Cohen Fearn wonder-strike secures victory as Mickleover hold firm

Mickleover U23 claimed a deserved 1–0 victory over Matlock U23, with Co’s stunning second-half strike proving the difference in a competitive encounter at Mickleover.

Mickleover made the brighter start and created several promising openings during an impressive first 20 minutes, although the final ball was occasionally lacking as the hosts looked to turn their possession into clear-cut chances.

Matlock threatened early when a missed defensive header presented an opportunity after just three minutes, but Nath Hopwelll was alert to make the save. Sam Adcock then fired wide before Co came close twice in quick succession.

On seven minutes, Co raced through from the left channel and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the Matlock stopper stood tall to deny him. Two minutes later, Ollie Price released Co in behind the defence, with Co attempting to lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, only for his effort to drift over the crossbar.

Mickleover continued to apply pressure and had a strong appeal for a penalty on 13 minutes when Ollie was brought down while getting in on goal, but the referee waved play on.

The opening 20 minutes saw Mickleover move the ball well, although too many final passes were overhit when there were opportunities to put the visitors under further pressure.

Ollie came close to breaking the deadlock on 29 minutes, forcing an excellent save from the Matlock goalkeeper with a low effort from the edge of the box that was heading towards the bottom-right corner.

Just two minutes later, Mickleover went even closer. Co raced through on goal, rounded the goalkeeper but saw his effort come off the post.

The remainder of the first half became increasingly scrappy, with neither side able to create another clear opportunity before the interval.

The second half began quietly, with both sides struggling to create any real openings.

Mickleover began to find more space down the left, with Co making an overlapping run on 52 minutes, although he was unable to find the target under pressure.

Three minutes later, however, Co produced the decisive moment.
Picking up possession around 30 yards from goal in the left channel, he unleashed a superb strike that flew into the top-right corner, giving the Matlock goalkeeper absolutely no chance.
The goal gave Mickleover something to protect and Matlock responded by looking for a way back into the contest.
Nath continued to provide an assured presence behind the defence, producing excellent handling on 59 minutes to get down and hold a Matlock effort at his feet.
Mickleover then had an opportunity to double their advantage on 65 minutes. Phil Etinosa was sent clean through on goal, holding the defender off well and attempting to chip the advancing goalkeeper, but the ball sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Five minutes later, Mickleover broke quickly down the left. Sam was played through in the middle and got a shot away, but it went straight at the Matlock goalkeeper.
Matlock continued to look dangerous on the counter and created one of their better openings on 78 minutes. A move down the right resulted in a ball being played across the area, but the resulting shot was straight at Nath under pressure from the Mickleover defence.
The final stages required concentration and resilience from Mickleover, with Nath once again proving crucial.
The goalkeeper was forced to react quickly on several occasions during the final 10 minutes, coming off his line to collect loose balls around the edge of his box.
Then, with just five minutes remaining, came a remarkable moment.
A Matlock corner was whipped towards the near post and caught by the wind requiring Nath to react brilliantly, reaching back to claw the ball away and preserve Mickleover’s lead.
There was still work to do, but Mickleover remained disciplined through the closing minutes to secure an important 1–0 victory.
Co’s spectacular strike ultimately separated the sides, while Nath’s assured performance — particularly his late save — ensured Mickleover came away with a deserved clean sheet and all three points.
Bit early in the season to be celebrating being top – but two wins from two is a great start!
Goal: Co (55’)
Man of the Match: Johan Haddon – for his relentless ball recovery in the middle of the park.
Next Match – Wollaton u23 Away – 10/10/26 10:30ko

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover’s youth team came out on top of a dramatic finale in their FA Youth Cup tie against Eastwood, winning a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw.

Starting line-up: 1-Finley Meehan-Rudham 2-Isaac Young 3-Yuvraj Atwal 4-Sam Adcock 5-Daniel Evans 6-Archie Bull 7-Cohen Fearn 8-Lucas Straszewskyj 9-Ryan Martin 10-Lucas Manzano 11-Sam Pegg. Subs: Tapiwanasashe Kanyongo; Harry Williamson; Joshua Berry; Tom Bainbridge; George Tunnicliff; Kai Stevenson; Konstantin Pamukov.

Almost synchronised to the kick off the heavens opened and the opening minutes were played in heavy rain. Mickleover won a fourth minute free kick, which the visitors keeper fumbled, but no one was on hand for the follow up.

Eastwood had a good chance three minutes later, but a wasted opportunity earned them a corner, which was easily dealt with by the home defence.

Fearn showed a first glimpse of his pace after 10 minutes, cutting in from the left he almost made it to goal, before a timely interception.

