by Peter Scherer

Tomorrow night we host table toppers Coalville Town at the Don Amott Arena, whhave have made it two wins out of two after last Saturdya’s 4-1 win over Alvechurch.

Manager Adam Stevens had some new signings making their league debuts against Rushall on the opening day of the season too. Keeper Paul White came from Peterborough Sports last month, having started out with Cork City in his native Ireland.

His first English club was Forest Green, who also loaned him to Gloucester, before joining Boreham Wood following his release. He has also played for Accrington, Kettering, Hereford and St Ives.

Former Grimsby junior midfielder Andi Thanoj was also a July signing, from Boston Utd. He has also played for Alfreton, Harrogate and Redditch.

Midfielder Tendai Chitiza is a newcomer too, he started at Leicester Nirvana, before moving onto Gresley Rovers, before a year in Serbia with CSK Celarevo and FK TSC. He returned to the UK with Stamford in July 2019, from where Coalville picked him up.

Striker Ashley Chambers was the fourth debutant against Rushall. He was a Leicester City youth player, with over 200 league appearances under his belt, with the likes of Wycombe, Grimsby, York, Cambridge Utd, Dagenham & Redbridge, before non league spells at Nuneaton, Kidderminster and Brackley. He came to Coalville after a year at Buxton and was on the scoresheet against Alvechurch.

Midfielder George Wilson arrived in July too. A former Blackburn junior, he played for Loughborough University after his release and had a spell in Sweden with Ljungskile SK before arriving at Coalville. He hasn’t made s start for the club yet.

Second choice keeper Jake Laban is he final new signing, having arrived from Burton Albion.

Skipper Joe Doyle-Charles has been Coalville for four years. The midfielder started out as a Burton Albion Youth player and joined Ilkeston on his release in 2015. He has also played for Alfreton and came to Coalville from Matlock Town.

Midfield partner Tom McGlinchey can go one better, as he arrived from Leicester Road five years ago. He also scored last Saturday.

Striker Tim Berridge is another longer serving player, since arriving from Dunkirk in 2018 and has scored 66 goals since his arrival, 22 of them last season.

Defender Elliott Putman came in from Barwell last September.  He started out at Leicester City and has also played for Stamford and Oadby.

Alex Dean is the longest serving of al the squad, having rejoined our visitors for the second time in 2014. He back from Solihull Moors, but has also played at Nuneaton Town alongside his twin brother and Bedworth Utd.

Right back Jake Eggleton was a West Ham youth player, who joined Hendon on his release in 2018. After a short spell at Hampton & Richmond he went to Loughborough University, arriving at Coalville in August 2020.

Veteran centre back Chris Robertson has had a long and varied career, which kicked off as a Sheffield Utd Junior. After loans at Chester and Torquay he had 18 months at Preston North End, moving on via Port Vale, Ross County, AFC Wimbledon, Swindon, Havant & Waterlooville and Ilkeston. 

He came to Coalville in July 2020 after six months at Grantham and has played over 300 league games in his career with 16 goals.

Midfielder Connor Smith came from Loughborough University in 2020, after being a Nottingham Forest Youth team player.

Luke Shaw is another midfielder who favours the wing. He was signed from Grantham in 2018 and scored 12 goals last season and hit two against Alvechurch.

The oldest player in the squad at 37 is midfielder Steve Towers, now starting his sixth year with the club since singing from Brackley. He started at Corby and has played for Rothwell, Stamford and Grantham too.

Having started out at Coalville, defender Kian Taylor was picked up by Leicester City, before spending three years with Shrewsbury Town. During this period he came on loan back to Coalville, with the move becoming permanent in August 2020.

Striker Ronnie Morley is a product od Coalville’s own youth programme and has also had a loan spell at Anstey Nomad’s. He made his league debut with two appearances last season.

Prince Ogunmekan is another midfielder signed from Loughborough University and is yet to make his first team debut.

