by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Academy striker Fin Barker hit his second hattrick of the week, as the second year Red squad took all three points at Rushall Olympic.

From the first whistle Mickleover were on the attack, with Ben Lewin getting the first shot on goal after five minutes.

Only two minutes later the Rushall goal was threatened again when a Josh Satchwell cross, whistled just past the post from a Brodie Carter header.

Rushall managed to make a break and put a good ball across the face of the Mickleover goal, but with no one to collect it rolled out for goal kick.

The dominance from the Mickleover attacks meant that wing backs Satchwell and Lewin spent more time in attack than defence, creating chances from where Barker had another shot just wide.

In the first 20 minutes both Barker and Carter kept the pressure on, and an appeal for a penalty failed to succeed after Barker had gone down in the area.

George Atwal, Jacob Edge-Lucas, Bobby Battisson and Louis Pennington had control of midfield and after Battisson fired a shot at the keeper, the following corner was met by Cameron Anthony’s head and it was finally 1-0.

The attacks continued to flow and after Smith easily collected a Rushall free kick, Barker had a good shot after 25 minutes, before Satchwell hit the bar with a header.

But on the half hour Edge-Lucas was on another run, when he was tripped on the edge of the box. Lewin took the kick, picked his spot and fired into the left hand corner, 2-0.

Four minutes later Edge-Lucas had a shot pushed out for a corner, quickly followed by a saved shot from Battisson, before Barker hit the bar again!

There was another telling run from Battisson, which just failed to reach Carter and similarly as the half time whistle was readied, Carter’s diving header just missed a Satchwell cross.

As the second half kicked off, a Rushall free kick came to nought, before Carter sprinted after a long clearance, which proved to be just out of reach.

Lewin then had a shot over after 49 mins, as Carter and Barker continued pounding the Rushall backline.

Only a minute later though, Barker got another shot in to make it 3-0, although Battisson put it in again to make sure, onlookers confirmed it was Barker’s goal.

Suddenly the attacking stopped and Rushall began to threaten. After one shot had cleared the bar, on the 10 minute mark they pulled one back 3-1, with the Mickleover defence split wide open down the middle.

There was yet another strike against the bar in the 56^th minute when Battisson created his own space, before he set up a shot for Atwal, who shot just wide.

Anthony and Will Robinson continued to look uncomfortable for a while, and after a mistake from Robinson, he had to fight back rapidly to rectify.

In the 62nd minute there were more defensive errors, a yawning gap down the middle offered Smith no protection in the Mickleover goal and suddenly it was 3-2.

The first substitution was Ted Stevenson on for Atwal, followed quickly by Mickleover’s fourth goal. Barker had his initial effort saved after 21 minutes, but was there for the rebound 4-2.

Seven minutes later Barker completed his hattrick with a fine, strong solo run for 5-2, before both he and Carter took a well earned rest as Kai Moore and Sam Pipes came on.

Moore had a good shot saved and after Battisson was put through he shot wide. With seven minutes on the clock Moore was inches away from collecting a Satchwell cross and in the final minute Moore went one on one with the Rushall keeper, but the final score remained 5-2.

by Peter Scherer

There were hat tricks for both Fin Barker and Brodie Carter as both Mickleover FC Academy sides faced each other at Borrowash.

Only three minutes into the game Carter was on the receiving of an early defensive error, to make it 1-0.

They had only just kicked off and it was close again, as Bobby Battisson picked his spot.

The pressure on the first years defence was relentless, and after eight minutes it was 2-0 when Barker was on the end of a positive build up.

But the first years kept plugging away themselves  and after 12 minutes Devon Smith had a shot just over Tom Smith’s bar.

There was soon another goal though from the Seniors, when Barker outstripped Lewis Hughes and Ethan Mann in a sprint and made it 3-0.

Both Bernard Koecher and Lennon Higgins tried to push forward for the first years, and after 16 minutes Emilio D’Abreu had a good effort just over.

With Louis Pennington controlling midfield, he was able to pick out Jacob Edge-Lucas and George Atwal, as well as strikers Carter and Barker.

