by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
Just when it looked like we were heading for a 0-0 draw, an 86th minute goal for Barwell seemingly sealed it for the visitors. But Sports fought back and Andy Dales snatched a last gap equaliser for a well-deserved 1-1.
Starting line-up: 1-Aaron Chapman; 2-George Wilkinson 3-Sam Sanders; 4 Will Atkinson 5-Hamza Bencherif 6-Dwayne Wiley; 7 Theo Rowe; 8-Josh Ashman 9-Manni Norkett 10-Jude Taylor 11-Kane Richards. Subs: Andy Dales; Daryl Powell; Terry Hawkridge; Yerim Zoko; Josh Carter.
It was a fairly scrappy start with neither side showing an early advantage. But after 13 minutes Rowe suddenly burst through the defence on the left, before his shot was blocked and the first corner of the game earned.
Taken short it was once again picked up by Rowe, he unleashed a powerful shot that skimmed the top of the bar, before going out for a goal kick.
Barwell had their first attack a couple of minutes later, but Bencherif cut it out and they earned their first corner too, which came to nought.
Rowe continued to be the thorn in the visiting defences side, firing in a dangerous 24th minute cross. It was already heading goalwards with Norkett about to connect, when former Sports defender Kyle Rowley cleared it off the line.
Rowe then put in another cross a couple of minutes later, but it was too high for Richards. Possession was starting to go in Mickleover’s favour, with Ashman particularly creative in midfield. He was the next to try his luck, shooting through a crowded box but comfortably taken by keeper Brown.
There was an early blow for Sports though when skipper Bencherif went down having tweaked his back. He was replaced by Hawkridge, going into midfield, while Ashman dropped into the back four alongside Wiley.
The change seemed to upset the rhythm that had started to build, but 36 minutes in Taylor and Richards combined to dispossess a defender, only for the final shot to be blocked.
Taylor was then fouled on the right, but the free kick wasn’t given and Richards continued before firing a shot just over the bar again. It was Richards again that created our last chance of the first half. He put a nice ball through on the right for Norkett to chase, but it was just too long and the final shot from a tightening angle was an easy save for Brown.
It was Barwell that came out for the second half with all guns blazing and Calver set up Willock whose shot forced a great diving save from Chapman just four minutes into the half.
But it was the visitors who continued to edge the advantage in possession and after 53 minutes Mickleover made their first change, with Dales on for Richards, followed on the hour by Zoko on for Norkett.
Barwell earned a 65th minute free kick but then went wide, as Chapman showed his judgement to leave the ball to perfection. Four minutes later they had another break and earned a corner, which could have gone anywhere before the defence cleared.
Powell came on for his debut replacing Taylor after 77 minutes, but Chapman was still the busier of the two keepers and had to push away an in swinging corner with eight minutes on the clock.
Four minutes later though the deadlock was broken, when a cross from the Mickleover right fell nicely for Master, who fired it into the bottom corner, 0-1.
Barwell skipper Hickey tested Chapman again with a header, but with five minutes added on there was a dramatic conclusion. Time was running out as Rowe made one last charge down the right, his cross found Dales whose first attempt came off a defenders shoulder for a final corner.
It was Dales again that got a touch in a busy box, but it was enough to poke home the equaliser, 1-1 with almost the last kick of the ball.
Dwayne Wiley was awarded the Man of the Match award.
It keeps us in third place in the table as we now look forward to facing Barwell again on Saturday, but this time in the FA Cup.
