League: Friendly
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Loughborough Dynamo vs Mickleover F.C.
by Peter Scherer
Most of the Mickleover first team squad were in action last night, for the penultimate pre-season friendly at Loughborough Dynamo.
The starting line-up was 1-Callum Hawkins 2-Jake Bennett 3-Ben Lewin 4-Roger Lee 5-Joe Bateman; 6-Phil Watt 7-George Atwal 8-Bobby Battisson 9-Dec Bacon 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Fin Bowen, James Butler, Will Robinson, Josh Satchwell, Mason Warren, George Milner, Paddy Webb.
Mickleover had an early chance when Lee cleared from the defence to find Beavon, whose sent Dales on a run with his first shot saved.
The attacks seem to come fairly quickly in succession, after Bennett’s eighth minute overlap, sent a telling ball into the box, for Bacon to try a spectacular miscue, before his rebound was saved.
Three minutes later it was Dales for Beavon, before the final shot brought a diving save from the Dynamo keeper.
As Bennett and Lewin relished the attacking opportunities from wing back, Lee, Battisson and Atwal kept the front three well supplied. But after 14 minutes another attack started with Hawkins in the Mickleover goal. His clearance had worked through almost half the team, before the final ball was just too long for Battisson.
Mickleover had more of the play and opened their goal account after 15 minutes, with Dales sending Beavon through, before Bacon was brought down in the box and scored from the penalty spot, 1-0.
There was another chance only a couple of minutes later, when Atwal sent a long ball to Bennett. His cross allowed Beavon to set up Lee, whose weak shot failed to trouble the keeper.
Loughborough had few relatively few attacks, and a rare corner for the home side, was intercepted and set up another Mickleover attack. Beavon charged out and sent Dales on another run, before Bacon had a clear shot saved by the keeper again.
On the half hour Beavon made a lovely switch of play from the left, to find Bennett on the right stretching the home defence, but against the run of play it was suddenly 1-1 three minutes later. A long throw hadn’t been cleared by the Mickleover defence, and with Hawkins unsighted in a crowded box, he had little chance.
But Mickleover came back fighting, and a 36th minute attack from Beavon found Bennett again, before Battisson’s shot was straight at the keeper.
The closing minutes of the first half were more even, and Loughborough could have taken the lead, but Hawkins legs intervened .
Loughborough had a defender booked after a knee high challenge on Beavon, after the referee initially played on for Bennett’s shot to be blocked by a defender, before Dales had a positive run as the whistle was poised, leaping several tackles before the keeper collected his cross.
As the teams came out for the second half, Lewin, Battisson and Atwal had been replaced by Milner, Satchwell and Warren, shortly followed by Butler on for Watt.
Mickleover were showing strong pace and Beavon headed just over from a Dales cross after 47 mins, before Dales fired one home in the left corner to make it 2-1
Hawkins then had to make a double save, the first from a free kick on the edge off the box and the second from the follow up before Beavon then had a shot just wide after 61 mins.
But Loughborough started to have a few more attacks, which Butler easily dealt with, before Bennett charged through to make it 3-1 after 70 mins, beating the keeper on his near post.
Four minutes later Dales scored his second, with a precise chip over the advancing keeper, 4-1 and with Robinson now in defence for Bateman, the Mickleover defence continued to look solid.
Paddy Webb made it 5-1 after 80 mins, then had another chance which went high and wide, before the consolation of a second goal for the hosts a minute from time made the final score 5-2.
vs Coalville Town vs Mickleover F.C.
vs Mickleover F.C. vs Burton Albion
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Peterborough Sports vs Mickleover F.C.
vs Belper United vs Mickleover F.C.
vs Sheffield FC vs Mickleover F.C.
vs Clipstone vs Mickleover F.C.
vs Mickleover F.C. vs Peterborough Sports
STALEMATE FOR MICKLEOVER IN LAST PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
by Peter Scherer
Peterborough Sports were the visitors at the Don Amott Arena, for the final pre-season friendly of the year.
There was a welcome back from injury for both Phil Watt and Paddy Webb, as manager John McGrath starts to show a hint of his line-up for the first Northern Premier league match at South Shields next week.
1-Joe Slinn 2-Jake Bennett 3-Alex Morris 4-Mason Warren 5- James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Ben Gowing 8-Andrew Wright 9- Declan Bacon 10-Stuart Bevan 11-George Milner.
Subs- Jacob Edge-Lucas, Paddy Webb, Pablo Mills, Darius Smith, Josh Satchwell, Ricky Ravenhill. Jackson Smith.
Goalkeeper Slinn was soon in action when he had to push out Peterborough’s first attempt for a corner only two minutes in, before the tables were turned and Beavon had a shot over the bar from Sports first corner five minutes later.
It was the home side having more of the attacking and after Gowing had a shot blocked, an attempt from Butler was punched over the bar after 15 minutes.
The interplay and short passing was again Sports strong point, but as in other games the final ball just failed to get through.
Mickleover skipper Warren was yellow carded and as they went in for half time it was still 0-0.
