The Mikes 1-0 Sporting Khalsa

This was not only a win against a team currently heading the table: it also exhibited organised defence and, as the game wore on, increasing connectivity across the park. Two ex-Mikes, Dominic Perkins and Curvin Sanderson-Ellis, featured for the visitors.

The game’s start mirrored the previous Saturday’s defeat at Quorn: an early chance for Boldmere (Jamie Spiers not quite connecting with a penetrative Owen Parry cross), and both teams immediately getting down to constructive football. After an equal opening ten minutes (a close shave at either end) Khalsa started to show why they’ve made an excellent start, sweetly stroking the ball around the pitch, Boldmere being reduced to hopeful punts forward - more shades of Saturday last! A quarter of the match gone, however, having withstood early pressure, the Mikes began to show signs of knitting together. Even so, it took resolute defence to take us to the interval on level terms.

The second period began with a dream start for the hosts. After good work from Spiers, Lewis Allison took his pass into the box, and slid the ball home from three yards. Hereafter, Boldmere began to break up Khalsa’s passing moves, and an equal contest ensued. As the hour neared, a swerving Harry Sweeney volley had to be punched over the bar, while the diminutive Spiers was coming to terms with the attentions of the mountainous Tesfa Robinson. With a quarter of an hour left, Callum Gittings went down with cramp, and became the first Boldmere player to be substituted. From here on, it was Kitchen Sink time, as the league leaders threw everything at the Mikes. The newly arrived Dilano Reid dribbled his way into the Mikes’ goal area: Daniel Moore somehow smothered his effort, as he tried to navigate three defenders. Todd Ferrier fired over from eight yards. Nineteen players faced a Khalsa free kick from forty yards out. Our guests weren’t having it all their own way, though. It needed a feet first save from Ben Whiting to deny William Shorrock, at the end of a fine dribble; and, as the last substitution of the game was made, three minutes into added time, something happened in a crowd of players, which saw Shorrock discomforted….and Khalsa reduced to ten men, with Dominic Perkins sent off. Another three minutes were played out…and Boldmere had their second league win of the campaign.

Boldmere St Michaels: Daniel Moore; James Mace; Harry Sweeney; Joseph Hull; Harry Craven; Jack Byrne; William Shorrock (Renelle Davis-Lewis 90); Callum Gittings (Mitch Botfield 78); Jamie Spiers (Matthew Funge 88); Owen Parry; Lewis Allison.
Subs. not used: Ricardo Dudley; Owen Woodhouse.
Sporting Khalsa: Benjamin Whiting; Luke Bastable; Brett Lloyd (Jonathan Letford 79); Dominic Perkins; Tesfa Robinson; Todd Ferrier; Chay Tilt (Gurjit Singh 68); Kieron Whittaker; Curvin Sanderson-Ellis; Toumani Sidibe (Dilano Reid 79); James McGrady.
Sub. not used: Sean Williams.