by Peter Scherer
It’s been a tough season for Mickleover Reserves so far, with a number of the Academy players having joined the first team squad.
The team were boosted however by the addition of former Rams and Forest striker Marcus Tudgay, playing up front with his son Mason, as we faced Wirksworth Ivanhoe.
Starting line-up: 1-Josh Maher 2-Mason Hoult 3-Liam Carter 4-Harry Atwal 5-Jared Cholerton 6-Zak Sandhu 7-Josh Carter 8-Toby Smith 9-Marcus Tudgay 12-Josh Powell 11-Mason Tudgay. Subs: Luis Mas-Hall, Dayo Llio, Jessie Otoo, Ellis King, Josh Bull.
It was cold but dry and for the first 10 minutes it was very even, with the visitors earning the first corner after nine minutes.
Only a minute later Powell brought the ball through on the left into a crowded box, where Tudgay Senior got the touch and buried in the bottom right-hand corner, 1-0.
Wirksworth didn’t have a shot on goal until the 14th minute, but it was an easy catch for Maher in the Mickleover goal, before Liam Carter dispossessed a defender, layed it back for Marcus Tudgay, whose shot was just wide of the left-hand post.
It was Marcus again firing in another shot just past the left-hand post after 19 minutes from a Powell cross that kept the pressure on the visitors, before Powell went close himself following a run from Smith.
Mason Tudgay was next to try his luck, running in from the right after 27 minutes, he let fly after splitting the defence, only to hit the bar, before Powell collected the rebound and shot just wide.
Liam Carter had a run down the left, but his cross was headed away and found his way blocked with a similar attack a few minutes later.
Wirksworth tested Maher 39 minutes in, but it was a fairly routine stop from Sports keeper, before Liam Carter and Powell had a nice one two with a couple of minutes left in the second half, before Marcus T’s follow up shot was blocked, as it remained 1-0.
It was the visitors that came out fighting initially as the second half got under way, but a 46th minute shot was straight at Maher.
The pressure was repelled and barely five minutes later Mickleover were threatening again. Powell shot from the left and was just wide, but after 50 minutes he tried again and this time made it 2-0.
Wirksworth had a corner and Maher tipped another shot over the bar after 55 minutes. But two minutes later he was beaten, when the visitors made it 2-1 from close range.
For a few minutes the pressure was back on for Sports youngsters, with the visitors earning three consecutive corners, before the danger was cleared.
The Wirksworth tackling had become rather more aggressive as they tried to fight their way out of their own half and seek and equaliser, but 70 minutes in and a nice lay-off from Marcus Tudgay, set Powell up for goal number three and his second, 3-1.
Mas-Hall came on for Mason Tudgay for the last 10 minutes, but it was almost four for Mickleover, when Powell’s shot was blocked after a cross from the right.
The keeper then whipped the ball from Marcus Tudgay’s head, before Liam Carter had a shot cleared off the line. Smith then saw a shot whistle past the post, before Carter made way for Llio for the final five minutes.
In the 90th minute Mas-Hall made it four, straight from a corner and only a minute later Powell completed his hattrick to make the final score 5-1.