Sports are over the moon to have re-signed Defender Pablo Mills.

 

See the interview with Mills here:

 

Manager’s Quote
“Delighted with the fact that Pablo Mills has agreed to re sign for another season with us here at Mickleover Sports. He’s a player who is a massive influence both on the pitch and in the changing room and we have fought off stiff competition from a lot of clubs. Pablo is someone I have got to know personally and is someone I trust completely within our football club. 17 goals last season speaks volumes for his level of consistency in his performances“

John McGrath

Mickleover 3 – 3 Barwell

Sports:- King, Hickman, Eccleshall, McGrath, Williams, Morris, Dales(Briscoe 77), Morrison, Scott, Garnett (Barnes-Homer 45), Norcross.
Subs:- Belgrave, Grocott, Turner.

Barwell:- Castle, Whitmore, Nisevic, Stanley, Kay, Julian (Nesbitt 82), Heath, Percival, Piggon (Warmington 89), Hickey, Storey (Baldwin 77).
Subs:- Hadland, Turner.

Attn:- 166

In a season that has been frequently disrupted by bad weather it seemed appropriate that Sports kicked off their final game on a very wet afternoon.

Despite the stop start nature of their campaign the hosts were set for their highest ever finish, and points total at this level with anything better than a defeat.

With the forthcoming League restructuring meaning only one club going down Mickleover have been safe from relegation for some time now, a fact which has allowed player manager John McGrath to blood a number of youngsters in the last few games, with an eye to the future.

One of those prospects, Tom Eccleshall, made his debut at left back in this game, and at the age of 16 become the youngest ever player to debut for the first team – he acquitted himself well.

Sports made the best of possible starts as Will Norcross got onto the end of a deflected pass not intended for him before scoring with a maturity that belied his years, with 5 minutes on the clock.

The game then swung the way of the visitors with a disastrous 5 minute spell for the home team. Firstly keeper Lewis King was unable to deal with a regulation shot from distance by Brady Hickey on 7 minutes that he fumbled into the net.

King was then unlucky in the 12th minute to push a shot away from goal only for Mitchell Piggon to react faster than the home defenders and fire home to give his side the lead.

Piggon then proceeded to increase the Barwell lead on 32 minutes out muscling Morgan Williams for the ball and netting off the far post.

Norcross gave Mickleover a chance of a comeback when he cut in from the right wing only two minutes into the second half and doubled his lead with a cross shot that was too good for visiting keeper Liam Castle to deal with.

Player manager John McGrath completed the scoring for the season with one of his trademark free kicks from the edge of the box that rippled the back of the net on 57 minutes.

The ensuing draw meant that Sports had finished the season, as hoped, with a record points tally and a highest position, and with so many youngsters knocking on the door for selection to the first team the future is certainly looking bright.

—
Phil Matthews

Freelance Sports Broadcaster and Writer

BY CIARAN LAVENDER

Mickleover Sports scored a dramatic late winner to take a deserved three points against Stalybridge Celtics.

Evan Garnett converted from a rebound after Andy Dales missed his penalty to give Sports their second win in as many days.

Mickleover made a bright start and were pushing the away side back from the off and it was almost the perfect start when the ball fell to John McGrath, who volleyed the ball first time, forcing the Stalybridge goalkeeper to tip the ball just over.

Stalybridge managed to weather the early storm and started to threaten themselves, leaving themselves more vulnerable at the back. The red’s caught the visitors on a counter attack and had the ball in the back of the net but Garnett had run too early and saw his goal ruled out.

The home side’s confidence seemed to be on a high and they were starting to regularly threaten the opposition with Matthew Barnes-Homer being unlucky to see his clever flick from a cross just miss the target.

George Sykes-Kenworthy, the Stalybridge goalkeeper, was keeping his side level in the first half as the ever-dangerous Garnett found himself free in the penalty area but had his shot saved by the resilient ‘keeper.

Heading into the break the score remained 0-0 with Mickleover having the best of the play but the reds couldn’t break the deadlock and needed to improve their finishing going into the second half.
It was a tight opening to the second half with neither side creating many chances. Stalybridge almost fortuitously took the lead however after Lewis King misjudged a cross forcing Pablo Mills into a great goal line clearance.

Mickleover struggled to maintain the pressure from the first half as Stalybridge started to dominate play in the midfield. Chances were still at a premium with King successfully managing to handle the long balls the visitors were pumping into the box.

After a quiet 45 minutes there was drama right at the end as Garnett was pulled down in the box before he could poke the ball into the net, with the visitor’s centre back being sent off for the foul. Andy Dales stepped up to take the penalty and saw his effort saved but luckily for the reds, Garnett was first to the ball and smashed in the winner.

McGrath spoke after the match about the amount of games his side have had to play in recent weeks due to the season ending on Saturday. He said: “It was a typical end of the season game, you could definitely tell that we’re about 50 plus games into the season. Small squad, the lads are tired and it’s the same for Stalybridge, they’ve had to play the same as us. But I think we deserved the win, in the second half we huffed and puffed but I can’t remember them having too many chances.”

Mickleover Sports suffered an unfortunate defeat to Marine in a heated clash at the Don Amott Arena.

The Reds were the better side throughout the game and will be disappointed that they didn’t take a single point from the game.

It was a tense opening to the game with Mickleover enjoying the majority of possession, but it was Marine that had the first clear cut chance as winger Dominic Reid headed just over from a dangerous cross.

