MAC MASTERS GOOD SPORTS

MICKLEOVER’S MIRACLE TRANSFORMATION

- David Richardson

JOHN McGrath wants a return to football as quickly as possible – he just can’t get enough of watching his high-flying Mickleover!

Sports are the surprise leaders of the Pitching In Northern Premier League after nine matches and were in full flow when the season was suspended.

McGrath had masterminded four consecutive victories, conceding none and scoring 13 as they went from strength to strength after reshaping his squad in the summer.

“We did our recruitment slightly different this year and recruited from the league below, young hungry players or experienced players at that level wanting to prove they could play higher,” he told The NLP.

“We signed five or six from below, not because they were cheap, but because I believed they were the right players to come in and play in our team. So far we’ve been proven right.

“We actually had a difficult start losing 3-0 on the first day at South Shields, but we played really well. I came away thinking if we play like that we’ll be OK.”

McGrath, who is also head of football at Derby University, signed two goalkeepers, a new back four and three centre midfielders which has even forced him and his assistant Ricky Ravenhill out of the side.