by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)

Following last Saturday’s defeat at Coventry Sphinx, it was hoped that Mickleover would rise to the occasion of a first home league game of the season and against local rivals Long Eaton Utd.

Despite a great improvement in the second half, two first half goals from our visitors left Sports both goalless and pointless again.

Starting line-up: 1- Jack McDowell 2-Louis Bonser 3-Toby Smith 4-Harry Wood 5-George Wilkinson 6-Ashton Offler 7-Josh Carter 8-James Matthews 9-Paddy Webb 10-Andy Dales 11-Archie White. Subs: Fraser Corden, Stephen Fikula, Liam Carter, Ali Mohiuddin, Stuart Beavon.

It was a fairly even start, but Long Eaton were first to try a shot, as Pace fired in from just outside the box, fortunately over McDowell’s bar after seven minutes.

Sports quickly responded after picking up the ball following a mistake in midfield by our visitors. White picked it up, rounded keeper King, only for Betts to get back and clear it off the line.

Wood then crossed from the right, but it was just a little too high for Webb, whose header went over the bar. But Long Eaton went close again 10 minutes in, when a cross from the right beat the defence and Thompson-Matthews’ shot ricocheted off the post and bar before going clear.

Mickleover were starting to get forced further and further back as they struggled for possession, but a wild 13th minute effort from our visitors failed to test McDowell.

Three minutes later former Mickleover loanee Dexter Walters opened the scoring for Long Eaton, after a long and sustained build-up. Sports had plenty of players back but lacked co-ordination, allowing Walters’ final strike to hit home after a quick one two with Garnett, 0-1.

Matthews was yellow carded after 18 minutes, before Bonser tried a speculative shot was just outside the book.

Long Eaton wasted another opportunity after Betts got around the back of the defence, only to put his cross straight into McDowell’s hands after 22 minutes.

Wood joined Matthews in the refs book but shortly afterwards Long Eaton made it 0-2. The defence was once again beaten on the left, as the first shot came in McDowell saved low, but the ball fell loose and with no response from the defence, Shaw fired it home, 0-2 after 26 minutes.

Our visitors earned a couple of corners which were both wasted, but on the half hour Smith, Carter and Dales combined in a nice build up on the right, but Wood’s final shot lacked any pace to challenge the keeper.

Dales had a good run through after 35 minute, but Webb’s following shot was straight at King, before the visitors earned another corner which went to waste.

Smith had a good overlap on the right but lost possession when he hesitated and then White became the third Sports player in the refs book.

As we entered the closing minutes of the first half, there was a slight spark from Sports after an overall poor performance. They won a 39th minute corner and had another promising build up a minute later, with Wood firing in a shot at a tight angle to earn another corner.

White hit a great shot which King tipped away but couldn’t hold, but no one was on hand to pick up the pieces.

Webb then went down with appeals for a penalty, which clearly wasn’t. But in time added on Carter went in one on one with the keeper on a break. King’s burly stature saw him take out the teenaged winger, prompting an early sub as debutant Mohiuddin came on, as the half time whistle blew at 0-2.

Mickleover made two changes for the second half with Liam Carter and Fikula on for Bonser and Matthews.

It restarted with an attacking flourish from Mickleover and just three minutes into the half Webb just missed out with his effort hitting the side netting.

Wood then had a strong run down the right, firing in a powerful shot just wide, but a very promising effort as the visitors were pegged back in their own half.

But Long Eaton managed a break after 57 minutes, the danger was cleared though with Wilkinson’s saving tackle on Shaw.

Sports wasted a 67th minute free kick when White put his shot well over, and four minutes later our visitors reciprocated with an effort well over the Mickleover bar.

Dales had just won a corner after another good build up, when he then left the field to be replaced by Corden after 73 minutes.

Corden was straight into the action, but wasted the ball with a cross from the right, when a cut in from the right looked on the cards. He then tried to chase the ball but was physically dragged back by a defender, with the referee failing to respond.

