by Peter Scherer
After three successive defeats on the road, Mickleover’s hopes of a play-off place are all but over, as we now hope to regain a place in the top half of the table.
This weekend we welcome Racing Club Warwick to the Don Amott Arena. Our visitors are currently eighth in the table, four points ahead of Sports, after a 1-0 win at Coventry Sphinx on Tuesday night, with a game in hand. Mickleover have slipped to 12th after the 1-3 defeat at Carlton.
Back in November Warwick were 1-0 winners when we visited them, and Tuesday’s success was their second successive victory after going seven matches without, having recently changing management.
Jack Edwards and Chris Knott are now jointly in charge. Knott was previously in charge, before becoming interim manager at Leamington, while Edwards is still part of the first choice playing line-up after spending 11 years at Leamington.
Tom Allsopp is the current first choice goalkeeper, signed from Quorn last November. He started out at Solihull Moors and has also played for Darlaston.
Ryan Moore is a right back and ex Birmingham City youngster. He joined Redditch after his release, before spending two years at Sutton Coldfield. He joined our visitors in pre-season after four years at Bedworth.
Archie Hamp is in his fourth season with our hosts. A right back he previously played for Easington.
Jasper Tetlow was signed from Quorn in January. A tall centre back, he started his career at Lincoln City and has played for Loughborough Students and East Grinstead too.
Centre back and captain Kyle Barnett was signed from Bedworth in June 2023. He was previously with Daventry Town.
Kieron Dawes is another defender who came from Rushden & Diamonds in January. A Birmingham City youngster, he was loaned to Sutton Coldfield and Hednesford, before going to Coleshill following his release. He’s played for Stafford Rangers, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Stratford, Kettering, Spalding and Bedford Town too, before starting this season with City.
Dylan Barkers a central midfielder, who started his career with Solihull Moors. His next stops were Guiseley, Alvechurch and Cheltenham, where he stayed for two years and was loaned to Alvechurch, Leamington, Gloucester and Maidstone. He then moved to Hereford and Stratford, before starting last season at Stafford. He joined our visitors pre-season after brief stops at Rushall and another return to Alvechurch.
Joint manager Jack Edwards is a central midfielder too who came from Leamington in pre-season. He started out at Studley and played for Coventry Sphinx and Barwell before a three-year spell at Leamington. He had a brief stay at Solihull, but had spent the last eight years back at Leamington.
Callum Coyle is right sided midfielder too and has spent most of his career at Solihull Moors. He had loan spells at Sutton Coldfield, Romulus, Nuneaton, Halesowen and Grantham, before joining Stafford Rangers in a permanent move. He’s played for Rushall, Stratford and Stourbridge, before returning to Stafford in November 2024, moving to Warwick a month later.
Left sided midfielder James Hancocks came from Rugby Town in July 2022. He started out at Walsall, before moving onto Daventry Town, Cheltenham, Halesowen, Kidderminster and Stratford. He initially went to Rugby on loan before making his move permanent in July 2020.
Reece Blackmore is a midfielder, signed in October, but spent his first month at Atherstone Town to gain match fitness after an ACL injury. He previously spent seven seasons with Bedworth Utd.
Having arrived from Hednesford in September 2023, Ryan Andrews is midfielder too.
Striker Connor Taylor started out at Walsall too. He joined Nuneaton on his release and played for Tamworth, Leamington and Bromsgrove, before joining our visitors at the start of last season.
James Harding is another striker, signed in pre-season from Swindon Supermarine. He started at Hungerford and has played for Yate Town, and Bishops Cleeve too.
Aaron Opoku is a pre-season signing too, a striker from Eastwood. He’s also played for Stafford Rangers and Leek Town.
Fellow striker Cameron Ebbutt started at Birmingham City before moving to Bristol Rovers. He was loaned to Dorchester, Evesham and Yate Town before joining Hereford following his release. He then moved to Gloucester, Bromsgrove and Hednesford, before joining Warwick in October 2022 from Worcester.
Jordan Hayward is another striker who came from Coventry Sphinx in January. He had previously been at Malvern Town, Rugby Town, Pershore and Long Buckby.
Youngsters Ben Nash and Ben and Josh Flynn have also been in the squad this season, all graduates of our visitors own youth scheme.
Kick off at the Don Amott Arena is 3pm, BE THERE!!