by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It took a late second half comeback for Mickleover to rescue a game that had looked well and truly lost. 0-2 down, a George Wilknson header, a solo strike from Fraser Corden and 91st minute winner from sub Ashton Offler did the business however.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-Jake Bennett 3-Louis Bonser 4-Danny Benson 5-Brad Gascoigne 6-George Wilkinson 7-Ross Derham 8-Will Atkinson 9-Josiah Dyer 10-Fraser Corden 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Stuart Beavon, Paddy Webb, Michael Hollingsworth, Ashton Offler, Archie White.
For the first 10 minutes Mickleover bombarded the visiting defence, but failed to breakthrough, with a number of shots blocked.
Totally against the run of play and in their first attack it was Loughborough that took the lead after 11 minutes, with Daniel Vanderpuye firing home from the Mickleover right 0-1.
The goal had given Loughborough the confidence to push forward and Sonny Albert went close again after 20 minutes, with Mickleover not only losing their domination, but struggling to break out or even string together consecutive passes.
William Earley had a shot deflected over the bar for Loughborough a minute later, before Dales managed to earn a corner, which went to waste.
Corden put a shot wide of the left-hand post after a patient build up on the half hour, but then an Ollie Downes cross found Albert for the visitors, his shot was deflected for another corner.
Dales pushed the ball through the defence after 34 minutes rather than shooting, but his move failed to connect with Dyer, who misread the situation.
While Loughborough continued to shoot on sight, Mickleover were visibly struggling and McDowell was forced to make another save from Vanderpuye with his feet.
Both Benson and Corden could have had shots around the 40 minute mark, but took the ball too far and lost it, while a minute later Dales made it into the box before he was blocked.
With the half time whistle poised Dales broke through again, his strike was well saved by Sadler, before the rebound fell for Corden. His shot was then blocked, earning a corner, which was headed wide by Gascoigne and so it remained 0-1 at the break.
White replaced Benson for the second half and was straight into the action, setting up a shot for Bonser on the edge of the box, but his shot was over the bar.
A few minutes later McDowell was spotted off his line and had to race back as a Loughborough punt went just wide.
White had shot saved after 50 minutes and two minutes later his cross from the right met with a misdirected header from Dyer.
But Rennie got a second for Loughborough after 54 minutes, when he was left unmarked on the edge of the box, to receive Prickett-Reed’s cross 0-2.
Beavon replaced Dyer on the hour and four minutes later Mickleover managed to pull one back, with Wilkinson heading home a White free kick 1-2.
McDowell made a diving save to his right as Loughborough fought back, before Sports upped their fire power with Webb coming on for Atkinson.
It was almost a third for Loughborough in the 74th minute, but Bennett cleared off the line. Beavon then put Webb through the middle, before his shot was blocked by Twite.
Mickleover had started to threaten again and started to put Twite and Earley under pressure in the centre of the visitors defence.
Bonser put a challenging cross in from the left, which proved too high, but after 78 minutes Corden picked the ball up in midfield, carved his way through and fired in the equaliser from distance, 2-2.
Webb went close three minutes later when keeper Sadler just got a touch on a fizzing shot and then Corden forced him into a one handed save.
Suddenly there was the scent of victory, with a Beavon header striking the bar from a Corden corner.
Time was running out though and with two minutes left Offler replaced skipper Dales. His first touch was heading a White free kick into Beavon’s path, so close.
But his second was a powerful header from a corner, the winning goal 3-2 with the full time whistle soon following.