Two minutes later Fearn opened the scoring, with a break through the middle. A chip sent him clear with a defender chasing, but as the keeper charged off his line, a second chip was into the back of the net 1-0.

Fearn went close again only minutes from his opening goal, when his follow up shot was blocked after another fumble from the Eastwood keeper.

Eastwood continued to push forward with good pace, which was well handled by Young, Evans, Bull and Atwal in the Mickleover back four and after 22 minutes Sports made another break with Martin going close.

The home defence was finally breached a minute later, caught out by a break from Linger, a great shot from the edge of the box gave keeper Rudham little chance and it was 1-1.

Although the rain had eased it was still very wet and the conditions were still far from an ideal, with both teams relying on breaks. 28 minutes and it was Fearn again that split the Eastwood defence wide open, a solo run straight down the middle and he fired in his second 2-1.

Eastwood responded with another break shortly afterwards, but Altoft’s eagerness to shoot saw his effort go wide of the left-hand post. Mangan then led another break for the visitors, but Nmemba’s final shot was over the bar.

Although the visitors had another effort on goal after 37 minutes, it remained 2-1 as we reached half time.

Only four minutes into the restart Fearn almost claimed his hattrick. He cut in from the left having beaten the defence, only for the frustration to be clear for all to see as his final effort was inches wide.

Eastwood continued to match with equal attacks, but the home defence had continued to absorb the pressure. But after a mistake in midfield, Linger got another break only for his shot to be blocked for another corner.

Mickleover’s response was swift and it was another break through the middle that brought the third goal, with Manzano picking up a long ball to run inside from the right and chip the keeper again 3-1.

There was another defensive slip that gave the ball to Straszewskyj, he quickly fired in another shot, but the keeper had it covered. But for a few minutes it was all Mickleover, with Straszewskyj sending Fearn on another run, but his shot was saved. Manzano then got clear on the right, crossed to find Adcock, but his shot was saved.

It was against the run of play that Eastwood pulled one back on the hour mark. Rudham got a hand to Altoft’s strike but it was into the left-hand corner 3-2.

The visitors were right back in the game and began to push for the equaliser, with another shot over the bar after 65 minutes, before Bainbridge and Berry came on as the first Mickleover subs.

78 minutes Eastwood broke again, but the final shot was deflected for another corner, after heading goalwards. Sports were still holding shape and being creative and after 81 minutes Manzano broke clear again down the right, before he was thwarted with a dubious offside decision.

But with five minutes on the clock it was all square at 3-3, but Fearn was on the run again, intercepted on the left in a promising run. Martin then put another effort over the bar and almost on time Rudham saved with his feet from an Eastwood strike.

Martin put another shot over the bar in time added on, but with the final whistle at 3-3, it was straight into a penalty shot out.

Fearn, Martin, Bull and Atwal had all scored their penalties, with Eastwood successful in their first three. But Allen’s kick was saved by keeper Rudham and all Bainbridge had to do was score Mickleover’s fifth to win the tie, which he did with ease.

After the match youth team manager Andy Dales revealed that Rudham had been a stand in keeper, with two others unavailable. “I had played in goal years ago in the Academy, but I am now a left winger. But volunteered to play in goal again and didn’t feel to daunted by the penalty shootout,” Rudham explained.

Anyone interested in joining the Academy at Mickleover should contact Gareth Holmes on gareth.holmes@dcct.co.uk

 

Hi All

I wanted to share with you the following review of the Academy and hopefully what you would consider a very positive social media story for the club.

Half Season Review

The Mickleover Academy
(In Partnership with Derby County Community Trust)
As Manager of Mickleover FC and Head of Coaching for Derby County Community Trust, I’m privileged to have insight into the many elements that happen behind the scenes of our football programme.

The Academy continues to be a thriving and integral part of the club, developing extremely well under the leadership of Andy Dales and myself. Andy isn’t just an outstanding member of the First Team; he’s also a highly accomplished coach who consistently sets standards, supports the players, and helps prepare them for their next steps.

As another year progresses, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what we’ve achieved so far – and to look ahead to what promises to be an exciting future for the Academy.

Season Highlights

It has been an absolute pleasure working with the lads throughout the first half of the season. Their attitude toward both sides of the programme has been excellent, and it has been particularly rewarding to see their development—not only as footballers, but as responsible young men who support each other on and off the pitch.

Across our two teams, we have:

• Played 26 matches
• Participated in nearly 150 hours of coaching
• Engaged in work experience hours, helping various schools, clubs and community groups.

This has provided consistent competitive exposure and valuable learning opportunities throughout the programme.

Team Progress

A Team

The A Team qualified from the group stages and progressed to the next round of the National Cup, demonstrating strong cohesion, resilience, and an ability to perform under pressure against strong opposition.

