Walsall Senior Cup Round One | Tuesday 5 November 2024

 A fine mist fell fitfully throughout, rendering the ball and pitch skiddily hard to control, and slowly washing away the Mikes’ chances of progressing in the Walsall Senior Cup this season. Boldmere used the tie to blood some youngsters, and rest some of the senior squad: Jake Wilkes, Danny Wood and Red Simmons were given their first taste of first team football, while Ben George made a welcome return after prolonged injury.

As may be expected from the team description above, Boldmere had a somewhat makeshift look about them, and often resembled random parts of a jigsaw, wondering if they were in the right box. The visitors, by contrast, looked like a well-oiled machine, knowing where their men were to pass to. As a consequence, whereas the Mikes were relying on the long ball (mainly down the wings) to go forward, the Badgers were working the ball smoothly up the park via midfield.

Half chances arrived once the opening quarter hour had passed. A lost ball in midfield (one of several) saw Jake Thomas just too late to poke home a tantalising centre: a good interception  set up Liam Murphy, going close from a Hisham Chiha centre: the Brocton forwards were following up half chances conscientiously, and Thomas wasn’t far from another ball forward: Chiha and Murphy (now moving down the right wing) returned the compliment, Murphy nearly connecting with a Chiha feed: Reg Smith (evidently a favourite with the visiting support) went close from twenty yards, after beating three men: but no goals came.

With ten minutes to go to the break, Boldmere began to meld together, and looked the team more likely as the interval approached. By now, the volcanic firework display at the five-a-side end had (thankfully) come to a close, and all we needed was a goal; but half time arrived, and we were goalless.

The second period began with more open, fluid play, Callum North continuing to be the greatest threat to the visitors’ goal. Wanting to give more players game time (or hoping to break a goalless deadlock), the home bench made a triple substitution on the hour. Brocton made one in response, and on 66 minutes, took the lead. Ben Haddaway (arguably Brocton’s best player: he’d kept Murphy under lock and key) finished off a period of visiting pressure by firing home from five yards.

The Mikes kept pushing manfully forward, a header from a corner scrambled off the line, Oliver West nearly running the defensive gauntlet; but with 11 minutes’ standard time left, the result was put to bed. Coming in from the right, Thomas beat two men in the box, and sent in a looper that Jonathan Brown had no chance of saving.

As time played out, what had been a commendably well-mannered game produced its sole yellow card, Smith cautioned for preventing the game restarting from a Boldmere free kick. The final whistle blew, and the small crowd trudged off into the night, hoping for better things when the Mikes turn out at full strength.

Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Pierre Phillips; Jake Wilkes; Kyle Burke; Joe Hull; Steve Palmer (Oliver West 60); Ben George (Red Simmons 60); Thomas Edge (Jake Collins 72); Liam Murphy; Callum North (Gus Sanches 72); Hisham Chiha (Danny Wood 60).

Brocton: Tony Allsopp; Josh Simcox (Adam Weldon 63); Dan Evans (Cooper Marsh 89); Ben Haddaway; Tom Vaughan; Christian Blanchette; Will Wheildon; Jake Thomas; Reg Smith; Connor Haddaway; Cameron Osborne (Toby Smith 76). Subs. not used: Charlie King; Alex Curtis.