Anstey Nomads 2-1 The Mikes

Once again, the Mikes faced one of the Division’s top teams; once again they pushed them all the way; and once again they were edged out, this time by the odd goal in three. Low lying, river bank Sheepwash Lane lives up to its name, and the pitch, though playable, was heavy, favouring a meaty, rather than a delicate, approach to the game - and the Nomads are a meaty team, meaning that the Mikes’ more skilful players found it hard to make a mark.

Even so, after a tentative start, Boldmere held their own against their hosts, and we had to wait a quarter of an hour before we had a shot at goal (apart from the early stunner which nearly knocked Adrian Adirewu-Gyamera out cold). The Nomads, overlapping down both wings intelligently, had a penchant for pushing the ball out to their right, where Kai Knight had to work a busy shift. The opening goal, on 36 minutes, came from this source. A long, looping, accurate centre found the head of Nyle Blake, who nodded his team ahead. It could easily have been two as we neared the interval. A long Conrad Logan goal kick had the Boldmere back line in disarray; but the ball was eventually scrambled away, and we went in at 1-0. Ben Usher-Shipway, who’d applied himself to the conditions in his usual wholehearted way, had to limp off to hospital at half time: hope you are back soon, Ben.

The hosts started the second period as they’d started the first - on the front foot. Within four minutes, the speedy Jacob Fenton was clear through on goal; but Tommy Jackson’s foot kept his shot out. Play was halted regularly as the combatants went down injured; but as the three-quarter mark loomed, the Mikes were level. A corner kick reached a mass of players in front of goal, and midfielder-cum-poacher Joe Hull headed home. Could Boldmere go home with a point, or even three? Eight minutes later, Anstey were back in front. A complex six man move had Boldmere guessing, substitute Ant Lyn finishing things off with a low shot from fifteen yards out. A period of intense home pressure followed, as the Nomads tried to put clear water between themselves and their opponents. Their finishing, however, could be described as “stratospheric”, and the game finished with Boldmere a goal down, and left to a long, quiet coach trip home in the gathering gloom.

Anstey Nomads: Conrad Logan; Ben Baylis (Ant Lyn, 57); Darien Wauchope; Jordan Annable; Lewis Gibbons; Freddie Robinson (Joel Wolfe, 86); Brad Wilson; Henry Bestwick; Jacob Fenton (Charles Holliday, 89); Kyle Tomlin; Nyle Blake.
Sub. not used: Corey Armeni.
Boldmere St Michaels: Tommy Jackson; Adrian Adirewu-Gyamera; Kai Knight (Lewis Allison, 79); Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Jack Byrne; Johnny Johnston; Owen Parry; Andre Brown (Callum Gittings, 76); Daniel Gyasi; Ben Usher-Shipway (Callum North, 46).
Subs. not used: Callum Ballinger; Ross Evans.