by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
A magnificent second half fightback made sure that Mickleover came away with al three points in their opening league fixture of the season.
Starting line-up: 1-Aaron Chapman; 2 George Wilkinson; 3 Sam Sanders; 4 Will Atkinson; 5 Hamza Bencherif; 6 Dwayne Wiley; 7 Kane Richards; 8-Josh Ashman; 9-Manni Norkett; 10- Terry Hawkridge; 11-Theo Rowe. Subs: Jude Taylor; Stuart Beavon; Liam Carter; Josh Carter; Yerim Zoko.
Almost straight from the kick off Nuneaton won a free kick. But a fairly tame effort proved to be an easy first touch for keeper Chapman.
Mickleover were soon on the attack though and after three minutes a succession of corners, saw a deflection and a cross that was missed by all. Norkett then jinked into the box and was brought down, but penalty appeals were waved away.
Ashman had a shot blocked, earning another corner, which was easily blocked, as Sports turned the screw on the home defence. Rowe had outpaced the defence on the left, but as he cut onside his path was blocked too.
Osborn in the Nuneaton goal was then tested after 12 minutes, when Richards layed the ball off for Hawkridge, who struck a 20 yarder.
Sports had dominated possession in the first 15 minutes, before our hosts earned their first corner. The original kick was cleared but centre back Softley was challenged in the box and went for a dive that initially didn’t seem to impress the referee. But after his hesitation and a couple of appeals, he pointed to the penalty spot.
Stretton stepped up to take the kick which was well saved by Chapman, but the miss seemed to trigger a positive reaction from the home side.
A scramble in the Mickleover box followed, before a free kick was awarded and then a short back pass from Bencherif fell to a Nuneaton striker. He tried to lob the ball over the advancing Chapman, who made a fingertip save.
The momentum continued however and after 20 minutes it was Nuneaton that opened the scoring. Sawyers sent wing back Chesterton on a run down the Mickleover right, his cross was fired into the box where Stretton met it and fired home a rocket shot into the top corner, 0-1.
Four minutes later our hosts went close and had another shot saved, before going even a closer in the 23rd minute, when Atem sent a crossfield ball to Green. He returned the favour which saw Atem send a glancing header just wide of the right-hand post.
Mickleover were doing their best to regroup and when Bencherif saw a chance he tried his luck from distance, but Osborn had it covered. With half time approaching Hawkridge made a breakthrough down the middle, but his long ball for Norkett to chase proved just too long and so it remained 0-1.
No sooner had the second half got underway, Mickleover were straight on the attack with purpose. Rowe went close after 50 minutes after a burst through the defence, but five minutes late he made it count. A lob over a static defence saw him to chip the advancing keeper. He completed his task with relative ease and it was back to 1-1.
Just three minutes later Hawkridge made it two, creating his own space in midfield after a corner, to fire home another great strike.
Nuneaton managed to make a break on the hour when Sawyers went charging down the wing. He found Armson but it was an easy stop for Chapman.
Rowe was then fouled on the edge of the box and Hawkridge sent in a curling free kick, well taken by Osborn as it headed goalwards.
64 minutes gone and Rowe outpaced the defence again, his cross from the left managed to cross the face of the goal, but agonisingly close to a final touch that would have made it three.
Mickleover made their first change when Taylor replaced Rowe after 72 minutes, soon followed by Josh Carter for Hawkridge.
Nuneaton continued to try and push forward at any opportunity and earned a couple of corners which were cleared, before Sawyers had a shot blocked by Chapman’s feet.
Carter managed to put Norkett through with eight minutes left, but it was another good save from Osborn at close range. A minute later Cooper did make it 3-1, after a wonder strike from distance following his midfield interception.
In the closing minutes Carter had a shot just over and another just wide, while Zoko became the final sub, after making a brief cameo appearance on for Norkett.
Following on from Saturday’s FA Cup win, it was a superb start to the league season. A 3-1 win against a decent footballing side, with a solid back line of Wilkinson, Bencherif, Wiley and Sanders and some solid defensive midfield work from Atkinson and Ashman.
Both Rowe and Richards proved effective on the wings, as did Taylor later in the game. Norkett took quite a battering as target man and it was an outstanding first start for the experienced Hawkridge too.
We now look forward to hosting St.Ives Town in our first home league game, before our league and FA Cup double against Barwell.
