Northern Premier League Midland Division Saturday 21 February 2026

High flying Basford beat low flying Boldmere, as one might predict; but were it not for defensive mistakes, the Mikes may well have shared the points. Fraser Doyle was sufficiently recovered from recent injury to start on the bench, while recent signing Jaiy Leydon came on towards the game’s end.

The Mikes began by attacking brightly, and with only seven minutes gone, Harry Crook sent in a ball from the left. Ben Lund was waiting to turn the ball home, and his proximity distracted home keeper Matthew Yates. The ball shot between the two of them, and the visitors were one us. The hosts’ first real chance came only two minutes later, a Nyle Blake centre just eluding Revarnelle James, as he closed in on the far post. Penetrating crosses threatened the Mikes’ goal hereafter, but wayward finishing kept the Mikes in front. Against bulky, muscular opponents, the Mikes were on the ground at regular intervals, and our referee kept on top of things by handing out seven yellow cards – only one of them to Boldmere.

Strangely, we needed thirty-two minutes’ play before we saw the first corner.  A misdirected back pass by skipper Danny O’Callaghan gave Jonno Brown no chance of keeping it in, and the Mikes’ goal mouth was a crowded place. Pedro Lima and Ethan Stewart were spoken to after some mutual toppling; and when the corner was eventually taken, the towering Stewart headed in the equaliser. Very soon, another suicidal back pass this time by Aris Christophorou was bravely blocked by Brown, Curtis Durose skying the rebound. As the predicted rain began to fall, we were all square at the break.

Four minutes into the second period, a fine movement down the left, featuring intelligent running from full back Harrison Hazard, was finished off by the unmarked Blake, who made amends for earlier wastefulness by firing Basford ahead. Chances now came at either end, as a bumping, banging, holding encounter gave our official plenty of decisions, as to whether to blow the whistle or keep the game going. The hour was passed before the Mikes had their first flag kick: indeed, both sides had only three corners in the whole match!  The home support was disgruntled when, twenty minutes before the end of standard time, Basford substitute Lynden Joyce (who’d been on the park for nine minutes) received his marching orders, following some flaying limbs shared with Fraser Doyle.

Pressing forward for the equaliser, Boldmere brought on attacker Charlie Manners for defender Aris Christophorou; and maybe this gamble contributed to their eventual demise Pressing forward in numbers, they found their hosts suddenly breaking out of massed defence. The attack was intercepted… and then an artless back pass once again left Brown totally stranded. Harrison Hazard resisted the keepers lunge well outside the penalty area and had a straightforward task of racing and pushing the ball into the unguarded goal. Boldmere, to their credit, didn’t give the game up, and had most of the park as Basford sat back to defend their lead – or, in the closing stages, developed severe corner flag fascination. Even so, it needed two first rate saves from Yates to keep out the Mikes – who eventually had to trudge off in the strengthening rain, ruing those defensive lapses…

Basford United: Matthew Yates; Osa Solomon; Harrison Hazard; Nathaniel Peters; Ethan Stewart; Ryan Ebanks; Revarnelle James; Jack Thomas (Luca Burton 90+2); Nyle Blake (Oliver Wilson 90+2); Dameer Rose (Lynden Joyce 61); Curtis Durose. Sub. Not used: Saul Deeney.

Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown: Kye Bilton; Pedro Lima; Daniel O’Callaghan; Aris Christophorou (Charlie Manners 77); Connor Armstrong (Fraser Doyle 49): Jack Burgess; Ben Lund (Tolani Omotola 59); James Tague (Jaiy Leydon 78); Harry Crook; Frankie Ealing (Kyle Byrne 60).