Sports hope to have a full squad to choose from as we seek our first win of the year, having had the same starting line-up for both games so far.

by Peter Scherer (Photo: Sarah Middleton)

Mickleover recorded their second score draw of the season on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at home to Hednesford Town.

Starting line-up: 1-Jonathan Hedge 2-Elliott Walker 3-Rhys Dolan; 4-Ryan Wilson 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Joe Bateman 8-Mason Warren 9-Elliott Reeves 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Callum Chettle, Jahvan Davidson-Miller, Marcus Marshall, Jordan Fankwe, Ethan Mann.

It couldn’t have started better for Sports, when a poor clearance from keeper Gwilliams was picked up by Warren, he found Beavon who left the Hednesford defender flat footed and fired into the roof of the net, 1-0 after only two minutes.

Mickleover continued to push forward and looked much the stronger of the two sides in the first half.

Hednesford managed to get a ball into the area for Ebbutt, but Watt soon cleared any danger and the combined strength with Butler at the back continued to keep any threat under control.

After 10 minutes Dales sought out Warren, who sent Dolan on a telling run down the left. He was close to shooting himself, but Dales final effort went out for a corner.

Hednesford’s one real chance came when a Kyle Bennett free kick found Nathan Cameron’s head, but he just failed to make 100% connection.

It could have been a second for Mickleover after 15 minutes, when a Beavon cross found Reeves effort saved on the line by Gwilliams.

A Warren cross then just failed to connect with Dales on the far post and after 21 minutes Reeves took the ball around the keeper, but the angle proved too tight and his shot hit the side netting.

Warren seemed to be controlling midfield, ably supported by Bateman and Wilson, but Hednesford did manage the occasional break through with Lita and Wilding combining after 25 minutes, but failing to get a final shot in.

A dangerous cross from Dolan was headed away, before Portman got a break for the visitors before his charge was thwarted by Butler.

Walker went into the referees book after 33 minutes for a tackle on Portman, which preceded a late half push from the visitors.

Mickleover had two corners in time added on, with a Butler header going close, but it remained 1-0 at half-time.

Hednesford were more into the game in the second half, with Sports unable to add to their goal tally.

Hedge had a busier time in the second half too, making a couple of saves to keep Mickleover ahead.

But after 69 minutes Todd Parker sent Riley O’Sullivan on a run, he had Walker beaten as the cross was met in the middle by Leroy Lita 1-1.

In the final kick of the game Warren went close with a long range shot just over the bar.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover gaffer John McGrath has completed the signing of Cameroon born midfielder Jordan Mbakop Fankwe in time for him to be added to the squad for this weekends home game against Hednesford Town.

Fankwe comes to the Don Amott Arena after a five-year spell at Nottingham Forest’s Academy and a successful trial at Mickleover.

Thank you to Dan Mather and JKE Fire and Security for Jordan’s Sponsorship.

by Peter Scherer

This Saturday at the Don Amott Arena we are hosting our first Southern Premier League game of the season, with Hednesford Town the visitors.

While Mickleover were unlucky not to come way with all three points at Kings Langley last week, our visitors went down 0-1 to Redditch after a second half free kick from Ryan Nesbit broke the deadlock.

Keenen Meakin-Richards side included four debutants in the squad. Keeper Lewis Gwilliams came from Belper Town in May, having previously played for Alvechurch, Rugby, Worcester and Sutton Coldfield.

Winger Joe Cuff is a recent arrival from Stafford Rangers after four years service. He was previously at Market Drayton.

Luke Rowe is a play anywhere midfielder signed from Redditch. He started at Wolves Academy and also had a spell with Coventry City.

Finally defensive midfielder Sam Wilding only arrived at the beginning of this month. A junior at both West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland, he was loaned to Leamington too before his release from Sunderland at the end of last season.

Former England Under 21 player and Chelsea Junior Leroy Lita is probably Hednesford’s best known player. After leaving the Blues he had three years at Bristol City, scoring 38 goals in 100 games. Four years at Reading saw another 100 games and 32 goals, plus loan spells at Norwich and Charlton, was followed by a move to Middlesbrough.

