Boldmere U21s V Claverdon (Saturday Amateur Cup, final)

​Boldmere St Michaels U21s and Claveron met in the final of the Saturday Amateur Cup yesterday. Both sides were looking to finish the season with a piece of silverware and lift the amateur cup at Ray Hall Lane.     

Boldmere have been brilliant in the MFL U21s south division and finished their league campaign in 2nd with 36 points from 16 games. The Mikes were consistent throughout the season with eleven wins and three draws in the league under manager Sam Heath to finish as runners up.  

They beat Coventry Alliance side Fillongley 2-1 in the semi finals back in February to reach yesterday’s final against Claverdon.

The Mikes had been tough to break down in the league with only 15 goals conceded which is the best in the U21s south division.

Claverdon have been competitive in the premier division of the Birmingham and District league. They finished the season in 5th with twelve wins from twenty-two matches under manager Charlie Waterworth. They notably beat division runners up Crown Coldfield Rangers at home a few months back and are more than capable of causing a few upsets across the season.

They beat fellow Birmingham and District side Kings Heath Rangers 4-1 in the semi finals to reach yesterday’s showpiece event at the home of the Birmingham FA.

A key part of their success has been up front, and they have one of the best attacking records in the league with 68 goals scored from 22 matches. The likes of Tom Constable and Dan Sill have been prolific in front of goal with 42 goals scored between them in all competitions. 

​Starting line ups

The starting line up for Boldmere included Josh Webb starting in goal and Nathan Allison captaining the team as part of a back three. The formation looked like a 3-4-3 with Alfie Chatwin playing up front and being supported by Jack Ritchie-Hopkin and Joe Bolton on the wings.

There were five changes from their last league match against Cadbury Athletic in late April with Liam Wilson coming into the team and playing at right wing-back.

Claverdon’s starting line up included Steve Nollett starting in goal and Harry Bedford captaining the team from attacking midfield. The formation looked like a 4-3-3 with Tom Constable leading the line up front and being supported by Dan Sill and Tommy Williams on the wings.

There were six changes from their last league match against Wake Green Amateur a few weeks back with Jamie Spiers coming into the team and playing at centre back alongside Owen Bennett. 

​First Half

Boldmere started the match strongly and were on the front foot throughout the opening twenty minutes. They were committing players forward and taking the game to Claverdon early on.

Their best chance to take an early lead came when Jack White found some space on the edge of the box before firing a shot over the bar on 16 minutes.

​Claverdon were working hard off the ball throughout the first half to contain the attacking threat of Boldmere. Jamie Spiers was reading the danger well at centre back and helping them settle into the match. Liam Reynolds also did a good job of breaking up promising Boldmere attacks from midfield and acted as a shield for the back four.   

Their best chance to take the lead came in the middle of the first half. Dan Sill made a promising run into the box and was through on goal. He had just Josh Webb to beat but strayed offside. None the less, it showed they could cause Boldmere problems at the back.

Boldmere had a lot of the ball throughout the first half and were controlling the tempo of the match from midfield. Jack White was linking up the play and helping to start off attacks for the Mikes.

Claverdon were gradually growing into the match as the first half went on and were starting to commit a few more players forward which left them open to the counterattack.

A loose pass from Henry Eddy from midfield allowed Boldmere to break with Jack Ritchie-Hopkin rounding Steve Nollett in the Claverdon goal who came out of his box. The Boldmere number ten took a low shot from distance that hit the left-hand post and bounced near the goal line with a Claverdon player on hand to clear it on 39 minutes.

Boldmere looked well organised at the back throughout the first half and were dealing with the Claverdon pressure well. Nathan Allison was leading by example at the back and looked an assured presence as part of the back three.  

The match came to life in the last few minutes of the first half and involved clear cut chances at both ends. Tom Constable made a well-timed run into the box before having a shot well saved by Josh Webb in the Boldmere goal.

The Mikes raced up the other end and Alfie Chatwin found some space at the back post before having a shot instinctively saved by Steve Nollett.

The save by the Claverdon keeper to keep it goalless was arguably one of the saves of the season. He managed to kick the shot over the crossbar for a corner which they managed to clear. It felt like a huge moment in the match and kept Claverdon in it.

Second Half

The second half was understandably scrappy with not that many clear-cut chances in front of goal.

Both sides were well organised off the ball and did well to cancel each other out and not allow a cheap goal to settle the match.

Boldmere were pressing for a winner throughout the second half and had a good early chance when Liam Wilson made a promising run into the box before having a shot saved by Steve Nollett at the front post on 46 minutes.

The Boldmere winger looked a real threat down the right-hand side throughout the final yesterday and was building up the play well for the Mikes.

​Claverdon were content to sit back throughout parts of the second half and catch Boldmere out on the break. They looked a threat on the counterattack with Tom Constable serving as a focal point up front and making some good runs into the box.

The best chance for them to win it came in the final twenty minutes when they were going forward on the break. They had a shot blocked by Joel Newman on the edge of the box.

Boldmere’s best chance came in stoppage time when substitute Liam Ashley Lees beat a few players down the left before racing through on goal. Steve Nollett stepped up and made another huge save in the Claverdon goal to take the final to penalties.

The shootout was quality with a lot of spot kicks finding the corners from both sides.

It ultimately came down to the fine margins with Alfie Chatwin missing his penalty for Boldmere and hitting the crossbar. Claverdon kept their composure and impressively managed to convert all five of their penalties to win the shootout 5-4 and lift the Saturday Amateur Cup.

Full Time

Boldmere will feel gutted with the result yesterday, but they competed well with Claverdon and should feel proud of their season overall where they finished as runners up in the south division and took four points off league champions Stourbridge.

It came down to the fine margins for the Mikes who offered an attacking threat throughout the ninety minutes. The final ball was the only thing missing.

They looked well organised at the back with the back three of Nathan Allison, Kurtis Amoh and Joel Newman impressing.

Claverdon showed resiliency and character to win the Saturday Amateur Cup and kept focused throughout the final to not let it get away from them.

They dealt with the pressure of the shootout well and defended brilliantly throughout the ninety minutes to win it.

Steve Nollett also made some crucial saves in the final which made the difference for Claverdon yesterday.              

FT score: Boldmere St Michaels U21s 0-0 Claverdon (Claverdon winning 5-4 on penalties)

Man of the match: Steve Nollett (Claverdon)

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League