by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
Following their first win of the season at Boldmere last Tuesday, Mickleover made it two in a row with a dominant 4-1 win over Rushden & Diamond’s at the Don Amott Arena.
Starting line-up: 1-Oliver Bosworth 2-Steven Fikula 3-Gerge Wilkinson 4-Will Atkinson 5-Ashton Offler 6-Danny Benson 7-Archie White 8-Louis Bonser 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Ali Mohiuddin. Subs: Michael Hollingsworth, Paddy Webb, Toby Smith, Pedro Mzau, Fraser Corden.
Mickleover had to make a late change when Harry Wood was a casualty of the warm-up, which promoted Bonser to the starting 11 and Corden to the bench.
Sports started strongly testing keeper Lewis Elsom twice in the fourth minute, White had his shot saved, while Dales followed up for the rebound, shooting just wide.
Three minutes later Mohiuddin’s cross found Dales, but his path was impeded but failed to draw a foul from the referee.
But a short back pass from Wilkinson almost cost Mickleover dearly after 10 minutes, but Bosworth had it covered, forcing Bruno Andrade wide, saving the shot from a tight angle.
Two minutes later David Adegbola was penalised for a handball in the box, and White stepped up to bury the ball in the bottom left-hand corner, 1-0.
Rushden had a chance too after 15 minutes, but Tyler Winters was forced wide, allowing Bosworth to save the shot again.
White then picked up the ball and made a break, but his shot drifted just wide of the left-hand post.
Andrade had looked the more dangerous of the Rushden strike force, but Sports went close again with a spectacular overhead kick from Beavon 23 minutes in, unfortunately just over the bar.
Four more minutes and White had another strike form the edge of the box, Elsom saved it, but the rebound was heading for Dales until Huw Dawson intercepted.
Rushden had been pegged back in their own half for a while, as Mickleover sought another goal. White won a 35th minute free kick but that came to nought, with striker Winters back in defence to make the block.
With three minutes of the first half left, Sports finally got number two. The cross was floated in from the left wing and met by Dales, who volleyed it into he bottom left-hand corner 2-0.
The visitors made a couple of half-time changes to try to quell Sports’ domination. But only a minute into the second half it was 3-0, when White scored his second from a Dales’ cross, with a lucky hint of deflection.
Benson then got his head to a free kick a minute later, but this effort was just over. As the hour mark approached Elsom had to make a double save to deny Mickleover again.
Rushden pulled one back after 61 minutes, when Andrade went clear, placing his shot under the advancing Bosworth, 3-1.
Webb came on for Beavon and 10 minutes later Rushden were awarded a penalty when Jordan Graham was brought down. Graham then took the penalty, but hit the bar, so it remained 3-1.
Hollingsworth replaced Fikula after 73 minutes, but there was soon a fourth goal for Mickleover. White played Webb straight through the defence, and he made mistake in front of goal, 4-1.
Debutant Nzau replaced White for the last nine minutes but Rushden had one more chance, a free header which Ryan Hughes put well wide of the target.
So a first home league win of the season, and a second successive victory, our season has STARTED!!
