by Peter Scherer
Despite having dominated much of the game, Mickleover Reserves finished on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against local rivals Graham St.Prims, in their Central Midlands Alliance game at the Don Amott Arena.
Starting line-up: 1-Josh Bull 2-Mason Hoult 3-Elliott Riches 4-Hary Atwal 5-Jared Cholerton 6-Toby Smith 7-Liam Carter 8-Hamza Konane 9-Josh Powell 10-Josh Carter 11-Luke Thompson, Subs: Silas Donker, Mikey Mandimitsura, Brodie Carter, Ted Stevenson. Marats Sudavs.
In a lively start it was the visitors that had the first shot of the game, just wide of the right-hand post after three minutes. Sports soon retaliated as Liam Carter led a break, but he took a knock as his path was blocked.
Four minutes later Prims fired in a dangerous cross from the right, but the striker couldn’t quite connect and earned a corner. That led to another corner on the other side, which ended with a shot well wide of the goal.
Although Mickleover were looking to attack, they had been losing out in midfield, but at the back Atwal and Cholerton looked solid, allowing Hoult and Riches to push forward on the wings.
Konane had just started a good run after 13 minutes, but he was fouled on the halfway line and then again seconds later on the right wing.
Liam Carter saw a chance a few minutes later, but he just lost out in the chase for the ball, to Prims advancing keeper, before the two collided and treatment was required again.
Liam and Josh Carter then combined for a short corner, before Thompson’s powerful shot brought the first of a number of good saves from the visitors keeper.
18 minutes in and Cholerton cut off a Prims break, before Liam Carter was fouled again on the right wing as Mickleover broke.
It was one on one after 22 minutes when Thompson was fractionally beaten to the ball by Prims keeper again, but the visitors then got another break too. Having fought through the home defence after picking up a loose ball, the final shot failed to trouble Bull in the Mickleover goal.
Josh Carter then broke too, but his shot was just wide of the left-hand post.
After Thompson had been fouled Josh Carter lined up for the free kick, he beat the wall but it was wide of the left-hand post too.
The pressure was beginning to build on the visitors, with Riches on a lengthy run before a late interception ended his hopes of a shot.
Smith gave away a free kick in the halfway line on the half hour, but Mickleover were soon attacking with Liam Carter cutting in from the right again, but his shot was the wrong side of the post. But Riches made sure the ball was back in Prims box, but the defence had it covered, before they broke too, and their hurried shot was well over the bar.
During another intense spell for Sports, Hoult put two dangerous crosses into the box from the right, and Josh Carter went close again.
The chances for Mickleover had become fairly thick and fast but it was still 0-0, but after 41 minutes it looked almost certain to change. But a fantastic double reflex save at point blank range, once again thwarted the Mickleover attack.
44 minutes and the keeper saved them again, somehow managing to block Thompson’s close range shot, before Smith found Josh Carter, he found the net but was deemed offside.
In time added on the deadlock was broken not but in the direction expected. Prims made the most of a defensive slip in the left corner and initially Bull saved the first shot, diving down at his near post. But the ball was loose again and the visitors made no mistake at the second attempt. 0-1, with the half time whistle quickly following.
Thompson went close to the equaliser, after getting on the end of a Powell pass after 49 minutes, but it was deflected for a corner. Hoult then put the ball back into the box and Josh Carter almost got to the ball, but the keeper managed to intercept.
There was another diving save from the Prims keeper three minutes later, but Liam Carter followed up, but this time his shot was straight at the keeper.
Thompson fired over after 54 minutes and Josh Carter had another shot saved, but the Prims defence somehow continued to prove impenetrable.
Their had been few opportunities for the visitors to increase their lead, but they had a shot over the bar too after a goalmouth scramble just before the hour mark.
The attacks continued in Mickleover’s favour, with Hoult cutting in from the right to fire over, before Sports made their first change with Stevenson on for Konane.
Thompson had another shot over 74 minutes in, before some nice interplay between Smith, Thompson and Riches ended when the ball ran loose and became an easy pickup for the keeper.
Time was running out, but almost everyone was joining in the attacks. Smith crossed from the right found Josh Carter, but his deft touch went straight into the keepers hands, before Carter and Powell combined in the 84th minute, thwarted again by the keeper.
Smith was busy on both wings and for the final four minutes Brodie Carter came on for Thompson. But in time added on there was one last chance to snatch a point, when the ball fell to Stevenson in the middle, but the sub couldn’t connect and it was game over with the unluckiest of defeats.
