The Mikes 3-1 Coventry Sphinx

Lewis Allison came in for Luke Carsley at the back, while Harry Sweeney pulled up in the warm up, Ross Evans taking his place. The game started at express pace: we could have had five goals in the first seven minutes. As it was, some sleepy Boldmere defending let our visitors take the lead in the second minute. Leo Brown charged into the home area, his shot bouncing off Callum Smith’s chest, to be snapped up by the incoming Gio Dainty. Ben Usher-Shipway, Ross Evans and Owen Parry for the Mikes, and Leo Brown for the Sphinx, all went close. Hereafter, the encounter settled down, both teams playing constructive football, goals looking a possibility at either end. The Mikes promised much at times; but a pass to nowhere kept letting them down. Four minutes before the interval, however, Daniel Gyasi took a free kick from just outside the “D”. His beautiful effort defied a five-man wall to put Boldmere level. Half time: 1-1.

Strangely, the first offside was given after fifty-one minutes! Play was pretty even; but with the hour looming, a lovely Evans through ball set Parry free down the middle, to give Boldmere the lead. Chances then came at both ends; but as the game went on, the Mikes began to turn the screw. Were we going to see the late goal rush which had characterised their last two victories? Well, some days they go in, some days they don’t. The ball was in the net with a quarter of an hour left, but our referee ruled it out: someone, somewhere, had done some barging. After Andre Brown had skied one from close in, nine minutes later successive headers came back from the post. Soon, only a brilliant Keelan Fallows save prevented Gyasi repeating his free kick spectacular. The tackles were flying in as both teams strove for supremacy, and minor handbags briefly erupted after Joe Pursey and Gyasi had gone in for mutual clobbering. As we moved into added time Sphinx, looking for their equaliser, had four men up as Boldmere took a free kick out on the left. The space thus afforded enabled Usher-Shipway to worm his way into the box, and slide the ball home from an acute angle, to give the hosts a deserved win.

Boldmere St Michaels: Callum Smith; Lewis Allison (Ricardo Dudley 27); Kai Knight; Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Jack Byrne; Ben Usher-Shipway; Callum Gittings (Andre Brown 70); Owen Parry; Daniel Gyasi; Ross Evans (Tazivaishe Chibaya 90).
Subs. not used: Harry Sweeney; Callum North.

Coventry Sphinx: Keelan Fallows; Joe Pursey; Finlay Shorrock (Jordan Hayward 77); Luke Downes; Louis Guest; Callum Whiteside; Jack Downes; (Khaellem Bailey-Nicholls 87); Jac Redhead; Matthew Shipman; Leo Brown; Gio Dainty (Alex Lock 71).
Subs. not used: Callum Woodward; William Edjenguele.