By Peter Scherer
For the second successive year, Mickleover overcame the challenge from Burton Albion, to comfortably retain the KC Trophy with a 5-0 victory
Starting line-up: 1- Jack McDowell 2-Liam Carter 3-Josh Carter 4-Danny Benson 5-Ashton Offler 6-George Wilkinson 7-Andy Dales 8-Harry Wood 9-Paddy Webb 10-Archie White 11-Steven Johnson-Fikula. Subs: Ryan Wilson, Jake Bennett, Brandon Ferron, Stuart Beavon, Frase Corden, Trialist.
The Burton youngsters certainly started with plenty of pace and vigour, but their first attack was repelled when Offler headed away after three minutes.
Just a minute later Mickleover retaliated when Dales charged down the left. His cross was picked up by Josh Carter, before a positive tackle by the visitors cleared the danger.
Burton quickly responded with a break down the right, with the final shot just wide of the left hand post.
Our visitors were back on the attack again earning a seventh minute free kick after a Wood foul, but the triple centre backs of Benson, Wilkinson and Offler easily had things under control.
Josh Carter led another Mickleover break 11 minutes in, but his final shot was wide before White almost got around the back of the Burton defence six minutes later.
The Carter twins both continued to pile the pressure on the visitors and after 18 minutes Josh’s corner earned a corner on the left . Dales then succeeded in outpacing the defence, before cutting inside on the right. His cross once again found a Carter, but this time it was Liam, whose shot was blocked.
Although Burton continued to have a fair share of possession, their threat to the home defence was already beginning to ebb.
Josh Carter shot just wide again after 24 minutes, before Burton made a break, but once again there was no direction to their final effort.
Sports had to make an early substitution, Wilson for Benson. “I just felt my hamstring starting to tighten, so it was a precaution,” said Benson.
But Mickleover were soon in front, when Dales placed a free kick well out of reach of the Burton keeper, to give them lead after 39 minutes 1-0.
Just a minute later Burton’s defence was in turmoil, with ball running loose to Dales. Sports skipper whipped the ball into the box where White just needed one chance and smashed it home to make it 2-0.
Five more minutes it was 3-0 after Webb was brought down in the box, he got to his feet and took the kick himself with the Burton keeper well beaten, as the half time whistle followed.
There were two changes at half time with the Carter twins going off, to be replaced by Bennett and a Trialist striker.
Sports were soon seeking number four, and after another strong attack after 54 minutes, Dales earned a corner, which was initially cleared, before winning a second.
With the hour mark approaching Mickleover hit number four. The ball was fired in from the right wing and as Wood challenged, the final touch went to a Burton defender, but it was still 4-0.
Corden and Beavon were the next subs on, with Webb and White coming off. Having only been on the pitch two minutes, Corden made it 5-0 on the hour, with a powerful strike from just outside the box.
McDowell had a rare touch, when Burton fired a shot straight into his hands three minutes later, just before Ferron came on.
Wilson put in a lovely cross after 67 minutes, but found no one in the middle, before Burton followed up with another shot over the bar a minute later.
Ferron was soon showing his pace too, having whipped past the defence on the left, he fired in a shot at a tight angle, which was tipped over by the Burton keeper.
White has been substituted earlier but came back on for the final 17 minutes, as Sports were seeking goal number six.
Burton still had an amount of possession, but lacked creativity and finish. Corden fired another shot over the bar 76 minutes in, before Burton earned another corner which came to nought.
With six minutes on the clock White fired another attempt wide and with time almost up a scramble in the Burton box almost went in Mickleover’s favour.
Our Trialist striker had shown promise in a number of second half attacks and could have claimed a goal himself, with a clear one on one with the Burton keeper, but his shot was slightly premature and straight at the keeper.
McDowell had to make one late save, but it was a comfortable 5-0 win, with some impressive defending from the home defence and growing creativity from our midfield as they continue to gel.
