Northern Premier League Midland Division Saturday 17 January 2026
This is the time of year when ambitious Clubs, having splashed the cash, find they have to offload players to balance the books. Thus, Boldmere’s line was led by James Tague, one of three players recently released by Belper Town.
The Valley began on the attack, supplementing this with a manual approach to defending. Thirteen minutes in, you wondered whether the same fate would overcome the Mikes as had happened to Bourne Town when they visited recently – an injury leading to them losing their keeper. Jonathan Brown was in collision with the bulky form of Pedro Lima as they held off a visitors’ raid; and it took three minutes of attention from Nikki Goodwin to get him functioning again.
An end-to-end contest emerged, at one point the ball changing hands at first touch seven times, as no one could put a decisive stamp on the game. The visitors edged the first period, gaining the majority of corners; but Tague looked to be held in the box on the half hour – without convincing our referee. Half time arrived, with few efforts at goal, and no score.
Our guests started the second half positively, the ball running across the Mikes’ frame before Kobi Bivens’ header was pushed over the bar. Boldmere were looking incisive on the break at times, gaining a free kick (which was wasted) just outside the box, as the hour neared. Marcus Bald (who’d committed the offence) could feel lucky that officials are loath to send off custodians. From now on, all but one of the substitutes were used, as both benches strove to break the deadlock.
With five minutes’ standard time left, the home defence was all at sea, but still no goal came. Four minutes into added time, Boldmere’s clearest chance of taking the points arrived. The visitors’ penalty area was full of scrabbling players when Ben Lund was toppled. Penalty! Daniel O’Callaghan sent the ball left: Bald dived the right way, and pushed the ball away and also saved Kyle Byrne’s follow up effort. It ping-ponged round the eighteen-yard enclosure, and yet again we had no score. Having announced five minutes’ added time, our referee played seven.
He then blew the whistle, and that should have been that…except that instead of handshakes being exchanged, prolonged handbags were. No one seemed to have the sense to walk away from this, and intervening bench occupants weren’t universally helpful. Red cards were eventually awarded to the Mikes’ Pedro Lima, and the Valley’s Bleu McNeil – who’d only been on the park eight minutes! Maybe frustration at being scoreless had taken over; but it was a totally unnecessary ending to an enthralling battle.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Kye Bilton; Jordan Gough; Pedro Lima; Aris Christophorou (Daniel O’Callaghan 89); Connor Armstrong (Frankie Ealing 46); Jack Burgess; Fraser Doyle; James Tague (Tolani Omotola 73); Harry Crook (Kyle Byrne 69); Charlie Manners (Ben Lund, 83).
Rugby Town: Marcus Bald; Nathan Kabeya; Geoffrey Lundoloki; Will Harris; Josh Thomas; Callum Griffin, (Bleu McNeil 89); Teddy Rowe (Jack Concannon 72); Caine Elliott; Rivel Mardenborough; Kobi Bivens (Sam Tye 82); Cairo Taylor (Trey Charles 72). Sub. not used: Alex Dulgheru.