by Peter Scherer
Hot on the heels of our 1-1 draw at Hyde last Saturday, Mickleover welcome Ilkeston Town to the Don Amott Arena on Tuesday night.
The Robins suffered a surprise defeat in their final re-season game of the season, losing 1-3 to Harborough Town, before started their NPL campaign with a 2-2 draw at home to Gainsborough Trinity.
Manager Ian Deakin has mainly retained his squad from last season, which finished 11th in the NPL, having moved from spending 22/23 in the South with Mickleover.
Matt Yates and Mitchell Leivers are both experienced goalkeepers. Yates, currently first choice, came from Gainsborough at the beginning of last season, after a two year spell in Lincolnshire.
He was a Derby County Junior and was loaned to Gloucester City, Hereford and Telford Utd prior to his release.
Leivers came through Long Eaton Utd’s Academy, making his first team debut in October 2022. After spells at Hucknall and Heanor Town, he joined Ilkeston last November and also had a short loan spell at Kimberley MW last season.
Centre back James Perch is an ex Nottingham Forest Junior, with over 500 league games under his belt, plus appearances in the Europa League. After leaving Forest he had three years with Newcastle Utd, two at Wigan Athletic and three at QPR before moving to Scunthorpe in 2018.
He then spent three years with Mansfield Town, before joining the Robins in September last year and is now club captain.
Fellow centre back Callum Minkley is another former Rams Academy player. He went to Gainsborough too on his release and after two years there made the made to Ilkeston last September.
Former captain Tom Marshall came back to the club last November, having left in October 2020. He started his career at Hednesford, moving onto Eastwood, Chasetown, Tamworth, Kidderminster, Stafford, Altrincham and Kettering.
Mitchell Robinson is a centre back and came to the club in May from Loughborough Dynamo. He was previously captain at Long Eaton.
Dec Eratt-Thompson is a right back who came from Sheffield Wednesday’s Academy. He had left in 2016 to join Stocksbridge, but returned after a two year absence. He was then released again in August 2022 and came to Ilkeston.
Dec’s brother Koby is a left back and was in Chesterfield’s Academy before coming to Ilkeston and spent part of last year on a dual registration with Maltby Main.
Sam Parker came from Long Eaton last September, where he captained their promotion side. He started at the Derby County Academy.
Midfielder Connor Dixon is another former Rams graduate. He spent a month on loan at Ilkeston early last year and after another loan at Farsley Celtic, he returned to the New Manor Ground permanently at the beginning of last season.
Jamie Walker is another midfielder who came from Alfreton for the start of last season. He had previously spent three years at Long Eaton Utd, after joining them from Basford Utd.
Joining Dixon and Walker in midfield is Jonathan Wafula. After his release from Chesterfield’s Academy, he joined Worksop Town, staying for four years before a move to Shaw Lane. Next stop was Gainsborough, followed by Boston Utd, Guiseley, Matlock Town, Grantham and Basford. He was also loaned back to Grantham, and moved to Ilkeston in February.
Striker L’Varn Brandy arrived from Long Eaton last September, having previously been in Sheffield Wednesday’s Academy.
Striker Tom Cursons came from Long Eaton in August 202t. He began with the Metropolitan Police and was loaned to Badshot Lea. He moved to Hartley Whitney in December 2021 and to Gainsborough only a month later. A further move to Long Eaton in December 2022 preceded his arrival at Long Eaton.
Fellow striker Alex Marshall came through the Ilkeston Academy, but returned to the club last October from Loughborough Dynamo. He has had a couple of spells at Long Eaton and he also spent part of last season away with Heanor Town on a dual registration.
Striker Ben Hutchinson is probably one of the clubs most experienced player. His football league career started at Middlesbrough, after he joined them from Arnold Town. He then joined Celtic and was sent out on loan to Swindon Town, Dundee and Lincoln City before a permanent move to Kilmarnock.
He came back to the Midlands in 2012 with Mansfield, moving on to Nuneaton, Basford, Belper Town, Carlton, Newark and Eastwood, before joining our hosts at the start of last season and has played in the English and Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.
Sacha Markelic was Heanor Town’s top scorer last season and moved to Ilkeston in March. He was previously at Loghborough Dynamo and Kimberley MW.
Connor Brown is one of the few new signings. A right back, he has made over 150 EFL appearances since starting out as a Sheffield Utd Junior.
He was loaned to Hinckley before joining Oldham Athletic on his release. He spent four years at Boundary Park, including a loan at Carlisle Utd, before moving to Guiseley in 2016. After spells at York City and Barrow, je joined Buxton in early 2023, and has come to Ilkeston pre-season.
Central midfielder Lindon Meikle is a former England C International and another new signing. From starting out at Eastwood Town. He had three years at Mansfield, before moving to York City. Stops at Macclesfield, Alfreton, Barrow followed, before e three year spell at Kettering followed.
He then joined Tamworth, before going to Buxton a year later and being loaned back to Tamworth before rejoining them permanently at the beginning of last season. He first came to Ilkeston on loan in January and recently made his stay permanent.
Last week Ilkeston added Harry Kirby-Moore and Colin Daniel to their squad too. Kirby-Moore is a young striker, who had been on trial pre-season, having been released by Shrewsbury Town.
Daniel is an experienced defender, with almost 30 appearances under his belt in Leagues One and Two. Having started at Eastwood he joined Crewe Alexandra and was loaned out to Leek Town, Grays Athletic and Macclesfield, before a permanent move to the latter.
He was then loaned back to Crewe before a move to Mansfield. He has played for Port Vale, Blackpool, Peterborough, Burton Albion, Exeter City and Aldershot too and started 22/23 at Scunthorpe, before starting last season with Worksop.
Kick off as usual is 7.45 at the Don Amott Arena.