Northern Premier League | Midland Division | Saturday 2 November 2024
What would happen when the Mikes (some key players recently departed) met the Gingerbreads (Manager just sacked)? A tight, even game unfolded, notable for physical effort rather than flowing football, holding your attention because of the slender margin between victors and vanquished. After an early Boldmere attacking flourish, the game settled into an end to end encounter, regularly punctuated by the attentions of the physios, as everyone got stuck into each other. Only two yellows were awarded for physicality, amazing considering the rough and tumble throughout.
Gus Sanches was receiving some lovely balls into his corner, but was finding his marker, Aj Adelekan, hard to pass. Though territory was equally divided, it was Grantham getting the occasional shot in. Sanches was the first player to be awarded a card, after upending Luke Harris just outside (just inside?) the box, and with the aid of Sam Muggleton’s long throws, Grantham were looking the team more likely: had they been watching Tamworth’s F.A. Cup goal, the previous evening? Jonathan Brown had made three saves by the time that Boldmere, with over half an hour gone, had their first shot on goal.
With half time beckoning, the hosts went ahead. Good work down the middle by Jake Collins saw the ball laid off to Sanches. Our visitors had not been averse to standing in the way as Boldmere tried to penetrate their lines; but Sanches, throwing off the attentions of the back line, kept going, and fired home from close range. Half time: 1-0.
The second period was the mixture as before, long balls punted either way; though, with sixty-five minutes gone, a seven-man Boldmere move ended with Ollie West scooping over from five yards. By now, wanting to hold on to what they had, Boldmere were frequently facing free kicks with nine men back, and two up front. Grantham, thus having the initiative handed to them, responded with substitutions, to push forward in attack. Even when the Mikes gained corners, they kept four players back, to handle any counter attacks.
Once standard time had elapsed, five minutes being added on, ten men were now pulled back. The final one hundred and twenty seconds had a surreal air to them as, Grantham being awarded a couple of corners, the Mikes’ goalmouth was so full of jostling combatants, it resembled a French bus queue. A sixth minute was inexplicably added. Bulky visiting keeper Curtis Hall joined the melee. Twice, it needed reflex saves from Brown to stop the Gingerbreads from equalising. The final whistle eventually went. An hour and a half of unremitting effort had harvested three points.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Pierre Phillips; Corey Cooper; George Cleet; Joe Hull; Oliver West; Gus Sanches (Liam Murphy, 76); Thomas Edge; Jake Collins; Charlie Manners; Hisham Chiha (Stephen Palmer, 90+1). Subs. not used: Kyle Burke; Daniel Gyasi; Ben George.
Grantham Town: Curtis Hall; Ryan Ebanks; Aj Adelekan; Sam Muggleton; Richard Black; Max Cook (Ethan Bojang, 87); Sam Edgington; Freddie Allen (Harry Olivant, 88); Lewis Darlington; Luke Harris. (Leke Shodunke, 76); Jack Butterfill (Lewis Daff 90+1) Sub not used: Louis Nicholson.