Boldmere St Michaels 1 – 1 Loughborough Students
Northern Premier League Midlands Division Saturday 19 April 2025
The Mikes announced a completely unchanged squad following last weekend’s victory at Lye Town. Just one point separated the teams prior to kick off and with little at stake one wondered what sort of game would take place in the afternoon sunshine. As it turned out both teams put on an entertaining affair for a sparse Easter crowd.
It was the Mikes that had the better of the opening minutes but despite a few flurries round the students goal there were no clear-cut chances for the home side. Jake Allen limped off early with a recurrence of an ankle injury and it was his replacement Pierre Phillips who effectively changed the fortunes of the game. Attempting a tackle on Thomas Speake he was adjudged to have fouled the winger resulting in a penalty. Halil Bangura fired home down the middle with Jonathan Brown diving to his right. Your reporter thinks enough penalties these days go within reach of the keeper so thinks await the strike is a better option to save. The response was instant a good raid down the right by Ben George and Frankie Ealing saw Kevin Ngombi rattle the crossbar from close range. It was the nearest the Mikes came to an equaliser, not for the want of trying, but left them trailing at the interval.
Both sides played good open football in the second period without seriously troubling any of the three keepers, Luke Skinner had replaced the injured George Baker ten minutes into the half, and it looked as though the Mikes youngsters would suffer another unfortunate defeat. However, as the game entered the closing fifteen minutes, Demico Burton, not for the first time went on a mazy run and was unceremoniously upended by Mwita Mgoyo as he entered the penalty area. After a few minutes kerfuffle Nathan Oyemade stepped up and rammed home the resulting penalty to square matters.
Although both sides kept plugging away to the final whistle there was little significant goalmouth action and a share of the points was probably viewed as a satisfactory outcome by both sides. Apart from the Allen injury there were no other doubts as the local derby against Sutton Coldfield Town approached.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown, Lewis Allison, Jake Allen (Pierre Phillips 26)), George Cleet, Demico Burton, Ben George, Nathan Oyemade, John McHugh (Charlie Edge 64), Kevin Ngombi (Zachary Binns 90+4), Charlie Manners, Frankie Ealing (Red Simmons 85). Sub not used: Danny Wood
Loughborough Students: George Baker (Luke Skinner 56), Alexander Spiteri, Ben Royall, Samuel Fielding, Mwita Mgoyo, Joseph Akinsamni, Thomas Speake (Joshua Strouts 72), Halim Bangura (Archie Harding 46), Dylan Reason, Marcus Gilpin (Max McCoy 72), Omolulu Odusanya (Hussein Issa 64).