By Peter Scherer

It’s been a difficult season for Mickleover Reserves having had a number of recent games postponed due to the wet weather, but still sitting firmly at the bottom of the table, having been pointless since victory at home to Mickleover Athletic on the opening day of the season.

They went down 1-3 in their last league game at Mansfield Hosiery Mills, with George Cunningham scoring the Mickleover goal and were in action for only the third time in the last seven weeks, when they hosted Stapenhill Reserves at the Don Amott in the League Challenge Cup last Saturday.

After keeping it goalless in the first half, the visitors broke the deadlock in the second half and finally won 3-1.

Last night they were in cup action again, going down 0-9 to FC Sunnyhill in the Southern Divisional League Cup, conceding five goals in the first half.

Starting line-up: 1- Mateusz Kozlowski 2-Kacper Krawczyk 3-Connor Bland 4-Tom Billson 5-Lucas Straszewskyj 6-Luis Mas-Hall 7-George Cunningham 8-Arnold Marimbe 9-Dylan Buckley-Moore 20-Cohen Fearn 11-Kai Stevenson. Subs: George Tunnicliffe, Kevin Davis.

Sports had been forced to make three late changes to the starting line-up due to no shows and straight from the kick off a long ball from Sunnyhill found a lone striker, who fired it home before the first minute had been completed 0-1.

Mickleover were lucky not to concede a penalty too after a trip in the box after six minutes. The effort was there but Sports were totally outplayed from the start and it continued when another strike from the right- hand side of the box was palmed away by keeper Kozlowski, only to be beaten by the rebound to make it 0-2 after 10 minutes.

Three minutes later the defence were outpaced on the right to give a clear run to make it 0-3.

Straszewskyj was trying to hold some sort of defence together and shortly after the third goal he managed to stave off another attack before Kozlowski came off his line to collect.

It was 20 minutes before Sports had a real attack, when Mas-Hall chased hard to collect before running at the defence, until the visitors keeper intercepted.

As we reached the half hour Sunnyhill got their fourth, after a patient and tidy build up on the right, it finally reached an unmarked player, with the defence in total disarray and after a simple turn it was fired goalwards to make it 0-4.

Davis then came on for Krawczyk, but minutes later it was 0-5 with a powerful shot from distance giving Kozlowski no chance.

In the closing minutes of the first half Mas-Hall sent Davis on a positive run until that was cut and almost on half time Tunnicliffe came on as sub too.

It had been a dire first half for Mickleover, beaten on all fronts by the visitors and failing to create one shot neither on or off target.

Sports started the second half with more purpose and two minutes in Fearn broke through on the right, had a good shot saved by the keeper and the rebound was cleared by the defence.

Sunnyhill had a good chance again after 49 minutes, when a striker positioned dead centre of the box put it wide. But only one more minute passed and it was 0-6 after a fine solo run.

Cunningham nearly broke though for Sports, but his 53rd run was snuffed out, only for Sunnyhill to break again to make it 0-7 with all the time in the world to take his close-range shot.

As the hour mark arrived Sports had started to play long balls out of defence, but still to avail, while Sunnyhill had opted for random shots at any opportunity, and there were plenty of them.

Buckley-Moore was sin binned for asking a question, one of a number off odd decisions, but Mas-Hall tried his look after 63 minutes, shooting wide of the right- hand post after a good build-up.

Billson then lost out in a challenge with a Sunnyhill striker, but Kozlowski was off his line to narrow the angle and tip the shot wide.

Marimbe had started to try and join the rare Sports attacks and shot wide after 67 minutes, but it wasn’t long before there was an eighth goal for the visitors, after Billson had been left standing. Kozlowski tried to narrow the angle but it was another easy goal, 0-8.

Bland had a shot wide for Mickleover with 10minutes left on the clock, after some nice work from Marimbe and Kozlowski made a good diving save to his right, after another long-range shot.

But Sunnyhill made it nine with about five minutes left, with a close range header by the left-hand post, following a free-kick. 0-9.

