by David Mackenzie
Mickleover FC, Reserves Manager

Mickleover FC Reserves 3 Nottingham 1

The Reserves got back to winning ways on Saturday against a dogged Nottingham FC side who fought until the final whistle.

The hardest part though was getting people conform to the guidelines put in place to keep people safe and separated for as much as possible.

The team went out with instructions to start with a high tempo and in the first 10 minutes had four really good chances to take the lead. 

Will Monterio back in action after 6 months got into some excellent positions and was unlucky on a couple of occasions. 

With Clinton Morrison pulling the strings in midfield ably aided by wee Louis Pennington and the two full backs Lopes Massampo and Tom Etheridge raiding down the flanks, it wasn’t long before the deadlock was broken. a good move was finished off with a crisp strike by Jude Ayetine. Unfortunately, the tempo dropped and some of the passing was not of the usual standard, and the half finished with no further damage to either teams defences.

The words at half time were that an improvement was needed as Nottingham had shown that they had some quality and could hurt us if we didn’t respond.

The play improved somewhat and from one of several corners we netted again.

The ball from the corner was low across the box, about 3 yards out and clever movement from Bobby Battison tricked their keeper, as he dummied the ball allowing it to reach Jude at the back post for a clinical finish.

It was good to have Bobby back from injury and his introduction brought a higher level of energy and intensity.

A third goal was on the cards and it duly arrived via the cultured left foot of Adam Prusa. He gathered the ball on our right about four yards outside the box and drove into the box sidestepping a challenge and the curving the ball delightfully around the next defender and into the far corner of the net.

That should have been game, set and match however Nottingham’s left winger had other ideas, stepping past two players, he was central and about 20 yards out when he unleashed a screamer that left Tom Smith with no chance.

Overall a decent performance from the aforementioned players with the central defence of Clarence (baldy) Clark and Gus Williamson solid. 

MOTM came from the high energy and quality of Lopes Massampo playing at right back due to illness to Larrrel King.

They now move up to sixth in the Central Midlands League South Division and are next in action away to Arnold on Tuesday 27^th.

 

by Peter Scherer

If you are not travelling to Ashton to see Mickleover FC first team, why not visit the Don Amott Arena where the Reserve team are at home to Nottingham FC in the Central Midlands League.

After a disappointing game away to Blidworth last weekend, Sports went down 2-1 after leading for most of the second half.

Mickleover are currently seventh in the South Division, with Nottingham 14^th, with only one point from five games. 

Nottingham started with three away games, losing 3-2 at Hilton and 4-3 at Blidworth, before earning their point at Holbrook St Michaels. They had led 3-0 when Blaize Hall scored twice and Kashe Hall made it 3-0. Holbrook pulled it back before to 3-3.

CJ Dunkley put Nottingham 4-3 up then Holbrook grabbed a late equaliser to make it 4-4.

Since then the Nottingham defence have been hit for five in both games, going down 5-1 to Underwood Villa and 5-2 to South Normanton.

With the firepower of Jude Ayetaine and Surafel Tefera, the Sports strikers will be hoping to follow the recent precedent. 

by Dave Mackenzie
Mickleover FC
Reserves Manager

The reserves made the shortish trip across to Robin Hood country on Saturday and took part in an exciting and enthralling game against Blidworth Welfare. 

Blidworth’s pitch looked a picture from the high vantage point of the changing rooms (there are 43 steps down to the pitch). It is a good sized pitch with a lovely lush surface albeit the grass could be doing with a trim.

There was an enforced change before kick off when Bobby Battison pulled up with a groin strain during the warm up. This allowed us to start Mat Fuetardo an ex Chesterfield Academy player as a direct replacement.

The first half was fairly even although we suffered another blow when Elliot Murray landed badly and ‘popped’ his knee. Luckily the team Captain, Gus Williamson was on the bench having himself come back from an ankle injury.

We had the ball in the net twice in the first half but the linesmen deemed players to be offside although the ball had come off the defender in one instance and it would be churlish to claim that it was definitely deliberate.

Towards the end of the half things got a bit tousy and we were on the receiving end of three bookings. The first Surafel Tefera was impeded going passed a player, which meant that the ball ran away and he overstretched, fouling a player. 

The second booking was for stupidly running across the ball as a free-kick was being taken, and the third could have been a straight red!!! 

Having said that we were on the receiving end of two rash tackles early on that went unbooked!

Tom Smith had to look lively on an occasion to save a header, but apart from that was untroubled. 

There wasn’t much goalmouth action at the other end as we were too short with balls over their high backline, or when we did get it right we found their goalkeeper in good form with a couple of really good anticipated clearances.

We were much improved in the second half and had most of the play resulting only in a series of corners and a number of shots that were high or wide and not handsome.

