by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It was another mixture of missed chances and questionable refereeing decisions that cost Mickleover dearly, as they ended their final home game of 2025 with a 1-1 draw.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Jake Bennett 3-Archie White 4-Ross Derham 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-George Wilkinson 7-Tbanag Dube 8-Will Atkinson 9-Josiah Dyer 10-Andy Dales 11-Paddy Webb. Subs: Liam Carter, Ashton Offler, Josh Ashman, Michael Hollingsworth, Louis Bonser.
Right from the kick off Webb had a punt on goal, firing over bar as he tried to catch keeper Charlie Woods off guard.
It was all guns blazing though from Sports, pushing forward at every opportunity with Sphinx pegged back in their own half.
10 minutes in and Gascoigne played a long cross field ball out of defence, sending Webb on a chase down the left. He was into the box when Ryley Nicholson tripped him from behind, everyone including the Coventry keeper prepared for a penalty, but the referee thought other otherwise and ignored the appeals.
Two minutes later Dales put Webb through again, but a combination of keeper and the recovering defence managed to stop him, but it was very close.
Sports continued their barrage and a combination of Dyer and Dales after 18 minutes set up Webb again. As he ran in he tried a first-time volley, but it was over the bar again.
Dales then charged through on the left and found Webb in the middle, another strike hit the underside of the bar, as Sports were hitting everything except the back of the net.
Dube was next to try his luck on the 20 minute mark after a strong run and cross from White on the left, but the keeper parried the shot and the ball was cleared.
There was a slight respite before Dube was obstructed on another run after 33 minutes, but White’s free kick was straight into the wall and cleared again.
With Gascoigne and Wilkinson controlling things at the back, both Bennett and White had plenty of freedom on the overlap. 35 minutes and White used the space to try another shot from distance, but it was over the bar again.
With five minutes left in the first half White tried again, firing a shot from the left, after a strong build up between Dales and Dube, but once again it was over the bar.
Coventry hadn’t had a shot, but with one minute left Jordan Hayward’s determination almost got him through after a corner, before the Mickleover defence closed ranks.
The defence had looked solid, Atkinson and Derham had both been creative in midfield and it had been a strong first half performance from Mickleover. But none of the chances had been converted and instead of going into the break 3-0 up, it was still 0-0.
There were no immediate changes for the second half and both teams won corners in the first 10 minutes of the restart, which came to nought.
Sphinx had their first real shot of the game after 56 minutes, but McDowell had it covered. They were somewhat luckier six minutes later when a ball from the Mickleover left found Daniele Reka, who beat McDowell at full stretch, 0-1.
Carter then replaced Dube, as the visitors continued in the ascendancy, with Mickleover ever more frustrated. Derham had a shot saved after a nice build up, but five minutes after the opening goal we were level again. As the ball came into a crowded box from the right, Bennett got the last touch as the ball bounced off a number of players. Scrappy but it was 1-1.
68 minutes and Gascoigne went close with a header from a corner just over the bar, but he was soon replaced by Offler. “It was a precaution as my hamstring had tightened,” he said. Bonser was also on for Webb, moving to left back with White pushing further forward.
Coventry had another chance after 73 minutes, when ex Sports plater Matty Bowman set up Jack Downes, but his shot was high over the bar too.
Dales tried a solo run a few minutes later, cutting in from the left he shot just wide of the right-hand post, before there was another scare at the opposite end. Sports had lost possession in midfield and Sphinx got a break, a volley from the right hit the post and the ball ran across the face of the goal and out of danger.
Hollingsworth replaced White for the last seven minutes, but Mickleover continued to push for a winner. Bonser had a couple of good runs on the left, setting up Dales who had a shot blocked and earning a corner almost on time.
So it ended 1-1 in a game that should have been comfortably sewn up in the first half and we now prepare to visit Rugby Town on Boxing Day.