Time was beginning to run out, which obviously hadn’t gone unnoticed by the visitors defence, who started to hurl themselves to the ground at the first opportunity, supported by the colourfully vociferous keeper and captain King.

82 minutes and Corden sent Carter on a good run, he crossed from the left but once again Webb found the side netting, but it was so close.

Carter had another late attempt just over and Webb was sent on a chase for a late long ball, but King got their first and hoofed it clear.

It was certainly a game of two halves, sadly the goals came in the first when Sports were at their worst and we remain without a point or goal in the league as we now look forward to FA Cup action.

 

by Peter Scherer

After the disappointing 0-2 defeat at Coventry Sphinx last Saturday, Mickleover will be hoping to bounce straight back and gets some points on the board, as they host Long Eaton Utd on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t the best of starts for our visitors either, as they went down 0-1 at home to Corby Town.

Long Eaton were fifth in the table last season, after being relegated from the Southern Premier League after one season.

Player manager Bradley Munn started his career in the MansfieldTown Academy, before joining Burton Albion. He has played for Bedworth, Coalville and Loughborough Dynamo too.

He started his managerial career at Loughborough, but after five years at the club he came to Long Eaton initially as joint manager in August 2023, taking full charge three months later.

Goalkeeper Lewis King is the first of the ex Mickleover players in the Long Eaton line-up. He came through the youth scheme at Derby County and Sunderland, before joining Stockport County on his release.

Eastwood Town, Boston Utd, Stalybridge and Matlock Town followed, before coming to Mickleover in July 2016 from FC United. He stayed for three years before a move to Stafford and a return trip to FC United. He joined our visitors at the start of last season, after spells at Gresley Rovers and Loughborough Dynamo.

Gianluca Bucci is a centre back who came through Lincoln City’s Academy. He then spent a year each at Gainsborough, Spalding and Loughborough, before joining Long Eaton last September, after two months with Coleshill.

Defender Jake Finnerty was signed just in time to make his debut last Saturday, having spent the last few seasons at Loughborough Dynamo.

Ryan Campbell-Gordon is a left back signed from Hanley Town in September 2023. He started off at Port Vale and had loans at Ilkeston, Kidsgrove, Hednesford and Gainsborough, before returning to Hanley after his release.

Defender Jayden Cotterill was signed at the beginning of last season. A former Burton Albion graduate, he has also played for Hanley Town, Barwell, Gresley Rovers and Belper Town.

Jamie Hanson played Championship and League One football, racking up well over 100 appearances, during his time at Derby County, Wigan and Oxford Utd. His non-league career started at Ilkeston in July 2023, before a loan to Long Eaton in May last year, became permanent two months later.

Defender Owen Betts is club captain, recently recovered from a long term injury. He started off at Notts County and played for Spalding and Worksop too, before coming to Grange Park from Basford in February 2024.

James Taylor is a central midfielder, who came through Long Eaton’s own Academy. He made his first team debut in 2020. After a move to Heanor Town in July 2023, he rejoined our visitors at the start of last season

Connor Pace is a central midfielder too, a former Burton Albion Junior. He arrived at Grange Park last season having previously been loaned to Gresley Rovers.

Striker Evan Garnett is the second ex Mickleover player. He started with Burton Albion and moved to Worksop after a loan spell with Hucknall Town. Belper Town, Ilkeston and Kidderminster followed, before he came to Sports in July 2017, after a year at Alfreton.

After two years at Mickleover he moved to Stafford, and has played for Loughborough Dynamo too, before arriving at Long Eaton at the start of last season.

Dexter Walters is a left sided midfielder and the third ex Mickleover player. He joined the Coventry City youth scheme after starting out with Romulus and Tamworth. After a loan at Leamington, he rejoined Tamworth after his release and came from there to Mickleover in October 2021 on loan.

He moved to Long Eaton last March, after spells at Stratford, Stourbridge and Bedworth.

