by Peter Scherer
It was another disappointing night for Mickleover Reserves, as they went down 0-2 to Teversal in their Central Midlands Premier Division South match.
Starting line-up: 1-Josh Maher 2-Joe Sellors 3-Brandon Ferron 4-Ronnie Bonser 5-Zak Sandhu 6-Louis Pennington 7-Owen Parr 8-Fin Ryder 9-Josh Powell 10-Dean Ironmonger 11-Declan Brown. Subs: Luis Marshall, Will Coffen.
Teversal were on the attack from the start, firing a shot straight at Maher in the first minute, before earning the first corner two minutes later, which Maher saved.
Ironmonger had Mickleover’s first attempt at five minutes, before another Teversal break ended with a shot straight at Maher.
The pressure continued on the Mickleover defence and after eight minutes they were comfortably outpaced down the left. The cross found a striker in space and it was 0-1 after eight minutes
Sports were forced to make an early switch when Sellors went off injured and was replaced by Coffen.
The first of many clear offsides that the refs assistant failed to acknowledge almost caused a second goal a minute later, but the final shot was over the bar.
But Mickleover then got a break with Brown just beaten to the ball by the advancing keeper.
But 15 minutes in and another clear offside was let go and this time it was critical, with the defence looking for the whistle, the home side were clear and it was 0-2.
Mickleover then won a free kick just outside the box, from which Pennington forced a diving save from the home keeper.
It proved to be a difficult night for the defence, with both assistants continuing to fail in flagging offsides for the home side and after 19 minutes it happened again but the shot was wide.
The combination of pace from the Teversal strikers and the poor officialdom, made it a tough night for the Mickleover youngsters, with few decisions going their way.
Powell was tugged back by his shirt and the defender was booked, but another Teversal break soon followed with a wasted chance well wide of the post.
Further shots came the hosts way before Ferron cut in from the left and tried a long shot that wasn’t far over the bar.
As half time approached Sports tried to push forward and Ironmonger did well to get a cross in from the right, but there was no one to receive.
Bonser then tracked the Teversal centre forward with the whistle poised, but he still got a shot in, fortunately over the bar.
Mickleover started the second half with more determination and after 50 minutes the home keeper had to snatch the ball from Brown’s feet.
Ironmonger had a shot cleared off the line just after the hour mark and there was substantially more attacking from Sports.
Brown had a 75th minute shot blocked, but Teversal continued to be dangerous on the break and Maher had to make a point blank save in the 76th minute.
On a couple of occasions the Teversal keeper dropped the ball and although Mickleover cracked the shots in, luck was with the home side and there was always a defenders leg in the way.
Marshall came on for Powell in the closing minutes, but Sports did everything but score, but it ended with a 0-2 defeat and another atrocious display from the ref and his assistants.