Barker had a shot straight at goalkeeper Bowen on the hour, before forcing him to intercept on the edge of his box only four minutes later.

D’Abreu and Smith worked well together when the ball got through to them, but Reece Perry, Dylan Sanghera and Joe Nzeyimana were all finding it tough.

After 40 minutes D’Abreu put Smith through, but Will Robinson easily intercepted.

The ball was soon back in Bowen’s goal mouth, and when the Seniors won a corner, Josh Satchwell, playing left wing back, rose high above the defence to head home for 4-0. To which coach Mills was heard to say, “we’ve only practiced that a 100 times.”

Barker managed to seal his hattrick before half time  to make it 5-0.But the Juniors could have had one too, with Smith on a telling run, only to find the whole of the Senior defence laying in wait.

Both sides were starting to use their subs in the second half, but the Seniors were piling the pressure on again from the word go. 

Nzeyimana had a half chance, but Smith shot out of his goal to end any hopes, but it was Bowen’s goal under more and more pressure.

Barker had a bustling run through on goal and earned a corner, but a mid-defence mix-up left Carter free for his second and it was 6-0 with 56 minutes gone.

D’Abreu and Smith both had cracks at goal when even a half chance occurred. But just after the hour the ball bobbed around various legs, before finding its way into Bowen’s net, 7-0. Edge-Lucas claimed it, “well I touched it at some point, so I will claim it,” he reckoned.

Apart from Cameron Anthony, most of the Seniors defence went on the attack, with Ben Lewin and Satchwell on the overlaps.

Carter had another chance after one of Lewin’s runs, before he hit his third and made it 8-0.

In the 75^th minute came the 9^th and final goal. Perry was chasing Sam Pipes towards the touchline and clipped the back of his heel. Pipes then made no mistake from the penalty spot to make it 9-0.

Kai Moore and Kyran Ward had come on and linked up with Satchwell, whose shot went over the bar, while with six minutes to Lewin had a try and forced Bowen into another diving save.

The strength and experience of the Senior players was the key factor, but the Juniors kept trying to the final whistle.

They play each other at Borrowash next Monday too, but before then the Seniors visit Rushall Olympic on Thursday.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reds, the second year Academy team, arrived at Stafford Rangers, undefeated without having conceded a goal.

In this table topping encounter the opening 15 minutes gave an indication of the task ahead.

There had been no early attempts on goal from either side, but after 14 minutes Stafford won a free kick, which was fired well over the bar.

Only a minute later there was another attack from Stafford, after they collected a poor kick from Mickleover goalkeeper Tom Smith.

Mickleover’s first real attack soon followed, when Josh Satchwell, playing at the back, combined well with Brodie Carter to win a corner.

Stafford’s leading scorer Jayden Hunter had already been a tough opponent and kept Satchwell and Cameron Anthony on their toes in the centre of the Mickleover defence, earning a corner which went to waste, after 19 minutes.

Much of Mickleover’s play seemed to stem from Satchwell, but after Stafford made a break on goal, Smith came hurtling out and fouled the home striker, earning himself a yellow card.

Ben Lewin and Will Robinson both worked hard on the overlap, but the final ball continued to fall short of the Mickleover strikers, amidst a flurry of hard tackling from both sides.

Hunter had a shot across the face of the goal after 34 minutes, before Carter responded with a shot just wide, earning a corner, but the closest yet for Mickleover.

It could easily have been 1-0 for Mickleover three minutes later, when George Atwal crossed and Kai Moore just failed to connect.

Although Louis Pennington and Ted Stevenson continued to push forward, Stafford were threatening still too. 

Hunter collected the ball off the back of Satchwell’s head, before Smith safely collected it.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Pennington was fouled , but Atwal’s shot cannoned into the wall and away. Stevenson then had a good clean shot, forcing the Stafford keeper into a diving save.

There had been few clear cut chances for either side in the first 45 minutes, but unusually there was a lack of precision and ideas from the Mickleover side, earning them a stern talking too from coach Pablo Mills.

The second half started with promise, when after 49 minutes Robinson shot down the wing, whipped passed the approaching Stafford keeper and put a challenging ball into the box at Moore’s feet. But unfortunately he failed to connect.