Jahvan Davidson-Miller is the fourth ex Sports player. He was a Derby County striker before joining Barwell on his release. Coming to Mickleover in November, he struggled to hold down a starting role and returned to Barwell 11 months later. He then came back to Mickleover for a very short spell last season, before gong to Redditch and Rugby Town and finally joining our visitors about a month ago.

And the fifth former Mickleover player is midfielder George Atwal, a graduate of our own Academy and spent the 23/24 season at Long Eaton, before moving on to Redditch and Bromsgrove. He came back to Grange Park pre-season.

Assistant manager to Munn is ex Derby County Junior Aaron Cole, a sixth ex Mickleover player in the Long Eaton squad. Eastwood, Stockport, Barrow, Hinckley Utd, Rocester, Worksop and Belper Town were all his ex clubs before arriving at the Don Amott Arena in 2017.

He moved on to Market Drayton, Belper, Stafford and Gresley Rovers and has been assistant player/managed at Long Eaton since November 2023.

Striker James Shaw started out with Burton Albion Community Trust. He is in his second spell at the club, after leaving in 2022 to join Kimberley MW, returning to Long Eaton last summer from Shepshed Dynamo.

Fellow striker Tristan Thompson-Matthews has spent most of his career with Corby Town, having moved from Loughborough Dynamo in 2022. He joined Lng Eaton last February.

Oscar Hugenholtz, Corey Gregory, Sam Calpin and Caleb Horsley are all products of the clubs own Academy. Defender Hugenholtz went to Shepshed at the beginning of last season, before to the club.

Calpin is now the number two keeper and has also played for Chesterfield Under 23’s.

Kick off as usual is 7.45pm.

by Peter Scherer

Mansfield Town left back Louis Bonser had come to the Don Amott Arena on a month’s loan. He will be available for selection for tonight’s game against Long Eaton Utd, subject to FA approval.

He also had loans at Carlton Town and Rushall Olympic last season, as well as playing in the Mansfield Under 21 side.

by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)

Hopes were high of a good start to Mickleover’s first season in the NPL Midlands Division. But it wasn’t to be as they lost out to two first half goals at Coventry Sphinx.

Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Archie White 3-Jake Bennett 4-Will Atkinson 5-George Wilkinson 6 Ashton Offler 7-Steven Johnson-Fikula 9-Paddy Webb 10-Andy dales 11-Stuart Beavon Subs: Josh Carter, Liam Carter, Faser Corden, James Matthews, Toby Smith.

It was fairly intense opening 10 minutes, with neither team able to break down their opponents defences, nor test either keeper.

Mickleover finally broke through 18 minutes in, when White and Wood combined on the right to penetrate the home defence, but keeper Woods came to the rescue and brought any threat to an end.

Just two minutes later and the deadlock was brokenhowever, when a defensive error left the ball set up for striker Matty Shipman, who seized his opportunity to slot it past McDowell, 0-1.

But Wood was close to an equaliser after 28 minutes, when he let fly with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but his shot was deflected just wide.

Wilkinson managed to block another Coventry attempt after 34 minutes, before the striker managed to shoot, but Sports were pushing hard to grab an equaliser as time began to run out in the first half.

With four minutes on the clock before the stoppage, Dales got through the defence after a long run, but was brought down in the box. Appeals for a penalty were dismissed, but three minutes later Sports defence failed to clear their lines, the ball fell to Redhead who scored at the near post, 0-2 as a disappointing first half came to end.

The second half started in a similar way to the first, with neither side taking the initiative, but 0-2 down changes were needed for Mickleover to get back into the game.

Corden came on for Beavon after 53 minutes and just after the hour mark Fikula and Atkins; made way for Liam Carter and Smith.

Webb was yellow carded after 64 minutes and Wood followed two minutes later, but any hopes of a fightback from Sports had still not begun, as they struggled to create any shooting opportunities.

But the best chance of the game fell to Webb in the 83rd minute, but his shot went fractionally wide. But with just six minutes on the clock, Coventry sub Harvey Smith was given a straight red card for violent conduct, having barely been on the pitch for two minutes.

