by Peter Scherer
Most football matches are memorable, some for the right reasons and some for the wrong, and last nights Central Midlands Alliance League match between Holbrook St. Michael’s and Mickleover was definitely the latter.
Starting line-up: 1-Josh Bull 2-Mason Hoult 3-Bradley Brittan 4-Jared Cholerton 5-Taylor Smith 6-Harry Atwal 7-Josh Carter 8-Hamesh Konane 9-Mikey Mandimitsura 10-Josh Powell 11-luke Thompson. Subs: Brodie Carter, Silas Donker, Jacob Lord, Josh Maher, Ellis King.
It was quite a lively start on a sunny evening and after three minutes Hoult sent Mandimitsura on a run but his cross was too close to the home keeper.
Two minutes later Sports earned their first free kick, with Atwal sending the ball out to the right. Carter latched on and fired in a shot, saved by the keeper.
But it was just eight minutes in when the first dubious decision of the night occurred. Holbrook got a break and Bull was racing off his line. Smith made a clumsy challenge just outside the box and the striker theatrically hit the ground. Maybe a yellow card was justified, but referee Smith reached for a straight red and Mickleover were down to 10 men.
The following free kick was into the wall and cleared, but it prompted a period of Holbrook shooting on sight, fortunately well off target.
After 12 minutes Holbrook had a break on the left, but Bull raced off his line to save the danger and the rebound too.
Despite some heavy tackles, Sports youngsters were still trying to play football and after 13 minutes Thompson shot just over the bar after a positive build up.
Holbrook again fired shots in well off target after 15 and 19 minutes, but three minutes later Bull was in action again, after a break through the middle set up a positive chance for the home side.
Both Hoult and Brittan were staying back following Smith’s dismissal, while Atwal appeared to be playing deeper too to assist Cholerton in the middle of the defence.
Cholerton cleared off the line after 26 minutes, when a cross field ball from the left caught out the defence, but Mickleover then broke to Carter, but he took to much time and failed to get his shot in.
Brittan then blocked another Holbrook attempt, but the pressure was on and after a nice move on the left from Holbrook, the chance was wasted again with a shot over the bar.
With Powell and Carter particularly trying to run at the defence, Konane managed to put Mandimitsura through, but his run was intercepted at the critical moment. But only three minutes later the same duo combined again, before the shot went just over the bar.
There was no lack of effort from Mickleover and after 37 minutes Thompson went close again after a break on the left, seeing his shot just inches wide of the far post.
Holbrook finished the half with a strong long range shot, Bull had the measure of it, but it was a corner, which then came to nought as it was easily cleared, so as the whistle went it remained 0-0.
It was good energetic start to the second half, with almost the entire team involved in flowing attacks to test the home defence, but the final shot was just missing.
Thompson had another early effort saved, before Holbrook had their first real second half chance after 51 minutes, but that faded away too.
Brodie Carter came on for Mandimitsura, but Holbrook had begun to look dangerous, putting a header just wide of the right hand post.
Konane sent Josh Carter on another break, before Brodie collected and shot over, but on the hour it was the home side that went close, with Bull firstly saving low down by the left hand post and then Atwal clearing another attempt off the line.
Mickleover were losing out to some tough and sometimes dubious tackles, which were going unpunished by the referee. But Holbrook had reverted to more random shooting, fortunately still off target.
Our hosts put a header just wide from a free kick, just before Lord came on for Hoult, but Holbrook got the break after 69 minutes, when Mickleover lost possession on the edge of the box. A home striker fired it home, with Bull almost getting his left hand to it, but it was 0-1.
Just a minute later Bull punched away a long cross from the left, then the game took a strange and somewhat ridiculous turn.
Lord had cleared off the line as Bull came out of his goal after 73 minute, but two minutes on and the Sports keeper made a challenge with a Holbrook striker just inside the box. The striker went down as if he had hit by a sniper and even home supporters were amazed that referee Smith reached for his red card again.
It wasn’t the striker that took the early bath though for his dramatization, it was Bull who was accused of having his arm up and making contact.
So off went Bull, Brittan went in goal and faced a penalty, which was well off target so it remained 0-1.
More yellow card tackles came in from Holbrook defenders, but the referee ignored them and then after 80 minutes, Thompson jinked his way into he box and was felled.
Shouts for a penalty from Mickleover were not only waved away, but much to everyone’s annoyance laughed at too by the referee.
Brittan made a save with his feet after 83 minutes, before Konane came off to make way for reserve keeper Maher.
But luck was with Holbrook when Maher saved an 85th minute effort, only for the rebound to hit home 0-2.
But Mickleover still pushed on, now nine lads against 11 men and the referee. Josh Carter put a good ball in from the right but Brodie’s effort was blocked and then Atwal was through but shot wide.
Donker and King were subs for Powell and Atwal, but the 0-2 result stood, while the lasting memory of the game was the shocking and arrogant display of refereeing, rather than the football itself.