He played for Swansea City in the Premiership and after loans at Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton, he then continued his travels via Barnsley, Notts County, AO Chania in Crete, Yeovil, Sisaket in the Thai Premier League and finally non-league in the UK at Margate, Salisbury, Chelmsford,, before joining our visitors in March from Nuneaton, scoring a hattrick on his debut!

Lewis Hayden came from Walsall Wood and can play anywhere in defence or central midfield.  He was signed in February and has played for Coventry Utd, Solihull Moors and Rugby Town too.

Cameron Ebbutt was another February signing too from Bromsgrove. A striker, he started out at Bristol Rovers and was loaned to Dorchester, Evesham and Yate, before joining Hereford on his release in 2019. He also had a spell with Gloucester City before joining Bromsgrove.

Defender Carter Lycett came through our visitors own youth scheme and has become a first team regular over the last couple of season. He is also an England Schools International.

Harvey Portman is another young defender, preferably centre back, he came from Stourbridge in February, having came through the youth scheme.

Skipper Lewis Ison was a youth player at Bristol Rovers, after they spotted his talent at Coventry Utd. But a UCL injury hampered his progress when he was on the verge of the first team. He then returned to Coventry from where our visitors signed him in January 2021.

Young striker Riley O’Sullivan was an October 2021 signing from Coventry Utd, having previously been a Mansfield Town junior.

Former Wolves Academy player Todd Parker is a midfielder who arrived in May ’21 after a year out following his Molineux release.

Andre Landell came from Bromsgrove in June last year. An experienced and well-travelled striker, he started at Wolves too, before going to US College football after spells at Bath City and Rushall.

He returned to the UK with Rushall in 2019 and has played for Alvechurch and Stourbridge too.

Yet another former Wolves junior is winger Kyle Bennett. His league career has seen him make over 400 appearances with 30+ goals, for clubs such as Bristol Rovers, Grimsby, Swindon, Portsmouth and Doncaster.

He came to Hednesford in January and is also an England Under 18 international.

Veteran centre back Martin Riley started at Wolves too, and was signed from Tamworth last December. Among his long list of clubs are Mansfield, Wrexham, Tranmere, Alfreton and Hereford.

Rhys Williams is currently second choice keeper having come through the youth scheme.

Taylor Carter-Byrne is a centre back recently brought in from Coleshill Town, but he wasn’t in last weekends squad.

Former Birmingham City junior left back Harry Manton was also absent from last weekends line-up.

Mickleover will hopefully have a full squad available too for gaffer John McGrath to select from, dependant on Callum Chettle’s troublesome hamstring.

Kick is 3pm at the Don Amott Arena, BE THERE!!

by Peter Scherer

It was a valuable away point but it could so easily have been three, as Mickleover left Kings Langley with a 2-2 draw.

Starting line-up: 1-Jonathan Hedge 2-Elliott Walker 3-Rhys Dolan 4-Ryan Wilson 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Joe Bateman 8-Mason Warren 9-Elliott Reeves 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Kai Moore, Marcus Marshall, Ethan Mann, Ben Horleston, George Atwal.

Hosts Kings Langley started strongly and after Cain Keller had gone close with a long range shot after nine minutes, only two minutes later Alie Bangura swivelled in the box and fired a shot into Hedge’s top corner, 0-1.

As Mickleover began to settle and pushed forward more, keeper Al-Droubi pulled off his first save from a Sports strike after 24 minutes, but only two minutes later Reeves scored his first league goal for the club, 1-1.

The hosts keeper was suddenly very busy and on the half hour Sports had another shot saved, before Butler’s looping header saw Mickleover head to the half-time whistle for a 2-1 lead.

Only three minutes into the second half and Kings Langley were back on level terms, when debutant Kennedy Feyi made it 2-2.

There was almost a repeat for Feyi straight the restart, but Hedge had this one covered.

Mickleover finished strongly though and had a 75^th minute effort cleared off the line, then with one minute on the clock another shot was deflected onto the bar, an so it remained at 2-2.