NCEL Match Review #49
13th February, 2009
Mickleover Sports are through to the Semi-Finals of the Derbyshire Senior Cup as the February fixture list finally got underway on Thursday.
Due to the worst winter in almost two decades, it took until the 12th for a game to be played this month and even then a lot of hard work had to be done to make sure the match went ahead.
The Quarter-Final tussle with Ilkeston Town had been switched to the UniBond side's ground and, although a new wave of snow threatened to postpone the tie as it came through the area during the evening, the pitch was playable and Sports will be delighted that it was.
Their top scorer Karl Ashton continued where he left off before the big freeze by grabbing the opener on the quarter-hour mark before Tom Cahill levelled matters for Ilkeston on 65 minutes.
And, as the 75 hardy souls who had come to watch the match were bracing themselves for extra time, Sports snatched the win with an 89th-minute strike from Kieran O'Connell.
Mickleover now travel to Buxton in the last four whilst, in the other Semi-Final, Shirebrook Town go to Matlock Town and the possibility of an all-NCEL Final is still on.