 

by Peter Scherer

After a fairly strong and much improved first half from Mickleover’s young Reserve side, four second half goals from high flyers Selston ended any hopes of ending their losing streak.

Starting line-up: 1-Josh Bull 2-Hassan Ali 3-Shujah Ali 4-Joseph Moore 5-Rajan Chohin 6-Luis Mas-Hall 7-George Cunningham 8-Josh Powell 9-Efren Rolleston 10-Mo Shweikh 20-Dylan Buckley-Moore. Subs: Philip ?, Tino Makombe, Alfie Godfrey, Kacper Krawczyk, Jack Sabine.

It was clear from the start that the Selston side were bigger, stronger and more experienced. They had their first chance after eight minutes but the target man wanted too much time in front of goal, allowing the defence to recover before his shot was made.

A few minutes later a scramble in the box was cleared, as Mickleover continued to ride out the early threat and began to break out of their own half. 13 minutes in and Rolleston got away on the left, his cross found Cunningham, but the shot lacked pace and direction.

Selston then got a break after Sports lost possession in midfield, but the hard working skipper Sweikh charged back with a saving tackle.

The visitors had a random shot straight at keeper Bull after 17 minutes, but then a loose back pass in the visitors defence was intercepted by Rolleston, but the keeper had reacted quickly and managed to put the young striker off before he could get a shot in.

Shwiekh was fouled on the half way line after 21 minutes, but the free kick was wasted, before Selston had another distance shot, well wide of its target.

Good work from Rolleston on the right found Powell after 28 minutes, but his attempt to shoot was blocked, and the ball came back to Hassan Ali, and his cross was cleared.

Keeper Bull was then called into action punching away a shot from the left after 36 minutes, before pulling off a great save just two minutes later to keep it level.

Sabine came on for Sports for the last eight minutes of the first half, as Selston continued try random long shots. But Mickleover’s defence held out against the odds.

But in the final minute of normal time the visitors won a corner, it was cleared after a goal line scramble. The follow up corner caused similar issues, but this time the ball fell kindly for Selston and it was 0-1, and the half time whistle soon followed.

Our visitors started the second half strongly and forced Bull into two early saves. 54 minutes gone and Selston managed get around the back of the defence on the left, leaving a clear shot to make it 0-2.

From there it was all Selston, with the Mickleover lads heads having dropped. A third close range shot gave Bull no chance, as t became 0-3 on the hour and 0-4 just three minutes later.

Most of the subs were used by Mickleover but there was no way back and Selston rounded off their night with a fifth goal at 75 minutes, in a disappointed end following a promising start.

 

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reserves were at home for the first time in over six weeks, as they welcomed fellow strugglers Bakewell Town to the Don Amott Arena.

The visitors were soon testing the home defence and with just eight minutes gone, opened their account 0-1.

Further goals followed after 19 and 26 minutes to send the visitors in at half time three goals up.

Sports defence managed to hold tight for a while as the second half was underway, on the hour it was 0-4 and with 12 minutes left they made it 0-5, as the Mickleover youngsters suffered their ninth successive defeat, to leave them firmly rooted to the bottom of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division South.

by Peter Scherer

Despite winning on the opening day of the season, Mickleover Reserves are still seeking to add to those three points. But three goals in a seven-minute period of the first half at Gresley Rovers made it seven successive defeats.

Starting line-up: 1-Josh Bull 2-Mason Hoult 3-Efram Rolleston 4-Fin Riggott 5-Joe Moore 6-Michael Laskiewicz 7-Josh Powell 8-Mason Chadwick 9-Shujah Ali 10-George Cunningham 11-Mikey Mandimutsira. Subs: Jaydon Wilkes, Alfie Godfrey, Philip Etinosa, Mason Wright, Dylan Buckley-Moore.

Mickleover won the first corner after two minutes, from which Ali’s shot was blocked. But it was end to end at the start, as four minutes later Gresley tried their first shot, which went wide of the left-hand post.

Gresley started to take charge and only a minute later Hoult managed to make a saving tackle, after the centre of the defence totally capitulated.

