by Peter Scherer
As Mickleover head to Basford tomorrow night, they will be aiming to make it five unbeaten in a row.
Sports have given debuts to Cieron Keane and Jahvan-Davidson-Miller in the last two matches and will hopefully have Marcus Barnes back in the squad tomorrow night too.
Mickleover are now 12th in the table, one place and one point behind our hosts, following their win at FC United last weekend.
Manager Martin Carruthers made over 400 league appearances in his career, scoring 110 goals, for the likes of Aston Villa and Stoke City. He was at Matlock Town last season and took over at Basford at the start of this season.
Goalkeeping duties have been shared so far this season, between Sail Deeney and Kieran Preston. Deeney started his career at Notts County, and after loan spells at Gresley Rovers, Ilkeston and Hull City, he made a permanent move to Burton Albion in 2005.
He then returned to Notts County, for a year, before a short stay at Hucknall Town preceded a return to Burton too. 4 ½ years at Derby County followed, before his first spell at Basford in 2015. Moving on to Coalville and Ilkeston, he joined Matlock in January last year, before returning to Basford pre-season.
Former Scottish Under 19 International Preston had been first-choice until Deeney arrived, having signed from Bristol Rovers, back in December 2019. But he has left the club this week to join Belper Town.
Centre back Victor Nirennold started his career with Stade Rennais in France, before moving to the US with Miami City.
He came to the UK with Fleetwood Town, who loaned him to Guiseley, before a permanent move to FK Senica in Slovakia. SHB Da Nang in Vietnam was his next stop, followed by UiTM United in Malaysia.
After a few months with Motherwell in early 2022, he joined Gloucester and started last season at Nuneaton. He then came to Basford in February, after a brief stay at Halesowen.
Stern Irvine is a centre back in his third season at Basford. A former Notts County player, he came from Ilkeston Town.
Fellow centre back Ethan Stewart is a pre-season signing. He started with Nottingham Forest, who loaned him to Billericay and Alfreton, before joining Nuneaton on his release. He then returned to Alfreton, before moving to Stafford Rangers in October 2021.
Henri Wilder is a left back who started off at Brighton, before moving to Mansfield Town. He was loaned to Lewes, before going to Tamworth on his release. He then had a few months at Alfreton, before joining Ilkeston in November 2022, from where he joined our hosts a year later.
Josh Barnes is a former Nottingham Forest Junior defensive midfielder. He was loaned out to Truro City on two occasions, before signing for Basford in July 2022 following his release.
Bermudan International central midfielder Kacy Butterfield is another pre-season signing from Stourbridge. He was a junior at Walsall, and was loaned to Rushall before joining Kidderminster on his release.
After moving on to Chesterfield, he was loaned to Guiseley and then made moves to Alfreton and Nuneaton, before joining Stourbridge last January.
Right sided midfielder and captain Matt Thornhill started out at Nottingham Forest too. He was loaned to Brighton, Hibernian and Cheltenham, before a permanent moved to Hibs. He then spent three years at Buxton, before moves to Shaw Lane and Gainsborough and has been at Basford since March 2017. He has played in the Championship, League’s One and Two in England and the Scottish Premiership.
Rev James is in his fourth spell with our hosts, after playing his Junior football at Rotherham and Oxford Utd. He first came to Basford in December 2018 on loan, but then joined Tamworth after his release by Oxford.
In November 2019 he came back to Basford, stayed 2 1/2 years and then moved to Nuneaton, initially on loan. But he came back again in February 2023, started last season at Belper Town, but after four months he was back again.
Jordan Hallam is an attacking midfielder, who has spent most his career at Sheffield Utd. With 28 EFL appearances under his belt, he had loans at Southport, Viking Stavanger and Chesterfield, before joining Scunthorpe following is release. His next stop was Ilkeston after an initial loan, but after three months he moved to Basford in October 2023.
Midfielder Prince Mancinelli came from Nuneaton in January and has also played for Belper Town, Tamworth and Long Eaton.
Striker Ash Chambers was signed from Coalville pre-season. A former Leicester City Junior, he was loaned to Wycombe Wanderers and Grimsby, before joining York City after an initial loan, following his release.
Cambridge Utd, Dagenham & Redbridge and a return to Grimsby were his next stops, before making his loan spell at Nuneaton permanent. Stops at Kidderminster, Brackley and Buxton followed, before spending two years at Coalville. He played over 150 games in the Championship and leagues one and two.
Fellow striker Tyrell Waite moved from Mickleover to our hosts in the close season, having joined Sports from Ilkeston last February.
He started out at Notts County and had loans at Nuneaton and Ilkeston before joining Lincoln City on his release. He spent time in Sweden with Skelleftea FF, before returning to Nuneaton the following year. Kidderminster, Matlock, Boston Utd, Tamworth and Coalville all followed, before he signed for Ilkeston in September last year.
Kane Richards is another well-travelled striker, after starting out at the Derby County Academy. He had a loan at Matlock before signing for Ilkeston on his release. Chester was his next stop, with a loan at Gainsborough before heading south to Dover Athletic. After another loan at Telford he joined Kidderminster, before joining our hosts for the first time in July 2019.
Three years later he moved to Nuneaton and then started this year with a very brief stop at Kettering, before returning to Basford in February.
Striker Tyler Dacres is a young striker that has come through our hosts own Academy and is now a regular starter.
Harvey Ridgley has come through the Academy too, a young defender who was loaned out to Loughborough Dynamo last season too.
Strikers Harry Goddard, Joe Uveges and defender Nelson Aideyan make it five Academy graduates to join the first team squad, Goddard is yet to make his first team debut, while Uveges has made one appearance and Aideyan five.
Kick of as usual is 7.45.