Birmingham Senior Cup | Second Round | Tuesday 26 November 2024
The Mikes’ line up included newcomer Mason Rees (not long out of Wolves colours) in midfield, and the experienced Richard Batchelor up front. The Wolves (looking very smart in all gold) were mainly Under 18s players, supplemented by a sprinkling of Under 21s. A strange phenomenon characterised this encounter: the ball spent more time on the floor than in the air, as both teams played crisp, passing football, punctuated by muscular tussles for the ball. A cat and mouse game resulted. Boldmere were evidently going to chase, and harry: would their legs last ninety minutes? The Wolves, perhaps sensing this, spared no time taking free kicks and throw ins.
Things were Even Steven for the first half. We had to wait a quarter of an hour for the first shot at goal, Liam Murphy’s effort immediately smothered. The visitors, realising they hadn’t as yet threatened the net, now aimed for it. A thirty-yard looper from Luke O’Donnell was pushed away by Jonathan Brown for a corner; a quick breakaway ended with the ball deflected on to the post; while the Mikes seemed to be running out of ideas, going forward, spending as much time facing their own goal as that of the opposition’s.
The half hour past, the first goal came. A penetrative centre emerged from a forest of legs on the right, leaving Dani Angel with a simple task to convert. Was this the beginning of a slow avalanche of goals? Would the part timers’ legs buckle, as the remorseless minutes ticked by? The sparse home support wasn’t optimistic, as we reached the break.
You knew the game wasn’t over four minutes into the second period, when good work from Rees ended with Stan Amos having to push away Theo Rowe’s effort, for a flag kick. Everyone in the Mikes’ squad got a game, the first two substitutes coming on with fifty-three minutes gone. A minute later, Boldmere pressure paid off. Steve Palmer fired home from the edge of the box, his effort coming off the inside of the post.
From now on, stalemate ruled. The Wolves, plugging away gamely, had a number of scoring attempts; but a couple of brave Brown parries, and some comprehensive covering, saw their best efforts bouncing off the top of the bar. Even so, you pinched yourself when the Mikes took the lead, on eighty-two minutes. Jake Wilkes made a well-timed run down the left, and got his centre in. Gus Sanches headed it home. Desperation now marked opposition efforts, and three yellow cards were handed out in quick succession, mainly for challenges from behind. Could the Mikes hold on for victory? So many results are decided in a match’s dying moments…Four added minutes ticked by…and there went the final whistle. “You play rubbish, and you play like rubbish”, goes the old adage. The reverse was true here: Boldmere, facing skilled opposition, played some of their best football of the season. Who’s up in Round Three?
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Ben George (Lewis Allison 70); Corey Cooper (Jake Wilkes 70); Mason Rees; George Cleet; Pierre Phillips; Jake Collins; Steve Palmer (Gus Sanches 78); Liam Murphy (Richard Batchelor 53); Hisham Chiha; Theo Rowe (Charlie Manners 53).
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Stan Amos; Harry Birtwistle; Tess Igbinoguene; Saheed Olagunsi; Hayden Carson; Luke O’Donnell; Fabian Reynolds; Matty Whittingham; Dani Angel; Owen Farmer (Jake Wilcox, 64); Leo Lupez. Subs. not used: Josh Gidree; Josh Nyakudya; Lewys Benjamin.