack Burgess.