Gresley Rovers 0 Boldmere St Michaels 3
F.A. Cup Extra Preliminary Round Saturday 8 August 2026
Gresley’s sloping Moat Street is a ground of two halves. The “deep end” would pass for level: the “shallow end” slopes up to its goal. A game of two halves resulted, the team playing uphill dominating proceedings. How would this grass expanse be, in this drought? Both boxes and the centre circle were green: the rest was partly oasis, partly desert.
Both teams played no nonsense attacking football, and the Moatmen (being a size taller than most of their visitors) held the ascendancy in the first period, where the ball spent a lot of time in the air, and only inaccurate finishing prevented them being four up by the break. A quarter of an hour in, a combination of Mikes’ legs denied the speedy Sam Grouse, given a chance by some (thankfully rare) sloppy Boldmere pit-pat. Four minutes later, Grouse looked palpably off side to your chronicler (though Malla disagrees). Whatever, he stroked the ball gently to Jack Higgs (anticipating the ref’s whistle?) and the chance had gone. Four minutes later, Grouse made it four misses in five minutes, firing wide, the linesman being behind play, and not able to evaluate another possible off side. Handbags between Pedro Lima and Grouse followed them falling over each other, as we reached the first drinks break. Hard conditions underfoot were hampering the homesters, Liam Kavanagh leaving with an injured shoulder early on, unfortunate new signing Tommy Large being stretchered off on the half hour, after twisting his ankle. An incisive three-man foray saw William Mansfield screw wide, while the Mikes managed only three shots throughout the half. Atherton was denied by Higgs’ legs, having latched on to a long clearance, and consternation on Boldmere faces, as they left the park, told you we were lucky to be on equal terms at the break.
Part two, with the Mikes keeping the ball on the floor more, was a different matter. Going uphill, they dominated the game, Jack Burgess getting two chances. Thereafter, the Mikes imitated Gresley’s earlier finishing, firing wide, or without power, on five occasions. Centre half Conkay joined the home injured, going off with a gashed head. Substitutes appeared from both benches, as solutions were sought, in a game looking to be heading to goalless deadlock. Weight was added to the Boldmere front line with the introduction of Omotolani Omotola and Maxwell Nbgken-Itota, as resolute defence continued to keep the Mikes at bay.
Right on 90 minutes, the dam finally broke. Nbeken-Itota broke down the left, and his centre was fired home by Kyle Byrne, to put the Mikes ahead. Realising that finding the net was not an impossibility, new legs were brought on, and Byrne soon doubled his account four minutes later, triggering an exit of home support. An unrealistic gloss was put on the result thirty seconds from the final whistle, the home goal leading a charmed life from a Byrne cross, until Nbeken-Itota fired a deflected shot in, for a third. The final tally flattered the Mikes. Funny old game.
Gresley Rovers: Thomas Everest-Wilcock; Louie Jarvis; Callum Martin; Albert Lansdowne; Jake Conkay (Cole McNulty, 80); Liam Kavanagh (William Mansfield, 7); Tommy Large (Ryan King, 37; Evan Wynne, 87); Ashley Garner; Finley Ryder; Samuel Grouse (Haydn Brown, 75); Jack Robinson. Subs. not used: Finlay Phillips; Bradley Catlow.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jack Higgs; Daniel O’Callaghan; Jack Lynch; Aris Christophorou; Pedro Lima; Connor Armstrong; Jack Burgess (Brad Mansell 90+4); Fraser Doyle (Maxwell Nbeken-Itota 81); James O’Neill (Omotolani Omotola 83); Taylor Townsend (Frankie Ealing 90+4); John Atherton (Kyle Byrne 73). Subs. Not used: Jaiy Leydon; Daniele Reka.