The breakthrough came when a Blidworth defender tried to stop a mazy run by Jude Ayetine, only for the attempted tackle to place the ball neatly to the right of the keeper and just inside the post. 

With maybe 12 minutes remaining this should have been the motivation to shut up shop, but unfortunately we lost some of the composure that enabled us to take the lead. 

After several attempts to clear failed, Blidworth’s Paul Revuelta took his chance well with a low shot. Worse was to follow as after we failed to clear our lines from a corner and Scott Taylor made a good connection firing the ball low into the right-hand side of our goal. 

Blidworth should be congratulated for turning around a game that looked to be out of their grasp after the first goal. 

However they may have been helped when the referee stopped a very promising attack to bring back the play to book a player who committed a foul after the pass was made. 

Mat received the pass and was unmarked at the left edge of their penalty box).

After the game, the referee said he had to stop the game or he couldn’t book the player – not true. He could have let the move continue and booked the player when the ball next went out of play. We may or may not have scored if advantage had been played but it certainly disadvantaged us!

Next up, we welcome what we hope are a healthy Nottingham side to the Don Amott next Saturday with a 3pm kick off.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reserves return to Central Midlands League Premier South Division action on Saturday, when they visit Blidworth Welfare FC for a 3pm kick off.

Blidworth are currently second in the table with four wins and one draw, having played two games more than Mickleover.

They started the season with a 1-0 win at home to Teversal Reserves, with a goal from Paul Revuelta.

Next up was a visit to Underwood Villa, where they returned home 3-1 victors, with returning ex captain Luke Bacon opening the scoring, followed by Wilson and Topliss.

A 4-3 win at home to Nottingham saw Revuelta hit two, along with single scores for Batty and S.Rogers, before Lindy went down 2-0 in their visit, with Kris Burrell and Wilson the scorers.

They dropped their first point last weekend, when a trip to Rowsley resulted in a 2-2 draw with goals from Burrell and Taylor.

With Sports scoring four goals in every league game so far, Blidworth keeper Adam Revuelta, will hopefully be in for a busy day.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reserves suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-0 to a strong Melbourne Dynamo team in the Central Midlands League Cup.

It was raining for most of the game, but it was a fairly even first half, with few chances for either side and most of the play centred around the middle.

Isaac Gosling opened the scoring for the home side in the second half, but the game had suddenly livened up and it became an end to end Cup tie.

While Mickleover went after the equaliser, it was Melbourne who were on the score sheet again, with Jack Bodill scoring as the game ended in a 2-0 defeat.

by Peter Scherer

It’s not only the Mickleover first team in Cup action this weekend as the Reserves take a break from league football this Saturday, when they face an away tie at Melbourne Dynamo on the Central Midlands League Cup.

So far unbeaten this year, Sports are currently fifth in the Premier League South, with a game in hand over the top four, having already netted 12 goals from their three consecutive victories.

Melbourne are currently top of the Division One South, also with three wins out of three.

They beat Clifton All Whites Development in their last match 5-0, with a hattrick for Jack Goodband and goals from James Smith and Macauley Jones.

They had previously beaten Selston Reserves 5-0 and Heanor Town Reserves 9-1!
Kick off at Melbourne is 2pm.

by Peter Scherer

Only two days after beating Ashland Rovers 4-0, Mickleover FC Reserves hit Mansfield Hosiery Mills with another 4-1 victory.

It was already 3-0 at half time, before make it four in the second half. But the clean-sheet hopes were dashed when the home side were awarded a penalty with 10 minutes to go, making it 4-1 to Sports.

Surf Tefera was on the mark again with two goals and, while Tom Eccleshall and Fin Davies scored the others.

They now lie third in the league table after three games, having scored 12 goals and conceded five, levels on points with Pinxton and two behind Rowsley 86.

Next game is on Saturday when they faced Melbourne Dynamo away in the League Cup, before returning to League action a week later at Blidworth.

by Peter Scherer

Straight off the back of last Saturday’s 4-4 draw at Linby, Mickleover FC Reserves were in sparkling form, with a comfortable 4-0 home win against Ashland Rovers, their first home game in the Central Midlands Premier League South.

1-Tom Smith 2-Larrel King 3-Tom Eccleshall 4-Loluis Pennington 5-Pablo Mills 6-Clarence Clark 7-Bobby Battison 8-Clinton Morrison 9-Jude Ayetaine 10-Surafel Tefera 11-Josh Satchwell Subs- Lopes Massampo, Jacob Edge-Lucas, Ben Lewin, Fin Davies, Archie Williams

Satchwell was on the attack from the kick off, bursting through Ashland’s defence, before Ayetaine’s following shot was blocked.

