By Sam Cholerton
1.Josh Bull, 2. Mason Hoult, 3. Brad Brittan, 4. Jared Cholerton (c), 5. Silas Donker, 6. Harry Atwal, 7. Josh Carter, 8. Hamza Konane, 9. Mike Mandimitsura 10. Josh Powell, 11. Luke Thompson, Subs: Ted Stevenson, Taylor Smith, Brodie Carter, Jake Lord, Josh Maher.
On a hot and humid afternoon, Mickleover FC put on a fast and furious display to secure a 5-2 victory over Teversal FC.
From the outset, Mickleover’s attacking intent was clear, with great link-up play and dominant possession, leaving Teversal struggling to keep up.
The match kicked off in electrifying fashion with Mickleover taking an early lead just two minutes in. A slick move saw Brittan link up with Thompson, who played it to Mandimitsura before returning the ball to Thompson. The forward made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0.
Teversal tried to respond, but Mickleover’s defence held strong and after 15 minutes, Josh Carter made a great run, setting up Mandimitsura for a volley that was well-saved by the Teversal keeper, who then kept out a Konane header from a corner as Mickleover piled on the pressure.
But Teversal found their equaliser in the 17th minute with a clever ball over the top that was nicely lifted over keeper Bull to level the score at 1-1.
However, Mickleover quickly regained their lead and in the 23rd minute, Mandimitsura showed great control before threading a pass to Josh Carter, who beat the offside trap and slipped the ball between the keeper’s legs to make it 2-1.
Mickleover continued to dominate, with further chances falling to Carter and Powell, and just before halftime, Thompson almost extended the lead after a great run, but his shot was saved.
Teversal had a rare opportunity with a well-taken corner, but no one was there to meet it, but the score remained 2-1 at the break.
Sports youngsters started the second half just as they began the first—on the front foot. In the 49th minute, a great ball from Cholerton was taken nicely by Konane, who finished confidently to put Mickleover 3-1 up.
Sports kept pressing and in the 65th minute, Carter made another strong run, firing the ball across the box for Powell to side-foot home and extend the lead to 4-1.
Moments later, Stevenson, who had come on as a substitute, combined with Brodie Carter to make it 5-1 with a well-taken chance.
Teversal managed to pull one back in the 77th minute, capitalising on a defensive error. But overall Mickleover’s defence continued to hold firm, with Cholerton heading away a dangerous free kick.
In the final stages, both teams showed signs of fatigue due to the heat, but Mickleover continued to control the game in possession and a defensive error by Teversal allowed Thompson another chance, but his effort was saved in the 87th minute.
Mickleover’s performance was a statement of intent, with their attacking prowess on full display. Despite the scoreline, they were unlucky not to have won by a more significant margin. In the end, Mickleover FC secured a well-deserved 5-2 victory.