Season: 2020/21
vs 
Whitby Town vs Grantham Town
vs 
Mickleover F.C. vs Warrington Town
SPORTS TOPPLE LEAGUE LEADERS IN EPIC BATTLE
by Peter Scherer
(Photos by Sarah Middleton)
Before arriving at the Don Amott Arena, Warrington had not only won every game, but hadn’t conceded a goal in their Northern Premier League campaign.
The Mickleover line-up was 1-Joe Slinn 2-Jake Bennett 3-Alex Morris 4-Mason Warren 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-George Milner 8-Andrew Wright 9-Paddy Webb 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Declan Bacon. Subs: Josh Satchwell, Ricky Ravenhill. Pablo Mills, Jordan Walshaw, Callum Hawkins.
Warrington started the stronger and went close in the seventh minute when a Josh Amis header from a Michael Rose cross bounced off Slinn before Morris cleared the danger.
Three minutes later Amis had another shot blocked following a Warrington corner, before it was third time lucky for the striker making it 1-0 to the visitors from a Charlie Munro corner, headed down across the goal for Amis to finish, 12 minutes in.
A 15th minute free kick was from skipper Mark Roberts tried to catch Slinn off his line, but he dealt with it comfortably, before a following shot outside the box from Jack Mackreth was well over.
As Sports were still struggling to get into the game, Slinn was busy again when Warrington’s second corner came in tight from Rose.
The domination continued and Bohan Dixon was next to try his luck, his shot was close to the right hand corner from way out.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, Warrington’s keeper Charlie Albinson had to make his first real save. Bennett and Milner interpassed and it was Bennett’s final header that had the keeper diving at full stretch.
A minute later Mickleover were back on equal terms when Watt connected with a corner, placing his header wide of the keeper 1-1.
But further drama followed when both Warren and Warrington’s Scott Brown were shown red cards after 38 minutes, following a mass brawl.
Both sides had another chance before the half time whistle though, Rose put Jack Dunn through for Warrington who shot just over and Webb had almost broken through for Sports, before Roberts stopped him with a last ditch tackle.
Initially the second half started off in a similar vain to the first, with a Mackreth cross providing attempts for Warrington from both Dunn and Dixon, before Watt was forced to make a goal line clearance after 50 minutes, deflecting a Rose cross away from Amis.
But Mickleover started to come into the game more and after creating his own space, Beavon had a good attempt saved by Albinson.
Four minutes later Webb had a shot deflected away for a corner by Matt Regan.
The attacks continued to flow and after a piercing ball through the middle split the Warrington defence, a series of headers weren’t dealt with and the ball fell to Bacon with just the keeper to beat, which he did admirably with a shot into the left hand corner for 2-1 on the hour.
Ravenhill came on for Webb and Beavon set Bacon up for another chance, saved this time by Albinson.
Amis tried a chip with Slinn out of his goal but failed to challenge the Mickleover keeper, but with 10 minutes on the clock it became 3-1 to Sports when Beavon caught out the Warrington keeper with a classy chip.
It could easily have been 4-1 when Bacon was next to try and chip Albinson, after a Regan mistake left the keeper vulnerable. The chip succeeded but the ball hit the post.
Walshaw came on for Beavon for the last 10 minutes but in injury time Jordan Buckley managed to pull one back for Warrington.
An outstanding result for Sports and sends them into tomorrow nights FA Cup tie at St Albans on a high.
vs 
South Shields vs Radcliffe FC
vs 
Ashton United vs Bamber Bridge
vs 
Mickleover FC vs Newark FC
Four Goal Strike Keeps FA Cup Run Going
by Peter Scherer
Mickleover marched into the third qualifying round of the FA Cup with a resounding 4-1 home win over Newark FC.
There were three changes from the team that beat Witton Albion in midweek, with Joe Slinn back in goal for loanee Callum Hawkins and Kemy Agustien was back in midfield for Ben Gowing, having re-signed this week.
Paddy Webb was back to lead the attack to in place of Jordan Walshaw, having come off the bench in the Witton victory.
1-Joe Slinn 2-Jake Bennett 3-Alex Morris 4-Kemy Agustien 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Mason Warren 8-Andrew Wright 9-Paddy Webb 10-Stuart Beavon 11-George Milner. Subs: Declan Bacon, Louis Pennington, Ricky Ravenhill. Pablo Mills, Jordan Walshaw, Josh Satchwell.
Mickleover were straight into attack from the kick-off, with Webb having two chances in the first five minutes. The first didn’t trouble Newark keeper Jason White, with a weakfish header, before following up with a shot into the side netting.
But Butler found himself in the referee’s book after a late tackle, before Warren led the next Sports attack with a shot just wide after eight minutes.
Agustien was next to try his luck, but his long speculative attempt was both high and wide.
Newark nearly caught out the Mickleover defence 13 minutes in when Craig Westcarr got around the defence and had Slinn beaten, only to put his shot wide.
But Mickleover responded quickly with a telling ball from Beavon across the face of the Newark goal, but no one was on hand to put it home.
Newark had another chance of opening the scoring when Watt gave away a penalty in the 17th minute. But just to show that Hawkins isn’t the only Mickleover to save penalties, Slinn kept Ben Hutchinson’s kick out and it remained 0-0.
It was back into attack mode again for Sports when Wright fired a powerful shot straight at keeper White, but four minutes later Newark got another break when Kevin Baspos outpaced the Mickleover defence, before cutting inside and firing into the side netting again.
Just after the half hour the promise that Mickleover’s attacks had been showing finally came to fruition, with Beavon leading by example to make it 1-0.
There were few more free kicks for Newark before the half time whistle, but Slinn handled them with relative ease, so it remained 1-0.
The second half sparked into life almost on the hour, after Slinn made a spectacular diving save to his left as Newark pursued the equaliser.
Beavon and Webb then broke clear and after connecting with Beavon’s cross, Webb’s shot was just wide.
Bacon came on for Webb after 63 minutes, but the attacks became more intense, with Milner putting the ball in the area to keep the pressure on the Newark defence.
The reward came after 69 minutes when Wright hit the first time ball and sent it curling into the bottom right hand corner for 2-0.
There was a short delay when Slinn was treated after a knock to the head, then the rainfall got heavier and Beavon had a header cleared off the line, before Warren sent a powerful shot goalwards, initially saved by White before a succession of corners.
79 minutes and Wright was on target again, 3-0 with a fizzing shot deep into the left hand corner, followed by Walshaw and Pennington coming on for Beavon and Warren.
But with three minutes of normal time left, Watt was penalised again, only for Newark to find their second effort saved once again by Slinn from the spot.
Newark were still looking for that elusive goal and on 90 minutes Slinn had to pull off a point blank save following a corner.
Mickleover were quick on the break again though, which gave Bacon the chance to make it 4-0, which he duly accepted.
Newark finally got their goal in injury time, to make it 4-1 to Mickleover and the thoughts of who next in the third qualifying round for Sports.
vs 
Warrington Town vs Whitby Town
vs Witton Albion vs Basford United
vs 