Mickleover 3 Lancaster City 1: Dolly Blues' losing end to the season

Lancaster City finished the season 11th in the NPL Premier Division after suffering defeat on the final day last weekend.
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Sometimes the weeks fly by, and sometimes they pass much more slowly, but this has been a gruelling season for the club regardless of time.

The first full campaign in nearly three years has tested the squad to its absolute limit, as well as seeing many comings and goings, injuries and returns.

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Lancaster had travelled to Mickleover knowing, like their opponents, that there was neither the possibility of relegation nor promotion.

Lancaster City were beaten at Mickleover in their final game of the 2021/22 season Picture: Phil DawsonLancaster City were beaten at Mickleover in their final game of the 2021/22 season Picture: Phil Dawson
Lancaster City were beaten at Mickleover in their final game of the 2021/22 season Picture: Phil Dawson
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City’s stellar run in March had both negated peripheral glances at the drop zone and revived wild ambitions of play-off football, but a tough sequence in April had ended the latter possibility.

A similar period of good form for Mickleover banished their more serious fears of demotion and catapulted them to within a place of the Dollies, though a four-point gap between the clubs meant their win didn’t change either side’s final league position.

It was Sports who largely dominated the early stages, hitting the crossbar through Elliott Walker.

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They continued to pepper a number of shots just wide of the posts and it took the Dollies until the 20-minute mark to test Jonathan Hedge, who sprung into action to deny Charlie Bailey.

It began a good period for the visitors, which arguably ended with Enock Likoy going close at the beginning of the second half.

However, like many of Mickleover’s attempts, the ball went the wrong side of the post.

Shortly after, Mickleover turned the game around with a quickfire double in the space of three minutes from Andy Dales and William Radcliffe.

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Twenty minutes later, Sports’ final substitute Andrew Wright finished Stuart Beavon’s assist into the bottom left corner to make the score 3-0.

Mickleover, nevertheless, continued to push for a fourth goal and saw a late effort disallowed for offside.

Although Lancaster were heading for a disappointing end to a respectable season, the earlier introduction of substitute goalkeeper Max Povey as an outfielder and Nathan Reid’s late consolation, his first goal of the season, lifted spirits immeasurably as the curtain fell on the campaign.