by Peter Scherer
After the hard fought point was earned at Hyde, it was a disappointing result when Ilkeston visited on Tuesday night. The 1-3 defeat leaves Mickleover on the back foot, but determined to get back to winning ways this Saturday as newly promoted Hebburn Town visit.
It’s important for us to move on now, we’re still a new team and we are still learning
said manager Gareth Holmes.
After a mixed pre-season our visitors made the best possible start to their first season in the Northern Premier League, after being promoted as Champions of the East Division and currently top the table.
They faced Warrington Rylands at home and came away 1-0 winners, before travelling to Blyth Spartans on Tuesday evening to take another 1-0 win.
It’s player/manager Daniel Moore’s third season in charge of the Hornets, having previously led Shildon to the Eastern Division play-offs.
A former Mansfield Junior, he captained the Spennymoor side that won the FA Vase, despite missing the Wembley final, before returning to Shildon as captain again too. He is still registered as a player.
Goalkeeper Kieran Hunter came from the Sunderland Academy. He had three years at Gateshead and spent time at Chester Le Street on a dual registration too, after arriving at Hebburn.
Centre back Matty Elsdon was a junior at both Sunderland and Middlesbrough. After a loan at Inverness he joined Barrow following his release and was then loaned to Whitby and FC Utd, before a permanent move to Blyth Spartans.
He then returned to Scotland with Clyde, before returning to Blyth in July 22, where he spent one year before joining the Hornets.
Tom Devitt is another centre back, who started at Lionsbridge in the United States. He came back to England with Gateshead, before moving to Blyth Spartans, he then headed for Scotland too with Stranraer, from where he joined Hebburn in July 2021.
Jack Donaghy is a homegrown talent, who came through the clubs youth set up to make his first team debut in 2017. Another centre back primarily, he has been a mainstay at the club for the last seven years.
Liam Noble is a central midfielder with over 250 league appearances under his belt, since Sunderland picked up from Cramlington Boys Club. After a couple of loans at Carlisle he moved permanently and then signed for Notts County in July 2014. His next stop was Forest Green, before returning to Notts County, from where he moved on to Hartlepool. He then 4 ½ years with Morpeth, but came to Hebburn in pre-season after ending last season on loan.
Defender Aidan Heywood was manager Moore’s first signing for the club, having played under his managership at Shildon. He also played for Easington Colliery and Team Northumbria and is also Hebburn Juniors coach.
Dan Groves is a right back who started at Darlington Academy and made 17 appearances in league two. He joined Blyth Spartans on his release in 2010, before joining Spennymoor and moved onto Shildon in 2015. He came to Hebburn back in 2018.
Dean Briggs is a central midfielder too, who started of at Ashington, before joining Gateshead. He then headed over seas with Holland Park Hawks and Peninsula Power in Australia, returning to the UK in July 2020 with Ashington again. He signed for Hebburn at the beginning of last season.
Aaron Thompson plays central or defensive midfield. A former South Shields player, he came to Hebburn from West Auckland in September 2022.
Robbie Spence is a midfielder who became a Hornet back in 2018. A former Scunthorpe junior, he also played for Team Northumbria in the Northern League.
Striker Olly Martin scored the winner in the win over Warrington Rylands on the opening day of the season. A Junior at both Newcastle and Sunderland, he moved on to Gateshead, Jarrow Roofing and Whitley Bay. He signed for Hebburn in June 2019 and scored the winner for them in the 2020 FA Vase Final at Wembley.
Amar Purewal is a striker who arrived from West Auckland in June 2020. A Punjab International, he started out at Newcastle Utd, before moving on to Newcastle Benfield and Bishop Aukland. He was then Durham City’s leading scorer before joining Darlington, before joining West Auckland in 2016.
Winger Joe Walton was manager Moore’s second signing for the club, after the pair played together at Spenymoor. He started at Sunderland RCA and has played at Washington and Morpeth too.
Bailey Adamson is one of the clubs first new signings. A striker, he has come from Lincoln Cit’s Academy.
Midfielder Leo Robinson was on loan from Hartlepool at the end of last season and has now made his move permanent. He also had a spell at Redcar and scored the winner for the Hornets at Blyth on Tuesday night.
Defender Michael Turner is another new arrival from Morpeth, while Joe Posthill is a striker who arrived pre-season, after being Shildon’s top scorer last term. Posthill started out at Hartlepool and played for Stockton before his move to Shildon.
Callum Dobson is the reserve keeper, signed after leaving South Shields Academy, while Hebburn have a host of their own Academy players registered for the first tea, Gildo Da Silva, Tyler Brownsword, Max Campbell, Alfa Djalo, Cam Inglis, Aidan Maher and Harry Urwin.
Kick off at the Don Amott Arena is 3pm, get along and help support Sports as they go for their first league win of the season.