Mickleover 3 Frickley 0

They think it's all over...it is now

As I drove to the game in my 14 year old diesel 4x4 (yeah, im killing the planet - so sue me....) I thought that the players would either deliver an 'Up & at 'em, in yer face, let's show 'em that we can play' performance or an edgy display of a team that's had its guts ripped out over the last few weeks. We got elements of both in a game which encapsulated our season - bags of effort & endeavour, a lack of confidence in front of goal & a defensive fragility once we concede.

We probably shaded the first half - Dangerous Dan Palmer had a chance that he would probably have buried for the U19s, Pick with a header from a tight angle at the far post which drifted wide & Luke Mangham creating half chances as he ran himself into the ground again.

The turning point came early in the second half when Sam got the second of 2 pointless yellows (we really need to keep it shut & just walk away - referees regularly get it wrong but I've never seen one change his mind). 2 goals in 2 minutes followed, added to 10 men, a really hot day, a bone hard pitch & 4 games in a week inevitably lead to a game of walking football.

The Greens still stuck at it - Mangs setting up Bailey for a goal bound header which the keeper palmed onto the post & out for a corner - but a 3rd in the dying embers was the coup de grace.

At the end of the warm up, Strats said to the squad "it's the last game of the season, go out & enjoy it" - at the final whistle it didn't look as though many of them had.

This team are not poor footballers & I hope they all bounce back next season, irrespective of where they are playing their football.

WEBMASTER MOTM - Sebba again, he was his usual brilliant self. If there's a better keeper than him in this league, I've not seen him. The fact that the Matlock keeper was picked for the Evostik team of the year has probably got nothing to do with the Matlock chairman being on the selection panel.

Final point, the Mickleover ground is a soulless place, no atmosphere whatsoever - give me the white hot cauldron of the Wezziecana every time!

So that's it from me with regards to match reports for this season - hope you've enjoyed them. If you haven't, you'll probably hate next season.....