by Peter Scherer
Mickleover’s pre-season build up took a huge leap forward, with a convincing 4-1 win at Matlock Town last night.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-George Wilkinson 3-Sam Sanders 4-Will Atkinson 5-Hamza Bencherif 6-Dwayne Wiley 7-Theo Rowe 8-Josh Ashman 9-Manni Norkett 10-Jude Taylor 11-Kane Richards. Subs: Archie White, Callum Minkley, Liam Carter, Josh Carter, Tyrell Waite, Cieron Keane, Trialist A, Trialist B.
It was another lively start for Mickleover when after four minutes Rowe whipped in a cross from the left, which Taylor just headed over.
A couple of minutes later Sports won a free kick, but Richards’ effort was punched away by the home keeper. Wiley then put a long ball out of defence for Taylor to run onto, but the keeper was quick rush out to intercept.
Matlock had the first corner of the game after 11 minutes, it was taken short and came to nought, before a Matlock striker tried a random shot from distance, well wide of the target.
Richards then set up a half chance for Rowe, but his shot was blocked. Both Rowe and Taylor were taking on the home defence at every opportunity and when SportS were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box after 26 minutes, Richards stepped up to send a curling shot into the right-hand top corner, with the keeper well beaten, 1-0.
Just a minute later it was another Rowe cross from the left that had the defence beaten. Norkett connected but his flick was just over the bar.
There was another free kick for Mickleover on the half hour, when a long clearance from McDowell was heading in Richards direction until he was fouled.
But four minutes later Matlock made a break and another distance shot was well saved by McDowell, making a diving save to his right.
Another free kick soon followed in Mickleover’s favour when Norkett was fouled. Richards free kick found Bencherif’s head, but a deflection sent Sports skippers head out for a corner.
Matlock continued to have chances too, none more so than when the Matlock number nine broke through. McDowell was quick to react and dashed off his line to block. But the ball was still free until Bencherif and Sanders covered the line and cleared the danger.
Ashman and Atkinson had both looked strong in midfield, ahead of Wilkinson, Bencherif, Wiley and Sanders making a solid back four.
Rowe then completed an outstanding first half with a solo run down the left, cutting in he fired a perfect shot towards the bottom right-hand corner, but the keeper managed to tip it around the post at full stretch.
So it remained 1-0 at half time but Mickleover had shown the promise that we had seen glimpses of, but this time it had been for the whole 45 minutes.
There were no immediate changes for the second half, but as expected Matlock came out with all guns blazing. There was an early scramble in the Mickleover box, but the defence held firm. Our hosts then had their best chance of the game, when one of the strikers headed wide from close range on the 50 minute mark.
Matlock had put other chances over the bar, when Rowe picked the ball up, cut through the defence for solo effort to make it 2-0 in the 53rd minute.
Both Norkett and Richards had efforts blocked, before the first substitutions were made, with Trialist A and Minkley on for Atkinson and Wiley.
61 minutes and Richards broke free but his shot was saved by the keeper, before he then made way for Josh Carter. Taylor then came off, replaced by Keane but Mickleover were dominating.
Rowe tried his luck again after 70 minutes, but the keeper had it covered. He was then sent scurrying back to his goal line to make a diving save from his own number five, who made a bizarre headed back pass, which was heading goalwards.
McDowell made light of another Matlock shot in the 75th minute, just before Liam Carter came on for Rowe, who had a magnificent game.
But Mickleover weren’t done yet, as Josh Carter emerged from a midfield melee, making a solo run, before placing it past the keeper for his third goal in three games, 3-0.
More changes were made with Bencherif, Norkett and Sanders going off, replaced by Waite and more trialists.
Waite had only been on the field just over a minute when he was fouled in the box. He stepped up to take the penalty to make it 4-0, going in off the keepers hands.
Conor Washington scored a late consolation for Matlock to make the final score 4-1 on a very impressive night for Mickleover. “This is now the standard,” said assistant manager Billy Heath.
