by Peter Scherer
An early goal from the hosts and two more before half time left the points settled in Stockton’s favour.
Starting line-up: 1 Yusuf Mersin 2 Jake Bennett 3 Brandon Ferron 4 Curtis Weston 5 Danny Benson 6 George Taft 7 Ryan Wilson 8 Will Atkinson 9 Jahvan Davidson-Miller 10 Andy Dales 11 Ceiron Keane. Subs: Charlie Hickingbottom, Louis Carter, Callum Moore, Dylan Edwards, Josh Carter.
With Stockton straight on the attack from the kick off, Josh Scott’s pressure forced Taft into a mistake after seven minutes. The ball fell straight to Michael Sweet’s feet, who buried in the top left corner from close range. 0-1.
Three minutes later Tom Coulthard had a header deflected away by Benson, following a Stockton free kick.
There soon followed a sequence of corners for the hosts, after Atkinson had cleared the original, before finally going for a goal kick.
14 minutes in and Sports were forced to swap Taft for Hickingbottom as the Stockton onslaught continued.
Only four minutes later the hosts went close again when a Roberts header bounced off the bar.
Mersin then made a tremendous save, palming away King’s low drive for a corner.
Mickleover finally managed an attack after 23 minutes, when Dales put a ball over the defence, only to find Davidson-Miller offside.
But King then put in a great cross for Stockton before Sweet’ s
header landed safely in Mersin ‘s hands.
But 28 minutes and it was 0-2, when Mersin saved Nicholson’s header on the line, before Coulthard tapped home the rebound.
Nine minutes later Stockton hit their third, when Roberts headed home from a perfect Butterworth corner 0-3.
A poor clearance from Mersin was then intercepted by Thompson, but fortunately his spectacular shot went wide.
An injury time rally from Mickleover was the first time keeper Harker was tested, Dales cut inside before his effort was well saved. So it remained 0-3 at half time.
There were no immediate changes at half time, but Hickingbottom then put a header just wide of the right hand post from a Wilson header, after 51 minutes.
But Stockton continued to threaten, with a Gallacher shot after 58 minutes just wide, followed by a Purewal header from a free kick, which bounced before Mersin collected.
Baggs then charged down the left before cutting inside, firing his 63rd minute effort just over.
Edwards replaced Wilson after 65 minutes as Sports defence continued to fend off the home attack.
Painter put another effort just wide of the right hand post from a 69th minute corner, but two minutes later Mickleover went close again. A lob over the top had Harker beaten, only for Coulthard to clear off the line with a spectacular overhead kick.
Scott and Birtles both had shots saved by Mersin in the last 15 minutes, during which time twins Josh and Louis Carter came on for Keane and Dales, making their first team debuts.
With 12 minutes on the clock Mickleover should have opened their account. Ferron showed his pace with a terrific run down the left, fed it into Davidson-Miller only for his shot to go skywards.
So another disapointing result 0-3 after a slightly improved second half.