by Peter Scherer

Mickleover’s pre-season run of success continued with a dominant 4-0 victory over Derby County’s Under 21 side.

Starting line-up: 1-Jonathan Hedge 2-Elliott Walker 3-Rhys Dolan 4-Ryan Wilson 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Joe Bateman 8-Mason Warren 9-Elliott Reeves 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Fin Bowen, Ethan Mann, George Atwal, Jahvan Davidson-Miller, Ben Horleston, Louis Pennington, Kai Moore, Marcus Marshall.

Mickleover’s midfield took control of the game in the opening minutes, with Dales mounting the first attack after two minutes to earn a throw. Six minutes later Beavon and Dales combined again to put a dangerous ball into the Derby box, but on this occasion the danger was cleared.

Both Walker and Dolan began to push forward, with Butler and Watt at the back under little pressure from the young Rams attack.

Wilson, Bateman and Warren looked strong and had the control of midfield, leaving Dales with his familiar roaming role to feed Beavon and Reeves.

Some good build up’s were just failing to pierce the Derby defence, with the final ball just failing to hit the spot.

After 18 minutes a Beavon cross found Reeves in the middle, he chested the ball but couldn’t quite get his shot in. Only one minute later the young striker made amends and fired the ball home 1-0.

Barely had the game kicked off again when Wilson was fouled on the right. With the Rams keeper failing to hold the ball, Reeves pounced on the rebound to fire home 2-0.

It was all Mickleover at this stage, with Derby struggling to get out of their own half.

25 minutes in and another good move from Dales was followed by an attempted one-two with Reeves, but just failed, before a Walker cross found Beavon, whose shot was blocked.

The one-way traffic continued as Dales tried his luck after 35 minutes, with a long run down the middle, before his shot was saved.

Four minutes left in the first half and Reeves collected the ball on the right, before cutting in. At first his shot looked to be heading wide of the far post, but it was timed to perfection for 3-0 and the striker’s hattrick.

There were no immediate changes for the second half, but Reeves went close again after Derby lost possession in the middle.

Beavon had a 52^nd minute shot saved and two minutes later Bateman had a blast over the bar, following a Mickleover corner.

Reeves had his final attempt intercepted after being forced wide, before a mass substitution took place on the hour. On came Davidson-Miller, Atwal, Moore, Horleston and Mann and off came Beavon, Warren, Bateman, Watt and Reeves.

Davidson-Miller had the ball in the net again after 69 minutes, but was deemed offside and with Derby deciding to make changes too, Mickleover replaced Dales and Dolan with Marshall and Pennington.

Butler decided to join in with a couple of attacks and found Wilson in the box after 84 minutes, but the midfielder just failed to gain control and the chance was lost.

But goal number four finally arrived with a minute left, when the battling Moore kept the defence busy and Davidson-Miller found Marshall on the far post, who made no mistake from close range 4-0.

Another impressive performance from the Mickleover squad, but more was expected from a lack lustre Rams side, who failed to have one single shot on goal.

Next stop for Mickleover first team is a trip down the road to Borrowash Victoria on Saturday with a 3pm kick off.

SPORTS XI GO DOWN TO LONG EATON

by Peter Scherer

It was mainly a reserve side for Mickleover as Long Eaton were the visitors to the Don Amott Arena.

Mickleover keeper Fin Bowen was soon in action and had to make a double save after only three minutes to deny Jamie Walker and Alex Marshall, before Rod Orlando-Young smashed a shot against the underside of the bar.

Alex Marshall had another shot in the ninth minute just wide of the post, before Tom Marshall won the ball in the Mickleover box, but his header was off target.

Bowen then made a save from Sam Parker at his near post after 17 minutes, but the home defence held out however until the 28^th minute, when Orlando-Young picked up a loose ball and was fouled in the area by Bowen.

Walker scored from the spot 0-1, but it continued to be end to end play with the first half ending with three goals in the final five minutes.

Elliott Reeves scored the equaliser after 40 minutes and a minute later scored his second give Mickleover a 2-1 lead.

But Walker managed to break through the last line of defence and slot the ball past Bowen with the last kick of the half, sending the teams into the break 2-2.

