The smallest Evo-Stik League crowd of the season witnessed a fine first half display from the Scholars, but a 36th minute equaliser and then an early second half strike from Mickleover Sports sent them into top gear and the home side couldn’t quite fight back level.

Any thoughts that “after the Lord Mayor’s show” would be the tone for the night after Tuesday’s FA Trophy exit were forgotten soon after the kick-off as a fourth-minute free kick from Richard Davies was punched into the air by Sports keeper Damian Clarke but Ben Jevons sent the follow-up shot over the bar.

Tuesday goalscorer Richard Teesdale was next to go close for the Scholars as his effort went over the bar following a corner, but from another corner Steve Abbott was successful as his header beat the defence and flew into the back of the net to put the Scholars in front.

A cross from Mark Branch was headed clear by the Mickleover defence on 24 minutes as Chasetown continued to dominate much the same as they had in the early stages at Mansfield on Tuesday, and the visitors’ first hint at a breakthrough did not come until the half-hour when a high ball into the box from Matthew Roome was cleared by Teesdale before Mark Branch prevented Eric Graves from shooting following an attack down the left.

Abbott could have added a second on 33 minutes but the Sports defence were somehow able to clear his shot off the line and keeper Clarke dived onto the loose ball, but Mickleover were slowly starting to turn things round and out of seemingly nowhere on 36 minutes Graves slipped an equaliser inside the near post past Ryan Price.

The visitors briefly had Chasetown on the back foot following the goal and Karl Ashton could have put them in front moments later but Price blocked his low shot.

Mickleover were quicker out of the gate as the second half began and within two minutes Kieran O’Connell beat the Chasetown defence from the right and fired the visitors into the lead.

A Chase effort then found the net but was disallowed for offside before a close range free kick from Alex Steadman somehow sneaked through the Scholars wall and evaded Price for Mickleover’s third, and tiredness from Tuesday’s efforts began to show for the hosts.

These signs of fatigue would be banished just three minutes later, however, when Sports failed to clear sufficiently following a short scramble and Ben Jevons rifled a 20-yard shot into the back of the net to begin the Scholars fightback and also become joint leading league scorer for 2010-11.

Mickleover fought back and Price palmed down a shot from Ashton as a few nervous moments followed, Price called into action three more times before Chasetown fought back with a Mark Branch free kick headed back into the area and Teesdale’s shot going just wide.

Teesdale was then on hand at the opposite end to head Danny Martin’s free kick clear before Jevons came close to an equaliser with a rocket shot that flew inches over Clarke’s crossbar. The Scholars were certainly showing more determined signs of a comeback, home debutant Danny Lloyd hitting the side netting on 79 minutes after a knock through from Gary Hay.

Steadman could have sealed it for Sports in the 84th minute but skewed his shot over the bar, and a final Chasetown fightback failed to materialise with an Abbott shot over the crossbar their only real chance in the closing minutes.

Chasetown: Price, J Branch, M Branch, Slater, Davies, Teesdale, Stephens (Smith, 74 mins),
Parsons (Lloyd-McGoldrick, 75 mins), Birch (Hay, 74 mins), Abbott, Jevons

Other Subs: Bridgwater, Cohen (not used)