HUCKNALL TOWN 1-3 MICKLEOVER ROYALS: match report by The Mowdog...

Royals So Nearly Forced To Take A Draw From the Jaws Of Victory

Hucknall Town 1 Mickleover Royals 3

The toss...

Royals had enough opportunities to have prevented a frantic final 15 minutes to this tricky encounter at Watnall Road, but with visiting controlling skipper Danny Martin substituted and home midfielder Leon Aikman not only dominating the affair but in a real strop too, after conceding the free-kick which led to Mickleover’s second goal, Town scored once and threatened to snatch an unlikely equaliser. Replacement Nash Wilson snaffled a very late third goal however, as Shaun Roberts decided NOT to take the ball into a time-wasting corner quadrant but actually deliver an offensive centre and Royals took the three points. The real surprise of this encounter was the second period demise of Town winger Dwayne Ngandi, who had earlier caused real problems on the attacking right-flank, had been fouled several times, but found himself moved to the left side, with no effect on the proceedings, then inexplicably he faded from the game altogether, possibly suffering from an accumulation of knocks… Mickleover just about deserved the victory but would no doubt quietly thank an unmoved referee when the erring Jordan Simpson clashed with Ngandi 19 yards from goal and also their own shaking crossbar, when Aaron Evans’ close range shot looked lethal. Home skipper Cameron Davidson was dismissed late on for an unnecessary hack at Peter Aliguma on a touchline and so the Royals prevailed.

Royals' Aliguma (5) and Thompson (7) watch Hucknall kick off...

Bartram lifted a volleyed shot too high in the opening stages for Royals, following a decent pass from Martin, then home goalie Farren Packard’s bell was rung by Martin’s free-kick from inside-right but the ‘keeper spilled the ball and Ollie Buxton drove the rebound straight at central defender Joe Atkinson’s body almost on the goal-line and the fortunate Hucknall defence survived. Following a left-wing corner Davy Hamson thumped a shot into the ground from 12 yards but Packard clutched this shot on his goal-line, before Martin’s 20 yard free-kick troubled Packard only slightly. Ngandi was causing problems for Royals with his strong quick dashes on the wing but Buxton resorted to fouling him and was sternly lectured by the referee, with Martin in attendance like his nodding carer. Martin’s error offered Evans a brief chance but Royals smothered the opportunity and attacked themselves when Ryan Thompson’s cross was headed off target by the lurking Bartram.

Martin (6) prepares to take a Royals free-kick...

Troy Black’s long shot was wayward for Mickleover, Shaun Roberts’ volleyed effort rose over the home crossbar but as the hosts began to settle a little more, with Aikman and Nathan Robinson winning more possession in midfield, Ngandi broke from the right but poked a shot across goal with the outside of his right boot, an effort which drifted wide and high off target. Royals’ ‘keeper Ash Warner stood transfixed as Evans fired a 25 yard free-kick low past his right upright, before Buxton and Ngandi clashed heads and then Royals broke forward, lost and regained the ball and Roberts attempted a one-two with Black; the ball was stopped by defender Dave Leake but Roberts received the ball back at his feet by default and he succeeded with the second one-two attempt, finding himself clear at inside-left but his shot rose way too high from a great position, just 12 yards out. Home defender Cayne Maxwell then cleared a left-wing Royals cross but the ball was sliced off Black’s left boot to Hamson at inside-left, where he clipped the ball over a defender but chose to use his right boot to rap a close range shot into the side-netting. He will probably use his left instep next time…

The stunned and the injured, reminding us that the First World War began 100 years ago this week...

Suddenly though, Bartram passed right towards Thompson, whose low, almost miscued shot (although he will argue that his effort was immaculately placed) rolled beyond Packard and trickled into the net off the base of the left post and Mickleover took a deserved lead. Bartram committed one foul, on Ngandi of course and found himself cautioned, which did seem slightly harsh but Hamson was soon forced off the field with a persisting injury after he attempted to shoot from inside-right and then Robson Gray appeared in his place.

Royals celebrate their opening goal of the season...

Decent play on the left by Gray led to a fine centre but Peter Aliguma was unable to direct his downward header, despite rising well above his marker and the ball rolled past the left upright. Jordan Simpson attempted to move out of the way of an opponent, who fell over and so a second dangerous free-kick was conceded by Mickleover and this time, from 22 yards, Ngandi fired a knee-high drive, which fizzed past the right stick, with Warner’s feet still jammed in treacle. A short free-kick by Martin to Aliguma led to a powerful shot by the defender, which smacked against the front of the low shed roof behind the goal then a flashpoint occurred and Simpson, going through a tough few moments, hesitated as the ball rolled towards Warner, Ngandi appeared to force a way past him, but the ball beat Warner, and Ngandi and Simpson fell in a tangle of legs, like they were training for a wrestling bout in the Rio Olympics; the hosts expected a free-kick, maybe a booking for Simpson, maybe even a red card, but the official played on, to Simpson’s obvious relief. The guy I stood with was adamant that Simpson was guilty. Strangely though, the referee was actually adjudicating and not my mate...  

Gary Hamson looks on as one of his replacements suffers the agony of losing an antler...

