by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
HOPES of returning to winning ways were dashed when former Sports striker Tyrell Waite scored the only goal of the game after 32 minutes, to give Rugby Borough all three points.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Danny Benson 3-Danny Gordon 4-Will Atkinson 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-George Wilkinson 7-Thabang Dube 8-Cieron Keane 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Manni Norkett. Subs: Paddy Webb, Fraser Corden, Louis Bonser, Josh Ashman, Josiah Dyer.
It was a fairly lively start with Norkett almost getting on the end of an early half chance after two minutes. Three minutes later Dales and Dube sent Norkett through again, but he lost his footing just inside the box.
Rugby took a little longer to get up to pace, but 11 minutes in Grocott tried a shot from just outside the box, but it was an easy catch for McDowell in the Mickleover goal.
It was the hosts that earned the first corner, but that came to nought and then a clearance was blocked by Rowe who kept McDowell on his toes with another save after 15 minutes.
Norkett was fouled on another run, but Keane’s free kick failed to connect and went for a goal kick. But Norkett was unlucky not to open the scoring in the 26th minute. Beavon had battled for possession in the middle and found the advancing Norkett on his left. He shrugged off the first challenge but was fouled by keeper Bald. He managed to keep his footing and continued goalwards, with a shot just wide of the right- hand post, which drew no response from the referee to pull play back for the foul or the possible red card.
Five minutes later Wilkinson lost possession to Waite after a push which left the striker with a clear run on goal, firing into the far corner to make it 0-1, with McDowell given little chance.
Norkett then layed the ball off for Beavon to shoot a couple of minutes later, but his effort was just over.
Mickleover were ahead on possession and Dube and Dales both won consecutive corners as they pressed for the equaliser, but neither created any real chance.
Gordon tried a shot on the overlap with two-minute left before half time after Dales broke through, but it was just wide of the right-hand post and then Beavon and Gordon combined, before Dales tried his luck but that went over the bar.
There were no half time changes, but despite being a goal down Mickleover started the half on the backfoot. Wilkinson managed to test the keeper after 56 minutes following a Keane free kick, just before Beavon and Keane were replaced by Dyer and Ashman.
It was still Rugby forcing the pace however, with Waite taking on Benson on the right. He managed to get a shot in but Benson had done enough and it was into the side netting.
64 minutes in and Bonser and Webb came on for Benson and Dube, but despite some interpassing around the halfway line, Sports were failing to create any real chances and were losing out in the final third.
Waite had another shot into the side netting after breaking through the defence. Grocott then had a shot bounce off the bar after 76 minutes as an equaliser for Mickleover was looking increasingly unlikely.
Webb was fouled as he tried to cut into the box and Gascoigne almost connected with Gordon’s free kick.
Corden was the final sub for Norkett and immediately took on the home defence. Despite two fouls on him being ignored, he found Webb on the left, but his cross was far too close to the keeper.
Collins put another chance over the bar for Rugby after 83 minutes, as Mickleover tried to make a final push. Gordon earned a corner and then Dales broke through, but took one stride too many before trying to shoot and any chance had gone.
So it remained 0-1 and Mickleover can look back at reasonable first half, but a second that saw so no real fight.
