Northern Premier League | Midland Division | Saturday 11 January 2025
The fog which had embraced the Midlands in an unforgiving grip had, mercifully, lifted by the time we assembled – a sizeable turnout from Leicestershire giving us a crowd nearing 200. After an initial Dynamo flourish, a cagey opening saw plenty of passes back to both keepers, as a cat-and-mouse encounter saw no shot on goal until the game’s first corner was turned over bar by the Shepshed keeper, on seventeen minutes. The first half hour saw Boldmere increasingly in the driving seat, and it came as no surprise when, after twenty-one minutes, a sweeping move from right wing across to left ended with Joseph Blowers converting from close in.
The Butt Hole men responded in determined fashion, and must have been disappointed not to have drawn level by the break, having picked up a number of free kicks in midfield. Jesse Friend managed to put an easy chance past the Boldmere goal’s top corner with thirty-four minutes gone; and two minutes later, after Mason Rees had earned a Yellow for a crunch just outside the box, Kyle Dixon hit the post after curling the resultant free kick round a four-man wall. Half time: 1-0.
Five minutes into the second period, you felt it was going to be the Mikes’ day. Kevin Ngombi shimmied in from the left. His lightning cross whizzed just ahead of Charlie Manners; and as the home supporters groaned, they were silenced as the ball trickled into the net. Full back Tom Eccleshall had managed to score an “oggie”. Any thoughts that the hosts could now relax into their two-goal lead were displaced as the hour approached, in singular fashion. Dynamo were attacking, and the Boldmere penalty area was full of players, home and away. For some reason (inexplicable to observers in the Stand) our referee awarded a competitive dropped ball, just outside the box. Shepshed won it… the ball rebounded around a host of players in the goal mouth….and Demico Burton managed to gently place the ball into his own net. Game on!
An uncharacteristically poor Jonathan Brown clearance gave Friend a chance to lob the ball back past him from forty yards; but his effort drifted well wide of the mark. As the last half hour unfolded, Shepshed brought on three substitutes, in hopes that fresh legs could earn them an equaliser. The Mikes, meanwhile, decided that the men on the park were doing well enough to withstand the storm, their only change (until added time) being Lewis Allison replacing Charlie Manners, thus giving Boldmere a more defensive aspect.
Increasingly sitting back and soaking up what their opponents could offer, Boldmere were content with “anywhere” clearances. The nearest to the points being shared came four minutes before standard time ended. From just outside the area (again!) a Dynamo free kick avoided a Boldmere four-man wall. Perfectly placed, it looked to be about to tuck itself inside the framework’s top corner, when…a magnificent one-handed Brown save pushed the ball away for a corner. How on earth had he seen it?
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown: Ben George; Demico Burton; George Cleet; Tyler Donaldson; Mason Rees; Corey Cooper; Oliver West; Kevin Ngombi; Joseph Blowers (Hisham Chiha 90+1); Charlie Manners (Lewis Allison 70). Subs. not used: Theo Rowe; Stephen Palmer; Pierre Phillips.
Shepshed Dynamo: Daniel Wallis; Chad Timson; Tom Eccleshall; Sidik Atcha; Luke Cox; Kyle Dixon; Aaron Korpal (Jude Collins 69); Ben Challinor (Jordan Fankwe 68); Alex Troke; Jesse Friend (Tristan Dunkley 81); Louis Samuels. Subs. not used: Cuba Meyer; Micah Jebbison.