by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It’s been a brilliant start to the season in both league and cups, but a defeat was bound to come at some time and today was the day.
With three goals in each half it was a comfortable first win of the season for Loughborough Students, 0-6.
Starting line-up: 1-Jack McDowell 2-George Wilkinson 3-Sam Sanders; 4-Will Atkison 5-Hamza Bencherif; 6 Josh Ashman; 7-Andy Dales; 8-Cieron Keane; 9-Manni Norkett; 10-Theo Rowe; 11-Kane Richards. Subs: Jude Taylor; Yerim Zoko; Dwayne Wiley; Stuart Beavon; Darryl Powell.
It took the first 10 minutes for both teams to settle down in blustery conditions, but Sports went close in the 11th minute when Dales sent a through ball down the middle for Norkett to chase, but keeper James managed to intercept with a fraction to spare.
Three minutes later Richards sprinted past the left back, cut inside and was heading goalwards only to have his left foot taken from under him. A clear-cut penalty, but the referee looked for confirmation to his assistant who failed to communicate and it was play-on.
The pressure was continuing to build on the visitors defence, but the tide turned after 20 minutes, when a cross from the right found Ikewuonu who fired home
the opening goal, Loughborough’s first shot of the game. 0-1.
Three minutes later Richards had broken through again, straight down the middle and into the box, before being hauled back by a defender, with more penalty appeals waved away.
Cracks had started to show in both defence and midfield for Mickleover and in the 27th minute possession was lost in midfield, the defence were outpaced and as McDowell came out to try and narrow the angle, Kasukumya slotted in number two for the visitors, 0-2.
Mickleover still weren’t out of it and after a throw from Wilkinson, a Keane cross found Norkett. But he was unable to get any power behind his effort and it was an easy stop for James.
Richards had another dangerous cross cleared on the half hour and few minutes later Norkett fired a shot into the side netting on the left, after a ball from Dales.
Apart from the two goals Loughborough had also lacked creativity and failed to have any other shots on goal.
Dales received treatment after a being kicked on the head for second consecutive game, but Keane’s following free kick came to nought.
The home defence had become to look evermore vulnerable and none more so than in the 44th minute.
Wilkinson was out of position on the right and as the left winger was left with a clear run, Ashman tried to charge from the middle to intercept. But it was too late, the cross came in and Ikegwuono scored his second and Loughborough’s third, 0-3 as the half time whistle soon followed.
Mickleover made three changes for the second half, with Beavon, Taylor and Powell on for Richards, Dales and Rowe.
The back four was now Powell, Wilkinson, Bencherif and Sanders, but they were soon tested again. Almost from the kick off Bencherif had a header cleared off the line, but Roddy was then given a free header on the right of the box for the visitors, which fortunately he put wide.
57 minutes in and Powell raced back to intercept another break from Loughborough.
Although there was more creativity from Sports at the start of the second half, Loughborough were still controlling the pace of the game. But Mickleover won a corner on the left after 62 minutes and Keane curler fell to Bencherif, whose shot was straight into the keepers hands.
Instead of playing into wind as they did in the first half, Sports were now with it, and another long ball out of defence a minute later from Keane, proved too long for Norkett to catch.
Norkett was tripped on the edge of the box after 65 minutes, and Keane’s free kick was palmed away for corner as it was heading for the top right-hand corner.
Zoko replaced Atkinson after 68 minutes as Mickleover went for more fire power, but the next chance fell to Loughborough again, but the shot was miles off target.
A third penalty appeal in the 72nd minute went the way of the other two, after Norkett was flattened.
Loughborough then earned a free kick after 75 minutes, which Kasukumya fired to the right of the wall and straight into the top left-hand corner. 0-4.
Four minutes later it was 0-5 with Kasukumya catching out a flat-footed defence to secure his hattrick, before hitting his fourth to make it 0-6 in the 83rd minute.
With two minutes of normal time left Beavon put through Norkett through again, but James was quickly out of his goal to snatch it from the strikers boot.
Beavon had a header from a Keane cross almost on time, but after their brilliant start to the season, Mickleover were soundly beaten by the better team on the day.
We now press the reset button as we head to Stamford in the FA Cup next Saturday, before resuming league action next Tuesday at the top of the table Wellingborough.
