BOLDMERE ST.MICHAELS 3 - 3 ROCESTER

So it's the 2nd week of the new season and also the first week of the season long journey of the FA Cup, in the form of the Extra Preliminary Round. I have chosen to see the all Midland Football League team tie of 'The Mikes' v 'The Romans', the nicknames of Boldmere St.Michaels and Rocester respectively. It's being played at the familiar (for me) Trevor Brown Memorial Ground in Boldmere, one of my favourite venues in the Birmingham area.

It's a mainly cloudy day with sunny intervals today and a temperature of 18c. Not bad for watching football.

After having lunch in Sutton Coldfield, I take the train to Chester Road station where it's just a 10 minute walk to the ground. I think Chester Road road, must be one of the longest in the region and could have been the route of a Roman Road, as it looks so straight as it disappears in to the distance. I am soon turning in to Church Road on my right and a few yards on my left is the small car park in front of the ground. After paying my entrance fee I walk through the turnstile, the pitch is in front of me, with the club house and changing rooms a few yards to my right. In front of this is small covered area for spectators to stand. On the far side is the main stand with enough seating for 230 spectators. On the opposite side are the team dug-outs and this and the far end of the ground are uncovered.

Boldmere St.Michaels are a well established club who date back to 1883, where they started life as a youth team from a local church. They became an open age team a few years later when the boys had grown older. One of their first claims to fame came in 1948 when they reached the semi-final of the old FA Amateur Cup, losing at Highbury 0-2 to Barnet. The club had success in the mid to late 1980's when they were champions of the Midland Football Combination. They were one of the original members of the Midland Football Alliance in 1994 and they also tasted success in 2006, 7 & 8 when winning the Walsall Senior Cup.

Their opponents from the Staffordshire village of Rocester, near Uttoxeter, were formed in 1876. Their main successes have come since 1986, when they achieved the double of being Staffordshire Senior Lge champions and also winners of the Staffordshire Senior League. They have also won the Midland Football Alliance in 1999 & 2004 and as a result of these acheivements briefly featured in the Southern and Northern leagues before relegation. Great achievements for a village side! Their Hillsfield ground is built on the former site of a Roman fort, hence 'The Romans' nickname. 

Both teams have had an inauspicious start to their league campaigns with both suffering two straight defeats so far. 

The teams come out on the pitch with Boldmere in their usual white shirts and black shorts. Rocester are in their away strip of all blue and it's the visitors who look the more dangerous in the early stages.

   
After just 2 minutes, Rocester score and I'm sure that wasn't in the script! Midfielder Tom Brown is the villain of the piece and it's not until about 10 minutes that Boldmere start to mount any serious attacks themselves.

Boldmere's strikers, Stuart Capaldi and Charisma Agbonlahor start to cause problems for the Romans defence but it's the visitors who score the next goal after 26 minutes when Robert Ritchie-Smith takes advantage of a botched clearance from Boldmere to shoot past the home keeper. 

 The Mikes hit back almost immediately with a good shot from Stuart Capaldi from the right hand side of the penalty area and Agbonlahor equalises with another good effort from a similar position with 4 minutes of the half remaining.

The match takes another twist when Rocester midfielder, Sam Griffiths, is sent off for a high tackle. 

So it's 2 goals apiece at half-time and as the teams seem evenly matched I think it could go either way. With prize money at stake to the winners today, they will both be trying their hardest although whoever wins will have the tough task of playing higher ranked Leek Town away in the next round.

I feel a bit sorry for the nearby bowls club which is just over the other side of the wooden fence in one corner of the ground. Twice during the game the ball goes over the fence and it must be quite disruptive to the bowls players who are playing today. I bet they don't have any important tournaments on match days.

The second half sees Boldmere St.Michaels doing most of the attacking and most of their best midfield play comes from their captain and No.8, Stephen Palmer but Rocester are proving to be dangerous on the break, especially the speedy No.10, Karl Demidh.

Boldmere's pressure finally seems to have paid off when they take the lead in the 89th minute. It comes from a goal mouth scramble following a free kick out on the right of the penalty area. The goal is accredited to Agbonlahor but it might have been an own goal.

                              (A photo of the Boldmere corner that led to their 3rd goal) 

Most of the crowd think that it's game over but Rocester have other ideas and in injury time they score a 3rd goal themselves when their captain and centre back, Tom Land, heads in from a corner.

                 ( Tom Land, on the far right celebrates with his team mates after his late equaliser )

Soon the whistle blows for the end of the game and we certainly got our moneys worth today. It was probably a fair result in the end although everyone associated with Boldmere will almost certainly disagree.

