by Peter Scherer
Both Mickleover and Blyth Spartans will be looking for three points as they meet at the Don Amott Arena on Saturday.
For Mickleover it’s crucial to return to winning ways after their 0-4 to Worksop last Tuesday ended a run of five games unbeaten, while Blyth took their first league just over a week ago, at home to Workington.
Sports expect to have Barnsley loanee Kieran Flavell in goal again, during Yusuf Mersin’s paternal break, and will still be without Gaby Adebambo, recovering from an ankle injury and possibly Will Atkinson, after his concussion in the Basford game.
Former Ipswich Town goalkeeper David Stockdale has recently taken over as Blyth manager, after previously being Nobby Solano’s assistant. They currently lie 21st in the table with just the one win, and went out of the FA Cup last weekend 0-3 at home to Bury, and were relegated from the National League North last season.
Although manager Stockdale is still a registered player, first choice goalkeeper is currently Gateshead loanee Harrison Bond. A former Sunderland junior, Bond was loaned to Shildon, before joining Gateshead on his release in August 2023. He has also been loaned out to Whitley Bay.
Reserve keeper Michael Hogan is also on loan from Bedlington Terriers. After starting out at Newcastle Utd, he joined York City, before joining Blyth at the start of last season. But he spent most of last season on loan, firstly back at Bedlington and also Newcastle Blue Star.
Centre back Greg Halford is a former England Under 20 International, with well over 500 league appearances under his belt in every division, having played throughout England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
A recent signing, he started at Braintree, before joining Colchester Utd. After a spell at Reading he moved to Sunderland, who loaned him to Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Utd, before a move to Wolves in 2009.
Portsmouth was his next stop after an initial loan, before a move to Nottingham Forest in 2012. He spent three years at Forest, including a loan at Brighton, before moving onto Rotherham, Cardiff and Aberdeen.
Southend Utd and Waterford followed, before joining Billericay. It was then two years at Hashtag Utd, before starting this season at Bishop Stortford.
Fellow centre back Ben Milburn is another pre-season arrival, but it’s his second spell with our visitors. Chester Le Street and Carlisle Utd Park View were his junior clubs, before coming to Blyth in August 2021.
After a loans at Whickham and North Shields he joined Consett in August 2022, before returning to Blyth.
Left back Connor Pani is another loanee from Gateshead. As well as loans at Morpeth and Workington, he was previously loaned to Blyth back in January 2023 for one month.
Former Middlesbrough and Rotherham Junior Joel Holvey made one league appearance before coming to our visitors pre-season. A left back he went out on loan to Gainsborough Trinity too last season.
Michael Woods is an experienced midfielder and former England Under 20 International. He was at both Leeds Utd and Chelsea in his early career, making almost 100 league one appearances.
After a loan at Notts County, he was released by Chelsea and joined Yeovil Town. Doncaster was his next stop, with a couple of spells at Harrogate Town split by a spell at Hartlepool.
Three years at Dover Athletic, were then followed by two years at York and two more years at South Shields, before coming to Blyth pre-season.
Chester Le Street started Harrison Clark’s career, before he headed off to Scotland. His first move was Livingston, who then loaned him to Arbroath, Kelty Hearts and Stirling Albion, before returning to England with Gateshead February last year. A central midfielder, he was pre-season arrival last year.
Club captain Nicky Deverdics has just started his fourth season at the club, since arriving from Gateshead in July 2021. A central midfielder, he has played in League Two, Scotland and Europe, after starting out at Newcastle Utd.
He was at Bedlington Terriers before heading to Gretna and Barnet, before his first spell at Blyth in 2010. After nine months he went to Iceland, returning to the UK with Alfreton after two seasons.
He then moved to TB Tvoroyri in the Faroe Islands for a short stay, before moving back to the UK again with Tadcaster. Dover Athletic was his next stop, before going to Hartlepool, who loaned him to back to Dover, before a move to Wrexham, preceded his Gateshead stay.
Billy Gordon is a central midfielder too, having arrived from York City at the beginning of last season.
Ryan Donaldson s a right winger and former Newcastle Utd Junior, with experience in League’s One and Two. After loans at Hartlepool and Tranmere he signed for Gateshead on his release. After spells at Cambridge Utd and Plymouth Argyle he went back to Hartlepool, but a four-year stay at Morpeth preceded his pre-season move to Blyth.
Striker Mitch Curry came through the junior ranks at Middlesbrough. He had loans at Harrogate, Inverness Caledonian and Gateshead before moving to Sunderland.
He then went to the US in 2021, firstly with Fort Lauderdale, then Inter Miami and Hartford, before returning to the UK two years later with Darlington. He was another pre-season signing for our visitors.
Fellow striker Harry Gardiner started out at South Shields before moving to Sunderland. He was then loaned back to South Shields, before his loan spell at Blyth at the end last season, became permanent during pre-season.
Joao Gomes and Dan Savage are strikers too and currently on loan from South Shields for the whole season.
Striker Joseph Abrahart came from North Shields pre-season. He also played early youth football in Alberta, Canada and with Philadelphia Lone Stars in the US.
Marcello Benedetti is another striker that’s recently arrived. He was a Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday Junior and has played for Shelbourne in the League of Ireland and local clubs West Allotment Celtic, Seaton Delaval and Whitley Bay too. He was an England Under 17 International.
Midfielder Charlie Aitken is the son of goalkeeping coach Ian. He has come through the junior ranks and joined the first team squad at the start of last season and has spent time at Whickham on a dual registration too.
Zach Simpson is another home-grown talent. A midfielder too, he has played at New Hartley Juniors and Newcastle Blue Star.
Josh Norvell and strikers Ryan Ndewini and Bobby Small are also junior graduates.
Blyth have also added loanee defender Louis Stephenson to their squad in the last day or two, from Hartlepool.
Kick off is 3pm, come and help Sports get those valuable three points!!