by Brad Cox

Mickleover Sports suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Bamber Bridge.

Bamber Bridge took the lead early on with thanks to Joseph Booth. Booth stepped up from 30 yards out and perfectly placed his free kick in the top right corner of Muhammad Otuyo’s net. There was little he could do.

Mickleover bounced back just three minutes later. Stuart Beavon forced a misplaced pass at the back, Lee Hughes was there to dribble it up the pitch forcing a one on one and slotting it past the Brig keeper, Lloyd Rigby.

Sports kept up the pressure and captain, Greg Young, made it 2-1 from a corner. He could not have had an easier header; he was unchallenged, unmarked and hammered it home.

On the brink of half-time, the Brig equalised. Alistair Waddecar’s long-range effort snuck under Otuyo.

The second half saw little action in the first 15 minutes. Pablo Mills cleared off the line to keep Sports in the match. But the main talking point was when the Brig took the lead just after the hour mark. From a Booth cross, Waddecar glanced the ball into the bottom right corner. Controversially the goal stood. Sports goalkeeper, Otuyo, had multiple players surrounding him each time the Brig took a corner. Unfortunately, this time his sight was blocked, and the referee gave the goal.

Sports will be disappointed to come away with nothing after leading 2-1. Up next for Sports is another away trip, next week they travel to promotion seeking, Stalybridge Celtic.

Sports XI; Otuyo, Berry, Turner, Verma, Mills, Young (C), Wright (Satchwell 80’), Warren, Hughes (Surafel 83’), Beavon, Waldram (Boula 23’)

Unused Subs: Ravenhill

Bamber Bridge XI; Rigby, Spooner, Sumner, Lawlor (C), Charnock, Forbes, Waddecar, Thomson, Dean (Dudley 83’), Booth, Marlow

Unused Subs: Doughty, Churchman, Pett, Roccia

Bamber Bridge 3-2 Mickleover Sports
Saturday 7th December 2019
Sir Tom Finney Stadium

By Laurie Newman

Mickleover Sports picked up their first league win in six games after defeating Buxton FC 1-0 thanks to a Stuart Beavon volley.

Sports scored within the first ten minutes thanks to Stuart Beavon who scored his first goal since scoring a last minute winner against Hyde United.

The game started like many others, with the possession being shared by both teams but it was Sports who drew first blood. The goal came after Buxton thought they’d managed to clear their lines after a corner, but the ball fell to Stuart Beavon who then opened the scoring. Beavon struck the ball on the volley and the ball just glided in to the top hand corner.

A few minutes later it looked as though Buxton would get an opportunity to draw level when Kyle Harrison went down in the box. Fortunately for Sports his appeal was waved away and the game continued. Buxton managed to conjure up a real opportunity soon after which forced a fantastic save out of Nathan Broome who had to get down to his near post quickly to make the save.

Both teams managed to create a few half chances throughout the first half, but neither really threatened the other. That was until Lee Hughes’ header at the far post was saved at the last minute by Buxton’s keeper.

The first half ended 1-0 to Sports who were deservedly in the lead.

The second half kicked off and within five minutes Sports were already gunning for their second of the game. New signing Aman Verma dragged his shot just wide of the post. The remainder of the half kept seeing Sports’ efforts not hitting the back of the net. Andrew Wright had a shot blocked on the line and Mason Warren was tackled before he could get his shot away from inside the box.

Sports looked like they would be on route for their first win in a long time but with ten minutes to go Buxton were awarded a free kick on the edge of Mickleover’s box. Luckily for Sports Broome wasn’t caught out by Liam Hardy’s attempt that went under the wall. Sports held out for the remainder of the match thus ending their winless run in the league as well as making it back to back wins in all competitions.

Buxton 0-1 Mickleover Sports
Sat 30th November
Silverlands

Today’s game against Warrington Town has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

by Brad Cox

Mickleover Sports score two in three minutes against Loughborough Dynamo to advance to the second round of the Integro League Cup.

Centre-back partners, Pablo Mills and Greg Young, were essential in Tuesday night’s victory. After going behind, Mills made it 1-1 in the 22^nd minute. Mills’ header at the back-post ricochet back to him and acrobatically smashed the ball into the back of the net.

The Sports were forced into an early change just before half-time when Nathan Modest went down with an injury. Youngster, Karel Tvaroh replaced him and was put to work down the right-wing. An uneventful start to the second half proved to save all the excitement for the last 15 minutes.

Karl Demidh got his second of the night for Loughborough Dynamo and gave the visitors the lead in the 75^th minute. The Sports reacted just the way manager, John McGrath, wanted:

Character plays a massive part in football. Whether you play in the lower leagues or the Premier League, it all comes down to character and they showed that tonight. They overcame the adversity that was presented, and I couldn’t be more of the boys tonight.

Young got the Sports back on level terms in the 86^th minute. Tvaroh whipped in a cross from the right-flank which provoked a goal mouth scramble and a clearance off the line. Luckily for the hosts, the clearance fell to Young who slotted the ball home.

It got even better than that for the Sports. Yet again Tvaroh took the ball down the right-wing and got the ball into the box. This time it ended on Mill’s header that managed to lob the Dynamo keeper and complete the comeback for the Sports.

Four ex Sports players returned to the Don Amott Arena, Will Norcross, Karl Demidh, Alex Steadman and Curtis Burrows. They all put in a good shift and we hope they enjoyed their return.

