by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
After a tough scoreless first half, a Manni Norkett penalty and Liam Carter’s first senior goal, made sure Mickleover march on to the First Qualifying round of the FA Cup.
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-Andy Dales 11-Theo Rowe. Subs: Tyrrell Waite; Jack McDowell; Cieron Keane; Terry Hawkridge; Yerim Zeko; Josh Carter; Liam Carter.
Within minutes of the kick off Norkett found himself flattened by the home keeper just outside the box, but Dales free kick was soon cleared.
Although Mickleover tended to dominate possession early on, Chapman had to rush off his line to intercept a seventh minute break from our hosts.
Ashman went close for Sports too with an early header from a corner, but Chapman was in action with another save 11 minutes in, as Winsford tired to maximise any opportunity to break.
Both Richards and Rowe’s early explorations on the wings had been thwarted, but Rowe managed to battle his way into the box after 15 minutes, before Norkett’s shot was well saved by the keeper.
Richards then floated in a corner from the right which was headed around in the box, before Rowe cut inside again from the left six minutes later to fire a shot over the bar.
Mickleover continued to look solid at the back and similarly Atkinson and Ashman in the centre of midfield, which was allowing Dales to push forward.
22 minutes gone and Dales latched onto a Sports corner, but his shot was blocked. Similarly just after the hour mark Dales struck again after Rowe had cut inside, but that shot was blocked too.
Mickleover had comfortably withstood the Winsford breaks but when Sanders committed a foul just outside the box on the left, Chapman had to tip the free kick over the bar as it headed for the top corner.
The breeze and the bone-dry pitch hadn’t contributed to the quality of the first half, but despite chances for both sides it remained 0-0 as the whistle went.
Sports seemed to start the livelier of the two sides in the second half and after some hard work from Dales cutting in from the left, Rowe sent a curling shot just wide of the far post.
A couple of minutes later Rowe set up Norkett after outrunning the defence on the left, it was another good save from the keeper though.
Only minutes after he had been the hero, the keeper became the villain when he felled Norkett in the box. Up stepped Norkett with a perfect spot kick, making it 1-0 after 55 minutes.
Keane was the first sub on for Ashman just before the hour. But Richards tested the keeper too, with a chip tipped away at full stretch.
Waite then replaced Norkett, but apart from one break which was nicely stopped by Wilkinson and Sanders, Winsford showed little urgency to retaliate and seek an equaliser.
Both Josh and Liam Carter came on too and almost on time Josh had a great chance for a Mickleover second, but put it wide of the left-hand post as the keeper advanced.
Liam had earlier had a shot over the bar, but there was still a Carter on the score sheet. Into stoppage time the home defence seemed to freeze, but Liam continued, beat the keeper and secured his first senior goal for the club.
So it’s on to the first qualifying round on August 22nd when we visit Barwell, just four days after we lay them at home in the league.
