by Peter Scherer
Mickleover started their FA Cup campaign in fine style with a 5-0 win over Northern Premier Midlands Division Coleshill Town, at the Don Amott Arena.
Starting line-up: 1-Yusuf Mersin 2-Calum Moore 3-Ryan Wilson 4-Curtis Weston 5-Will Atkinson 6-Charlie Hickingbottom 7-Andy Dales 8-Cieron Keane 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Marcus Barnes 11-Dylan Edwards. Subs: George Taft, Brandon Ferron, Fin Ryder, Luke Cox, Dan Bradley.
Just 1m4secs into the game and a long clearance from Mersin found Edwards clear on the right. He found Beavon, who layed it off to his left, allowing Keane to fire it home and crown a sensational debut 1-0.
But the visitors had a half chance only a minute later when a Josh Hesson effort, went across the face of Mersin’s goal and out for a goal kick.
Mickleover were looking exceptionally strong in attack in attack, but just before the 10 minute mark, a couple of casual giveaways in defence, were ably recovered.
Sports were straight back on the attack when a positive break from Dales, was layed off to Beavon again. He then found Edwards before the path was blocked.
Joe Palmer battled his way through a minute later for the visitors before his shot was blocked and then Dales floated in an 11th minute cross from the left, but it was straight into keeper Ben Newey’s hands.
Moore then charged down the right on the overlap, he found Beavon who earned a corner. But there was an early sub for Mickleover when Barnes was replaced by Ryder after 17 minutes. “I had tweaked my hamstring, so safer to come off,” said Barnes.
Mickleover were playing with style and confidence and after 20 minutes Keane set up Ryder. His initial shot was saved, before Edwards hit the rebound just over the bar.
With Moore and Edwards working down the right, Weston in the middle and Wilson with Dales on the left, Keane was playing more of roaming midfield role, sharing time in attack and defence.
Keane won a 21st minute corner but it came to nought and then Nathan Kabeya managed a shot just inside the box, after a Coleshill free kick, but failed to trouble Mersin again.
Dales almost set up Edwards on the half hour, but a last ditch tackle spared the Coleshill defence. Just two minutes later it was Dales again, this time setting up Ryder, whose shot was blocked.
Hesson put in a random distance shot for the visitors but was well wide, but shortly afterwards Ben Usher-Shipway and Demico Brown combined, but wanted too much time and failed to get a shot in.
Wilson then tried his luck from distance after a cross field ball from Moore, but it was an easy save for Newey. It triggered another late half onslaught from Mickleover however.
36 minutes in and Edwads crossed from the right, Beavon shot and then Ryder struck the rebound, but it was a double save from Newey.
One minute on and it was 2-0, with another positive build up down the right finding Ryder, who beat the keeper with a fine close range strike.
Sports earned a free kick when Beavon was pushed over and then Edwards looked set for number three with four minutes left, but his shot was just outside the left-hand post.
Wilson sent Dales on another run down the left, but the cross went out and Sports finished a fine opening half with a corner.
There were no changes in the Mickleover line-up for the second half, but it was another amazing start. Just 24 seconds had gone when Dales latched onto a break, he ran in and rounded the keeper to make it 3-0.
The Sports attacks were coming thick and fast, with Coleshill’s response more random and blocked, as they started to look demoralised.
55 minutes in and Edwards missed a good chance at the left hand post following a free kick, but the visitors made a break a couple of minutes later. Palmer failed to get a shot in again, but as he turned away from goal, he managed to earn a corner.
While Atkinson and Hickingbottom had looked solid at the back, Keane was having an outstanding debut, which ended prematurely after 67 minutes. “I headed the back of someone’s head,” he explained, as his eye began to swell rapidly.
With Taft on for Keane, Atkinson was able to move back into midfield, but it was all Mickleover again, with Ryder rounding the keeper again after 69 minutes, only for his shot to hit the right-hand post. The ball then rolled goalwards, before a goal line clearance appeared to be a possible hand ball.
Brown had a shot on target for the visitors after 76 minutes, safely gathered by Mersin by his right-hand post and then Mickleover made a double substitution, with Ferron on Beavon and Cox for Weston.
Just after Edwards had been fouled, Dales made it 4-0 after 80 minutes, after creating his own space in the middle and firing it in from just outside the box.
They hadn’t finished yet though and a Ferron cross from the left saw Newey make a point blank save from Ryder, before a similar cross from Ferron with two minutes left, was collected by Edwards who sealed the win at a convincing 5-0.
We now look forward to Monday’s FA Cup draw, before it’s back to NPL action next Saturday, with a visit to neighbours Matlock Town.