But Sports youngsters were quick on the break and Cunningham sent Mandimutsira on a run, but he was intercepted before getting a shot in.

Gresley had a random shot over the bar seven minutes in, but the pressure was beginning to build on the fragile Mickleover defence.

In the 11th minute the ball fell nicely for the hosts central striker just inside the box, he was given time to fire his shot wide of Bull’s diving right hand, with the Sports keeper at full stretch. 0-1.

Mickleover responded with a good run down the right from Hoult, sending Mandimutsira on another run, before being given a very borderline offside.

16 minutes in and it was 0-2 after Laskiewicz was beaten and there was no back up, leaving a clear strike for goal.

Almost from the restart it was 0-3 when the only player in the Mickleover side to react to any threat was keeper Bull. He saved the first shot but with no support the rebound went in and with just 17 minutes gone they were three down.

Bull saved the day from another defensive blunder after 25 minutes, before Gresley finished the second half with another strike well over the bar.

A minute into the second half Powell was fouled on the edge of the box, but his free kick then sailed over the Gresley bar.

Bull had to save another close range effort four minutes later and then after 56 minutes he was forced to tip a free kick over the bar.

Godfrey was the first sub to be used on for Chadwick, but with the hour mark approaching there was another clear strike for our hosts to make it 0-4.

Mickleover managed to pull one back after 62 minutes when Ali was fouled in the box. He stepped up to score the penalty bringing it back to 1-4.

But Gresley were quickly back on the attack forcing another save from Bull, before Mandimutsira almost broke through the home defence, only to have the ball whipped off his toes by the home keeper.

Ali managed to get a shot in which was saved, before he was replaced by Wilkes. But on the 80 minute mark our hosts got their fifth, with Bull given no chance. 1-5.

Wright replaced Powell for the last few minutes, which weren’t able to pass without Bull being forced into more saves, without whom Gresley could easily have doubled their score.

Despite showing glimpses of skill, Mickleover were never really in the game after the first goal, and look to be yearning for an experienced hand to give them guidance on the pitch.

 

by Peter Scherer

Any hopes Mickleover Reserves had of a second win of the season were dashed at Holbrook Sports last Saturday, when the hosts scored the only goal on the stroke of half time.

Mickleover youngsters had matched their opponents and looked set to go for the half time break level pegging, until Joshua House’s strike as the whistle was poised.

Despite Mickleover’s efforts to push for a second half equaliser, it remained 0-1 as Sports now drop into the bottom three.

They are away from home again this weekend visiting second in the table Graham Street Prims.

by Peter Scherer

Hopes of Mickleover Reserves taking a second win of the season at the Don Amott Arena on Tuesday night were soon dashed, when the visiting Melbourne Dynamo made it 0-1 after 15 minutes.

Dynamo added a second before half time, 0-2, before Sports pulled one back early in the second half, 1-2.

But only minutes after the Mickleover goal, Jack Goodband made it 1-3 before completing a second half hattrick for the visitors, with the final score ending 1-6.

They are in action again on Saturday away to Holbrook Sports.

by Peter Scherer

If you can’t make it to Boldmere St.Michaels tomorrow night to follow our first team, then come and watch the Reserves at home to Melbourne Dynamo.

Dynamo started the season with two straight wins over Mickleover RBL and Athletic, without conceding a goal.

With last Saturday’s defeat to Graham Street Prims, they have now lost three in succession and currently lie sixth in the Central Midlands Alliance League table.

It’s Sports youngsters second home game of the season, looking for win number two, having lost 0-3 at Borrowash Vic’s last Saturday.

Kick off is at 7.45pm.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reserves had their second local Derby of the season, when they visited Mickleover RBL on Tuesday evening.

2-1 winners at home to Mickleover Athletic in their opening game, Sports youngsters were on the receiving end of two first half goals, scored by ex Mickleover FC Academy players Harry Atwal and Emilio De Abreu.

Any hopes of a fightback were dashed when Sports were reduced to 10 men after a red card for Mason Hoult, so it remained 0-2.