The Sports get their first victory since October 5^th when they beat Scarborough Athletic 1-0 and advance to the next round. The second-round draw date is to be confirmed.

Sports XI; Otoyo, Berry, Turner, Warren, Mills, Young (Captain), Scott, Wright, Hughes (Satchwell 81’), Beavon, Modest (Tvaroh 35’)

Loughborough Dynamo XI; Smith-Eccles, Thorogood, Egginton, Young, Oke-William, Scanlon, Norcross, Burrows (Captain) (Norris 71’), Demidh, Fortnam-Tomlinson (Owusu-Nepaul 71’), Steadman

Mickleover Sports FC 3-2 Loughborough Dynamo
Tuesday 19th November 2019
Don Amott Arena

By Brad Cox

Sports suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the league to Radcliffe United, with thanks to super-sub, Elliot Rokka.

Rokka was brought on in the 81^st minute and took just six minutes to break the deadlock. Rokka picked the ball up on the left-flank and hit a wonderful strike from outside the box which beat debutant goalkeeper, Muhammad Otoyo. A match which could have swung either team’s way, unfortunately for the Sports, went to the visitors.

The Sports can also feel hard done by today, when on the hunt for an equaliser, Nathan Modest was clearly shoved in the box and went to ground. The referee, R.Watson, waved play on and Pablo Mills had the last chance of the match, but his header was comfortably saved by Radcliffe goalkeeper, Oliver Martin.

The Sports dominated for large periods of the match, especially in the second half. Chances have been hard to come by in recent weeks, however, that wasn’t the case this week, execution on the other hand…was.

The best chance for The Sports came on the hour mark when Mason Warren got on the end of a lofted Modest cross and headed just inches wide. The Sports showed real creativity going forward and had multiple different types of chances.

John McGrath has said that: “The last three or four weeks, the performance hasn’t been good enough. The ability to go through the midfield and create chances is what we’ve lacked in the last couple weeks. It allows us to give the back-four a break and get balls up to Lee Hughes and Nathan Modest.”

When the Sports pushed forward desperate to get points on the board, Radcliffe were able to find pockets of space in behind the wingbacks. Matthew Wolfenden had a fantastic opportunity to get on the scoresheet as he got in behind and chipped Otoyo. Fortunately for the Sports, it was off target.

The Sports have now entered the bottom half of the table, they sit 13^th with 21 points. They play Loughborough Dynamo on Tuesday evening at the Don Amott Arena in the Integro League Cup 1, where McGrath has said that he’d “like” to win that cup competition.

The Sports return to league action on the 23^rd of November, where they will face Warrington Town at home and will look to pick up their first points of the month.

Sports XI; Otoyo, Berry, Turner, Ravenhill, Mills, Young, Warren, Wright, Hughes (Jarrett 69’), Beavon, Modest

Radcliffe XI; Martin, Haywood, Swaby-Neavin, Winter (Captain), Smith, Warren, Sinclair (Rokka 81’), Williams, Wharton (Wolfenden 67’), Ellis, Brown (Billington 45’)

Mickleover Sports FC 0-1 Radcliffe United
Saturday 16^th November 2019
Don Amott Arena
Attendance: 285

by Girvane Bola

Mickleover Sports suffered their third successive league defeat after a 4-1 loss to Witton Albion in the Northern Premier League, making them winless since October 5th.

The away side raced to a three-goal lead at half time thanks to goals from James Short, Billy Smart, and Will Jones. Mason Warren’s penalty reduced the deficit before Danny McKenna sealed the victory for the visitors. 

The game started with Witton taking the lead in the fourth minute when Short’s strike was deflected, looping over goalkeeper Nathan Broome on its way to the net. 

Mickleover try to respond immediately as the two sides traded chances. The first when Witton’s Michael Monaghan fired his volley over the bar before Lee Hughes did not hit the target from close range in the 35th minute. 

Witton doubled their lead from a set piece when McKenna’s cross was met by Smart who guided his header in from inside the box. 

Suddenly after kick-off, Will Jones spot Broome off his line and attempted an ambitious lob from 45 yards, lobbing over Broome and gave them a three goal lead at half-time.

The second half saw Mickleover make an encouraged start. A minute into the restart, Jiri Boula was brought down inside the box and a penalty was awarded. Warren converted his penalty, making it seven goals this season.

Things got nervy for Mickleover however on the 49th minute when Jake Scott elbowed Smart in an aerial battle. 

The referee determined no wrongdoing thus showed no card to the Mickleover captain. The two sides once again traded chances but neither team could convert. Witton forward Jones came close in the 57th minute but fired over the bar.

Sports made one last push in the last minutes of the game when goalkeeper Chris Renshaw made a fantastic save from inside the box after substitute Karel Tvaroh’s cross from the near side nearly directed into Witton’s goal.

However, Witton Albion sealed the win as McKenna got his goal adding to his assist in the first half after a Broome mistake resulting in the winger firing a shot from inside the box into the far corner ending the game 4-1. 

This defeat sees Mickleover now lose three in a row in the league and drop two places from 7th to 9th. John McGrath’s men will want to snap their losing streak in the next league game against Radcliffe FC at home next weekend.

But before that, they host Loughborough Dynamo at home in The Integro Doodson League Cup on Tuesday the 12th of November.

Mickleover Sports 1-4 Witton Albion
Saturday 9th November
Don Amott Arena

Tonight’s game against Loughborough Dynamo has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.