F.A. Cup Extra Preliminary Round | Saturday 3 August 2024
Never expect too much from the first game of the season, as players still unfamiliar with one another try to meld together as a team. The Mikes had had more squad changes over the summer than their hosts, and it showed in the opening exchanges, where for five minutes the Boldmere goal was under siege, the ball hacked off the visitors’ line for a corner.
A bumping, banging game emerged, with little to threaten either net, though with nine minutes to the break, home custodian Adam Whitehouse (the only ex-Mike in opposition) needed three bites at the cherry after he’d failed to hold an innocuous Theo Rowe shot. There was little else worthy of report. Half time: 0-0.
The second half was an improvement on the first, both in terms of entertainment and standard of play. We were only eight minutes in when neat Hanley passing resulted in chaos in the Boldmere rearguard, Jonathan Brown scrabbling helplessly along the turf, only to see the ball cleared off the line. Just under the hour, a long ball found Mikes’ danger man Theo Rowe on the left wing. His cross swung across to the right, was returned into the goalmouth…and there was Liam Murphy to push it home. The blue defence complained bitterly to the referee once the goal had been awarded…for what, it was hard to see.
Eight minutes later, the homesters were level. Right sided player Ollie Heywood, a loanee from Chester, latched on to an accurate through pass, ran into the box, and made simple work of slipping the ball past Jonathan Brown, the ball entering the met off the far post. Another eight minutes gone, and Marc Grocott could have won the tie for Hanley, but missed a sitter, after more constructive work down the Blues’ right.
As we entered the final quarter, substitutes appeared, without greatly effecting the balance of play. Different tactics for corners were apparent throughout: Hanley packed the goal mouth, in hopes of incapacitating the keeper, while Boldmere charged in from the box’s edge. Both teams battled hard for what would have been a decisive winner, which never came. A draw was a fair result, and we try again (with extra time, and penalties, if needed) on Tuesday
Hanley Town: Subs. Adam Whitehouse; James Askey; Louis Keenan; Marc Grocott; Jack Moult; Ryan Shotton; Reece Jones (Lucas Baker 79); Jack Degruchy; Tom Pope; Sam Turner (Tyrone Ofori 88); Ollie Heywood. Subs not used: Ben Chapman; Joel Stair; Jack Bostock; Joe Mswalie.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; George Cleet: Alfie Taylor: Joe Hull; Harry Craven; Ollie West; Gustavo Macedo Sanchez; Joe Daley (Sean Devlin 73): Liam Murphy (Jake Collins 81); Daniel Gyasi; Theo Rowe. Subs Not used: Lewis Allison; Harry Sweeney; Pierre Phillips; Callum North; Kyle Burke.