by Peter Scherer
After the disappointing 0-2 defeat at Coventry Sphinx last Saturday, Mickleover will be hoping to bounce straight back and gets some points on the board, as they host Long Eaton Utd on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t the best of starts for our visitors either, as they went down 0-1 at home to Corby Town.
Long Eaton were fifth in the table last season, after being relegated from the Southern Premier League after one season.
Player manager Bradley Munn started his career in the MansfieldTown Academy, before joining Burton Albion. He has played for Bedworth, Coalville and Loughborough Dynamo too.
He started his managerial career at Loughborough, but after five years at the club he came to Long Eaton initially as joint manager in August 2023, taking full charge three months later.
Goalkeeper Lewis King is the first of the ex Mickleover players in the Long Eaton line-up. He came through the youth scheme at Derby County and Sunderland, before joining Stockport County on his release.
Eastwood Town, Boston Utd, Stalybridge and Matlock Town followed, before coming to Mickleover in July 2016 from FC United. He stayed for three years before a move to Stafford and a return trip to FC United. He joined our visitors at the start of last season, after spells at Gresley Rovers and Loughborough Dynamo.
Gianluca Bucci is a centre back who came through Lincoln City’s Academy. He then spent a year each at Gainsborough, Spalding and Loughborough, before joining Long Eaton last September, after two months with Coleshill.
Defender Jake Finnerty was signed just in time to make his debut last Saturday, having spent the last few seasons at Loughborough Dynamo.
Ryan Campbell-Gordon is a left back signed from Hanley Town in September 2023. He started off at Port Vale and had loans at Ilkeston, Kidsgrove, Hednesford and Gainsborough, before returning to Hanley after his release.
Defender Jayden Cotterill was signed at the beginning of last season. A former Burton Albion graduate, he has also played for Hanley Town, Barwell, Gresley Rovers and Belper Town.
Jamie Hanson played Championship and League One football, racking up well over 100 appearances, during his time at Derby County, Wigan and Oxford Utd. His non-league career started at Ilkeston in July 2023, before a loan to Long Eaton in May last year, became permanent two months later.
Defender Owen Betts is club captain, recently recovered from a long term injury. He started off at Notts County and played for Spalding and Worksop too, before coming to Grange Park from Basford in February 2024.
James Taylor is a central midfielder, who came through Long Eaton’s own Academy. He made his first team debut in 2020. After a move to Heanor Town in July 2023, he rejoined our visitors at the start of last season
Connor Pace is a central midfielder too, a former Burton Albion Junior. He arrived at Grange Park last season having previously been loaned to Gresley Rovers.
Striker Evan Garnett is the second ex Mickleover player. He started with Burton Albion and moved to Worksop after a loan spell with Hucknall Town. Belper Town, Ilkeston and Kidderminster followed, before he came to Sports in July 2017, after a year at Alfreton.
After two years at Mickleover he moved to Stafford, and has played for Loughborough Dynamo too, before arriving at Long Eaton at the start of last season.
Dexter Walters is a left sided midfielder and the third ex Mickleover player. He joined the Coventry City youth scheme after starting out with Romulus and Tamworth. After a loan at Leamington, he rejoined Tamworth after his release and came from there to Mickleover in October 2021 on loan.
He moved to Long Eaton last March, after spells at Stratford, Stourbridge and Bedworth.
Jahvan Davidson-Miller is the fourth ex Sports player. He was a Derby County striker before joining Barwell on his release. Coming to Mickleover in November, he struggled to hold down a starting role and returned to Barwell 11 months later. He then came back to Mickleover for a very short spell last season, before gong to Redditch and Rugby Town and finally joining our visitors about a month ago.
And the fifth former Mickleover player is midfielder George Atwal, a graduate of our own Academy and spent the 23/24 season at Long Eaton, before moving on to Redditch and Bromsgrove. He came back to Grange Park pre-season.
Assistant manager to Munn is ex Derby County Junior Aaron Cole, a sixth ex Mickleover player in the Long Eaton squad. Eastwood, Stockport, Barrow, Hinckley Utd, Rocester, Worksop and Belper Town were all his ex clubs before arriving at the Don Amott Arena in 2017.
He moved on to Market Drayton, Belper, Stafford and Gresley Rovers and has been assistant player/managed at Long Eaton since November 2023.
Striker James Shaw started out with Burton Albion Community Trust. He is in his second spell at the club, after leaving in 2022 to join Kimberley MW, returning to Long Eaton last summer from Shepshed Dynamo.
Fellow striker Tristan Thompson-Matthews has spent most of his career with Corby Town, having moved from Loughborough Dynamo in 2022. He joined Lng Eaton last February.
Oscar Hugenholtz, Corey Gregory, Sam Calpin and Caleb Horsley are all products of the clubs own Academy. Defender Hugenholtz went to Shepshed at the beginning of last season, before to the club.
Calpin is now the number two keeper and has also played for Chesterfield Under 23’s.
Kick off as usual is 7.45pm.