As the half rushed to a close, Evans found himself through inside the penalty-box at inside-left, after the troubled Simpson had missed Jack Sanders’ deep centre but Warner was excellent in defence, advancing to dive at the striker’s feet and swallow the ball like a shark devouring a misplaced tuna. The interval arrived, Steve Burr’s Chester trailed 0-3 at home to Barnet and Basford United played without the presumably injured Lee Hendrie. Just thought I’d mention him, to please Shepshed’s irritated players…

Red-shirted Gray passed to Black for a shot, as Owen Brown looked on, which flew wide of the white right post but then Aikman received a yellow card for a foul on Martin, leaving the scarlet faced Town midfielder green with envy then blue in the face with anger, after Martin’s clipped free-kick was cleverly headed goalwards by Bartram from 10 yards, an effort which spun and bounced past Packard’s dive and into the net near the left stick. Bartram had nailed his colours to the mast, at last.

0-2 to Royals...

...and Mickleover's goal celebration involves advertising the Chairman's debit card pin number...
Not really, only joking...

Warner smothered a low near post centre from the right by the ebullient Town right-back Josh Henry, following a pass by the incredibly angry Aikman, and he really did ache, man... Nash Wilson replaced Black for Mickleover and soon, Aikman rallied but couldn’t get in a shot, then sliced another effort out to the left flank, where Robinson cleverly worked the byeline past a Royals defender but his cross, although straight towards the very quiet Jack Sanders at the far pole, saw the winger, er, duck. Not advisable when a centre is dropping towards one’s head. More strength by Aikman forced Royals to defend a cross again, before Martin was replaced by Ash Lynch, depriving the visitors of their playmaker, their outlet and their set-piece specialist but there were still more than 20 minutes remaining. A brilliant tackle by Buxton in his own penalty-area rescued his team and it became even more remarkably evident that Ngandi had become almost invisible for Town but Royals escaped moments later when a low Davidson centre from the left deflected off Buxton’s boot and found its way to Evans just 8 yards out but his shot rose against the underside of the crossbar, struck Warner’s arm on the way down and the grateful goalie, now freed from treacle, clutched the loose ball with a wry smile on his face.

Thompson (7) cleverly traps the ball with his scrotum...

Adam Nelson replaced Sanders for Town, then both Aliguma and Brown were cautioned within moments for the now harassed Royals but when Aikman lifted the ball into the penalty-box, towards inside-left from just outside the 18 yard area, Nelson became the flagship for his crew, surprisingly onside and his miscued effort beat the seemingly shocked Warner at the near left upright from 7 yards.

Hucknall celebrate the admirable Nelson's goal...

Game on then, but it was the Royals who attacked with venom, Brown slipping the ball between a defender’s legs, Wilson feeding Bartram and he won a corner but from that flag-kick, a pumped head forward by Brown saw Packard drop the ball, with no attacker close enough to take advantage. A neat Wilson pass, after he had dispossessed the surprisingly dozing Ngandi, to Bartram on the left led to an angled and powerful drive into the side-netting then home skipper Davidson, who had been liberally sprinkling the game with tough tackles, rattled into the back of Aliguma and after the dust had settled, found himself being shown a red card. Although Aikman’s charged body careered forward for the hosts, the Royals attempted to kill time as the game stuttered to a close but refreshingly, Thompson, who could have taken the ball into a corner, chose not to in the dying seconds and instead crossed from the right; Bartram challenged for the high delivery near the penalty-spot but the ball dropped behind the aerial challenge leaving Packard to advance and collect but Wilson had spotted his chance, sprinted forward and beat the ‘keeper to the ball, prodding it firmly into the middle of the net from 9 yards.

Davidson is dismissed to the amusement of two ladies on the sideline...

Thompson demonstrates the art of parachuting in with no harness at all...

Wilson, left has settled it for Royals...

A win for Mickleover then but Hucknall certainly made them fight for the points late on, despite the fact that Ngandi featured less and less instead of more and more. Simpson and Buxton were rattled a few times in the Royals’ defence but in truth, Warner was rarely tested in goals. Bartram’s aerial ability was missed when he played more on the left and Martin’s control was also rued when he was withdrawn, but with Thompson and Roberts lively for the most part, Mickleover did enough to win. Certainly Hucknall were well served by Henry and Ngandi, also Robinson, but Aikman nearly dragged his team to a point with a relentless and positive last quarter to the game.

Lynch (12) and Wilson (17) at the end...

I drove back to Solihull wondering sadly at the changes at Hucknall from my last visit when relative Steve Burr was manager of Northwich and Town beat them 3-2 in a noisy atmosphere…   

Teams:  

Hucknall:  Farren Packard, Josh Henry, Cayne Maxwell; Cameron Davidson (Capt), Joe Atkinson, Dave Leake; Dwayne Ngandi, Nathan Robinson, Aaron Evans, Leon Aikman, Jack Sanders.

Subs: Adam Nelson, Ayokunle Abbis, Bilal Sajed, Montell Gatland, Romeo Mugadza.

Mickleover Royals:  Ash Warner, Ollie Buxton, Owen Brown; Jordan Simpson, Peter Aliguma, Danny Martin (Capt); Ryan Thompson, Shaun Roberts, Sam Bartram, Davy Hamson, Troy Black.

Subs: Ash Lynch, Robson Gray, James Buck, Scott Wesson, Nashan Wilson.