Five minutes of added was played, but it made no difference to the 0-2 result, in a fairly scrappy game, where our hosts made the most of two defensive errors to take all three points.

 

by Peter Scherer

With pre-season now over, Mickleover look to Saturday’s opening league game in the NPL Midlands Division, visiting Coventry Sphinx.

There will be a number of debutants lining up for Sports, plus returning keeper Oliver Bosworth and striker Paddy Webb joining the hardcore of the squad retained from last season.

Our hosts finished 17th in the table last season and began their FA Cup campaign last weekend, with a 2-0 home win over Romulus.

Manager John Woodward has recently taken over as full time, having been a co-manager last season. But he is assisted by Louis Guest, club captain and currently recovering from a long term injury.

Keeper Charlie Woods was signed from Alvechurch last September and has played for Quorn and Barwell too, since being released by Northampton Town.

Patrick Zito is an ex Aston Villa junior. A centre back he came from Quorn at the start of last season, after spells at Sutton Coldfield and Stratford Town.

Currently captaining the side in Guest’s absence is central midfielder Callum Woodward. He is in his second spell with our hosts, having originally left to join Coalville in September 2010, spending four years there until a move to Barwell, preceded a return to Coalville. He has now been back at Sphinx for nearly nine years.

Striker Roan Newey joined our hosts at the start of last season, following his release from West Bromwich Albion.

Fellow striker Kyle Carey was at Mickleover back in 2018 and his previous clubs include Coventry Utd too. When he returned to Sphinx last September, he was only the second player in the clubs history to sign a contract, having previously played youth football for the club.

Centre back Ryley Nicholson and striker Andre Williams are strikers too. Both arrived at the beginning of last season, Nicholson has played for Lutterworth and Coventry Utd and Williams was previously at Hinckley.

Preferably a right sided midfielder, Matty Bowman is another ex Mickleover player in the home squad. A former Repton School pupil he played youth football at Middlesbrough and Hull City, before heading to Scotland with Dunfermline Athletic. He came to the Don Amott Arena from Basford in November 2023, and started last season at Bridlington. He arrived at Sphinx last month.

Striker Joe Blowers has re-signed after playing for the team last season and both Lucas Marks and Leeland Yates have come through academy football and made their first team debuts pre-season.

Kick is at 3pm

by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)

A goal in each half ended Mickleover’s hopes of finishing pre-season with a win at Northern Premier League Leek Town, in an otherwise impressive performance.

Starting line-up: 1-Oliver Bosworth 2-Jake Bennett 3-Archie White 4-Will Atkinson 5-George Wilkinson 6-Ashton Offler 7-Steven Johnson-Fikula 8- Harry Wood 9- Paddy Webb 10-Fraser Corden 11-Omotola. Subs: Stuart Beavon, Liam Carter, Trialist A, Trialsit B, Trialist C.

It didn’t start well for Mickleover going a goal down to our hosts in the first minute, 0-1.

Three minutes later Wilkinson was on hand to snub out another attack, stifling any opportunity before the striker could get a shot in.

Once Mickleover began to settle they showed a good strong response in all departments, battling particularly well in midfield with plenty of possession.

16 minutes in and Webb forced the home keeper into a good save, as Mickleover started to look closer at snatching an equaliser.

Just a minute later Bennett let fly on the right, forcing another save as the pressure started to build on the home defence. Bosworth had to pull off a save too when a half volley effort followed a Leek free kick.

Webb went close again after 32 minutes with a header just wide of the post, which proved to be the last chance of the half, with the score remaining 0-1.

Sports hopes of getting back on terms were dashed when Leek got a second goal after 53 minutes, 0-2, but just after the hour mark our sub trialist keeper made a low save as a Leek striker closed in.

Mickleover continued to chase for the rest of the game, and brought on Beavon as late sub to test the home defence for the last 10 minutes, but is still remained 0-2 to our hosts.