One of the visitors trialists restored their lead after 50 minutes, before Kam Campbell made it 2-4 in the 64^th minute, but only strong performance from one of the Long Eaton centre backs denied Mickleover a further strike, after some determined play from Kai Moore.

Long Eaton finally made it 2-5 after 88 minutes, when another trialist found the back of the net.

By Peter Scherer

Mickleover’s experience and guile proved too much for a very young Burton Albion XI, taking a comfortable 3-0 win to retain the KC Trust Trophy.

Starting line-up: 1-Jonathan Hedge 2-Ethan Mann 3-Rhys Dolan 4-Joe Bateman 5-James Butler 6-Phil Watt 7-Callum Chettle 8-Mason Warren 9-Jahvan Davidson-Miller 10-Stuart Beavon 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Ben Horleston, Louis Pennington, Kai Moore, Dean Ironmonger, Fin Bowen.

After a few minutes of settling down Mickleover were straight on the attack, with Davidson-Miller having a fourth minute shot saved by keeper Dan Moore, after a Dales break.

There were penalty appeals waved away three minutes later when Chettle went down in the box, but although Mickleover were full on attack, Hedge was forced into action with a comfortable save after nine minutes.

As the Burton youngsters started to try and play out of their own half, there was a dangerous ball played into the box, but Butler headed away and Hedge safely took the catch.

But Burton were on a run and after a further plan broke down on the edge of the box, Hedge collided with a Burton striker, who continued after treatment.

18 minutes in and Dolan charged down the left to cross into a busy goal mouth, but Beavon’s attempt to connect was thwarted when he was held back.

Dolan was close himself only seconds later,when he almost connected with Davidson-Miller in the box.

But Burton keeper Moore almost handed a gift to Warren, when his poor clearance was intercepted but the followingshot was just wide.

The Burton defence were starting to face a continuous barrage, and when Dales outstripped his challenger, his cross was followed a Warren shot just wide of the post again.

The opening goal finally came after 28 minutes, following a corner, Dales played the ball in to Davidson-Miller who made no mistake for 1-0.

The remainder of the first half was almost sustained pressure, with Dales, Chettle, Bateman and Warren in total control of midfield, giving Beavon and Davidson–Miller the freedom up front.

Burton managed a slight break after 34 minutes, but Hedge was never seriously challenged, but the Burton keeper again put his own defence under more pressure with a poor clearance.

It was any one from five Mickleover players to takepossession, before Dales created his space for a 34th minute shot that Moore saved comfortably.

Davidson-Miller then had a shot blocked four minutes later, before Bateman’s rebound attempt went just beyond the top right corner.

With two minutes left on the clock Warren smashed in Mickleover’s second after another Dales build up, before Beavon went close on the right and Watt almost connected for a header with the half time whistle poised.

With no immediate changes for the second half, it wasn’t longbefore the attacks were underway again, with Dales hitting the far post after cutting in from the left after 47 minutes.

Over the next 10 minutes Mickleover were playing a keep possession passing game, which involved virtually the whole team until Chettle took a knock and was replaced by Horleston.

Both Mann and Dolan were regularly joining the attack with Butler and Watt covering at the back. It was a Dolan run after 58 minutes then sent Davidson-Miller close, before the wing back earned himself a free kick, from which Moore had to tip Dales’ shot over the bar.

With Pennington on for Watt, Mann moved into the middle of the defence, but it was a rare Burton attack that led to Mickleover’s third goal.

Nothing had materialised for Burton, but Dales picked up the ball on the edge of the Mickleover box and sprinted the lengthof the pitch, before cutting inside to chip the keeper for 3-0 after 70 minutes.

Moore and Ironmonger then came on for Beavon and Davidson-Miller and after 75 minutes it was Moore’s chance to shoot just wide after a good turn inside the box.

Hedge had to make a couple of fairly easy saves before the full time whistle and Davidson-Miller came back on for the last couple of minutes after Ironmonger took a knock.

A fairly easy win for Mickleover, but nevertheless a good pre-season challenge as we now look to Tuesday’s game against a derby County XI