BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 3-2 HEDNESFORD TOWN: MATCH REPORT...

MIKES EDGE OUT PITMEN IN OPENING PRE-SEASON GAME, DANKS TO REPLACEMENTS…

BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 3-2 HEDNESFORD TOWN

Clearly little can be truly gauged from these early pre-season matches but in truth this encounter was a decent watch with players keen to pass the ball on the damp 3G surface in Sutton Coldfield. It was a surprise though how Town’s first-half ascendancy subsided like sand inside an egg-timer after the break, before their substitutes had really settled in. The Mikes’ replacements however had made an immediate impact in the second period with Mark Danks and Jorge Smith in particular impressing and significantly affecting the scoreline between them. Also striker Ricardo Reid added some muscle for Boldmere and the previously unhurried Town defence was given rather a testing time on occasions.

CUSTOMARY HANDSHAKES...

WYNTER SHUTS HIS EYES AS A LOOSE CANNON OF A FINGER FLIES ABOUT...

I hope that the identification of players is just about correct but any errors I apologise for… Thanks to Neil Tooth, the Hednesford manager for writing out his squad for me and to Statto at Boldmere, who confirmed some names to me also…

THE HOME REPLACEMENTS SIT IN CLASS...

During the opening 45 minutes however, the Pitmen had moved the ball with some composure, with skipper Tom Thorley finding a good deal of space in which to distribute, whilst James Lawrie was always lively. Unselfish striker Ryan Wynter saw a close range effort brilliantly turned over the goal-frame by the Mikes’ ‘keeper Lewis Fenney, although Wynter, Lawrie and Thorley had all attempted earlier low shots which had either been easily saved or had strayed off target. After a low Lawrie effort had been deflected and a Ballinger header had dropped well wide, Lewis Wright’s near post centre was nodded firmly downwards into the home net by the anticipating Danny Glover to equalise Boldmere’s opener, scored by Jack Skinner.

1-1: GLOVER...

"LISTEN, MY ORANGE BOOTS ARE BETTER THAN YOURS, CUZ I SCORED WITH A HEADER..."

As the half wore on, Wynter volleyed Glover’s clever flick wide of goal and Fenney was alert to snatch the ball away from both Deshaun Martin and Lawrie, before he held onto a low Glover effort. 

HEDNESFORD WERE MORE EFFECTIVE DURING THE OPENING PERIOD...

Boldmere had made a more sedate start to the game and they could point only to a low shot by Stuart Capaldi, who worked very hard to hold up the ball for his team but then when a period of offense allowed their right-back to clip in a deep centre towards the edge of the penalty-box, Skinner leaned and stumbled to lift the ball on with his head and truthfully, stranded goalie Jose Veiga made a bit of a hash of attempting to palm the effort over his crossbar, instead haplessly turning it into his own goal. The home skipper Joe Smith, who was always a willing forager had a fine effort touched over the crossbar by Veiga but neither official noticed the save, awarding a goal-kick to the Pitmen instead. 

1-0...

SKINNER LOOKS EMBARRASSED. DID HE SCORE WITH HIS NOSE, OR SOMETHING?

The break arrived and both teams had worked really hard it appeared but the introduction of Danks who played mostly at offensive middle-left, also the two numberless replacements, plus Ben Usher-Shipway on the left flank and also Reid completely changed the affair, for their movement, aggression and pace really pushed the Pitmen back into their mine, despite the fact that experienced striker Luke Rodgers had appeared in attack for the visitors. 

The hosts went close a number of times, Danks nudging the top of the crossbar, before rifling a low right-side centre in-off the underside of the cross-beam to afford his team a 2-1 lead. A clearance off the Hednesford goal-line, maybe by Jake Webb, foiled one of the numberless men, before a pair of free-kicks, both from inside-right and both taken by Jorge Smith from 25 yards, really just about settled the outcome of the match.

2-1...

DANKS HAS SCORED...

IT'S WHAT HE DOES...

His first shot was low and turned aside to his right by Veiga but the second higher effort was palmed straight onto the lurking Danks’ left boot and the nimble forward’s first-timer seared high into the right corner of the net. Usher-Shipway saw a shot turned over the target by Veiga, another shot by the unknown replacement was deflected and Danks later cut in from the right but his deflected drive rose too high. 

3-1...

DANKS FEELS 18 AGAIN...

HEDNESFORD NEEDED SOMETHING BADLY AT THIS POINT...

Hednesford couldn’t quite get things going in attack though, in a performance which laboured somewhat and lacked their first-half accuracy in passing, although that was in part due to the harassment delivered by the Mikes. A weak Ballinger header was guided away from goal by the numberless chap (Max Black?), a Rodgers drive was deflected and forced the replacement home goalie Reiss Wagstaff to make a fine save, although his later miscue nearly allowed Jordan Nadat in to sniff a goal. Rodgers’ next low shot was easily saved but after a near post nudge by Ryan Nesbitt had flown off target, Nadat bustled away from a defender at inside left and unselfishly squared the ball for Rodgers to strike off the ‘keeper’s glove into the bottom right corner of goal and the scoring was complete.

WAGSTAFF, WHO REPLACED FENNEY...

RODGERS GIVES THE GOALIE A LOOK...

3-2 & RODGERS LINES UP AGAIN...

A decent workout for both squads, certainly but subsequently it was the link-play between the second-half home forwards which secured a Mikes victory, for despite a few rushes by the smart Nadat and the clued in Rodgers, Hednesford didn’t quite connect up top, despite the second goal… The midfield passing by the Pitmen had soured a little and errors had crept in, whereas the Mikes had increased their stifling game and upped the pace of their offensive movement.

NADAT: NOT QUITE THE RONALDO POSE...

SKIPPER SMITH, LEFT: WORKED HARD FOR HIS TEAM...

NADAT: FRUSTRATED...

Danks was the ace in the pack for Boldmere however, showing a lively lurking ability and his shooting was definitely on song…

SQUADS:

BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS:

LEWIS FENNEY, REMI BELL, HARRY CRAVEN, CRAIG MILLIGAN, KEIRAN WESTWOOD, JACK SKINNER, JOE SMITH (CAPT), ALISTER BRAUNS, KIERON CLARKE, STUART CAPALDI, JASON HOLMES; REISS WAGSTAFF, BRAD LINDSEY, RICARDO DUDLEY, MAX BLACK, JORGE SMITH, BEN USHER-SHIPWAY, RICARDO REID, MARK DANKS.

HEDNESFORD TOWN:

JOSE VEIGA, TRIALIST, MATT MARTIN, RYAN NESBITT, JIM MUTTON, J’CEE ABRAHAMS, JAMES LAWRIE, TOM THORLEY (CAPT), RYAN WYNTER, DANNY GLOVER, JOE BALLINGER; JAKE WEBB, LIAM HAYNES, TRIALIST, LEWIS WRIGHT, DESHAUN MARTIN, JORDAN NADAT, LEE SMITH, LUKE RODGERS, KRIS TAYLOR.