by Peter Scherer (Image: Steve Ingers)
Two weeks since our last game, Mickleover hit the ground running at the Don Amott Arena with an early goal against Coleshill Town. But unable to consolidate the advantage, Sports had to settle for a point after a second half equaliser.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Jake Bennett 3-Louis Bonser 4-Will Atkinson 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-George Wilkinson 7-Archie White 8-Ross Derham 9-Manni Norkett 10-Andy Dales 11-Fraser Corden. Subs: Danny Benson, Stuart Beavon, Josiah Dyer, Paddy Webb, Thabang Dube.
It was fairly lively start, with Sports outpacing their visitors from the off. Bonser’s overlap on the left provided the first chance after seven minutes, with Norkett sending in a powerful header from the cross. But Coleshill keeper Cameron Belford pulled off a brilliant save to tip it over the bar.
Coleshill then made their first break, comfortably dealt with by the home defence, before Wilkinson lobbed the ball forward. Initially Norkett checked he was onside, but he was in the clear and came out on top of a one on one with Belford, for a wonderful debut goal, 1-1.
It could have been a second just three minutes later when the ball fell to Bonser, after a scramble in the box. But the less than kindly bounce affected his shot and it was over the bar.
Coleshill skipper Carter-Byrne then gave the ball away in midfield, White picked it up crossed and Corden had his shot blocked to earn a corner.
It was 20 minutes in before our visitors got another break, but their cross from the right found no one to receive.
Bonser then got another break down the left and cut inside to shoot, that was saved too for another corner, before a Dales and Corden interplay ended with a fairly tame shot.
Usher-Shipway failed to trouble home keeper McDowell with a weak shot after 25 minutes, but Coleshill had gradually started to push forward more.
Just after the half hour mark some good work between Dales and Derham, saw Dales shot blocked, with another shot from Norkett was blocked too.
Atkinson continued to try and push Sports forward as Coleshill began to pose more of a threat. They hit the post after 37 minutes, but Corden finished the half with a shot just over as Mickleover managed to retain their advantage at the break.
As the second half got underway Coleshill showed new purpose and it was Sports on the back foot, ruing the fact they hadn’t managed a second goal before the break.
Just one minute into the second half and Theo Rowe had a good chance for the equaliser, but he fired over the bar.
Both Gascoigne and Wilkinson at the back were having to show their mettle, as the creativity had waned and Coleshiil were pressing.
Dales had a run down the right after 51 minutes, but there was no one to meet his cross, but then White and Sweeney were yellow carded, after the Mickleover player responded to the initial foul.
On the hour Sweeney and Rowe then combined to cross from the left, but Usher-Shipway’s shot was saved by McDowell’s feet, as the threat of the equaliser seemed to be getting closer.
Sports then made three changes, with Dube, Dyer and Webb on for White, Norkett and Corden.
But the pressure on the home defence continued, with Rowe putting an effort across the face of the goal, with fortunately no one on hand to receive. Sweeney then put a cross in which Wilkinson headed away, before Jack Hallahan’s shot hit the post again.
Dales made a solo break again after 70 minutes, but was fouled. The free kick came to nought, but Coleshill came straight back with McDowell making a good save from Usher-Shipway, before Rowe followed up to make it 1-1.
For a while it could have gone either way, with Sports failing to maximise a corner after 75 minutes, before Rowe followed up with another shot straight at McDowell.
Webb almost broke through too on the left, his shot was blocked and it was another corner, but Wilkinson’s header was an easy catch for Belford.
Benson then came on for Derham for the final nine minutes and with eight minutes added on, Sports suddenly came to life and again.
Dyer put a cross in that just missed out and then Belford’s feet thwarted Dube, before Dales, Dube and Dyer combined again, only for Belford to block with his feet yet again.
Bonser was fouled as he tried to make the final break, but that winning strike continued to elude at the death, just as it had in the first half, thanks mainly to a heroic performance from Belford in the Coleshill goal.