Match report by Dave McMillan

Marine notched their sixth away league win of the season on Saturday, Neil Harvey coming off the bench to get the only goal of the game at the Mickleover Sports Ground.

Goalmouth action was at something of a premium in Derbyshire but the Mariners had more of the possession, and always looked the more likely winners although the home side did have a couple of presentable opportunities.

Paul Brown had two efforts from the edge of the box early on for the Mariners, seeing one volley go well wide and then having another shot blocked by a defender.

Set pieces looked the most likely route to a first half goal, Sports’ centre half Craig McAughtrie getting on the end of a free kick but steering his header wide of the target when well placed.

Robbie Lawton did likewise at the other end with a testing free kick, Thomas Moore meeting it at the near post and directing the ball just wide of Damon Clarke’s goal.

Kieran O’Connell – utilised as a lone striker by the home side – had their best chance of the half when beating the offside trap to run through, a crucial tackle coming in from John Shaw to divert the ball away for a corner.

Thomas Moore put in a good cross for Carl Gargan to head at the near post, Clarke clutching it just under his crossbar as the half drew to a close.

Early in the second half Gargan used his pace to latch on to Joe Fowler’s ball over the top, the striker not getting a clean contact on his shot allowing Clarke to collect the loose ball.

Sports missed their best chance of the afternoon when Martin Smythe got away down the left, cutting inside before firing in a rising drive which whistled just past the far post.

The miss was a crucial one as Marine got the winning goal shortly afterwards, a corner coming out to Louis Barnes to play back in to the area for Harvey to control and smash a sweetly struck shot in to the bottom corner on 75 minutes.

Marine might have made it two following a goalmouth scramble, Matty Brown getting a shot away which was deflected over the top for a corner.

Mickleover threw players forward in the dying minutes to try to snatch a point, putting some pressure on the Marine goal but only having the one chance with Ryan McMahon blocking a close range shot from McAughtrie.

Marine held out comfortably enough to move back in to sixth position in the table, just two points outside the play offs after their third successive league victory.

Mickleover Sports: Damon Clarke, Kevin Grocott, Marc Strzyzweski, Liam Walshe (Cap), Craig McAughtrie, Nick Wood (Thom Kellogg 11), Eric Graves, Danny Martin (Steve Banks 80), Jamie Pawley (Martin Smythe 61), Kieran O’Connell, Alex Steadman.

Unused sub: George E-Everett. Cautions: Strzyzweski, Martin.

Marine: Ryan McMahon (Cap), Joe Fowler (Paul Lundon 66), Louis Barnes, John Shaw, Matty Brown, Robbie Lawton, Jonathan Goulding, Thomas Moore, Aaron Rey, Carl Gargan (Neil Harvey 61), Paul Brown.

Unused subs: Callum Williams (G/K), Sam Barnes, Liam Duff. Cautions: Shaw, Goulding.

Referee: Mr. Michael Ball; Assistants Mr. Danny Guest, Mr. Neil Walker.

Attendance: 221.