by Peter Scherer
Following Tuesday nights disappointing exit from the Derbyshire Senior Cup, Mickleover will hopefully be returning to the form that saw us beat Basford Utd last weekend, as we visit Rugby Borough.
Unfortunately Jake Bennett took another nasty knock at Glossop, which sees him with another spell on the sidelines, but defender Danny Gordon just signed from Anstey Nomads, will be available.
While Mickleover remain just outside the play-off’s in sixth place, our hosts are now 13th following a 2-0 win at Long Eaton on Tuesday night. Now unbeaten in their last four games, since three successive defeats in the New Year, manager Dave Stringer has recently added to is squad.
Stringer has been in charge since May 2024 and when he brought his team to the Don Amott Arena back in October, it was a 2-2 draw, with Josiah Dyer and Paddy Webb scoring.
Rugby’s current first choice keeper is Marcus Bald, signed from rivals Rugby Town earlier this month. A former Northampton Town Junior, he also had spells at Harborough Town and Newport Pagnell before his release.
Prior to Bald’s arrival Ex Barnsley and Aston Villa youngster Sam Lomax had the shirt. He started at Nuneaton and played for Bedworth too, before spending two years at Racing Club Warwick before departing at Christmas.
Right back and captain Ellis Myles was a Leicester City youth player, that joined Brackley on his release. After spells at Rugby Town, Stamford and Corby he returned to Brackley and has also played for Boston Utd, Kettering and Telford Utd and had a month at Bedford at the start of this season, before joining our hosts.
Left back Luke Rowe was signed in pre-season too. Capped by New Zealand at full and under 20 levels, he was a Birmingham City junior, before returning to New Zealand with Wellington and Team Wellington. He came back to the UK with Hinckley Utd in July 2013, moving onto Eastwood, before an 11 year stay at Bedworth.
Amarvir Sandhu is also a left back, who began at Hinckley. Most of his career has been spent in Leicestershire, with Leicester Road, Barwell, Quorn and Shepshed Dynamo, before going to Coleshill in 2018. He then moved on to Harborough Town and Corby, before starting this season back at Barwell. He came to our hosts last September.
Right back Gary Stohrer came from Corby Town last December. His career started at Shaw Lane and Frickley, before spending seven years with Kettering Town, during which time he was loaned to Daventry Town.
Oran Jackson is a centre back that started out at MK Dons. After loans at Hemel and Brackley he went to Iceland and spent four months with IBV Vestmannaeyjar, before returning to the UK with Billericay.
His next stop was St.Ives Town, before seven months in Northern Ireland with Portadown. He’s played for Leighton Town and Daventry Town too and joined our hosts pre-season.
Fellow centre back Lathaniel Turner-Rowe came from Racing Club Warwick at the beginning of this month. He has league one and two experience and started his career at Leicester City. After loans at Cheltenham, Kings Lynn and Redditch, he moved on to Torquay and Luton, before a loan spell preceded a move to Alfreton.
He’s also played for Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Chester, Kettering, Tamworth, Stourbridge and Barwell and moved to RC Warwick last September.
Rich Black came from Dereham Town in pre-season. Another centre back, he has also played for Cambridge City, Grantham and Aylestone Park.
Lindon Meikle is a central midfielder and England C International. He played his youth football at Vernon Colts and Eastwood, before a three year stay at Mansfield Town, making 113 appearances in league two. He’s played for York City, Macclesfield, Alfreton, Barrow, Southport, Kettering, Tamworth, Buxton and Ilkeston and started this season at Barwell, before coming to Rugby Borough last September.
Central midfielder Jake Duffy came from Rushden & Diamonds in August, after a brief stay following his pe-season move from Aylestone Park. He started out with Oadby Town, and has also played for Holbeach, Stamford, Corby Town and Harborough Town.
Will Grocott is another central midfielder. He started off at Rugby Town, before moving to Kettering. Three years at Stratford followed, before a season at Stourbridge preceded his return. He came to Rugby Borough in February after 18 months with Bedworth.
Fellow midfielder Cameron Collins was signed from Sutton Coldfield in pre-season, where he had been a regular starter for the last few seasons.
Ex Bedworth and Coventry Sphinx midfielder Leo Stone arrived in pre-season too.
Antonio Cristofaro also plays in midfield. He started out at Walsall and had played for Market Drayton Town and Coventry Sphinx.
Cyprian Mtenga is on loan from Burton Albion, a midfielder, he’s also had a couple of spells at Shepshed Dynamo.
Derby born striker Kane Richards is another recent arrival, signed from Barwell two weeks ago, after a year with the Leicestershire club. An ex Derby County graduate, he was loaned to Matlock before a permanent move to Ilkeston. Chester, Gainsborough, Dover Athletic, Kidderminster, Basford, Nuneaton and Kettering followed, before returning to Basford in February ’24.
Striker Tyrell Waite spent part of the 23/24 season with Mickleover. He started out at Notts County and was loaned to Nuneaton and Ilkeston before a move to Lincoln City. He then went to Sweden for a year with Skelleftea FF, before returning to the UK with Nuneaton.
Kidderminster, Boston Utd, Matlock, Tamworth, Coalville were next and he came to Mickleover in February 2024 after six months at Ilkeston. He started last season at Basford and spent a year with Barwell, before joining our hosts a couple of weeks ago.
Johnson Gyamfi is a winger with recent Mickleover connections, having made a few appearances earlier this season on a dual registration with St.Ives Town. A Leicester City Junior from the age of 11, he also played for Peterborough Utd, during which time he was loaned to Boston Utd and Peterborough Sports.
Following his release, he spent a season with Harborough Town, before joining Barwell at the start of last season and had been at St.Ives since September 2024. He joined our hosts in December.
Striker Cyrus Bruce is currently on loan from Stratford Town, having arrived in December. He was previously at Daventry Town and Redditch, as well as a previous spell with our hosts.
Speedy winger Benji Adomako was signed from Coventry Utd in November.
Kick off is 3pm