by Peter Scherer
Having already beaten Winsford Town and Barwell in this years FA Cup campaign, Mickleover travel to Southern Premier league Stamford on Saturday for their next encounter.
Sports will be determined to get back to winning ways after Monday’s home defeat to Loughborough Students. But it’s been a terrible start for our hosts who have played six, lost six and only scored one goal, leaving them at the bottom of the table.
It was good to see Hamza Bencherif back in action last Monday and Dwayne Wiley is also now fit to resume. Harvey Smith will be out for a couple of weeks after concussion following our win at Grantham. AaronChapman is back in training too and hopefully Andy Dales will be OK, despite being kicked on the head and in the face in the last two games.
Callum Minkley is getting closer to making his return too, while we still await debuts for Charlie Hickingbottom and Luca Alonzi.
We last faced Stamford back in 23/24, losing 0-4 away and 3-0 at home in our play-off conclusion to our stay in the Southern Premier League.
Ant Fenton has been our hosts manager since May, when Graham Drury stepped down after 12 years of service. But so far this season they have lost every game and scored just the one goal in the 1-2 home defeat to Racing Club Warwick.
Current first choice goalkeeper James Goff came from St.Neots in pre-season. He was a Northampton Town youngster and went on loan to Banbury before a permanent move to Wisbech. He played for Spalding, Lincoln Utd and St.Ives, before spending the last three years at St.Neots.
Jamie Morrison kept goal in the opening matches, a Northampton Town Academy player, who started off at Rugby Borough.
Left back Kieran Wallace has made over 100 appearances in Leagues One and Two. He was a Nottingham Forest junior, who had a spell at Ilkeston following his release, before joining Sheffield Utd. After a loan at Fleetwood he joined Matlock, moving on to Burton Albion, York City, Mansfield Town and Hartlepool. Further loans at Tamworth and Peterborough Sports followed, before joining Alfreton last December, he came to Stamford in pre-season.
Right back Ellis Perry-Burdett came from Newark & Sherwood in pre-season. He was in Boston Utd’s Academy and played for Wisbech and Lincoln Utd too.
Ethan Young is a centre back and another pre-season arrival from Peterborough Sports. He started off at Scunthorpe and made appearances in League Two. After a loan at Yaxley, he joined Warrington Rylands following his release. He then joined Alvechurch which preceded his first spell at Stamford in July 2024. But after two months he made his move to Peterborough at the beginning of last season and was also loaned to Quorn.
Left or centre back Sam Warburton is loanee from Boston Utd.
Aaron Addy is another defender, who started off at Raunds Town. North Leigh, Stotfold, Kempston and Dunstable followed.
Defender Ryan Thomas played in both Cambridge Utd and Peterborough Utd Academies, before moving to St.Neots and Kings Lynn. He’s had a spell in the US too with Florida and came to our hosts in pre-season on his UK return.
Aaron Cashmore is another pre-season signing and another centre back. He’s come from Doncaster Rovers Academy and spent the end of last season on loan to our hosts.
Kobe Sundar-Linton has played at both Northampton Town and MK Dons Academies. He plays right of centre back.
Central midfielder Sam Bayly has been captaining the side since his arrival from Peterborough Sports in pre-season. He’s previously spent the whole of his career in the US, with Eastern Florida State Titans, CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves, Mars Hill Lions and Appalachian FC.
Midfielder Cameron Steiner had come through the ranks at Stamford, but been in the first team squad for the last three years.
Jon Challinor is an attacking midfielder who started his career at Stamford 25 years ago. Cambridge City, St.Albans City, Aldershot, Exeter City, Rushden & Diamonds and Cambridge Utd then followed, before being loaned to Forest Green.
He made a permanent move to Mansfield in 2010, but soon moved on again to Newport County, Kettering and York City. After returning to Stamford in 2013, he has stayed ever since, apart from a brief loan at Halifax.
Another pre-season signing and attacking midfielder is Giovanni Loureiro, who came from VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands. He was a junior at both Backburn Rovers and Leicester City before joining Bolton Wanderers. He also had a short spell with Nantwich Town before going to the Netherlands.
Striker Trey Charles came to our hosts in pre-season too. From youth football at Luton Town he moved on to St.Albans City, Arlesey Town, Bedford Town, Colney Heath and Leverstock. Hitchin Town, Northwood, Braintree, Hendon, Biggleswade, Berkhamsted, Kempston Rovers, Barwell, Cambridge City, Rugby Town and Wellingborough followed, before ending last season at St.Neots.
Theo Hudson is a striker too and a pre-season arrival from Bourne Town. He previously played for Kings Lynn, Wisbech and Sudbury.
Cheyenne Loureiro is another striker currently on loan from Tamworth. He started at Leicester City with brother Giovanni and then followed him to VVV-Vento after a spell at Nantwich. He returned to the UK pre-season to join Tamworth.
Former Peterborough Utd striker Tyler Winters came to our hosts in pre-season too from Rushden & Diamonds. He’s played for Spalding, Peterborough Sports, Bedford Town and Wellingborough too.
Pa Sulley Njie returned to Stamford about a year ago. The former Worcester City and Halesowen striker is also a Gambian Under 20 International. He started in the Stoke and Coventry City Academies and has also played for Stratford, Kettering, Corby and Alvechurch.
Striker Jake Walton and midfielders Maksymilian Jarzabeck and Maxwell Wilkins have also been in the squad this season.
Kick off at the Zeeco Stadium is 3pm and as much travelling support as possible is wanted and there’s a supporters bus available.