by Peter Scherer
20 year old Doncaster Rovers midfielder Liam Ravenhill has joined Mickleover on a four week loan, and goes straight into the squad for this weekend’s visit to Witton Albion.
Liam is the son of Sports’ Assistant Manager Ricky, and has spent 10 years with Doncaster’s Academy before signing professional.
He made his first team debut against FC United in the FA Cup last season and has also been part of the Northern Ireland under 21 squad.
by Peter Scherer
To use an old cliché, a game of two halves, well Mickleover Reserves Central Midlands Premier Division South game at home to Nottingham certainly was.
Starting line-up: 1 Fin Bowen 2-Larrel King 3-Jake Edge-Lucas 12-Ethan Mann 4-John McGrath 15-Pablo Mills 6-Pat Pugh 7-Fin Barker 8-Ricky Ravenhill 10-Andrew Wright 17-George Atwal.
Mickleover had their first promising attack after four minutes, but it started end to end, with Bowen sprinting off his line a minute later to thwart the visitors first attack.
Sports went close after seven minutes when a Mills free kick found Wright, who put the ball across the face of the goal.
Atwal, McGrath and Barker then combined, forcing the Notts keeper to pull off a good save.
The keeper was soon in action again blocking a point blank shot from Wright after 10 minutes.
Both King and Edge-Lucas were starting to push forward on the wings and 14 minutes in King’s run just over the bar.
Two more saves from the keeper but after 17 minutes he finally succumbed, when Edge-Lucas crossed from the left and Mills hit it home 1-0.
A few minutes later Edge-Lucas put another good cross in but there was no one top collect.
There was another good chance for Sports when Barker had a long run through the defence after23 minutes. Wright was on the receiving end but his shot was high and wide.
Notts were making random breaks, which on the whole were covered by Mann and Pugh at the back. But after 25 minutes Notts managed to hit the bar too.
Sports came charging back however and Mills made it 2-0 after 28 minutes, when a McGrath through ball left him one on one with the visitors keeper, slotting home with inches to spare.
Mills was almost there again just missing an Edge-Lucas cross into the box and a minute later with a free kick headed clear.
Edge-Lucas went on another over lap just past the half hour, this time he took it himself and hit the post, before King fired a cross back into the box, with a Mills miss hit right in front of goal.
Notts had another rare chance after 40 minutes but shot wide and Sports rounded off a strong second half with a good build up from McGrath and Mills, before Atwal lost possession.
Mickleover started the second half unchanged and were on the attack again, with Mann trying a long shot on target. Wright then fired another attempt over after 48 minutes, before the Josh Satchwell came on at left wing back for Edge-Lucas.
Notts pulled one back after 54 minutes when Pugh lost out, leaving Bowen little chance from a well struck shot.
Ravenhill then found Mills in space and he saw the keeper off his line, tried a chip which was just wide.
Notts were starting to get into the game more and Bowen was forced to leave his line, but missed the ball, leaving Mann to clear.
But Mickleover came straight back to make it 3-1 on the hour, with Barker whipping through the defence to slot home in a solo effort from the left.
Only a minute later it was 3-2 when Bowen’s initial save saw the ball loose. With no defenders close enough to clear, the Notts striker took his chance.
Sports subbed Ravenhill with Ash Elliott and Barker with Jude Ayetine.
Ayetine managed to get a break on the left after Notts had pushed forward, the ball fell back to Atwal, but his long shot fell wide.
The flow of the game had become more scrappy as both teams tried to push forward.
Satchwell tried a cross from the left after 74 minutes, but it was blocked in the box and then Mann had a header saved.
Bowen was then forced to save again from a Notts break, before King went on the attack and had a 81st shot saved.
In the final five minutes Ayetine cut inside and got a strong shot in, but the deflection ended the last chance of the game.
It was a tough game with Mickleover doing just enough to keep Notts at bay for the win, after a much improved second half from the visitors.
On Friday it’s an even tougher game, when Mickleover face top of the table Blidworth at home, kick off 7.45.
by Peter Scherer
Two goals in the last eight minutes for Basford ended Mickleover hopes of further progress in this season’s FA Cup.
Starting line-up: 1-Callum Hawkins 2-Jake Bennett 3-Ben Lewin 4-Joe Bateman 5-James Butler 6-Alex Morris 7-Andy Dales 15-Kemy Agustien 9-Dec Bacon 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Bobby Battisson. Subs: Josh Satchwell, Ethan Mann, Lee Holmes, Andrew Wright, George Atwal, Mason Warren, Roger Lee.
Agustien won a corner for Mickleover in the opening minute, from which Butler headed just wide.