Jacob Edge-Lucas came into the game more and some of his creativity seemed to help Mickleover push forward. He led a break after a Stafford free kick, which gave Carter a half chance.

Five minutes later Mickleover rued their missed chances, when after holding off Pennington’s challenge, Hunter fired a missile of a shot into Smith’s top left hand corner 0-1.

Hunter was set on goal again on the hour, but his weak shot was easily blocked by Smith. There seemed far too many free kicks given by the Mickleover team, but after Kyran Ward had come on, he combined with Edge-Lucas with a sniff of an equaliser.

Any hopes of pulling the game back were dashed however, when in the 75^th minute Hunter rounded Anthony to turn the ball into the area, before a fellow Stafford striker hit the ball home from close range, 0-2.

Fin Barker came on for Mickleover, just before Ward had a clash of heads with a home defender. Both players required treatment before the game continued.

Barker pushed hard to create space, but was fouled three times in one run. Edge-Lucas then had a shot blocked by the keepers feet and then in the closing minutes, Pennington layed the ball back just falling short of Brodie’s run.

With the whistle already being raised, Edge-Lucas was fouled on the edge of the box, but Pennington’s free kick sailed high and wide and it was game over.

by Peter Scherer

The Mickleover First Year Academy took their second win in four days, when they visited Belper Town yesterday.

Having beaten Belper in the first game of the season, hopes were high for a repeat.

The home side previously failed  to pick up a point in their previous six games, so it was no real surprise that Mickleover’s fire power overcame the Nailers Academy, returning home as 5-1 victors.

They are now level on points with the Second Year Red squad, having played three games more.

Both of Mickleover’s sides are due to play each other at Borrowash next Monday, the first of two meetings for the sides during April.

by Peter Scherer

Having their match switched from home to away, Mickleover Academy first years came away from title challenging Rushall Olympic as 3-2 winners.

The opening goal came after six minutes, when Devon Smith put the ball in from the left for Emilio De Abreu to slot it home 1-0.

Only a minute later there was another chance from a free kick, but although Smith connected there was no power in his effort.

Mickleover began threaten more and more, with De Abreu having another shot saved after 11 minutes and five minutes later he was on the end of a break but his shot was saved.

Shots were reigning in thick and fast and after 18 minutes if was 2-0. A lovely through ball from central midfield split the Rushall defence and Smith was there to put t home.

After Smith had another effort land on top for the net, Rushall had their first real attempt on goal after 24 minutes, only to shoot straight at Fin Bowen in the Mickleover goal.

Just before the half hour De Abreu earned a corner after going close again, but from the break Bowen was called into action again, diving at a Rushall strikers feet.

Rushall started to open up in the last third of the first half, but after De Abreu went close once more, Lennon Higgins tried his luck, but shot straight at the keeper.

With one minute left on the clock, Rushall pulled one back after Bowen had come out to narrow the angle, so they went in it half time with a 2-1 scoreline.

They had barely kicked off the second half and it was 2-2, after Haider Amin unfortunately had the last touch, before the ball found itself in Bowen’s net.

Mickleover’s first half domination had gone, and it was Rushall piling the pressure on.

After 53 minutes Bowen was forced into another save, before Smith was on the attack again, with de Abreu just failing to connect.

Smith continued to threaten and had a couple of attempts on goal.

But after 56 minutes Rushall had a chance straight in front of goal, but failed to capitalise.

Rushall’s strong start to the second half then began to fade and with Joe Nzeyimana beginning to threaten more, he was able to provide telling through balls on a couple of occasions.

After 71 minutes Rushall hit the post with Bowen beaten, before Smith had a crack from outside the box.

Both Higgins and Tom Griffiths began to overlap more as the scent of a possible victory returned.

De Abreu had a shot tipped over in the 84^th minute, before Bowen had another attempt to save.

But two minutes later De Abreu pulled out a shot in scrambled goal mouth and it was 3-2.

Rushall had one last chance with a direct free kick just outside the box in the final minute, but with the shot well off target, it was Mickleover returning home with three points.

They are back in action again on Thursday away to Belper Town.