“The back three really worked well together, our striker’s provided really good platform and midfield dominated for much of the game and we could easily have been back in at half time, but didn’t take our chances. OveralI I am really pleased with the performance,” said Sports gaffer Gareth Holmes.

 

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover played Leek three times last season and came out on top in all three games. But it was our hosts who survived in the NPL to finally finish 15th, winning a hard fought battle for survival.

It’s the last chance for Sports gaffer Gareth Holmes to try out trialists, as well as defining his starting his starting line-up for the following weeks league opener.

Most of Josh Brehaut’s squad at Leek have been retained for this season. They recently lost 0-3 to Clitheroe in a friendly and last Saturday played both Nantwich Town, winning 2-1 and Kidsgrove Athletic, losing 0-1.

South African Dean Visser is first choice goalkeeper, signed from Hereford in late 2023. He’s played for Port Vale, Crewe and Exeter City too, having spent his earlier career at home in South Africa.

Visser’s deputy is Xander Parke, a former Stoke City and Shrewsbury Junior who also arrived in late ’23.

Centre back Liam Edwards came from Chester at the start of last season. He started out at Stoke City, before joining Bolton Wanderers. After a loan at Southport he joined Chester on his release in August 2022.

Liam Buckley came from 1874 Northwich at the start of the 23/24 season. Primarily a right back he has also played for Cefn Druids after starting out at Chester City.

Tom Curl is right back too and spent most of his career with Stoke City. He had a loan spell with Hanley Town, but joined our hosts at the start of last season.

Billy Reeves is an experienced midfielder, who came through Port Vale’s youth scheme, making 12 League One appearances. He was loaned to Witton Albion and Hyde Utd, before joining Stafford Rangers after an initial loan.

He then spent almost five years at Leek before moving to Bootle in July 2023, but returned at the start of last season after a spell at Bury.

Central midfielder Adam Porter is a product of the Stoke City Academy. Back in 2019 he was loaned to Leek and also had a spell at Altrincham before joining Salford City on his release. He played for Truro City and Ashton Utd too, before returning to Leek in August last year.

Ollie Shenton came via the Stoke Academy too and is another central midfielder. After loans at Wrexham and Kidderminster he joined Chorley and had another loan at Warrington Rylands before joining our hosts at the start of last season.

Lucas Weir favours central midfield too and joined our hosts in January last year from 1874 Northwich. He played his youth football at Northwich Victoria, Chester City and Wigan Athletic, but has spent much of his career at 1874 Northwich. He had a spell in the US with Evansville Purple Aces and has also played for Marine.

Left winger Alex Hurst has League Two experience. He started out at Crewe Alexandra, before a short spell at Matlock. Bradford Park Avenue was his next stop, before joining Port Vale. He has also played for York City and came to our hosts from Macclesfield at the start of last season.

Striker Louis Potts came from Preston North End’s youth scheme. He played for Workington and Glossop North End too, before his first spell with Avro. Mossley and Ashton Utd are also on his CV, along with return trips to Avro. He joined Leek last December from Clitheroe.

Tyreece Onyeka is another striker who arrived from Stafford at the start of last season. He was previously a Crewe junior.

Hayden Campbell is a striker too. He started out at Port Vale and Salford City and was loaned to Stalybridge and Altrincham before joining Marine on his release. He has played for Curzon Ashton and Macclesfield to before coming to Leek last October from Rushall Olympic.

Centre back Matty Fenton is a new arrival from 1874 Northwich after a four year stint with the club. He is a former Crewe Junior.

Ollie Heywood has just arrived too following his release from Chester. He has previously had two loan spells at Leek, along with 1874 Northwich and Hanley Town.

Striker Connor Heath completes the three new signings, after a short spell at Hyde Utd. He is another former Crewe Junior, who was loaned to Witton Albion and Colwyn Bay, before going to Nantwich on his release. He has played for Farsley Celtic, Nantwich, Southport and Stafford too.

Kick off as usual is 7.45 pm.