10 minutes into the second half Beavon tried a shot from just outside the area and went close, but as the hour approached there was a change around in the Mickleover line-up. Ravenhill was on for Warren, Webb for Milner and Jackson Smith for Slinn.
But assistant manager Ravenhill had only been on the pitch nine minutes when he followed Warren into the ref’s book with a yellow card too.
Edge-Lucas then came on for Gowing, before Webb got a break and put a ball into the visitors area, but there was no one on the receiving end,
Satchwell replaced Wright for the last 13 minutes, but with less chances developing, an 82nd minute free kick was Sports last oportunity, but Beavon’s shot hit the wall and it ended 0-0.
vs Mickleover F.C. vs Guiseley AFC
LAST MINUTE FREE-KICK ALMOST A WINNER!
by Peter Scherer
In the penultimate pre-season friendly, Mickleover FC put up another strong performance against National League North opponents Guiseley.
There were a few changes from last Saturday’s line-up at Frickley, with debuts for Jordan Walshaw and Declan Bacon.
1-Callum Hawkins 2-Jake Bennett 3-Alex Morris 4-Mason Warren 5 James Butler 6-Marcus Calderone 7-Ben Gowing 8-Andrew Wright 9-Jordan Walshaw 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Declan Bacon. Subs: Ricky Ravenhill, Josh Satchwell, Darius Smith, Will Monteiro, Louis Pennington.
Originally Aman Verma was due to start, but after failing a late fitness test, he was replaced by Mason Warren.
Sports were on the attack from the first whistle, with Gowing, putting a good ball through to Beavon, which sent Walshaw goalwards, forcing the keeper to dive at his feet.
Guiseley came back with an immediate response, which was easily foiled, before another Sports attack ended with Beavon being flagged offside.
But still in the opening minutes there was a long hold-up when Calderone was injured making a clearance. He was stretchered off and replaced by Satchwell, who went to left back, with Morris moving into the centre of the defence.
Satchwell was straight into the action from the restart, with a strong attack down the left earning a throw in.
A minute later Walshaw had a shot just wide, as Sports gained the upperhand.
Although Morris was caught in possession on the edge of the box after 16 minutes, the Guiseley attack failed to take any advantage.
Bacon was then fouled as he broke clear with Wright’s following free-kick put out for a corner. It was initially cleared, before Satchwell picked it up and went close with a powerful shot.
The attacks were coming thick and fast after some good play from Wright on the 20 minute mark, Bacon had a shot just over the bar.
Six minutes later Beavon’s shot was followed up by Walshaw, as it rebounded off the Guiseley keeper.
With Butler and Morris marshalling the centre of the defence, Hawkins in the Mickleover goal was having a quiet time, but had to punch clear for a corner after a retaliatory break.
Warren then split the defence with a good through ball, which proved just out of reach for Beavon’s run.
The tide suddenly changed in Guiseley’s favour however, when a strong five minute spell threatened Sports goal.
The visitors had a random shot bounce off the bar on 35 minutes, while two minutes later another shot was well saved by Hawkins and went for a corner.
Just before half time Butler’s clearance sent Wright on a run, with his final ball just failing to connect with the strikers. But Walshaw recovered the ball, only to shoot straight at the keeper.
There were no immediate changes for the second half, but Guiseley started much stronger than they had in the first half.
Hawkins had to stave off three shots in the first couple of minutes, but wasn’t really troubled by any.
The attacks continued to come from the visitors, before some good interplay between Bacon and Satchwell.
After 57 mins there was a scare for the visitors defence when a Wright corner was almost headed into their own goal, before Wright picked it up again with Walshaw just failing to connect to the through ball.
Guiseley’s shoot on sight policy wasn’t posing any real threat, whereas Mickleover were favouring the more controlled build up, highlighted by a long pass from Butler, sending Bennett on an overlap until he was tackled just outside the box.
The visitors put a header wide just after 65 minutes, but manager McGrath decided to make some changes. Smith came on for Bennett and Monteiro from Walshaw.
A mistake in the Guiseley defence fell to Beavon, his pass found Bacon who then shot over, before on 71minutes the deadlock was finally broken.
Warren had held off a strong tackle to put Wright through, who put a powerful right foot shot to the keepers left, 1-0.
It was barely a couple of minutes later though that a cross from the right left the defence flat footed, and a Guiseley striker finished with a clear header into the left hand corner of Hawkins net 1-1.
There was another change when Pennington came on for Warren, but Sports should have had a free kick after 79 mins, when Monteiro was held back by a Guiseley defender, with a clear run on goal beckoning.
In the closing minutes Sports came out stronger in attack again, there were a couple of wasted shooting, before Beavon had the ball, but couldn’t find space to get his shot it.
But it was so nearly a Mickleover victory, after Monteiro was tripped with minutes left. Beavon’s free-kick smashed against the Guiseley post and was pushed out for a corner, but it was game over with a well-deserved 1-1.
Next match is at home on Saturday against Peterborough Sports, before the NPL League matches start the following week.
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