Clark almost got the home defence in trouble with a poor clearance, but the visiting attack failed to maximise their chance and then wasted the follow-up corner.

But Sports went straight back into full attack and after Satchwell had another shot straight at the keeper, then a sprinting overlap from King down the right, saw Ayetaine take his chance on four minutes 1-0.

It was obvious that the Ashland defence was struggling and only a minute after the opening goal, Battison, Ayetaine and Tefera combined for another possible opportunity.

Morrison was controlling the midfield, supported by the youthful exuberance of Pennington and Battison, and it was a long ball from the former Irish International that started a move between Satchwell and Battison, before his shot on the return was saved.

The chances were coming thick and fast and after 11 minutes Ayetaine got his second from a Satchwell pass, as the striker was left with time and space.

Ashland had their first real shot two minutes later, followed by a long clearance from keeper Smith and more pressure for the visitors defence.

But Sports solid defence of Mills, Clark and Eccleshall copes relatively easily with Ashland’s attack.

Morrison had another free kick blocked before Ashland fire another shot over the Mickleover bar.

But King’s overlapping runs were reeking having for the visitors down the right. Satchwell put the wing back through but the keeper intercepted and just before the half hour mark Ashland had a couple of free kicks, one straight into Smith’s waiting arms and a second well off target.

33 minutes in and it was 3-0, again an overlapping run beating the defence, who spent more time shouting and appealing than defending, leaving Satchwell to bury it in the back of the net.

The rest of the first half was very one sided, Tefera found space but shot straight at the keeper, Battison went close when the keeper charged out and missed the ball and then Ayetaine was tripped on the edge of the box, with Mills free kick taken by the keeper.

It was 3-0 at half time but could have easily been five, with Ashland looking disjointed in defence and midfield, leaving their strikers with little service.

At the start of the second half the visitors seem to have settled for a while, before Battison carved through the middle and was tripped, but no free kick.

The young teen was back again, sending Satchwell through with a shot that hit the left hand post and went out.

Mickleover were back in the ascendancy and after 59 mins a great ball from Satchwell to Ayetaine, found Tefera, whose shot was just wide.

A couple of minutes later the visiting defence survived a barrage of attacks, with the ball bouncing around the box, as Battison, Ayetaine, Tefera and Satchwell all tried getting shots in as they bounced off defenders legs.

Sports made their first change when Davies came on for Morrison after 64 mins. 

King continued to frequently outrun the defence, as their constant offside appeals and bickering became tiresome.

At times it was like shooting practice, but after King was tripped in the area, Sports were awarded a penalty  and Ayetaine put it home for his hattrick and 4-0.

Satchwell and Mills came off before the end, replaced by Williams and Lewin, but the night belonged to the whole team, a magnificent start to their new home league campaign.

They are back in action again tomorrow, away to Mansfield Hosiery Mills, kick off 3pm.

The hosts beat Holbrook Sports 2-0 at home last Saturday 2-0, before going down 0-1 at South Normanton Athletic on Tuesday evening.

Mickleover are currently fourth in the table and Mansfield are seventh.

by Peter Scherer

Surafel Tefera was the star turn as Mickleover FC played their first match league after Promotion to the Central Midlands League South.

The thrilling end to end game away to Linby ended 4-4, with Tom Eccleshall joining Terfera on the Mickleover score sheet.

But with only three days rest they are back in action again, with Ashland Rovers visiting the Don Amott Arena, kick-off 7.45pm.

The visitors started their league campaign last Saturday too, going down 4-3 at home to Pinxton, with goals from Liam Black, Robbie Savage and Billy Bradley

They are captained this year by central defender Adam Pugh and have former Shirebrook keeper Piotr Strycharz in goal.

Joining Pugh at the back are Aaron Rhodes, Mark Summers and Daniel Best, while they have Robbie Savage (not that one), Billy Bradley and Danny Smith in midfield.

Liam Black leads their attack, supported by Connor Barnes, Owen Newell and Lewis Neville.

by Peter Scherer

With 10 friendly matches behind them in pre-season, Mickleover FC Reserves begin their first season in the Central Midlands League South Division with a tough match away at Linby on Saturday.

Formed as a colliery team back in 1892 Linby finished fifth in last years abandoned season, having finished on a run of 14 games unbeaten from October.

Manager Andy Tring has made it clear that their aim is promotion this year and has strengthened his squad over the summer.

They have played five friendly matches, losing 5-1 against Heanor Town last Saturday.

Kick off is at Church Lane 3pm.

This is the first of three games in eight days, as they welcome Ashland Rovers to the Don Amott Arena on Thursday 17^th, before visiting Mansfield Hosiery Mills on Saturday 19^th.

Everyone wishes David Mackenzie, Aaron Hayer and the team a successful season.