The Mikes 2-1 Grantham Town

The Mikes welcomed back Ben Usher-Shipway, and included newcomer Bilal Redjdal on the bench. Boldmere had the better of the first half, Callum Gittings going close to scoring with twenty-yard raspers on no less than four occasions. The Gingerbreads were more “route one” when they could get out of defence, progressing mainly down the right wing. Twenty-seven minutes in, Jamie Spiers nearly tapped home from a free kick, Curtis Hall getting a hand in the way. Three minutes later, Greg Smith should have put the visitors ahead, firing over from five yards out. Another full stretch Hall save soon denied Owen Parry, before Luke Hinsley failed to capitalise on a sloppy pass in the home back row. It got worse for Hinsley as we neared half time. Something had caused upset on the field…our referee consulted his linesman…and Hinsley got his marching orders, Harry Craven demonstrating his head butt to the opposing captain. Boldmere went ahead on the stroke of half time. A complex passing movement ended with Kaden May passing across goal to Harry Sweeney, who headed home. Half time: 1-0.
Grantham were level soon after the resumption. Rodrigo Goncalves dribbled mazily across the box, was upended…and Greg Smith hammered home the penalty. Right on the hour, the visitors’ cause was not aided when midfielders Sam Muggleton and Sebastian Robbomond (who’d had eighteen months’ lay off after a complex knee injury) went down in a multiple clash of bodies. After a lengthy interval, both of them were substituted. Mindful of how they’d scored their first goal, the Mikes passed the ball round crisply…only for a sloppy completion to cede possession to their opponents. Would the Mikes run out of time, or eventually get it right? The latter proved to be so, Owen Parry finishing off a six man move from close in, with three minutes’ standard time left. Would the Mikes now retreat into their late game defensive shell? Taz Chibaya replaced Usher-Shipway, suggesting this might be so. The game, actually, finished in surreal fashion. A fine Boldmere tackle, twenty-five yards out, was ruled by our official to be a foul. Everyone arranged themselves along the home penalty area line for the free kick. Harry Craven headed out from the scrum for a throw in. The resultant throw was shanked out past the post for a corner. The siege was lifted by the final whistle, and the Mikes were into the next round.

Boldmere St Michaels: Daniel Moore; Ricardo Dudley; Harry Sweeney; Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Jack Byrne; Kaden May (Michael Tait-Moran 78); Callum Gittings; Jamie Spiers (Bilal Redjdal 73); Owen Parry; Ben Usher-Shipway (Tazivaishe Chibaya 89).
Subs. not used: Lewis Allison; Sam Cooksey; Mitch Botfield; James Mace.
Grantham Town: Curtis Hall; Osakpolor Solomon; Tom Zerboni; Sam Muggleton (Sam Tessle, 60); Chris Salt; Sebastian Robbomond (Ali Elkossi 61); Eli Christie; Ryan Banks; Greg Smith; Luke Hinsley; Rodrigo Goncalves (Harry Olivant 77).
Subs. not used: Ethan Bojang; Jonasz Gadomski.