by Peter Scherer
A lapse in defence early in the second half cost Mickleover dearly, when despite being on top for much of the game, they came away pointless again.
Starting line-up: 1- Yusuf Mersin 2-Jake Bennett 3-Brandon Ferron 4-Ryan Wilson 5-Will Atkinson 6-Danny Benson 7-Jamie Soule 8-Charlie Hickingbottom 9-Tyreace Palmer 10- Toby Smith 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Stuart Beavon, Curtis Weston, Marcus Barnes, Dylan Edwards, Edimond Oppong.
In the opening minutes Hickingbottom was on the end of a two-handed push over the touchline, but no free kick was given. But after three minutes FC United had their first shot when Le Fondre shot just wide of the left-hand post, before they earned a corner a minute later.
Six minutes in and Mickleover won a free kick, Soule then played Palmer through and his strike glanced off the left-hand post, before keeper O’Keefe dived on the ball.
It had been fairly even, but Benson had to head away a dangerous cross after eight minutes, before our hosts earned a sequence of corners. It was the second from Munro on the left that caused the damage, despite having nine players back, Paninkas rose above a flat-footed defence, before Halford connected to head passed Mersin, 0-1 after 11 minutes.
Hickingbottom had space so tried a distance shot just over the bar and the Fitzmartin led a break for FC United, but it ended with his tame shot straight at Mersin.
Hickingbottom had another shot blocked after 17 minutes from a Wilson cross and two minutes later Ferron found Soule in the box, he turned but his shot was deflected wide, before Smith got on the end of the following corner, but had his shot blocked too.
Sithole had shot wide for FC too after a long throw from Le Fondre, forced to shoot early as the pursuing defence closed in.
Soule played a telling ball through to Palmer after 21 minutes, but the two goal in two games striker mis-hit and it went agonisingly wide of the left-hand post.
Bennett then had a shot from outside the box, just over the bar, before FC got a break on the half-hour, one on one but Atkinson recovered to cut off his route.
Ferron then had a good run down the left, cutting inside as his route was blocked too, but finding Hickingbottom, whose shot was just wide of the left-hand post again.
Sports had to make an early change when Soule took a knock and was replaced by Barnes after 34 minutes. He was immediately in action and almost managed to put Palmer through on goal.
Mickleover earned a free kick two minutes later when Smith was fouled, but Wilson’s free kick was straight into the wall.
Buckley put another shot wide for FC United after 41 minutes and then Dales had a try, but his effort landed straight into O’Keefe’s waiting hands.
FC had another corner blocked with one minute on the clock, but Dales then fed Bennett from the left as he fired over from just outside the box.
But in time added on Mickleover were so unlucky not to grab the equaliser when Wilson’s corner came to Benson, whose shot struck the underneath of the bar with the keeper well beaten. In the scramble that followed shots reigned in on the FC United goal, but somehow they managed to hold on, with the half time whistle soon following as it remained 0-1.
Having taken a knock in the first half Dales was replaced by Edwards as the second kicked off.
FC United started very strongly and earned a corner just a minute into the half, after Ennis’s cross found Buckley, whose header hit the bar.
The pressure continued as the Sports defence was pegged back and looked extremely vulnerable and in disarray. 50 minutes gone and the defence was split wide open leaving Ennis with a clear run through the middle to make it 0-2.
Ferron then had wild shot over the bar from the restart and two minutes later his positive run from the left saw a cross into the box, missing the chasing Palmer by just inches.
The hosts were still looking dangerous on the breaks, but after Beavon had replaced Smith, FC had another shot just before the hour mark, which managed to clear the stand.
But into the last 30 minutes, Mickleover had regrouped and started the fightback, and it was the home defence now looking vulnerable.
66 Minutes and Atkinson put a cross in from the left, but it was too near the right-hand post and O’Keefe comfortably gathered it.
The pressure was continuous as Mickleover pushed everything forward, gaining reward in the 70th minute when Wilson pulled one back in a crowded box, following a free kick and a throw, 1-2.
Both Hickingbottom and Bennett had been felled in challenges, but as they lay prone, the ref waved play on, until Atkinson put the ball out.
Edwards got his head to a cross in the 77th minute but his effort ended in the side netting. But United then got a break, but Atkinson again came to the rescue.
Oppong and Weston had come on too and a precise cross field ball from Oppong found Edwards. His shot was blocked, as was Weston’s rebound attempt.
Mickleover were hitting everything bar the back of the net and Wilson went close again after 85 minutes, when his shot was tipped over by keeper O’Keefe.
Edwards then got on the end of another Ferron cross, but his shot was straight at the keeper. But Mersin had to come to the rescue for Sports, after Atkinson lost the ball, racing off his line to intercept.
Mickleover continued to pound the home defence in a positive final half hour, but the rhythm was broken when O’Keefe went down with alleged cramp, a familiar old pro tactic to break up the play.
In the six minutes added on, Beavon played the ball out to Ferron on the left, but his cross was too close to the keeper and time had all but run out.
Ennis had a final shot for our hosts high and wide, but despite the strong finish, it was not to be, and Mickleover hopes of a second consecutive win were over.