DERBYSHIRE SENIOR CUP – MATCH REPORT
by Peter Scherer
A goal from our visitors on half time and an equaliser near full time, made sure our Derbyshire Senior Cup went to a penalty shootout, with Mickleover going down 2-4.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell; 2-Darryl Powell; 3-Joe Stacey; 4-Charlie Hickingbottom; 5- George Wilkinson; 6-Jayden Cotterill; 7-Liam Carter; 8-Jude Taylor; 9-Manni Norkett; 10-Stuart Beavon; 11-Josh Carter. Subs: Kane Richards; George Cunningham; Flynn Newhart; Archie Bull; Cohen Fearn.
Mickleover went on the attack from the start and earned the first corner of the match after three minutes. That may have come to nought, but two minutes later there was a ball straight through the middle of the South Normanton defence for Norkett to chase. But keeper Etheridge was quick off his line and managed to intercept.
The Shiners had their first shot on goal after seven minutes, but it was well wide of the goal and failed to trouble McDowell.
The visitors were staying well back in defence and relying on breaks. But 14 minutes in a lovely ball out of defence, proved just too long for Liam Carter to catch.
Another corner on the left for Mickleover soon followed, before Josh Carter sent in a telling cross, but the defence got their first before Beavon or Norkett could connect.
Taylor was next to go on a run, from well inside his own half, he ran 75% of the pitch, but went a step too far and was thwarted by the defence again.
27 minutes and another ball was sent through for Norkett. But as he tried to collect, an awkward bounce saw the ball touch his hand, the chance was gone and he was penalised.
McDowell then had a fairly tame shot to save, before Norkett went close again after a back header from Beavon, only for the defence to respond again to clear the danger.
Almost on the hour mark there was a six-minute hold up after keeper Etheridge dislocated a finger after clash with the back of Beavon’s head.
Once play had restarted Sports tried to push forward and a couple of goal mouth scramble took place, but no one was able to get a shot in. Taylor then crossed from the right, Norkett’s follow up shot was blocked and then Liam Carter had his header saved.
Almost exactly at the end of the first 45 South Normanton had attacked down the Mickleover left. Sports defence failed to block the cross and ex Mickleover Academy player Josh Powell slotted home the opening goal, well out of reach of McDowell at full stretch. 0-1.
In time added on McDowell had to make two saves from consecutive corners, and so Mickleover went into the break a goal down.
It was a fairly lively start again to the second half, with Beavon, Taylor and Norkett combining to earn two consecutive corners. Neither proved positive though, as Sports were still seeking their first real shot of the game.
Bull was the first sub on for Powell and with the hour mark approaching Josh Carter broke on the right, his cross came in in for Beavon, but once again the final ball was out of Norkett’s reach.
Mickleover earned a free kick which Stacey took near the halfway line, only to clear everyone to go out for a goal kick. Cotterill then dropped the ball into the box, to find no one there.
Richards and Norkett came as a double substitution for Liam Carter and Norkett, as despite the possession, Mickleover still failed to produce any signs of an equaliser.
South Normanton tried a random shot wide of the left-hand post after 62 minutes, but Fearn tried his luck five minutes later to earn another corner. Fearn then put a cross in from the left after 70 minutes, it fell nicely for Wilkinson in front of goal, but his shot went wide.
A visitors free kick a few minutes later cleared the wall, but dropped safely into McDowell’s hands.
Richards was next to break clear, outpacing the defence. He layed it off to Josh Carter on the right and initially it looked like the equaliser, but it proved to be the side netting.
Time was running out and we still hadn’t had a shot on target. But with nine minutes left Wilkinson met a corner from the right but headed wide and two minutes later Carter broke again only to outrun himself before he could shoot.
With seconds left a well driven strike from Richards was well saved by Etheridge, but Hickingbottom hit the rebound out of his reach and it was 1-1.
Penalties were then on the agenda and it started fairly well. South Normanton scored their first and then Stacey levelled it, McDowell then saved from Morris, only for Fearn’s penalty to be saved too.
Richards confidently hit Sports third, but it was now 3-4. Hickingbottom stepped up and Etheridge made his second save, and so it was game over with Sports beaten 2-4.
“Tonight was an opportunity to give some players who are in the squad a few minutes and a chance to promote some of the Under 23’s. We’re disappointed with the result and our performance as we lacked some ideas. I will probably get some stick now, as I am from South Normanton,” said Sports manager Gareth Holmes.
