The Mikes 3-2 Lichfield City

A late netting by substitute Renelle Davis-Lawrence grabbed Boldmere a place in the next round, in a game where for long periods they looked to be heading for an early exit.

Following the summer’s mass player departure, Boldmere fielded a scratch team, which began by looking just that, Lichfield swarming all over their hosts during the opening exchanges, creating three half chances in the first ten minutes. Incessant rain, making the ball and the pitch slick and slippery, didn’t help the Mikes knit together, Lichfield being consistently quicker to the ball and more fluent in their passing. The Mikes got going after a quarter of an hour, but Lichfield kept making chances, and it came as no surprise when a pinpoint corner was headed home on the half hour by Jack Edwards. Bereft of last season’s attacking full backs (Ben George had to withdraw during warmup time), the Mikes gave little support to Matt Funge, ploughing a lonely row up front, and only seven minutes remained to half time before they gained their first corner. Half time: 0-1.

Beginning the second period with two strikers, Boldmere looked a better team, and an even game unfolded. As the hour neared, an accurate Ricardo Dudley centre was glanced home by Owen Parry. Soon, Parry was put clear, and it needed a fine block by James Beeson to stop him doubling his account. Home optimism was short lived, however. A free kick for offside was taken twenty yards up the park from where it should have been, and arrived at a forward’s feet just inside the box. A clumsy challenge from behind by debutant keeper Daniel Moore had our official instantly pointing to the spot. Edwards found Moore’s right hand…and the back of the net. Thus unnerved, Moore was looking shaky under pressure, and Lichfield, scenting victory, went close through Kyle Patterson and Liam Kirton. The equaliser, however, arrived via Funge with seven minutes’ ordinary time left. Shaking off the muscular attentions of his marker, Funge slotted coolly home from fifteen yards. Boldmere were now beginning to fly, and a lovely three-man movement down the right on ninety minutes ended with Davis-Lawrence rolling the ball home from just inside the penalty area. Much joy from the youngsters! It might possibly have been four had Funge not been clobbered two minutes later. The visitors, who’d been strolling through time for much of this encounter (they’d been leading for twenty-four minutes of it) suddenly found new urgency - the substituted Funge being practically pushed off the park by Lichfield’s Joe Haines! It seemed that Lichfield had gained themselves a replay right on time, a header from close in finding the Boldmere net as full time approached. However, the offside flag preserved the Mikes’ lead, and a home tie against Chasetown now beckons.

Supporters’ prognostications for the coming season have not been optimistic; but do this match’s last twenty minutes indicate that this makeshift squad may take us by surprise?

Boldmere St Michaels: Daniel Moore; Lewis Allison; Owen Woodhouse; Karl Henry; Harry Craven; Ricardo Dudley; Harry Sweeney (Renelle Davis-Lawrence 70); Mitch Botfield; Matthew Funge (James Mace 90); Owen Parry; Michael Tait-Moran (Andre Brown 45).
Subs. not used: Sam Cooksey; Tazivaishe Chibaya; Shaquille Whittingham.

Lichfield City: James Beeson; Lewi Burnside; Joe Haines; Jimmy Elle’s; Josh Wykes; Kyle Baxter; Jack Edwards; Kyle Patterson (Dan Lomas 90); Liam Kirton; Dominic Lewis; Daniel Smith.
Subs. not used: David Ablewhite; Jonathan Gould; Cameron Dunn; Alfie Clarke; Jude Taylor; Kieran Francis.