Friday night football saw Shepshed Dynamo make a trip over the Derbyshire border to take on Mickleover F.C. As it was Halloween, Dynamo were hoping to avoid any potential scares in a game set to be a thriller.

Shepshed had managed to exorcise the spectre of four consecutive defeats last Saturday by defeating Boldmere St Michaels 1-0 at the Dovecote. Mickleover themselves had endured a rocky start to life at step 4 following relegation last season but now find themselves in eighth place going five games prior to tonight unbeaten.

Dynamo began brightly under the lights as left back Jack Samples pushed forward down the left before playing the ball inside to Jesse Friend. The Shepshed forward shaped to shoot for the far corner, 25 yards out, but ended up sending his fourth minute effort wide of the target.

Friend got a second sight of goal after 12 minutes. A through ball from winger Jack Rogers released Friend down the right inside the box heading for the byline. The angle was against the Dynamo man but Friend managed to fire in a low shot that was saved at the near post by former Dynamo ‘keeper Oliver Bosworth.

Jack Rogers once again looked to provide opportunities for the Shepshed attackers producing a 38th minute cross to the far post. Jude Collins ghosted in from the left to meet the ball with the goal gaping. Collins’ header sadly lacked power resulting in an easy gather for Bosworth.

Despite the early openings for the visitors, the hosts were looking comfortable in possession and looking to put moves together while Dynamo hurriedly moved the ball on. The pressure would tell after 40 minutes as Dan Benson strode forward down the right for Mickleover. Benson’s low cross found striker Josiah Dyer who had his attempt blocked before Archie White pounced on the rebound to finish inside the far post.

Disappointed to be emerging from the break a goal down, Shepshed began the second half looking to get back on level terms. A 55th minute run from Jack Samples produced a fierce, low drive from 30 yards out that whistled past the near post of Bosworth.

Mickleover’s captain Andy Dales then brought his side forward down the left with a direct run towards the Dynamo area. Dales cut in from the left and produced a skidding effort from 25 yards that required a routine stop from Dan Wallis in the Shepshed net after 65 minutes.

The home side were having their best spell of the game with 70 minutes played as Dynamo struggled to hold on to the ball. Substitute Harry Wood was next to test Wallis with a sweeping right-footed effort from the right side of the 18-yard box. Wallis needed to get across to palm the ball away from the top corner as the momentum swung back towards Mickleover.

Two minutes later, Mickleover threatened the Dynamo goal once again. Substitute Stuart Beavon found himself at a tight angle to the right of the penalty area and managed to squeeze in a low shot. Wallis again was in the right place at the right time to gather Beavon’s effort at the near post.

Dynamo huffed and puffed but a resilient and well-organised Mickleover defence were not in the mood to give anything away. Despite three substitutions, multiple long throws and set plays the goal just would not come for the visitors. The referee’s whistle signalled the end of a frustrating 90 minutes for Shepshed.

Frustrations shown on the pitch from those in the Dynamo camp were clear for all to see. The fine margins of football were not in favour of the visitors in the end and manager Gary Drake will be left to rue a lack of second half opportunities created. Shepshed will look to find both the net and a return to winning ways a week on Saturday at home to Coventry Sphinx while Mickleover face another evening of football on Tuesday at home to Sutton Coldfield Town.

Dynamo: Wallis, Samples, Peart, Collins, Friend, Rogers (Korpal 67’), Dixon (Reason 72’), Prenderville (Palit 58’), Timson, Partridge, Burkey

Mickleover: Bosworth, Bennett, White, Atkinson, Benson, Offler, Wilkinson, Mohiuddin (Wood 68’), Dyer, Dales, Webb (Beavon 57’)

Attendance: 210