But play quickly turned from defence to attack for Basford with two quick attempts from Kane Richards, forcing Hawkins into his first save of the match.
Declan Dunn then fouled Beavon, but Agustien’s free kick was wide.
Seven minutes in however and it was 1-0, when Lewin was in just the right place to slot home his first senior goal.
Four minutes later Dales had a shot straight at Collin in the Basford goal, before Aaron O’Connor forced Butler to clear defensive lines after a quick break from the visitors.
Dales tried his luck again with a long range shot from a Beavon pass, well wide, before Basford skipper Matt Thornhill fired over the Mickleover bar in another quick response.
Richards tried a shot from a narrow angle, but it was easily dealt with by Hawkins, but after 25 minutes Beavon had a shot saved after picking up a loose back pass from Thornhill.
The end to end action continued however as O’Connor shot wide, followed by a similar attempt from Richards and another shot over the bar from Thornhill.
Mickleover had to call on an early sub though when Bateman was injured on the half hour and was replaced by Warren.
It was Basford on the attack though, with Thornhill and O’Connor combining before shooting wide, followed by a second volley just wide from Thornhill a couple of minutes later.
Bennett then had to make a decisive block, before Basford made it 1-1 after 41 minutes. A long ball from Brad Gascoigne found Rev James, who’s first shot was saved by Hawkins, but the rebound left him with an easy finish.
Just before half time there was another blow for Mickleover when Bennett went off injured to be replaced by Lee. Morris then had to make a goal line clearance in the closing seconds to keep it 1-1 at half time.
As the teams came out for the second half there had been another change, with new signing Holmes on for Battisson.
There was an early free kick for Mickleover when Dunn fouled Beavon, but after 53 minutes a break on the right left Beavon clear for a shot just wide of the post.
But Basford continued to threaten as both sought to take the lead again. Ryan Wilson fed Hawkridge who beat Agustien before Hawkins saved his chip shot.
Beavon received a yellow card for a foul on Richards and on the hour Butler had to make another clearance from an attempt by Betts.
Both sides were lacking that final ball and were being caught in possession, so overall it was till wide open.
But with eight minutes on the clock James and Marshall combined to find Richards, who was left one on one with Hawkins to make it 1-2.
Butler was then in the book too for an unnecessary push, as time was running out for Mickleover.
Into injury time James was on the receiving end of a quick break from Basford as Mickleover tried to push forward. 1-3 and it was game over and the end of the FA Cup hopes for another year.
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by Peter Scherer
Mickleover’s budding stars march on into the second qualifying of the FA Youth Cup, with a massive 10-1 win over Quorn.
Starting line-up: 1-Fin Bowen 2-Zach Robertson 3-Jake Edge-Lucas 4-George Atwal 5-Ethan Mann 6-Ben Horleston 7-Bobby Battisson 8-Freddie Murphy 9-Kai Moore 10-Fin Barker 11-Declan Brown. Subs: Jack Tucker, Tom Bell.
In the opening seconds Mickleover had two half chances, ending with Battisson’s attempt being blocked by the Quorn keeper.
Two minutes later a cross from the left was turned into the middle by Moore, almost putting Brown in the clear.
Robertson then had the first of many overlapping runs down the right. His cross went across the face of the goal, just out of Moore’s reach.
Quorn were having difficulty breaking out of their own half and an interception by Battisson sent him on a long run. His shot was saved, before Brown’s rebound was blocked.
The pressure on Quorn’s defence was becoming relentless and after eight minutes Battisson had another shot saved by the keeper’s feet.
Only a minute later another through ball from Battisson found Moore in space, placing safely into the bottom corner 1-0 after nine minutes.
Almost from the kick off Barker tried his luck from a wide angle and only just missed. Moore had another header just wide from a Robertson cross and after 14 minutes Barker made an in swinging cross which bounced off the bar, with the visitor’s keeper well beaten.
Robertson was continuing to cause havoc on the right and his 15th minute cross led to goal number two and a second for Moore 2-0.
The roles were reversed a minute later when Moore found Robertson, but this time his cross was blocked.
Quorn were awarded a penalty after 17 minutes when Bowen had to come racing off his line and fouled the advancing striker.
The initial penalty was well saved by Bowen but the rebound was successful for the visitors 2-1.
Murphy was next on the attack, sending Edge-Lucas on a run, but the keeper came to Quorn’s rescue.
It was the breakdown of a rare Quorn attack that gave Barker a break in his own half. His full flight charge with a clear run on goal was thwarted by a crude tackle, it earned a yellow card after the initial advantage came to nought, but could easily have merited straight red.
