The Mikes 0-3 Rugby Town

A large, boisterous visiting contingent packed the Bar before and after the game, and grew happier as the afternoon unfolded - and hardly surprisingly. Level on points with relegation rivals AFC Rushden and Diamonds, and only two goals better off on goal difference, a win would almost certainly guarantee them keeping their place in the Midland Division, unless the Diamonds won by a truly mountainous score at Walsall Wood - which they didn’t.

The Mikes started on the front foot, but nothing much happened for a quarter of an hour, when the Town’s Michael Taylor burst through the middle. Kieran Boucher came out to meet him…the ball was well ahead of Taylor when he fell over Boucher’s scrambling arms…and our referee was pointing to the spot. It is rarely your correspondent publicly disagrees with an official; so, let us content ourselves with saying that he fully understood the Mikes’ long and bitter protests. Loyiso Recci efficiently put the penalty away. Play now went from end to end, both teams packing nine players into their box to defend a corner, within minutes of each other. This was a “nothing” game as far as Boldmere were concerned, but that didn’t mean they took their foot off the pedal: they earned seven yellow cards (some of them deserved) as things went on. The visitors were doing most of the pressing by now, and a trio of headers in the home goal area ended with Taylor heading over from close in. Their only substitution came just before the interval, striker David Kolodynski limping off. Half time: 0-1.

The final outcome could have changed in the first twenty minutes after the interval, as Boldmere made a determined effort to level things. They came very close on two occasions. The hour just passed; a slick four man move down their right ended with Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera firing just the wrong side of the post. On the three-quarter mark, a poor Rugby back pass was seized on by Boldmere’s marauding left wing. Harry Sweeney lofted an effort over the stranded Paul Hathaway…and saw the ball hit the post. This seemed to wake the Valley up, and as we entered the last twenty, they began to assert themselves. A fast and furious pace saw plenty of misplaced passes; but the tide eventually turned with six minutes’ standard time left. Left winger Theo Rowe finally managed to cut inside his marker, and a swerving fifteen yarder flew past the unsighted Boucher. Five minutes further on, Ryan Sahota tried a long, low one from outside the box. It slotted neatly inside the left-hand post, to seal a memorable Rugby win. At least the Church Road bar receipts must have been healthy…

Boldmere St Michaels: Kieran Boucher; Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera; Harry Sweeney (Pierre Phillips 75); Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Jack Byrne; Callum Gittings (Lewis Allison 59); Ben Usher-Shipway; Owen Parry; Daniel Gyasi; Callum North (Callum Ballinger 86).
Subs not used: Andre Brown; Tommy Jackson.
Rugby Town: Paul Hathaway; Dan Summerfield; Ayo Lekuti; Liam Francis; Loyiso Recci; Ryan Sahota; Madando Samahimbo; Chris Clements; David Kolodynski (Silvano Obeng 43); Michael Taylor; Theo Rowe.
Subs not used: Harrison Nee; Barry Fitzharris; Sami Muzaffar; Tomasz Bukowski.