by Peter Scherer
TWO GOALS in the first 15 minutes, set Mickleover Vets on the way to a comfortable 6-1 win at the Don Amott Arena, in the Keith Radford Trophy.
Starting line-up: 1-Adam Salter 2-Sam Carter 3-Will Perry 5-Danny Palmer 6-Scott Quigg 7-James Rock 10-Chris Palmer 11-Callum Betts 15-Kris Herries 16-Richard Bailey 18-Aidan Gale. Subs: Mark Whitton, Craig Saville, Jim Alton, Lee Yeoman, Adam Diksa.
Right from the start Mickleover were on the attack, earning their first corner after just two minutes. Betts then burst through the visiting defence and forced the keeper into his first save of the match.
But Mickleover had to make an early change when Perry boke a rib in a collision with his own keeper and was replaced by Alton.
Hemington earned their first corner after seven minutes, after a charge down the left wing was blocked, but it continued to be all Mickleover.
Rock had a shot saved after 12 minutes but just two minutes later Bailey opened the scoring for Sports, with the keeper well beaten 1-0.
Bailey made it two just two minutes later, going solo to take it around the keeper with ease, 2-0.
The home defence marshalled by Danny Palmer were easily dealing with the visitors attacks, giving more than enough time for midfield to get creative.
A 23rd minute free kick was headed over by Gale, followed by a Chris Palmer cross missed by all.
Bailey and Gale combined again on the left to torment the Hemington defence, before Bailey went solo and eventually shot wide.
Betts forced a good save from the visitors keeper on the half hour and five minutes later Rock had space, but his cross was too near the keeper, who gathered with ease.
Chris Palmer then shot over after 36 minutes, before a random long shot from Hemington, was easily dealt with by Salter.
Quigg then found Palmer whose cross was collected by Gale, who then shot just wide as he remained 2-0 at half time.
Second half sub Whitton was next on the score sheet, making it 3-0 after a cross from Betts on the right, five minutes into the second period.
Hemington tried another rare and random shot well wide around the hour mark, before a curling Chris Palmer free kick almost found it’s way into the net.
Whitton and Herries then combined to torment the Hemmington defence on the right, passing to Chris Palmer in acres of space, who placed it passed the keeper with time and ease, 4-0.
Palmer put another shot just over in the 63rd minute, before sub Saville followed suit.
Our visitors pulled one back with a 67th minute penalty, before Whitton swivelled in the box to fire home number four for 5-1.
The Hemington keeper continued to be busy and made a couple more saves, before Bailey fired wide 72 minutes in.
Betts put another effort just wide and Palmer had another shot over the bar, before Whitton put Saville through, only for the keeper to save with his feet.
But almost on time goal number six arrived, with a fine solo effort from Bailey, to complete his hattrick and seal a convincing 6-1 victory.
