Northern Premier League | Midland Division | Saturday 21 December 2024
A penalty right on the hour separated the teams, in a game where a fitful breeze played a significant hand. Boldmere fielded exactly the same line up as they had done on the previous Saturday. The hosts, winning the toss, chose to have the wind behind them, and it soon became apparent why. Playing neat, passing football, the Racers had the better of the first half, both in terms of territory and efforts at goal. Ball control was difficult for everyone, and our referee had a hard job, sorting genuine challenges for the ball from clumsiness and misjudgement. Connor Taylor had an effort headed off the line ten minutes in, and a Tolani Omotola shot from all of forty yards spilled from Jonathan Brown’s hands, to be booted away by George Cleet.
Playing under a blameless blue sky (the floodlights didn’t come on for half an hour: it had been after only five minutes the previous week), the hosts looked the better connected team, but couldn’t quite reach the target. They went close on five further occasions before the break, the Mikes having eight men back for a free kick just outside the box, and no less than ten for a corner, as the interval loomed. The Mikes had their chances on the break, but looked disorganised going forward – except for the last five minutes, when they began to click. More significantly, they went in at half time on equal terms: it was still anyone’s game.
The second period was a carbon copy of the first; but this time it was Boldmere with the upper hand. With only five minutes gone, a Route One raid and Richard Batchelor had the ball in the Warwick net – only for the linesman’s flag to indicate offside. Understandable wrath from the management given ‘Batch’ had raced past a defender. As the hour neared, the mountainous Sam Lomax had to save with his legs, after Kevin Ngombi had burst down the middle. Two minutes later, the game’s turning point arrived. Theo Rowe twinkled in from the left…went down…and our official was pointing to the spot. There’d been much bumping and barging throughout the game; but no one was complaining about this decision. Oliver West put the penalty away.
Four minutes later, West was upended twenty yards out; but, clearing a five-man wall, the ball didn’t stop until it reached the distant car park. Urgency now marked the hosts’ play, as they searched for an equaliser. Lost balls were replaced with the rapidity of rabbits appearing from a magician’s hat, and Warwick’s corners saw the goal area as crowded as a tube train in rush hour. Another Lomax save with his legs denied Batchelor; but the Mikes’ main concern now was to keep running, and running, to break up their opponents’ rhythm. Even so, it was pinball time in the home goalmouth seven minutes from the end of the ninety. Racing threw everything at the Boldmere net in the closing minutes, a free kick from near the Mikes flag seeing every homester thrown forward. The ball was cleared, the final whistle immediately went…and the Mikes had held on for the points.
A gritty team performance with every player playing their part, hoping for similar on Boxing Day.
Racing Club Warwick: Sam Lomax; Archie Hamp; Connor Mooney (Ben Edmunds, 79); Cameron Ebbutt; Josh Willis; Kyle Barnett; Connor Taylor (Josh McKenzie, 66); Martin Slevin; Max McNulty; Tolani Omotola (Louis Monaghan, 58); Andre Williams. Subs. not used: Charlie Pye; Dominic Liburd.
Boldmere St Michaels: Jonathan Brown; Ben George; Demico Burton; Mason Rees; George Cleet; Tyler Donaldson; Corey Cooper (Lewis Allison, 45); Oliver West; Richard Batchelor (Charlie Manners, 81); Kevin Ngombi; Theo Rowe (Stephen Palmer, 87). Subs. not used: Joseph Blowers; Hisham Chiha.