AFC Rushden & Diamonds 3-2 The Mikes

A much-depleted Mikes team suffered defeat at bottom of the table AFC Rushden & Diamonds who recorded their third win on the trot. Boldmere were without Harry Craven, Owen Parry (injured against Hinckley), Joe Hull and Lewis Allison still missing and Jack Byrne completing his three-match suspension. It meant three returnees made up the back four alongside young Pierre Phillips.

The outcome of the game could have been so different had another O’Shane Stewart blockbuster in the second minute found the net instead of striking the crossbar. It would have settled the reorganised side who just two minutes later found themselves trailing. A long ball from defence cleared the Mikes defenders. The Rushden forward Luke Emery collected at the bye line and turned it across the box for Fraser Corden to fire home. It led to a period of home pressure with lively winger Miguel Ngwa giving young Tazivaishe Chibaya a testing time. It was a left wing run to the bye line and a cross that led to Corden firing home his second of the match. Boldmere responded but several attempts on goal were blocked. Emery left the field injured just past the half hour mark and was replaced by Jarvis Wilson. As the interval approached Charlie Emery prevented further addition to the score with a good save from Ethan Johnson.

Joe Daley’s shoulder was troubling him and he was replaced by Callum Gittings at the start of the second half and the substitute fired an early effort over the bar. Young Callum North replaced Callum Ballinger in the 51st minute and the youngster reduced the deficit just three minutes later with his first senior goal. A free kick was headed back across goal by Ricardo Dudley and North looped a header beyond Ben Heath. It led to a period of sustained pressure but the closest the Mikes came to restoring parity was an Andre Brown effort after a mix up in the home defence. Wilson (Rushden) and Dudley (Boldmere) were yellow carded before the home side extended their lead. Chibaya closed in to support Ben Usher-Shipway down the right but a deflection put them both out of the game sending the pacy Ngwa on another run. Dudley tracked him into the box but Ngwa got a cross in, Wilson miscued an attempted effort before Corden completed his hat trick with the aid of a deflection. Both sides used further substitutes before North raised the Mikes hopes again firing in from eighteen yards with three minutes of normal time remaining. The match official Sam Wesson advised four minutes of added time and in the third of these seemed the only person in the ground who thought a blatant foul on Harry Sweeney wasn’t worth a penalty. It led to two of the Boldmere staff being carded and completed a disappointing trip to Northamptonshire.

On paper it looks a poor result against the team propping up the table but this team could be on their way out of trouble given their much-changed side looked to have the appetite for the battles ahead.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds: Ben Heath, Daniel Tagoe, Luis Pinto Liete, Joe O’Neill, Michael Harriman, Lua Purse, Miguel Ngwa, Ryan Inman, Luke Emery (Jarvis Wilson 33)), Fraser Corden (Tejan Thomas 81) Ethan Johnson (John dean 86).
Subs not used: Dylan Wilson, Louie Lawler
Boldmere St Michaels: Charlie Emery. Tazivaishe Chibaya, Kai Knight, Pierre Phillips, Ricardo Dudley, Joe Daley (Callum Gittings 46) Callum Ballinger (Callum North 51), O’Shane Stewart (Romehl Critchlow 84) Andre Brown, Ben Usher-Shipway, Harry Sweeney.
Subs not used: Tommy Jackson, Ross Evans