Mickleover dominated the play throughout the first half, forcing Marine to defend in numbers as the away side tried their hardest to frustrate the Reds. Evan Garnett managed to free himself behind the Marine defence however with a clever run, but James Short recovered well for the visitors to thwart Garnett’s opportunity to open the score.

The first 45 minutes was frustrating for both sides as neither team were capable of creating any attacking threat. Constant stoppages in play due to unnecessary fouls from both sides didn’t help the flow of the game either.

Marine came out in the second half the more positive side and Lewis King was forced to make his first save of the game for the home side as he tipped the ball wide from an audacious Marine free kick.

Mickleover made the visitors pay for their wasteful start to the half when Garnett did exceptionally well down the left flank to work himself into the penalty area and cross for Jak Hickman, who just had to tap the ball into the empty net.

Garnett was proving himself as Mickleover’s danger man as he once again got in behind Marine’s defence just after the opening goal. The attacker showed a clever piece of skill to round the goalkeeper but somehow managed to drag his shot wide.

The visitors were causing Mickleover problems from set pieces and they managed to level the game through a free kick from out wide which King misjudged, allowing Short to tap the loose ball into the net.

That equaliser sparked Marine into life as straight from the kick off they attacked again with King being caught out by Danny Mitchey, who set up Billy Smart to smash the visitors into the lead.

Mickleover pushed hard for a deserved point but were not able to create any solid chances due to a resolute Marine defence. Tempers were heated towards the end of the match which meant that the Reds weren’t able to build up enough momentum to mount a serious threat to the opposition goal.

The defeat to Marine ended Mickleover’s three match unbeaten run and has left them stranded in mid-table with only four games left of this season. Sports next game is away at Hednesford Town this Saturday.

Mickleover Sports 2 – 2 Buxton

Sports:- King, Grocott, Turner, McGrath, Mills, Williams, Dales, Briscoe, Phillips, Garnett, Norcross (Hickman 77).

Subs:- Belgrave, Morris, Barnes-Homer, Burgin.

Buxton:- Budtz, Meade, Baker (Doran), Maguire, Young, Degiralamo, Hinsley (Broadhead 73), Grayson, Wilson, Hardy, Taylor (Chippendale 45).

Subs:- McWilliams, Biggs.

Referee S Brown

Attn:- 232

This game, between local rivals proved to be a feisty affair, not helped by a referee who was quick to administer verbal warnings but slow to issue cards, which seemed to give the message that players could get away with more than perhaps they should.

There was a lengthy delay after only four minutes when visiting keeper Jan Budtz had to be treated for a head injury after an early Mickleover attack had been cleared. Ironically the blow that lead to the wound was caused by his own full back.

The opening goal came after 14 minutes and was a great solo effort from leading scorer Andy Dales who twisted, turned and dribbled past opponents before picking his spot and firing home from the edge of the area.

The physios were both called into action too many times during the first period to let the game flow, and there was not too much football played as a result. Sports went in at half time a goal up, with Buxton having failed to make the most of the few scoring opportunities that they had.

The visitors drew level immediately after the break, and it came from a source well known to Mickleover supporters as Nico Degiralamo headed home his first goal for the club from a corner.

Nico, who had been a fans favourite and Player of the Year while at the club had a deserved reputation for scoring vital goals from set pieces – a fact that seemed to elude the home defence on this occasion.

The hosts were back in front on 56 minutes with a set play of their own. Dales was fouled outside the area and player manager John McGrath restored the lead with a superbly take free-kick that beat both the wall and the Buxton keeper.

It was all square again on 81 minutes as Ant Wilson bundled the ball over the line after home keeper Lewis King failed to make a clean catch. King claimed that he had been fouled but the referee adjudged that the ball was not fully under the keeper’s control at the time.

Evan Garnett had a great opportunity to take all the points in the closing minutes but from close range only managed to fire the ball over the bar with the goal seemingly at his mercy.

—
Phil Matthews

Freelance Sports Broadcaster and Writer

We can confirm that following a pitch inspection, todays home game against Halesowen Town has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

A rescheduled date will be announced in due course.

#SportsRising

Mickleover Sports 1 – 0 Workington A.F.C

Sports:- King, Hickman (Grocott 77), Scott, McGrath, Mills, Burgin, Dales, Morrison (Garnett 90), Barnes-Homer, Briscoe, Morris (Turner 62).
Subs:- Mulders, Williams,

Workington:- Taylor, Douglas, Smith, Wordsworth, Calvert, Wright, Symington, Wilson (Brown 70), Allison, Rigg, Tinnion.
Subs:- Whitehead, Harker, Holliday, Mossop.

Referee R Dadley

Attn:- 252

This was Mickleovers’ first home league game in 8 weeks due to the postponements brought about by the recent bad weather, and they were keen to put on a show for their football starved fans. They certainly did that.

The 1-0 scoreline was not an accurate reflection of the magnitude as they dominated the majority of the match.

With Andy Dales firing at goal every time that the opportunity arose and Louis Briscoe making chances as well it was a surprise that the game was goal less at the half time break.

The only goal of the game came six minutes after the restart. Captain Tom Burgin heading home from a John McGrath left wing corner.

Workington tried to find a way back into the game but Lewis King in the home goal was a virtual spectator with the visitors wayward in their shooting.

Mickleover had further chances but were unable to make them pay, however, both teams knew at the final whistle that the result was right if not the actual scoreline.

—
Phil Matthews

Freelance Sports Broadcaster and Writer