By Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It was a much improved performance at the Don Amott Arena last night, that secured a valuable three points for Mickleover, thanks to a late goal from Michael Hollingsworth.
Starting line-up: 1-Oliver Bosworth 2-Jake Bennett 3-Louis Bonser 4-George Wilkinson 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-Ashton Offler 7-Michael Hollingsworth 8-Will Atkinson 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Ali Mohiuddin. Subs: Harry Wood, Fraser Corden, Paddy Webb, Josiah Dyer, Archie White.
Right from the kick off Mickleover went on the attack, with Beavon hitting the bar in the first minute. A corner followed which was cleared by the visitors defence, before Anstey had their first shot after five minutes, failing to trouble Bosworth back in the Mickleover goal.
But Sports continued to the fore with Dales taking on seemingly most of Anstey defence. He was almost through until keeper Nunez came to the rescue.
A couple of minutes later Beavon outpaced the defence again on the left to earn another corner, before an Anstey break was cut out by Atkinson.
Our visitors failed to capitalise on a 12th minute free kick, but Bosworth’s clearance led to another break, ending with a foul on Beavon.
16 minutes in and another Bosworth clearance sent Dales clear, running the right of the visiting defence ragged. His cross found Mohiuddin, who just failed to gain control as he tried to get his shot in.
Changing from the regular play from the back continued to work for Mickleover, as another Bosworth kick a minute later almost put Dales clear, but this time it was too long and Nunez was there first.
The pressure continued mainly from the Mickleover left, with some lovely interplay between Beavon and Dales, once again finding Mohiuddin, who’s shot was just a fraction wide of the right-hand top corner.
The back three of Gascoigne, Wilkinson and Offler had looked solid at the back and comfortably dealt with the Anstey attacks, while the experience of Atkinson and Hollingsworth was telling in the middle.
But Anstey had withstood the early pressure and began to try and push forward into the Mickleover half a little more. It had become fairly end to end until the closing minutes of the first half, but with a minute left Dales leapt to head a Mohiuddin free kick goalwards, forcing Nunez to tip the ball around the post.
Gascoigne got his head to the following corner and just missed the target. “I should have put that one in,” he admitted.
Anstey had another shot wide of the mark in time added on, but it remained goalless as the whistle went.
There were no changes at half time, but there was soon a wake-up call for Mickleover, when Anstey had the ball in the net after 53 minutes but was ruled offside.
Sports then won a corner which Dales curled in tight for Nunez to punch away. Bosworth then had to make his first real save, when a shot was aiming for his top left- hand corner as the pressure was building again on the home defence.
Just before the hour mark Mickleover made a double substitution with Webb and Dyer on for Beavon and Mohiuddin.
Neither Bennett nor Bonser had been evident as much on the overlap, but on the hour Bonser burst through on the left after Webb and Dyer combined, but his shot was blocked.
Our visitors then won a 65th minute free kick, which was cleared twice by Offler, as the defence was being pegged back.
Gascoigne headed away another corner before a rebound shot was blocked, and then Bosworth had to make a diving save in the 75th minute to keep it all square.
But Sports managed to respond with Bennett firing in a cross for Dyer, who just lost out to the advancing keeper.
There was a lot more aggression from the visitors in the second half, with Dyer in particular being pulled, pushed and have having his shirt tugged.
After Bonser had been fouled on the half way line, Atkinson was then fouled. As the free kick came into the box it was a scramble in the goalmouth, but Hollingsworth managed to stab the ball home and at last the deadlock was broken after 80 minutes, 1-0.
“It’s the first goal I’ve nicked in about five years, but I like to help out where I can,” said Hollingsworth.
White then came on for Bennett but Anstey were pushing hard for an equaliser. An 88th minute cross from the left gave them a chance, but a minute later Dyer hit the post at the other end.
Anstey responded by hitting the post too, before Webb and Dyer combined to earn a final corner from a blocked shot in time added on.
The whistle soon followed and our three points were secure, on a night that showed a vast improvement on recent performances.