B Team

The B Team are currently in a strong position to challenge for the league, highlighting both the depth within the Academy and the positive development taking place across the wider group.

To further support player development and maximise match minutes, we have also entered a team into the Flexi League, ensuring players receive additional competitive opportunities and can continue to apply their learning in game environments.

Standout Performances

Three performances in particular best reflect the identity and progress of the group:

Aston Villa (Cup) – 5v1
A high energy performance against strong opposition that showcased excellent teamwork, intensity, and attacking intent.

Crewe Alexandra (League)
A deserved win against a tough Crewe side, delivered through an exciting attacking performance that reflected our playing philosophy.

Everton (Away)
Despite a difficult result against a mature and well organised Everton team, the match provided significant learning opportunities and valuable experience for the lads.

Individual Achievements

Alongside team success, we’ve also seen some outstanding individual achievements:

• Two Academy players attended trials with Stoke City and Barnsley U21s respectively, demonstrating clear progression pathways within the programme.
• Academy Captain, from last season returned to speak with the group about his experiences in the USA after securing a full scholarship.
• An Academy player was awarded Derby County Community Trust Student of the Year, winning the accolade from over 170 students—a tremendous achievement reflecting commitment both on and off the pitch.

Second Half of the Season

The lads continue to work incredibly hard, and we are seeing the rewards of that commitment reflected in both performances and results.

Over the coming days, players will receive their Half Season Playing Report, which will include:

• Individual strengths and areas for improvement
• A clear breakdown of key focus areas for the next 4–8 weeks
• There is also plenty to look forward to during the second half of the season, including:
  • An exciting international tournament in Denmark, including participation in the Dana Cup, one of the largest youth football tournaments in Europe
  • A new gym partnership with Exertion Fitness, supporting physical development and performance
  • Guest speakers offering insight into elite sport, lifestyle, and career pathways
  • Continued exploration of American scholarship opportunities for players wishing to combine education with football
  • The possibility to host international students in conjunction with an establish private school.
• We are all thoroughly looking forward to a strong second half of the season, with continued progress in both the League and Cup, and further growth across all areas of the Academy programme.

 

If you are interested in applying for September’s Academy course, please follow the link provided.

https://derbycountycommunitytrust.com/dcct-college/football-education/

GARETH HOLMES

by Gareth Holmes, Mickleover FC First Team Manager

Venue: Don Amott Arena
Date: 22nd October 2025

Derby County B (Mickleover Academy) delivered a composed and professional performance to secure a 3–1 victory over Birmingham City at the Don Amott Arena. From the outset, Derby impressed with their work ethic off the ball, pressing intelligently and defending as a cohesive unit.

Their discipline limited Birmingham to sporadic counter-attacks, while Derby gradually took control of the game. On the ball, Malpass and Rahman were constant threats, driving forward with purpose and creativity. Derby also looked dangerous from set pieces, with two headers narrowly missing the target following excellent deliveries into the box.

The breakthrough came just before half-time after some slick play down the left flank. Rahman whipped in a precise cross to the far post, where Malpass rose to head home and give Derby a deserved lead.

At the interval, the message was clear: maintain the intensity off the ball and increase the tempo in the build-up. Derby responded well, moving the ball more fluidly through the thirds and asserting further control.

Their second goal came from a corner, with Bainbridge reacting quickest to a loose ball and finishing clinically from close range. Birmingham continued to pose a threat on the break, but Derby’s defensive shape held firm.

The game was effectively sealed in the 75th minute when Malpass broke free and coolly lobbed the goalkeeper to make it 3–0. Birmingham managed a consolation goal with the final kick of the game, but it did little to dampen what was another encouraging display from the young Derby County B side.

Anyone wanting to join the Derby County Community Trust programme at Mickleover or make enquiries, can contact on community@dcct.co.uk

by Gareth Holmes, Mickleover FC First Team Manager

Derby County Community Trust (Mickleover) began their season in emphatic fashion with a dominant 5–1 victory over WBA at The Don Amott Arena, showcasing a blend of resilience, pace, and attacking flair.

It was WBA who started the brighter of the two sides, pressing high and causing Derby real problems early on. The visitors looked sharp in the opening stages, pinning Derby back and threatening around the edge of the box.
However, Derby’s defensive line stood strong, producing a series of vital blocks and challenges to keep WBA at bay.

The turning point came midway through the first half when Derby began to exploit their pace on the counterattack. The front three, brimming with speed and intent, started to stretch WBA’s back line. The breakthrough arrived through Stevenson, who unleashed a superb strike into the bottom left corner to give Derby a 1–0 lead at the break.

