Market Drayton Town came down to earth with a bump in this Tuesday night UniBond League Challenge Cup clash with Mickleover Sports - in more ways that one.

In addition to marking Town's departure from the competition it also brought about the exit from their ranks of Lee Roberts, appointed manager to succeed Simon Line some 10 days before.

Roberts, who had returned from holiday in Malta at four o'clock on the morning of the match, was involved in a sharp exchange with first team coach Mick Murphy which led to him leaving the club the two days later.

After two good wins, against Leek and Stamford, Town were often in trouble against a lively Mickleover side who played some of the best attacking football seen at Greenfields this season and looked a far better side than their station in the table suggests.

Typically, Drayton battled well and often made the visiting defence look vulnerable - especially when Nicky Porter was on the move - but they lacked cohesion and often lapsed into looking lackadaisical.

The gaps left in their ranks by injuries and the recent departure of several players, following former manager Simon Line's move to Hednesford, were there to see.

The three men brought in to strengthen their depleted squad - defender Mark Stallard from Wellington Amateurs and subs David Howells (back from Bridgnorth) and Gareth Gates, recently returned from working in the United States - all did pretty well.

But all clearly need time to adjust to Town's enforced re-shuffle and until they do, teams like Mickleover, with some wise heads, pretty handy youngsters and expensive talents like outstanding ex-Derby man-of-the-match Kieran O'Connell, will take advantage.

It just might have been different if Town had got what seemed a clear second half penalty when Martyn Davies was fouled... or substitute keeper Andrew Spooner had enjoyed a little luck when, after making a brave 76th minute save, he saw John Guy's follow-up shot squeeze between him and the near post.

That put Mickleover into a 3-1 lead, ending hopes of a Town rally after Davies's 65th minute reply to good earlier Mickleover goals by Eric Graves (21 minutes) and Alex Steadman (60) had raised their hopes.

Instead, they had to wait until the fifth of  seven minutes' added time for plucky out-of-position striker Paul Bowyer to head the goal his gritty performance deserved from an excellent cross by Gates.