Northern Premier League | Midland Division | Saturday 30 November 2024
Sometimes, life can be cruel. A goal down after seventy-three minutes, the Mikes snaffled an equaliser with only two minutes’ normal time to go – only to concede a last gasp goal with thirty seconds left.
The Mikes fielded newcomer Joseph Blowers up front, Charlie Manners acting as striker. Our hosts featured no less than five ex-Mikes, demonstrating the power of money at this level. A pre kick off panic centred round Boldmere shirts. They’d shrunk, apparently. It turned out that the bulky Richard Batchelor had tried to get himself into a vestment designed for a slim, nippy winger. In addition, the number three shirt had taken the badly concussed Corey Cooper to New Cross Hospital a fortnight previously – where the staff treated a head injury by snipping it to pieces. Numbers were juggled appropriately, to get everyone into uniform.
Under warm, lowering skies (the lights were on after only five minutes), the Mikes started the sharper, brighter team, and you waited for a goal to arrive…but somehow, the goal didn’t come. Our old friend Mr. Craven made a last ditch save, following a penetrative cross; but for all the visitors’ attacking, Tyrese Warmington in the home goal remained untested, too many moves ended by misplaced passes or inaccurate shots. At the other end, Alex McSkeane nearly steered the ball in, on the counter attack, for the Colemen,
By the half hour, the tide was turning, Coleshill gaining more of the territory; but not seriously threatening the Mikes’ net. This was a hard fought, hard tackling game, but (perhaps because so many players knew each other off the park) simmering tempers were kept under control, the sole yellow card issued being for kicking the ball away.
The Colemen began the second period on the attack; but it was the Mikes who should have taken the lead; a triple save from Warmington denied Charlie Manners and follow up shots from debutant Blowers and Theo Rowe. Long throws were now becoming a match feature, and Jonathan Brown was soon called upon to turn a resultant header over the bar. The hosts were now on the front foot, and indeed had the ball in the net just beyond the hour; but the Mikes’ offside trap had been working well, and Gio Dainty had fallen foul of it.
Substitutes now began to appear in some number, as tired legs tottered from the fray; and one such proved the game’s turning point. Sam Tye came on to replace former Mike Harry Sweeney, and within a minute, he’d nudged home from yet another long throw. Play swept from end to end, and with two minutes’ standard time left, Boldmere were thrown a life line. A right-wing corner from Oliver West was fumbled by Warmington and skipper George Cleet was on hand to force the ball home from close range.
Aware of their good fortune in being level, Mikes supporters started counting down the five minutes’ added time. Given a free kick well up the park, Boldmere kept four defenders back. With the sands of time nearly fully run, Coleshill had another long throw. The ball was accurately headed just below the bar…Brown managed to push it up, skywards…it descended into a clutch of combatants…and, out of sight of your chronicler, that man Tye got it home. A certain irony here as it is unlikely that the two goals would have been scored without Sweeney going off injured. C’est la vie, I guess.
We kicked off, and immediately our referee blew for time. If he’d played thirty seconds less…. That’s football.
Coleshill Town: Tyrese Warmington; Dan Brookes; Harry Sweeney (Sam Tye 72); Jack Hallahan; Harry Craven; Taylor Carter-Byrne; Ben Usher-Shipway; Isaac Adegoke (Mamadou Sylla 58); Gio Dainty (Shaquille Whittingham 68); Alex McSkeane; Ross Evans (Daniel Gyasi 68). Sub. not used: Ryan Nesbitt
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Ben George; Jake Wilkes; Mason Rees (Lewis Allison 79); George Cleet; Thomas Edge; Theo Rowe; Hisham Chiha (Oliver West 62); Charlie Manners (Jake Collins 66); Joseph Blowers (Gus Sanches 79); Richard Batchelor. Sub. not used: Steve Palmer.