by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
Mickleover’s hopes of an upset at promotion pushing Worksop Town, were soon dashed, when the hosts scored their first of six goals without response, after 20 minutes.
Starting line-up: 1-Yusuf Mersin 2-Kwaku Donkor 3-Ryan Wilson 4-Will Atkinson 5-George Wilkinson 6-Michael Hollingsworth 7-Marcus Barnes 8-Gabby Adebambo 9-Tyreace Palmer 10-Andy Dales 11-Josh Maskall. Subs: Cieron Keane, Stuart Beavon, Brandon Ferron, Jake Bennett, Chris O’Grady.
Worksop were straight into attacking mode creating two chances in the first seven minutes. Starcenko headed just wide after three minutes after a ball from Martin and four minutes later Wilde put a dangerous ball into the box, but Martin’s header was straight at keeper Mersin.
10 minutes later though Mickleover came close to opening the scoring, with what proved to be their only real chance of the game. Dales cut inside from the wing and let fly with a dipping shot towards the far corner, tipped away by home keeper Taylor.
But the immediate response from the hosts was Redford attacking down the wing, setting up Martin who had an unchallenged run on goal. Despite Mersin’s attempts to narrow the angle it was 0-1.
Five minutes later it was 0-2, with Martin again causing havoc, the ball fell loose to Starcenko and he curled a left foot shot into the roof of the net.
But their another blow for Mickleover when they lost skipper dales after 26 minutes and he was replaced by sub Keane.
Redford was soon looking for number three but his shot was straight at Mersin, but it wasn’t long before it was 0-3. Starcenko picked out the approaching O’Malley at the far post, and again almost unchallenged squared the ball to Burrow, who tapped into the empty net.
The rout continued when a further four minutes in, Atkinson had fouled Hutchinson. From the free kick Leesley sent the ball into the box, when it was deflected out of Mersin’s reach by the unfortunate Palmer, as it went from 0-0 to 0-4 in just 15 minutes.
Mersin then stopped a possible fifth after 43 minutes, after Hutchinson had found O’Malley, who shot straight at the keeper.
Sports continued to be frustrated in possession and after 55 minutes it was Mersin to the rescue again, after Starcenko burst through the defence.
O’Grady had come on for Maskall at half time, but little had changed for Sports, as they managed to regroup for the next 15 minutes or so.
But 70 minutes in Redford made it 0-5, picking up the rebound after Starcenko had hit the bar.
Keane fouled Starcenko a couple of minutes later and both were yellow carded, but Mersin was soon the hero yet again, with a great stop after Starcenko and Martin had combined again.
Ferron replaced Palmer for the final 10 minutes, but there was still more to come. Redford hit his second and Worksop’s sixth, after latching onto a breakaway, with the whistle finally blowing at 0-6, with Mickleover soundly beaten in all departments barring keeper Mersin.