At halftime, the message from the Derby bench was clear: maintain the intensity off the ball, but aim for more composure in possession. The players responded perfectly.
Within minutes of the restart, Stevenson doubled the lead with another sensational long-range effort that flew past the goalkeeper. From there, Derby began to assert full control. Confidence grew, and the wide players became more involved—particularly after the introduction of Malpass, who made an immediate impact.

On the hour mark, Malpass raced past the WBA defence down the right and calmly lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 3–0. The midfield trio of Adcock, Williamson, and Berry continued to dominate, breaking up play and launching quick transitions. Their influence told again when they released Malpass down the wing, and he made no mistake with his second goal, slotting home Derby’s fourth.

WBA managed a late consolation with 10 minutes remaining, scoring from a well-taken free kick. But Derby were not finished. In the closing moments, some excellent work down the right-hand side led to a perfectly placed cross that found Garrett, who coolly slotted home the fifth and final goal of the game.

Final Score: Derby (Mickleover) 5–1 WBA
Scorers:
• Stevenson (2)
• Malpass (2)
• Garrett (1)
A superb all-round performance from a new-look Derby (Mickleover) side, who laid down a marker for the season ahead. The balance between defensive grit and attacking creativity bodes well for what’s to come.

GARETH HOLMES

by Peter Scherer 

Our visitors from Leicestershire proved to be just tOo much of a handful for the Mickleover youngsters and with four first half goals they ran out 6-2 winners.

Starting line-up: 1-Freddie Fleckney 2-Fynn Newman 3-Tom Bainbridge 4-Semilore Omotara 5-Josepeh Moore 6- Taylor Horbowyj 7-Cole Harrisn 8-Asher Lester-Newton 9-Efren Rolleston 10-Marats Sudavs 11-Zak Kirvan. Subs: Jon Hunt, Habibur Rahman, Harry Williamson, Ryan Martin, George Tunnicliff, Evan Cudworth.

Aylestone were straight into attack mode from the kick off and after two minutes a cross from the left was met with a miskick in front of goal, a lucky let off for Mickleover.

Two minutes later Yassine Haffaneh had the first shot on target for the visitors after the defence failed to challenge him, but fortunately it was straight at keeper Fleckney.

Saxon Nicholls then outpaced the home defence again after six minutes, he cut in from the right and fired a shot just wide.

But the luck ran out for Sports after seven minutes when keeper Fleckney came out to challenge Evan Kane for a cross from the right. He was alleged to have fouled the striker and the referee awarded a penalty, which was duly converted, 0-1.

Only a minute later there was another penalty appeal, but this time waved away. It wasn’t long though before Aylestone added a second, with the centre of the defence torn apart, the ball was struck firmly into the bottom corner, 0-2 after nine minutes.

The visitors had another shot blocked after 12 minutes before Fleckney claimed it, but in the first 20 minutes Mickleover had struggled to break out of their own half.

22 minutes and it was another lucky escape, when Newman was beaten on the right. The ball came into the box and there was a fumble from Fleckney, but Aylestone failed to get a free shot in.

Most of the 50/50 decisions seemed to be going Aylestone’s way and some dubious offside flagging went against Mickleover too, when barely having crossed the half way line.

Harrison nearly managed to break through and sent Sudavs on a run, before he was intercepted after 25 minutes. Two minutes later Harrison and Rolleston combined before a late saving tackle halted their progress.

Aylestone were then caught out by their own offside trap, when Harrison put Rolleston clear after 34 minutes. The striker went straight at the advancing keeper and slotted it neatly out of his reach to make it 1-2.

Sudavs then had a chase on a minute later after Moore played a lovely long ball out of the centre of defence, but it proved to be just out of reach.

But after a few minutes promise it was all Aylestone again to the half time whistle. 37 minutes and an unmarked striker gave Fleckney no chance from close range to make it 1-3 and three minutes later it was 1-4 after Fleckney managed to save the initial shot, before it bounced off him into the net.

Sports made two changes for second half with Pegg and Williamson on, joined five minutes later by Martin.

The defence seemed tighter and weren’t giving the visitors so much freedom, Omotara looking particularly strong as he tried to push forward.

Fleckney had to make a two footed save having charged off his line in the 54th minute and a minute later Martiin pulled one back with a lovely taken goal, after Harrison and Rolleston had combined to send him clear, 2-4.

Just four minutes later and it was 2-5, after Fleckney managed to palm away a good strike, before the rebound went in with no reaction from the defence.

Fleckney continued to be busy for the rest of the game, with four saves over the next 10 minutes, after the home defence were left floundering.

Kirvan tested the visitors keeper after 72 minutes and Rahman was the next sub to come on, and Hunt played the final 12 minutes.

But after some excellent saves to keep the score respectable, Fleckney appeared to drop the ball into the net with a minute left and the final whistle blew with Mickleover soundly beaten 2-6.