by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
Two first half goals from Andy Dales and Harvey Smith made sure Mickleover returned home with three points secured, as 2-1 victors.
Starting line-up: 1-Aaron Chapman; 2-George Wilkinson; 3-Sam Snders; 4-Will Atkinson; 5-Hamza Bencherif; 6-Dwayne Wiley; 7-Kane Richards; 8-Josh Ashman; 9-Harvey Smith; 10-Manni Norkett; 11-Andy Dales. Subs: Jude Taylor; Joe Stacey; Jayden Cotterill; Stuart Beavon; Charlie Hickingbottom.
The first positive sign of Smith and Norkett together upfront came after just four minutes. Smith found his striking partner with a deft flick from the left, but the final shot was just over.
Basford then got a break, but Goodman’s final effort was straight at Chapman, who took a relatively easy catch, as the first 15 minutes proved to be fairly even.
18 minutes in and the ball fell nicely for Basford defender Thistleton, but once again it failed to trouble Chapman as his shot was well over the bar.
Sports were starting to show real pace on the breaks and when a Smith header put Dales through the middle after 20 minutes, he was in the clear with only Yates’ diving save to his right denying him.
Thompson-Matthews then fired in a cross from the left for our hosts, but it was Mickleover finding acres of space on the break. A 25th minute lob from Sanders just missed connecting with Norkett.
But Sports pressure finally told two minutes later, when Dales latched onto a break down the left. He left the defence
standing and curved the ball goalwards out of Yates’ reach and into the net, 1-0.
Three minutes later it was number two, with the defence once again left wanting. Atkinson put a wonderful ball straight through the middle for Smith to chase, slotting it neatly past the oncoming Yates, 2-0.
Dales led another charge with Richards just three minutes later, a corner was conceded but the home defence regrouped and cleared the danger.
Basford then won a corner after 37 minutes, but Bencherif not only cleared, but layed the ball through the middle and once again split the home defence. Norkett collected but his shot was blocked, before Smith’s attempt from the rebound was saved by Yates.
Dales went close again a minute later after a midfield interception, but his shot was just over, before Blake found Thompson-Matthews who shot well wide of the target again after another Basford break.
It was a dominant half for Mickleover going into the break 2-1 up, but with shots on target it could well have been double the margin.
Just two minutes into the restart it should have been a third goal, after Richards outpaced the defence on the right. Norkett connected with an almost open goal, but put his header over the bar.
From then Basford started to grow in confidence and took the game to Mickleover, keeping both the defence and midfield pegged back in their own half. They had a clear shot on goal after 51 minutes, but a weak effort was an easy stop again. Two minutes later another half chance went begging, followed
by another effort punched clear by Chapman, as Wilkinson, Bencherif, Wiley and Sanders stood firm in the Mickleover back four, after five minutes of sustained pressure.
Atkinson and Ashman had dominated midfield in the first half, but found it tough going in the second to try and fight back.
Mickleover finally broke out again after 66 minutes when Norkett led a break. He was too close to the goal line to shoot himself, so it was turned back to Smith. He crossed from the left and found Richards, who shot wide of the left-hand post. A minute later Dales was pushed down in the box, but his penalty appeal was quickly dismissed.
Two Basford free kicks then came to nought, before Stacey came on for his Mickleover debut after 51 minutes, replacing Dales and after 74 minutes Taylor came on for Norkett.
The efforts to absorb the Basford attacks finally told on Sports, when Thistleton slipped the ball through to Blake, who slid it past Chapman, 2-1, with 13 minutes to play.
Beavon was the third Mickleover sub replacing Smith, but what had looked to be a comfortable lead, was now looking threatened as Basford continued to push for the equaliser.
There was response though and after 83 minutes Atkinson led a fight back, Richards crossed but it was a whisker away from connecting with Taylor. Six minutes later another cross from the left was equally close to Taylor.
So it remained 2-1 with three points to Mickleover, but it had been a tough second half, with Cotterill make a cameo appearance in time added on, replacing Richards.
