by Peter Scherer
It had been five games without a win, but Mickleover returned to winning ways at Bourne, with a solid 3-1 victory.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Josh Ashman 3-Archie White 4-Danny Benson 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-George Wilkinson 7-Thabang Dube 8-Harry Wood 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Paddy Webb. Subs: Ashton Offler, Josiah Dyer, Will Atkinson, Michael Hollingsworth, Ross Derham.
In the opening minute of the game Wood tested keeper Swan after positive work from Webb on the left. Bourne then earned a corner, which was wasted, before Sports reciprocated when Wood and Dales combined.
Our hosts had their first shot after four minutes when O’Brien fired his effort over the bar, but three minutes later they had the lead after Furey had outpaced White on the left. His first cross was blocked but at the second attempt he found Eyett relatively unchallenged to strike the ball home 0-1.
Furey’s pace continued to cause trouble on the Mickleover left, after twisting and turning himself clear, he shot wide of the right- hand post a few minutes later.
Dube then had his first real down the right, his cross was blocked and Gascoigne went close with a header, earning another corner.
In the first 15 minutes Mickleover had been on top possession wise, but still sought the equaliser, while trying to close down Furey’s continuous threat on the left.
17 minutes and Furey was through again, but Bird’s header was over the bar, eight minutes later another Furey strike was saved by McDowell at his near post.
As we reached the half hour mark White had broken clear on the left and almost connected with Beavon in the box. Then Dube attacked down the right, as he cut in the path was blocked, but it fell to Benson just outside the box, who smashed home the equaliser 1-1.
As Mickleover pushed forward from the restart, Bourne got another break, with Wilkinson trying to pursue Bird into the box. There was no tackle but the Sports defender pushed his rival in the back and as he fell to the ground the assistant alerted then referee who awarded a penalty.
O’Brien took the kick and aimed for McDowell’s bottom right corner. “I don’t think he was going to take the kick, so we tried to get into his head. I just went for my favourite side and saved it,” said the Mickleover keeper.
Sports maximised their reprieve and another strong run by Webb on the left, prompted a lay-off to Dales, who almost matched Benson’s early strike with another scorcher into the back of the net after 40 minutes, 2-1.
Dube tried his luck on two more occasions before the half time whistle, firing over the bar after 42 minutes and over the top a minute later following a throw in as Mickleover went into the break with a 2-1 lead.
Dyer replaced Beavon as the second half got underway. After Bourne earned a corner from the first attack of the half, Dales tested Swan from long range, pushed wide by the keeper.
55 minutes in and Dyer almost maximised a moment of chaos in the home defence. Webb had found him unmarked, but keeper Swan raced off his line to make the save with his feet.
After our hosts had tried a wild random shot over the bar, Dales broke again down the left on the hour mark. Webb put the cross in and Dyer was so close again to connecting.
With the Mickleover defence looking much more solid, both Ashman and White had been able to push forward too and the threat from up front looked ever more threatening to the home defence.
Wood received a yellow card after contact with Ellis, who writhed in agony until the card was given ad then miraculously recovered.
Hollingsworth then replaced Wood, followed by debutant Derham coming on for Dube.
Sports defence had kept Furey quiet in the second half, but he broke again in the 75th minute, but his dangerous cross was cleared with relative ease.
A few minutes later a long kick from McDowell was picked up by Webb, with the home keeper off his line he tried a lob but just off target.
Dales then attacked down the right to cross for Webb in the middle, but he couldn’t quite connect.
Ellis had a shot easily saved by McDowell after 80 minutes, before another comfortable save from an O’Brien shot, after their free kick had come off the wall.
But Sports hadn’t finished yet, and with Derham taking it the line on the right, he passed across the goal face to give Dyer a tap in on the left, 3-1.
Webb had another lob saved by the keeper almost on time, but it was a solid three points for Mickleover once the defence had settled after a shaky start, much to the approval of the five stalwart supporters that made the trip.
