by Peter Scherer
For the second successive home pre-season friendly, a double strike from Dylan Edwards secured the KC Trophy for Mickleover, over a Burton Albion XI.
There was a one minute silence before the game in memory of ex Mickleover joint manager and Burton Albion player Glen Kirkwood.
Starting line-up Yusuf Mersin; Jake Bennett; Trialist A; Curtis Weston; Trialist B; Trialist C; Leojo Davidson; Ryan Wilson; Stuart Beavon; Fin Ryder; Dylan Edwards; Subs: Trlalist D; Brandon Ferron; Marcus Barnes; Toby Smith.
Burton went straight on the attack from the kick off, with Mtenga sending a weak shot wide of Mersin’s right hand post.
After Mersin easily saved a Burton free kick after four minutes, Mickleover began to settle and push forward more. Beavon had the first shot for Sports two minutes later, after Wilson had layed off a Davidson free kick.
Mickleover earned another free kick nine minutes after Beavon was fouled on the edge of the box, but Wilson’s kick curled just over the bar.
Edwards, Ryder and Beavon were starting to trouble the Brewers defence and Edwards got through on the right, but his cross beat everyone, but for a while it continued end to end.
After a sequence of corners for Mickleover, Davidson fired in a low cross to the near post, which was held well by Burton keeper Dudek. But after 20 minutes Davidson took a knock after losing possession in the middle. He received treatment but was unable to carry on and was replaced by Ferron.
Sports had the ball in the Burton net after 27 minutes but was ruled offside, after Trialist B’s shot hit Edwards on the line and Ryder hit the rebound.
But it was all Mickleover for a while, with Edwards pace winning another corner and Ryder just missing a connection with a telling ball from Wilson.
It was Ferron’s pace that broke the deadlock, having outrun Hyde on the Burton right, his cross found Edwards in the middle who gave Dudek no chance, 1-0 after 33 minutes.
Ferron went on another charge three minutes later, leaving Hyde in his wake, but the cross came to nought as the visiting defence cleared the danger.
Bennett had remained fairly deep at the back, but he carved his way through to set up Ryder again, but the final shot was straight at the keeper.
But with three minutes of the first half left, Burton made it 1-1 when Hyde headed home on the far post, from a right hand corner.
Mickleover had one more chance before the whistle when Edwards had another curling shot tipped away by Dudek, after a Wilson pass.
As the second half got under way it was immediately obvious that Wilson had gone back to left back, with Trialist A now in midfield.
For a while Burton went on the attack, with a random shot well wide minutes into the half, but Ferron once again sprinted clear of the defence on the left only for his cross to be cleared.
Ex Rams striker Mason Bennett got on the end of a Burton break after 49 minutes, but his shot was blocked and only six minutes later the game swung back in Mickleover’s favour. Trialist A and Bennett combined to set up Edwards and his accuracy from close range made it 2-1.
Barnes then came on for Beavon, but the Mickleover attacks continued, with Trialist A having a long run into the box before he was intercepted.
Trialist A was revelling in midfield and his long ball to Ferron after 61 minutes set up goal number three, with a precision pass setting up Barnes strike, 3-1.
Barnes went close again a few minutes later after combining with Edwards again, but after Mason Bennett had another shot just wide for the Brewers, Sports broke again and Dudek had to make a finger tip save from Ryder, after a great ball from Trialist B.
Burton had made a number of substitutions which never really threatened Mersin’s goal. Weston had been effective in the central midfield role, but Sports went close again after 74 minutes, when Bennett and Ferron combined, before the cross was headed out.
Smith came on for Trialist B for the final 15 minutes, and Wilson almost set up a late chance for Ryder, but he was beaten to the ball by the keeper.
Burton had a late break too forcing Mersin to charge of his line, as the final effort went wide.
3-1 was a fair score on the night, but there were some encouraging performances from a number of Sports players, as the season edges ever closer.