Moore and Barker had some good interplay, which ended with Barker shooting well over, but after 32 minutes Mickleover were forced to make a change as Brown limped off to be replaced by Tucker.
Having only been on the field a couple of minutes Tucker made it 3-1, sliding in to collect deep cross.
Three minutes later and it was 4-1 with a Robertson solo effort from the right, beating the keeper on his near post.
There was a half chance for the visitors after 39 minutes but Mann and Horleston continued to be relatively untroubled in the heart of the home defence.
It could have been a fifth goal as half time approached, as a long kick from Bowen cleared the defence that froze assuming offside. Barker collected but was thwarted again by the keepers feet.
The second half began as the first had ended with Battisson firing a shot at the keeper in the first five minutes, before the ball went loose and Murphy had a shot blocked.
52 minutes and Barker’s pace sent him through again, but he fired his shot just wide.
We didn’t have to wait long for another goal though, when Battisson broke, waltzed passed the visitors keeper and slotted home 5-1 after 54 minutes.
Battisson whipped passed another defender only a minute later, but his shot was taken by the keeper, before Moore fired in a cross which just missed connecting with Tucker.
59 minutes and it was 6-1, this time Edge-Lucas got clear on a run, and took it around the hapless keeper with ease. Battisson then had another shot a minute later, as the Quorn defence floundered in their own half.
Murphy and Atwal were playing some long balls out of midfield, and after 65 minutes Murphy found Barker, but on this occasion he was intercepted.
A brief break out from Quorn resulted in a good cross which was blocked and left Robertson unchallenged on the right, making another successful solo run to make it 7-1 after 68 minutes.
Only two more minutes and it was 8-1 when Moore fired in to complete his hattrick, after Battisson’s initial shot was blocked.
But Quorn kept their heads up and continued to try and play their own game, which forced Bowen out of the Mickleover goal to save at the striker’s feet.
Barker had been limping for a while, but the dilemma was that the only other sub was reserve keeper Tom Bell, who then came on as a striker.
Battisson then made it 9-1 after 78 minutes, but Bowen was then forced into another from a Quorn break.
Mann headed just wide from a short corner in the last five minutes, but there was still time for another goal, with Battisson making 10-1 and completing his hattrick too.
Mickleover are due to play the next round w/c September 27th, but have to wait for the outcome of two matches to know their opponents. West Bridgford have to play Boston Utd, after their original tie was abandoned after the tragic death of one of West Bridgford’s players. The winner of that tie play Dunkirk, who had a walkover in the preliminary round, and then Sports visit the eventual winners.
by Peter Scherer
It’s time to take a break from NPL action as the FA Cup comes to the Don Amott Arena, with a second qualifying round tie against Steve Chettle’s Basford United.
A growing injury list and a slump in recent form will hopefully be overcome as Sports look to forward to the challenge of East Midlands rivalry.
Basford have just hit a run of form in the NPL which has moved them up to eighth place. Having drawn four games and lost two in their first six games, they have now racked up three successive wins, without conceding a goal, including a 1-0 home win over Lancaster.
They knocked out Stourbridge at home in the previous FA Cup round 1-0, so will be arriving at Mickleover brimming with confidence.
Basford have the experience of 36 year old Adam Collin between the posts. A former Newcastle junior, with nearly 400 league appearances under his belt, during his time with Carlisle, Rotherham, Aberdeen and Notts County. He came to Basford this season, after a year at Kettering.
Defender Owen Betts came in from Notts County last season, but had a loan spell at Spalding Utd.
Left back Ryan Wilson is the son of former Rams player Kevin. Ryan started out at Ilkeston and after a move to Gateshead, he has played for a number of clubs in the East Midlands region, notably Alfreton, Coalville and Matlock. He came to Basford in May 2019 after spell at Telford.
Defender Dominic Roma started his professional career at Sheffield United. After loans at Boston Utd, Hinckley and Tamworth, he joined Hinckley on a permanent move. He’s played at Alfreton, Harrogate and Gainsborough, before coming to Basford in 2017.
Centre back Brad Gascoigne was a Birmingham City junior, but since his release in 2012 has travelled widely through the non league world. Having played for 17 clubs over his career he came to Basford in 2019 from Barwell.
Declan Dunn is another former Notts County junior. The young Centre Back also had a spell on loan at Grantham before joining Basford last season.
Winger Terry Hawkridge played junior football at Barnsley and Tranmere, before returning to Nottinghamshire with Carlton Town. Spells at Hucknall and Gainsboroough followed before he joined Scunthorpe Utd. Three seasons with the Irons preceded loans at Mansfield and Lincoln, before a permanent move to Lincoln.
Stays at Notts County, Solihull and Boston Utd followed before arriving at Basford this season.
