Rushall Olympic 4-1 The Mikes

As might be expected, the Mikes lost by some margin to a team holding their own in a division two levels higher than them. At half time, with Boldmere three goals down, you might have expected an embarrassing final score; but an improved second half display showed how far the squad has progressed since that early season drubbing by Redditch. The playing merry-go-round continues, with lofty Kai Knight making his debut.
The game opened evenly enough; but a sign of things to come was signalled on nine minutes. A superb cross field pass found the Pics’ left wing. From the resulting corner, Ronan Maher fired just wide from twenty yards. A minute later, keeper Callum Smith was injured while making a reflex save from Maher, finishing off a Lewis Hudson pass from close in. At this point your scribe, peering over standing spectators to view proceedings, realised there was a commodious Press Box he could sit in. One is not used to such luxuries. The Mikes were holding their own territorially; but their hosts’ attacking was more incisive, and it was no surprise when they went ahead after twenty minutes, Maher running through and finishing clinically. A finger tip save kept them out two minutes later, the corner following stabbed just wide from five yards. Soon, it needed a Jacob Weaver save with his feet to prevent Joe Daley from equalising; but on thirty four minutes Rushall were two up. A long ball out of defence found Maher (apparently, on loan from Walsall), who nutmegged Smith to double the lead. As half time loomed, you could see the third goal arriving as Luther Munakandafa bore in from the left, in oceans of space, to make it 3-0 at the interval.
Was the final score going to be of cricketing proportions? A sloppy pass gifted Jake Gosling with a chance, but Smith managed to knee it away for a corner. By now, the Mikes were rising to the challenge posed them, and two good saves ten minutes apart were needed to deny Harry Sweeney. Before a quiet, pensive crowd (most noise emerging from the home dugout), realising the contest wasn’t over, the Pics regirded their loins, and a Maher blaster from an acute angle rapped the far post. On the three quarter mark, however, Maher was substituted, and the gap between the teams narrowed. With a quarter of an hour to go, a long ball was well taken by Owen Parry, who went on to reduce the arrears. Having kept out a Munakandafa header, Boldmere pressed forward, a Ross Evans fizzer pushed away for a corner, Joe Hull coming close to pushing it home. Would a second Boldmere goal make the closing minutes “game on”? Alas, no. Right on the end of normal time, a long throw wasn’t properly defended, and Munakandafa was gifted a simple chance to head home. So, no Walsall Senior Cup glory for the Mikes this season; but a clean, entertaining contest for all present to enjoy, in hospitable company.

Rushall Olympic: Jacob Weaver; Kristian Green; Lewis Hudson; Thomas Tonks (Tyrese Hughes 83); Jordaan Brown; Mitchell Clarke; Luther Munakandafa; Alex Moore (Alexander Fletcher 78); Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton; Jake Gosling; Ronan Maher (Rackeen Reid 72).
Subs. not used: Jourdain Nkalambi-Masidi; Callum Coyle.
Boldmere St Michaels: Callum Smith; Luke Carsley; Kai Knight; Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Joe Daley; Harry Sweeney (Johnny Johnston 73); Callum Gittings; Ryan Boothe (Andre Brown 56); Owen Parry; Bekir Halil (Ross Evans, 45).
Subs. not used: Lewis Allison; Tazivaishe Chibaya.