Boldmere St.Michaels are a friendly club with an attractive ground and I will probably be making another visit this season. 

Match entrance fee: £5
Match programme: £1
Match attendance: 123
Match entertainment: 7.5/10

PS. Rocester have won the replay 4-0 on Tuesday night.

COLESHILL ARE RUTHLESS IN FA CUP WIN

This weekend marks the start of this seasons road to Wembley. Yes, it's FA Cup time again! I have chosen to cover the tie at Coleshill Town who are playing Nuneaton Griff. So I will visit a new ground and see Nuneaton Griff for the first time too. Coleshill are currently 2nd in the Midland Football League, Premier Division while Nuneaton are competing in the division below them.

I am taking the train to Birmingham and then make the small rail journey to Marston Green. I can see the end of a runway at the adjacent Birmingham airport while getting out of the train. I then walk out to the front of the station to the bus stop to wait for the No.70 bus. This takes me over to Coleshill via Chelmsley Wood. I notice on the way that Chelmsley Town's ground is situated on this route.

When I get out on to the High Street in Coleshill, it's 1:40 pm and there are not many people about, in fact the major activity today seems to be 2 weddings taking place. There are some nice old buildings here in the centre of this small market town of approximately 6,300 souls, just inside Warwickshire. There has been a settlement here since Roman times apparently and the town was famous for it's coach houses at one time about 300 years ago, so must have been situated on a major route at one time (probably to Coventry).

After having a quick look round the town and stopping off at the local chippy for a good value chicken burger, I walk down the road to the ground at Packmeadow Lane. The ground itself is situated on the left of the road and soon I am walking through the stylish metal gates, with the clubs name on them. It's a neat looking ground with the car park immediately in front of me and the pitch just on my right. The club house and changing rooms are on the far side of the car park, with a burger/refreshment van in front. Along the both sides of the pitch are 2 small stands and to the east of the ground is another pitch, probably for training.

I take my place at the far, southern end of the ground and when the teams come out, Coleshill are in their white shirts and blue shorts, while Nuneaton Griff are in their change strip of all red.

Coleshill are starting this new season in great form. The other week they won 8-2 at newly promoted Brocton and have scored 14 league goals in 4 games so far. I have predicted a 6-2 win for the home team today if they hit top form.

For the first 10-15 minutes, it's an even contest. However Coleshill take the lead when their powerful midfielder, Jonathon Jones heads home from a corner. Just 6 minutes later it's 2-0 when Daniel Douglas heads in from a long throw. After this, Coleshill look dangerous whenever they attack and duly score again when Douglas scores with another header.

                  (Tom Weale on the ball in another Coleshill Town attack)

Nuneaton nearly hit back when their No.9 goes close with a free-kick but Coleshill score number 4 when new signing, Tom Weale puts away a well placed shot in the corner with Griff's keeper, Dave Watson well and truly stranded. Straight from the kick-off Coleshill sweep down field and their No.9 sweeps home the ball from a left wing cross.

So as a contest this match is well and truly over and can only be a damage limitation excercise for the visitors.

I see from the programme that Coleshill Town have revived a lot of their youth teams and will have 2 women's teams too for this season. It's announced at the break that the attendance today is 92.

It's soon evident that Coleshill are in mood to rest on their laurels and on 53 minutes, number 6 is scored following a defensive mix-up after the No.9, Benjamin's header rebounds out from the corner of the bar and post, as shown below.

For a while Nuneaton Griff get back in to the game but without really threatening the Coleshill goal.

This is short lived though and one of the Coleshill substitutes, the pacy Simeon Cobourne, picks up the ball in midfield and races through to score (as shown below).

This same player scores again a few minutes later. The Nuneaton goalkeeper looks round and asks me how much time is left till full time. After telling him it's just 5 minutes he then asks me what the score is, as he has obviously lost count now. Unfortunately for him, Coleshill have enough time to score 2 more.

Before that, Aden Moore of Nuneaton has a goal disallowed for offside. Then after 88 minutes, Cobourne scores the last goal of his quick fire hat-trick and then another substitute, Withers scores the final goal in injury time when in a one on one situation with the Nuneaton stopper.

Later, I read that Nuneaton had fielded a weakened team today but it was still a very impressive performance by a fast and powerful Coleshill team. Their manager has certainly put together a strong squad and are certain to challenge strongly for silverware this season. The 2 players that impressed me the most were hat-trick hero, Simeon Cobourne who is only 18 years old and the No.8, Jonathon Jones who was very effective in a midfield holding role.

As for Nuneaton Griff, they did themselves a lot of credit by keeping to playing in an attractive manner, right till the end. In fact it was a very clean game.