Skipper Matt Thornhill is an attacking midfielder and ex Nottingham Forest junior. He went on loan to Brighton and Cheltenham, making 70 first team appearances, before a spell with Hibernian.
He returned to England with Buxton in 2012, and has also played for Shaw Lane and Gainsborough before signing for Basford in Match 2017.
Veteran striker Aaron O’Connor started off at Ilkeston before joining Scunthorpe Utd. After a brief stop at Nuneaton, he returned to Ilkeston, before a three year spell at Gresley Rovers.
After heading south to Grays Athletic he joined Mansfield in the Conference, moving on via Rushden, Luton, Forest Green Rovers, Stevenage, Kettering and Tamworth, joining Basford last month.
Striker Kane Richards is Derby born and a former Rams Junior. He had a loan spell at Matlock before his release, seeing him move on to Ilkeston, Chester, Gainsborough, Dover and Telford, before arriving at Basford from Kidderminster July last year.
Alex Howes is another to come from the Notts County Academy. The young midfielder made 41 first team appearances for the Magpies, before loans at Coalville and Tamworth preceded his release and a move to Basford in August last year.
Striker Reco Fyfe came in from Gainsborough, having previously played for Ilkeston.
Stef Galinski is a centre back that played junior football at both Derby County and Stoke City. He had a loan at Corby before joining Boston Utd in 2013. He has since moved on via Stalybridge, Alfreton, Grantham and Hednesford, before joining Basford in November 2018.
Wing back James Clifton started at Aston Villa, before joining Oxford City. Moving on to Kettering, Brackley and Sutton Coldfield, he later joined Nuneaton and came to Basford from Corby last summer.
Originally a Hartlepool Junior, striker Josh Scott was at Mansfield prior to joining Basford, originally on loan last summer.
Rev James is a midfielder who started out as a Rotherham and Oxford Junior. He was on loan at Basford in 2018, but came on a permanent from Tamworth in November 2019.
Former Heanor town keeper Jordan Pierpoint is Collin’s current understudy.
The kick off as usual is 3pm…………. be there!!
by Peter Scherer
The days rain finally came to an end as the teams lined up for kick off, but a fairly scrappy 90 minutes failed to provide any real positivity from either side.
Starting line-up: 1-Callum Hawkins 2-Jake Bennett 3-Ben Lewin 4-Joe Bateman 5-James Butler 6-Alex Morris 7-Andy Dales 15-Kemy Agustien 9-Dec Bacon 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Bobby Battisson. Subs: Andrew Wright, Josh Satchwell, Roger Lee, Ben Gowing, Ethan Mann.
After some end to end play for the first 10 minutes, Bennett’s overlap provided Battisson with a first attempt on goal.
It continued to be a fairly scrappy game, with both teams giving the ball away at regular intervals.
Bennett had another good run after 15 minutes, but tried to take it too far and lost possession. Two minutes later Sports had what was to be rare chance, when Lewin had found Dales, whose cross set up a Beavon header, tipped out for a corner by Nantwich keeper Terry.
From Agustien’s resulting corner Bateman stretched and put the ball just wide of the post, with a certain amount of panic in the Nantwich box.
20 minutes in and Mickleover started to put more pressure on the Nantwich defence, but a promising move between Agustien and Battisson broke down.
Lewin put a challenging cross right into the middle of the visitors box, it was blocked by Ben Harrison though, as Bennett was about to connect.
Agustien’s trickery then got another ball through, with Bacon almost on the receiving end. A minute later Agustien tried himself, but his effort was well off target.
Dales had had little opportunity to show his pace, but on the half hour his run ended when he was fouled just outside the box. The free kick was blocked and it triggered a dangerous break for Nantwich, which ended with Casper Hughes firing his shot straight at Hawkins.
As Mickleover went on the attack again, Battisson worked his way through, but his final pass came to nought with Bacon flagged offside.
Sean Cooke then fired a shot well over Hawkins’ bar, after a promising build up by the visitors.
Bateman had shown good distribution from defence and after 39 minutes decided to go it alone, with a long run into the opponents box. Dales picked it up but couldn’t find the space to get a shot in.
Nantwich then had a free kick, which Cooke yet again sent straight at Hawkins.
As half time beckoned Mickleover had their second real chance of the game, when Dales was clear on the right. His cross was perfection and right at Bacon’s feet, but keeper Terry was quick off his line and took the ball from the strikers feet.
There were no immediate changes from either side as the second half got underway and disappointingly it started to follow a similar pattern to the first half.
Theo Stair put in an early weak shot straight at Hawkins, but then a defensive mix up could have spelled disaster for Mickleover.
