by Peter Scherer
Mickleover’s youth team came out on top of a dramatic finale in their FA Youth Cup tie against Eastwood, winning a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw.
Starting line-up: 1-Finley Meehan-Rudham 2-Isaac Young 3-Yuvraj Atwal 4-Sam Adcock 5-Daniel Evans 6-Archie Bull 7-Cohen Fearn 8-Lucas Straszewskyj 9-Ryan Martin 10-Lucas Manzano 11-Sam Pegg. Subs: Tapiwanasashe Kanyongo; Harry Williamson; Joshua Berry; Tom Bainbridge; George Tunnicliff; Kai Stevenson; Konstantin Pamukov.
Almost synchronised to the kick off the heavens opened and the opening minutes were played in heavy rain. Mickleover won a fourth minute free kick, which the visitors keeper fumbled, but no one was on hand for the follow up.
Eastwood had a good chance three minutes later, but a wasted opportunity earned them a corner, which was easily dealt with by the home defence.
Fearn showed a first glimpse of his pace after 10 minutes, cutting in from the left he almost made it to goal, before a timely interception.
Two minutes later Fearn opened the scoring, with a break through the middle. A chip sent him clear with a defender chasing, but as the keeper charged off his line, a second chip was into the back of the net 1-0.
Fearn went close again only minutes from his opening goal, when his follow up shot was blocked after another fumble from the Eastwood keeper.
Eastwood continued to push forward with good pace, which was well handled by Young, Evans, Bull and Atwal in the Mickleover back four and after 22 minutes Sports made another break with Martin going close.
The home defence was finally breached a minute later, caught out by a break from Linger, a great shot from the edge of the box gave keeper Rudham little chance and it was 1-1.
Although the rain had eased it was still very wet and the conditions were still far from an ideal, with both teams relying on breaks. 28 minutes and it was Fearn again that split the Eastwood defence wide open, a solo run straight down the middle and he fired in his second 2-1.
Eastwood responded with another break shortly afterwards, but Altoft’s eagerness to shoot saw his effort go wide of the left-hand post. Mangan then led another break for the visitors, but Nmemba’s final shot was over the bar.
Although the visitors had another effort on goal after 37 minutes, it remained 2-1 as we reached half time.
Only four minutes into the restart Fearn almost claimed his hattrick. He cut in from the left having beaten the defence, only for the frustration to be clear for all to see as his final effort was inches wide.
Eastwood continued to match with equal attacks, but the home defence had continued to absorb the pressure. But after a mistake in midfield, Linger got another break only for his shot to be blocked for another corner.
Mickleover’s response was swift and it was another break through the middle that brought the third goal, with Manzano picking up a long ball to run inside from the right and chip the keeper again 3-1.
There was another defensive slip that gave the ball to Straszewskyj, he quickly fired in another shot, but the keeper had it covered. But for a few minutes it was all Mickleover, with Straszewskyj sending Fearn on another run, but his shot was saved. Manzano then got clear on the right, crossed to find Adcock, but his shot was saved.
It was against the run of play that Eastwood pulled one back on the hour mark. Rudham got a hand to Altoft’s strike but it was into the left-hand corner 3-2.
The visitors were right back in the game and began to push for the equaliser, with another shot over the bar after 65 minutes, before Bainbridge and Berry came on as the first Mickleover subs.
78 minutes Eastwood broke again, but the final shot was deflected for another corner, after heading goalwards. Sports were still holding shape and being creative and after 81 minutes Manzano broke clear again down the right, before he was thwarted with a dubious offside decision.
But with five minutes on the clock it was all square at 3-3, but Fearn was on the run again, intercepted on the left in a promising run. Martin then put another effort over the bar and almost on time Rudham saved with his feet from an Eastwood strike.
Martin put another shot over the bar in time added on, but with the final whistle at 3-3, it was straight into a penalty shot out.
Fearn, Martin, Bull and Atwal had all scored their penalties, with Eastwood successful in their first three. But Allen’s kick was saved by keeper Rudham and all Bainbridge had to do was score Mickleover’s fifth to win the tie, which he did with ease.
After the match youth team manager Andy Dales revealed that Rudham had been a stand in keeper, with two others unavailable. “I had played in goal years ago in the Academy, but I am now a left winger. But volunteered to play in goal again and didn’t feel to daunted by the penalty shootout,” Rudham explained.
Anyone interested in joining the Academy at Mickleover should contact Gareth Holmes on gareth.holmes@dcct.co.uk