Currently 12th in the table, our next game is at home to Melbourne Dynamo on Tuesday 19th.

by Peter Scherer

Following their victory over Mickleover Athletic last Friday, Mickleover Reserves were brought down to earth with a bang last night, losing 1-5 at Linby Colliery Welfare.

Starting line-up: 1-Josh Bull 2-Kacper Krawczyk 3-Connor Bland 4-Finlay Riggott 5-Dylan Buckley-Moore 6-Joe Moore 7-Shujah Ali 8-Luis Mas-Hall 9-Mason Chadwick 10-Thomas Swift 11-Mikey Mandimutsira. Subs: Marts Sudavs, Mateusz Krawczyk, Michel Laskiewicz, Efren Rolleston, Cohen Fearn.

It was a fairly lively start on a breezy but sunny evening, with Bull forced into the first save after five minutes, after some end to end exchanges.

Three minutes later our hosts headed just wide after a corner, as they began to settle and the Mickleover defence started to come under more and more pressure.

12 minutes in and Bull had to make another good save after a strong attack had outpaced Sports defence down the left, and he was in action again just two minutes later, picking out a dangerous cross from the right.

Mickleover had a half chance in the 16th minute when some good work from Swift found Chadwick in the box, but he was unable to get a final shot in.

Buckley-Moore headed over from a corner a few minutes later, soon followed by a speculative shot over the bar from Mandimutsira.

Swift and Ali were showing glimpses of promise, backed up by the hard working Mandimutsira and target man Chadwick.

But Linby were soon back on top, just missing out in a goal mouth scramble after 21 minutes. Only three minutes later they made their pressure count, when a cross from the left was headed home, the striker seemingly unmarked as the defence froze, 0-1.

Six minutes later another scramble in the box was cleared after Linby had scythed through the defence again, but they made it 0-2 after 32 minutes when the defence failed to clear a cross from the right. Bull saved the initial effort, but couldn’t stop the rebound.

Sudavs came on for Mandimutsira just after the half hour, after he took a knock. But it was Bull in action again, saving from another shot on the right with the half time whistle following.

Although Mickleover’s midfield had managed to make progress in the first half, the defence were outplayed in all departments, with keeper Bull the busiest player on the field.

The second half had barely kicked off when a Linby striker spotted Bull off his line. He tried a speculative lob but the keeper had it covered, but a minute later a fairly weak shot came in from the right, Bull left the ball expecting it to go wide, but after a bobble on the pitch it found the bottom left corner, 0-3.

Swift had another shot after 52 minutes, giving the home keeper a rare save to make and five minutes later Chadwick had a shot blocked.

But another goal soon followed for our hosts when the defence fell apart, before another fairly weak shot slipped through Bull’s hands and it was 0-4 with 63 minutes gone.

Bull punched away another shot two minutes later, soon followed by a header just over the bar as virtually all of the play was in the Mickleover half.

Mas-Hall had a shot saved by the home keeper’s feet, before Bull pulled off another good double save, the first from a shot well outside the box and the second with his feet too.

But with eight minutes left Sports finally got on the scoresheet when Moore got on the end of another goal mouth scramble.

It still wasn’t over though as some shambolic defending left Linby to score number five, with Bull again saving initially, but with no defender reacting to his save, the rebound was in and it ended 1-5.

 

by Miguel Mas Lilleman (Images: Michael Taylor)

Mickleover Reserves started their Central Midlands Alliance League campaign with a 2-1 home win against local rivals Mickleover Athletic.

Sports opened the scoring in the first half, when Morad Shweikh darted through the middle to chase a lovely through ball from Luis Mas Hall, beating Athletic’s offside trap that had been played from the start, to round the keeper and slot home 1-0.

The equaliser came almost on the stroke of half time, following three consecutive corners, leaving it 1-1 at the break.

But the winner then came midway through the second half, with a cool finish into the bottom right- hand corner from sub Mason Chadwick, after a nice interpassing move build up from Sports youngsters.

Athletic pushed hard for another equaliser, but two exceptional saves from keeper Josh Bull from one on one situations, made sure the three points stayed firmly in Sports grasp.