Lewin’s pass failed to carry on the wet surface and Lawrie almost intercepted as Hawkins raced off his line.
Only a minute later Dales earned another corner and the resulting cross just missed bandaged Butler’s head, as the end to end play continued.
56 minutes and Nantwich had a dangerous cross, but a foul earned Sports a free kick.
Nantwich were looking for the breaks at every opportunity and it was only their lack of finishing that stopped them taking the lead.
Mickleover showed a glimpse of their normal style on the hour, when an all round team attack allowed Battisson to let go from well outside the area. It was on target but held by the keeper.
Bacon then had a shot saved by the keeper after a Bennett cross as the deadlock continued.
Nantwich had a shot well off target after 69 minutes, before Cooke sent a free kick way over the bar for the visitors too.
Mickleover made the first change when Wright came on for Agustien, but further attempts for Nantwich went high or wide of the target.
Battisson went on another long run after a 77th minute corner for Nantwich broke down. He found Bacon in the middle but the keeper came off best again.
There were more wasted opportunities for the visitors, but Mickleover opted to swap Satchwell for Bacon for the last eight minutes.
Five minutes later Dales beat the defence and his cross just missed Satchwell’s head, before Beavon went close again with a header two minutes later from a corner.
Sports pushed forward again in the closing minutes and both Dales and Satchwell were manhandled earning a late free kick.
Into time added on and Beavon found Dales on the left, but his cross fell just short of Satchwell in the middle and it was game over at 0-0.
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by Peter Scherer (Photos: Captured Moments Derby)
Following their first away point at Grantham on Tuesday, there was disappointment at Mickleover FC, suffering their first home defeat of the season against Whitby Town.
Starting line-up 1-Callum Hawkins 2-Jake Bennett 3-Alex Morris 4-Joe Bateman 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Andy dales 8-Kemy Agustien 9-Dec Bacon 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Bobby Battisson. Subs: Andrew Wright, Ben Lewin, Ben Gowing, Josh Satchwell, Roger Lee.
Not for the first time this season Sports made a magnificent start, when Andy Dales volleyed over Whitby keeper Shane Bland to make it 1-0 in the opening minute.
Eight minutes later it could so easily have been two, when Priestley Griffiths’ failed clearance almost fell for Bacon, before the midfielder recovered.
The visitors first chance came when Jameel Ible shot wide from long range after 10 minutes, but Butler and Watt both were dealing comfortably with the long balls pumped in by the visitors, with commanding headers.
Dales had a shot wide after 20 minutes, but a few minutes later Mickleover were forced to make a substitution when Watt went down injured.
Lee came on and Bateman moved into the centre back position.
Just before the first half hour was up Beavon shot wide from a Morris cross, but with 10 minutes left before half time, the referee was busy with his notebook. Ible had brought Dales down heavily, but as Butler and Whitby’s Lewis Ritson joined in, all three were yellow carded.
Beavon had another half chance after 36 mins, but Bland easily held his shot, while Josh MacDonald had a shot from outside the box for the visitors, again just wide.
Jassen Sukar was next in the book for a foul on Battisson, but Agustien’s kick was deflected out for a corner, which came to nought.
The second half kicked off again with Mickleover quickly into attack. Bacon fired a shot over the bar from long range and Battisson followed suit two minutes later.
Hawkins was then called into action with a great save from Jonathan Burn, as the ball looked to be heading for the top corner.
Sub Gowing then hit a shot on target on the hour but was blocked, before Jacob Hazel missed an easy chance to equalise, right in front of goal.
Dales was proving quick on the break again and he found Lee in space. The Bermudan International managed to get his shot in from the edge of the box, but just wide of the mark.
Hazel made up for his earlier miss when after 68 mins he flicked the ball onto Marcus Giles who made it 1-1 with a shot just out of Hawkins reach.
Whitby were on the attack again and looking for the winner, so the Sports defence came under continuous pressure.
72 minutes and Hazel made it 2-1, his close range effort beating Hawkins from a tight angle.
Satchwell then came on for Battisson, but it was Whitby on the charge still, with a MacDonald cross into the box, finding the head of an unmarked Hazel, putting it just wide.
Whitby’s Burn and Griffiths went in the book too, before Wright made his first appearance since his knee operation, coming on for Gowing.
Six minutes from time Beavon shot just over from outside the area and then Wright smashed it against the cross bar from well out in the final minute, so close to taking a point.
Mickleover will be hoping to return to winning ways on Tuesday at 7.45, when they face Nantwich Town at home, fresh from their 3-1 defeat at Radcliffe last Saturday, leaving them two places behind us in the table in 14th.
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