by Peter Scherer
Mickleover headed for National League North Worksop Town for their penultimate pre-season game, going down 0-1 to a second half goal, in other an otherwise strong performance.
Starting line-up: 1-Aaron Chapman 2-George Wilkinson 3-Sam Sanders 4-Will Atkinson 5-Hamza Bencherif 6-Dwayne Wiley 7-Kane Richards 8-Josh Ashman 9-Manni Norkett 10-Trialist A 11-Theo Rowe. Subs: Ty Waite; Jack McDowell; Josh Carter; Liam Carter; Trialist B; Cieron Keane.
It was a now customary lively start from Mickleover, with an early free kick after Norkett was fouled on his opening run. As at Matlock where he scored the opening goal, Richards stepped up to take the kick, curling goalwards but well taken by the home keeper Dearnley.
Four minutes in and Norkett outpaced the defence again on the left, but his Crossfield ball was just out of range for Richards’ pursuit.
Worksop had their first shot three minutes later when Whitman-Brown shot just wide, but it was end to end with both sides looking to attack.
Wiley put in a strong header just wide from a 13th minute corner, before Worksop earned a free kick, taken short and faded away.
Ashman and Atkinson were looking extremely solid in the middle for Sports, which allowed Richards and Rowe to attack down the wings to support the chasing Norkett. Their combination gave Richards the chance for a telling cross from the right after 17 minutes, but the home defence had it covered.
Gradually our hosts began to apply more pressure and after a 22nd minute corner, there was a further spell of sustained pressure, which Wilkinson, Bencherif, Wiley and Sanders not only soaked up but looked solid and comfortable.
28 minutes and Bencherif went close from a header after another corner, but it continued evenly matched as we reached half time 0-0.
Mickleover made one change for the second half with Keane on for Ashman, but three minutes into the restart it was Worksop that opened
the scoring. A break down the Mickleover left saw a deflected cross sent into the box. The deflection appeared to have wrong footed Chapman in the Mickleover goal and the ball fell nicely for Whitman-Brown who slotted it home 0-1.
Both Trialist A and Norkett then made way for Waite and Trialist C, but now in front Worksop were starting to look stronger and had another shot on goal deflected wide for a corner on the hour mark.
It was nearly a second for our hosts after 66 minutes. Chapman had made an initial save, the ball was fired back in but Wilkinson was on the goal line and headed it clear.
The next change was Josh Carter on for Richards and over the next few minutes Trialist B replaced Wiley, McDowell for Chapman and Liam Carter for Rowe as we were into the final 15 minutes.
Keane managed to make some space to try a shot from distance which was just past the post, but Worksop kept McDowell busy in the closing minutes. Firstly he held a close range shot and the made a diving save to his right and make sure it remained 0-1.
