by Peter Scherer
With just one defeat to their name this season, Worksop Town are flying high in second place in the NPL.
We last met the Tigers in the FA Trophy last season, when Sports came away 5-0 winners, but manager Craig Parry earned his side promotion last season and are already looking possible title contenders.
In his playing days Parry was a goalkeeper at Barnsley and previously managed Pontefract.
Sports had luck on their side last Tuesday, taking all three points at Basford, while Worksop inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Ilkeston.
Both teams were in FA Cup action last Saturday, with Sports going down 0-1 at home Anstey Nomads, while Worksop took on Basford at home, winning 6-3.
Mickleover will need all the fire power they can muster to break down the Worksop defence, which so far have only conceded goals in two league games this season, the 0-1 defeat at home to Macclesfield on the opening day of the season and in the 5-2 win at home to Blyth Spartans.
Seb Malkowski and Tommy Taylor have both been in goal since the start of the season, but it’s Malkowski currently in favour. He is a former Poland international who started his career with Wisla Tczew, before moving to Olimpia Sztum, Lechia Gdansk, Bytovia Bytow and Zawisza.
He first came to the UK with Frickley in 2015, before taking a two-year break. He then signed for Boston Utd, before spells at Belper Town and Pontefract, before coming to Worksop in July 2020.
Taylor is an experienced keeper too though, mainly in the National League North. He was a junior at Sheffield Wednesday, before joining Garforth on his release. Spells at Halifax, Brighouse, Scarborough and Buxton, before he came to Worksop pre-season, after three seasons at Darlington.
Centre back and captain Hamza Bencherif is an Algerian Under 20 International. He came to Nottingham Forest as youngster from EA Guincamp and was loaned to Lincoln City, before joining Macclesfield on his release.
He returned to Nottingham with Notts County, moving on two years later to Plymouth Argyle. JS Kabylie in Algeria was his next stop, before rejoining Lincoln on his UK return. Spells at Halifax, Wrexham and York City followed, before a three-year stay at Guiseley preceded his July 2022 move to our visitors, with over 100 appearances made in league one and two.
Fellow centre back Luke Shiels was a pre-season arrival from Buxton, having previously spent four years with Boston Utd. He has also played for Alfreton Town and Harrogate Town.
Charlie Winfield is a young left back who was signed in pore-season, after his release from Barnsley. During his time at Oakwell he was also loaned to Esbjerg in Denmark, Alfreton and Darlington.
Josh Wilde is a left back too, having just started his third season at the club since signing from Alfreton. He started out at Sheffield Wednesday, before spending two years at Buxton after his release. Gainsborough and North Ferriby were his next stops. He then had two years at Halifax, before a four year stay at Alfreton.
Right back Reagan Hutchinson is another longer serving player, having come from Farsley Celtic in August 2022. He was initially at Rotherham, before a two-year stay with Chesterfield, during which time he was loaned out to Sheffield FC, before a permanent move to Guiseley.
Terry Hawkridge is a right sided midfielder signed from Matlock in July 2022. He played his junior football at Barnsley and Tranmere, before joining Carlton Town on his release. After spells at Hucknall and Gainsborough, he joined Scunthorpe Utd who loaned him to Mansfield and Lincoln City, before a permanent move to the Imps.
After two years at Notts County he joined Solihull Moors, later moving on to Boston Utd, Basford and finally Matlock in July 2022. He has almost a 100 games in leagues one and two on his CV too.
Attacking midfielder Liam Hughes has played in league two and the Scottish Premiership, after starting his career at Scunthorpe. His first moved was to Cambridge Utd, before spending five months with Inverness Caledonian.
He came back to England with Barrow, and has played for Guiseley, Billericay, Darlington, Gainsborough, Stratford, Bradford Park Avenue, Frickley, Matlock and on loan at Kettering. He came to Worksop from Causeway Lane in July 2022.
Dan Bramall is a right sided midfielder, who was at Chesterfield, before Everton picked him up. He went to Matlock too following his release, but then joined Barnsley after a short spell at Buxton.
After a loan at Barrow, he went to Ireland with Ballymena Utd, returning to England with Scarborough a year later. Caroline Springs George Cross in Australia was his next port of call, before joining Worksop pre-season.
Attacking midfielder Luke Hall played for England as an Under 15. He was a junior with Sheffield Wednesday, before going to Sheffield FC on his release. He was loaned out to Guiseley and Matlock, before leaving permanently to join Worksop in July 2022.
Player coach Ben Tomlinson is Worksop through and through, having started his career as a young striker in their junior sides. He moved on to Macclesfield, Alfreton, Lincoln City and Barnet, before being loaned out to Tranmere and Barrow.
His next stop was Carlisle Utd, followed by Halifax and a return to Alfreton. He has been back at Worksop almost four years, following a short stop at Frickley and made over 30 appearances in league two.
Fellow striker Jordan Burrow came from Buxton last December and has league one and two experience, after starting out at Chesterfield. He joined Morecambe after a loan spell at Boston Utd, before spending a season each at Stevenage, Lincon City and Halifax.
Gateshead and York City followed, before returning to Boston Utd, moving to Buxton three years later.
Jay Rollins is another striker who came from Boston Utd in July 2022, where he been for seven years. He started at Askern and has played for Armthorpe too.
Young Ukrainian winger Rostlav Yaramenko was signed in July 2023 from Korona in Poland. He previously played for a number of junior clubs in his native Ukraine.
Sam Wedgbury if a former England C International, with experience in leagues one and two. Sheffield Utd signed him from Worcester City back in 2006 and he was loaned out to Mansfield Town and Ferencvaros in Hungary, before going to Macclesfield on his release.
After a loan at Altrincham he moved on via Stevenage, Forest Green, Wrexham, Chesterfield and Buxton and spent a year at Stalybridge before joining Worksop in July 2022.
Latvian midfielder Aleks Starcenko came to Worksop in October 2020. He has played for Frickley, Pontefract and Guisley too.
Fellow midfielder Vaughan Redford followed the management team from Pontefract to Worksop back in early 2022.
Defender Deegan Atherton arrived in 2018 following his release from Rotherham, while young striker Max Eastwood is a product of Worksop’s own youth scheme.
Winger Jacob Gratton is the most recent signing, after just arrived from Belper Town. He was a Rotherham Junior too, who was loaned to Guiseley, before a permanent move to Farsley Celtic. He went to Belper in October 2022, but spent last year at Whitby Town, before rejoining Belper pre-season.
Kick off 7.45 with the bar open from 6pm.