The Lights Go Out On Floodlit Cup

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover Reserves hopes of progressing into the Abacus Lighting Floodlit Cup semi finals were dashed, when they went down 2-6 to Staveley MW.

Starting line-up: 1-Josh Maher 2-Jack Leighton 3-Brandon Ferron 4-Harry Atwal 5-Ronnie Bonser 6-Zac Sandhu  7-Declan Brown 8-Jacob Edge-Lucas 9-Dean Ironmonger 10-Owen Parr 11-Fin Ryder. Subs: Ryan McKeever-Atkins, Joseph Sellors, Jayden Cozens.

Staveley took an early lead when Mickleover lost possession in midfield. The defence failed to clear the danger and left a visiting striker in space to open the scoring.

But Sports came back fighting and managed to equalise with a great distance strike from Parr.

Leighton was then on the attack, but his cross from the right was too near the keeper, and shortly afterwards his recurring ankle injury saw him replaced by McKeever-Atkins.

The visitors were on target again when a lucky bounce left keeper Maher flat footed 1-2 and they began to threaten more and more.

Some nice play from Ryder found Brown, but he was unable to get in a telling shot, but then Edge-Lucas was penalised for an alleged trip. Although Maher got a hand to the spot kick, it still got through to make it 1-3.

Mickleover had to make another change when Atwal went off injured, to be replaced by Sellors, but as the half time whistle blew it remained 1-3.

It could have been a fourth for Staveley after 49 minutes, but having gone one on one, they failed to capitalise on the situation.

Two minutes later Brown was on target for Mickleover, forcing the Staveley keeper to tip over, when the rest of his his team mates seemed reluctant to have a crack themselves.

It was now Mickleover on the front foot, with a 51st minute header from Edge-Lucas, after an Ironmonger cross making it 2-3.

Ferron put in a couple of good crosses from the left, but there was no one to collect, but Sports were still pressing for an equaliser.

Just after the hour Staveley had a random shot wide,  but the tide turned again after 66 minutes, with the defence flat footed as a cross came in from the left and was met with purpose, 2-4.

Parr had a shot just over from a Ferron cross, but the visitors started to take charge again as we entered the final 20 minutes.

A free kick from the Mickleover right was headed in cleanly at the far post 80 minutes in, and six minutes later it was 2-6, with the defence split wide open and Maher rooted after a deflection.

An entertaining game, but on this occasion Sports youngsters were soundly beaten.

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