by Peter Scherer
Following their success in the last home game against Rushall Olympic, Mickleover were winners again, keeping a clean sheet against Needham Market for a 2-0 victory.
Starting line-up: 1-Oliver Bosworth 2-Ethan Mann 3-Rhys Dolan 15-Joe Bateman 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Andy Dales 8-Mason Warren 9-George Nunn 10-Elliott Reeves 11-Marcus Marshall. Subs: Pablo Mills, Will Trueman, Stuart Beavon, Ryan Wilson, George Atwal.
With three strikers up front, Mickleover were soon on the attack. 11 minutes in and Reeves was clear in space, firing in a close range shot to the near left hand post, well saved by keeper Marcus Garnham.
But Needham came back fighting and a couple of minutes later Patrick Brothers put in a powerful shot, well held by keeper Bosworth on his league debut.
The deadlock was soon broken though when a quick one two sent Dales down the wing, following an interception. He found Reeves with space again and he fired home a decisive shot into the far corner, 1-0.
Brothers again led the visitors response, with a shot from the edge of the box, beaten away by Bosworth for a corner. Although Jamie McGrath managed to connect with Dylan Williams kick, his header was over.
Reeves was almost through again after 27 minutes, chasing a long through ball, before Garnham tipped his final shot clear, as the visitors continued to keep Sports back four of Mann, Butler, Watt and Dolan on their toes too.
Luke Brown fired a shot just over Bosworth’s bar after 33 minutes and then had another effort kept out by a diving Sports keeper.
It remained 1-0 to Mickleover at half time, in a fairly even game, with a McGrath header hitting the Mickleover post as the whistle beckoned.
Needham came out fighting for the equaliser again as the second half got underway, with Williams’ first-time strike inches over the bar from a Brown cross.
The combination of Bateman, Warren and Dales in midfield kept Mickleover pushing forward, as the chances for the visitors began to diminish during the second half.
Brothers put a lovely ball into the Mickleover box, but there was no one to receive.
Mickleover then subbed Wilson for Dolan and then later a double change with Trueman and Beavon on for Marshall and Reeves.
Needham had another chance after 70 minutes when Williams sent in a free kick to find Noah Collard, but the defence held tight as it went for a corner.
Only a minute later however the game was sealed in Mickleover’s favour, following a break from a Needham corner. Dales outpaced the visitors defence, sent in a square ball to Nunn in the centre, who chipped the advancing keeper to make it 2-0.
Sub Luke Ingram had chance to pull one back for the visitors but failed to connect, before Nunn found himself one on one again with keeper Garnham in the 81st minute. He got his shot in but Garnham made an excellent save.
A few minutes later Sports saw another shot glance the top of the bar and in the final minutes Brown responded and just missed connecting with a cross from Jake Dye.
To add to the visitors disappointment, Brothers was red carded, after picking up a second yellow almost on the final whistle.
Now in ninth place in the table, eight points away from the play-off’s, it’s now a trip to Hednesford on Tuesday night.
Images by Needham Market FC
