by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It was a dominant win for Mickleover against a struggling Bourne Town team, with goals from Ali Mohiuddin and Paddy Webb in the first half to set up a 3-1 win.
Starting line-up: 1- Jack McDowell 2-Ali Mohiuddin 3-Louis Bonsor 4-George Wilkinson 5-Danny Benson 6-Ashton Offler 7-Will Atkinson 8-Michael Hollingsworth 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Paddy Webb. Subs: Josh Carter, Fraser Corden, Steven Fikula, Johnson Gyamfi, Archie White.
Sports were straight on the attack from the kick off, with Webb earning a corner after four minutes. Six minutes later Beavon played a lovely ball though into the box to find Hollingsworth, but his shot was blocked.
It wasn’t long though before Mickleover opened the scoring when a Webb header fell nicely for Mohiuddin, who found himself with an empty net to tap the ball home after just 11 minutes,1-0.
Webb was proving particularly menacing to the visitors defence and had another half chance just before the half hour mark, but keeper Lakin was quick off his line to collect before Webb could get a shot in.
Lakin was kept busy when just a minute later he intercepted a header from Beavon which was well on target for Webb to connect again.
Bourne had their first real attack when O’Brien crossed into the box, only for Siddons to put it over the bar.
Penalty appeals from Mickleover were waved away when Webb went down in the 33rd minute, but Sports got their second with five minutes of the first half left. Webb was through again and caught the keeper off his line, he dribbled the ball around him and almost walked the ball into the empty net, 2-0.
The second half kicked off in a similar vain and just one minute into the half Lakin had to tip a Dales free kick over the bar.
But we only had to wait 10 minutes for goal number three. Dales split the defence to find Atkinson, he struck a first time shot giving Lakin little chance, 3-0.
Beavon found Webb with a great pass after 57 minutes, but the final effort went wide. It was Beavon parting shot though as he came off for Gyamfi to make his debut 15 minutes later.
Corden and White then came on for Dales and Bonser and in the final minutes Mohiuddin made room for Carter.
But in the final minute Marshall headed home a consolation goal for Bourne from a Allen corner and so it finished 3-1, with a vital three points confirmed.
