by Peter Scherer
It’s FA Cup time again this Saturday, when Mickleover take on Anstey Nomads in the second qualifying round at the Don Amott Arena.
Sports were 5-0 winners in the last round, when our visitors beat Alvechurch 3-1.
As well as the FA Cup, Anstey have already started their FA Trophy campaign too, having knocked out Lye Town 1-0 and Shepshed Dynamo 6-1 and currently lie 10th in the NPL Midlands Division too.
Tony Blanchard manages our visitors. His first choice keeper Conrad Logan has lots of experience too. A former Republic of Ireland Under 17 International, he joined Leicester City from Swilly Rovers and was loaned out to Boston Utd, Stockport, Luton Town, Bristol Rovers, Rotherham and Rochdale before heading to Scotland with Hibernian following his release in 2016.
He then rejoined Rochdale, before a move to Mansfield Town and was loaned to Forest Green Rovers before being released again. His first spell at Anstey followed, before moving to Stamford, but after six months away, he returned to our visitors In July 2021. He has over 300 league appearances under his belt, and was a Scottish FA Cup winner with Hibs.
Logan’s deputy is former Mansfield Town junior Jude Kinch. He started out with Shepshed Dynamo and has also played for Corby Town, before joining our visitors in September 2020.
Centre back Ben Bayliss has just started his fifth season with the club, since signing from Mansfield in September 2020.
Fellow centre back Lewis Gibbens started out at Mansfield too. He moved onto Boston Utd after an initial loan, but came to Anstey from Worksop Town after one season, in July 2022.
Kyle Tomlin is another centre back and another former Mansfield Junior, after joining them from Burton Albion. He joined Coalville Town following his release, and played for Carlton Town and Eastwood before joining Anstey in February.
Rhys Dolan is well known to Sports fans, having only left the Don Amott Arena at the end of last season. The former Barnsley left back, had been part of the successful Ilkeston Town Youth Cup squad, before going to Oakwell.
He has since played for Long Eaton, Selston, Newark, Belper Town and Alfreton and came to Mickleover from Anstey in December 2021. He spent time on loan at Belper last season and rejoined our visitors pre-season.
Left back Oscar Tonge was a pre-season signing from Coleshill, where he had spent last season after being released by Peterborough Utd.
Midfielder Jack Thomas came from Basford in pre-season. He started off with Woodhouse Colts and Notts County and was loaned to Hednesford, Boston Utd and Tamworth, before moving to Basford after over 50 league two appearances.
Ilkeston and a return to Tamworth were his next stops, before joining Basford at the start of last season.
Striker Leo Brown started his career with Crusaders in his native Northern Ireland. He then came to England with Birmingham City, but returned to Ireland with Ballymena and Ards.
He then returned to England with Sutton Coldfield and was loaned to Alvechurch and Coventry Sphinx, before joining our visitors pre-season. He has been capped by Northern Ireland at Under 15,16.17 and 19 levels too.
Fellow striker Zayn Hakeem came from Shepshed Dynamo at the end of last season. He was a junior at Nottingham Forest and Mansfield and was loaned to Corby and Coalville, before joining Bradford Park Avenue on his release.
He played for Barwell and Coleshill before originally joining Anstey in September 2020, then returned to Coleshill four months later. Worksop, Stamford, Shepshed, Basford and Long Eaton also feature on his CV.
Attacking midfielder James Tague is another pre-season arrival. He was a junior with Derby County and Mansfield Town, before joining Matlock on his release. He moved on to Gainsborough and Basford and was loaned to Corby Town too, before joining Loughborough Dynamo in February 2022.
Centre back Jordan Annable came from AFC Mansfield in August 2021, after spending seven seasons with the Nottinghamshire club.
Striker Chris O’Grady is our visitors most experienced player, with 500 league appearances and 110 goals under his belt in a long career.
He started at Leicester City and had loans at Notts County and Rushden & Diamonds before joining Rotherham. He then joined Oldham and had further loans at Bury, Bradford City and Stockport, before joining Rochdale after an initial loan.
Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton, Sheffield Utd, Nottingham Forest, Burton Albion and Chesterfield followed, before returning to Oldham in in 2018 after an eight year absence. Then after a year at Bolton he joined Ilkeston and started last season with Grantham Town.
Midfielder Drew Lowe is another pre-season signing from Loughborough Students. He started his career with Chester and had a loan spell at Glossop North End too.
Fellow midfielder Henry Bestwick is one of the longest serving players, having just started his sixth year with the club. He has been club captain and came through their own youth scheme.
Jacob Fenton is a striker signed from Spalding last December, while fellow striker Nyle Blake was recently injured and is expected to be out for the rest of the season.
Defender Brad Wilson is in his second season at Anstey and after a 20 month injury absence, Emilio Stavrou is also back in action.
Lewis Samuel and Charlie Thomas have also been in the squad this season.