Season 07-08 : Northern Counties East League : Match Report

TEVERSAL  4  -  2  BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS Prepared by Kevin Newton

TEVERSAL - Wilson, Stojanovic, Goodacre (Townroe 70), Holmes, Short G., Giles, Tighe, Scott, Woodcock, Rathbone (Thorpe 45), Lyall. Subs Not Used – Hudson.

BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS - Burley, Sykes, Sharman, Keel (Snowden 75), Raspin, White, Burdick, Lee, Barlow (McKay 54), Dickinson, Doyle. Subs Not Used – Stead.

REFEREE - Mr H Karaivanov from Sutton-in-Ashfield.

MAN OF MATCH - Teversal – Gavin Short, Barton Town Old Boys – Gary Dickinson

ATTENDANCE - 77.

“TWO HALF WONDER” A game of two halves is often used in football, but if you wanted a demonstration of this, then a visit to Carnarvon Street on Saturday, when a fest was served up by the second and third placed clubs you will have seen the ideal example. It was Barton who had the better of the first half and took a 2-0 lead in the first half after being inspired by the quality offered from Gary Dickinson. In fact it was Dickinson who pulled away from Stojanovic before clinically firing past the stranded Wilson on 14 minutes. It could and possible should have been two 3 minutes later when Dickinson put his strike partner Barlow in, but Wilson was alert and made an excellent save. Wilson again made a smart save on 35 minutes when Dickinson’s initial free kick was blocked and then Burdick struck a fierce low drive that the Tevie Custodian saved superbly at the foot of the post. Teversal wasn’t being out played, but the only opportunity of note on 40 minutes came from a Lyall free kick that found Giles at the far post but the midfielder failed to hit the target with a glancing header. The true cost of that miss came only a minute later when Dickinson sent Burdick into good position to deliver a low cross to Barlow who looked offside, but calmly finished amidst the calls from the home defence to make it 2-0 with no flag coming from the assistant referee to rescue the Tevie Boys. Teversal came out knowing that they had to turn the tide, but they have already shown this season they have the character and ‘never say die’ attitude that there is no lost cause. The spirit that is being shown earns you a break, so when Tighe put in a 51st minute corner to cause mayhem in the visitor’s six yard box with the outcome being that ball nestled in the visitor’s net off Barton defender Nathan White to make it 1-2. With the inspiration of the goal the home side upped the tempo to completely dominate proceedings and with Short putting the shackles on the inspiration Dickinson being a telling factor on what was to follow. So when the equaliser arrived on 58 minutes there was only one team in it. The goal came at the end of some excellent build up play that saw an intelligent step over by Giles that saw Woodcock break clear to be denied by an excellent save by Burley, but Thorpe was on hand to fire home at the second attempt to make it 2-2. Jack Townroe nearly marked his return with a goal when Tighe’s cross was headed goal-wards, but again Burley made a save equal to the effort. Tighe though was the provider on 67 minutes when his free kick saw Woodcock raise head and shoulders above every else to powerfully head home from 12 yards to score his 4th goal in the week to make it 3-2. Barton however wasn’t going to lie down and die and created a period of pressure that saw Burdick go close with a powerful header from a corner that Wilson saved at the base of the post to maintain his sides lead. Teversal did maintain control and Burley in the visitor’s goal made a rear error when he misplaced a clearance to Tighe who from 40 yards out on the right touch line, tried to punish the visitor’s goals by lobbing his effort over the keeper but also marginally wide of the mark. The game entered the latter stages; with Teversal continuing to play the football that had put then in a positive position and helping then maintain their second spot in the table. But the icing was put on the cake when Lyall put in another excellent free kick that found Giles at the far post again, but this time the midfielder raised to powerfully head home to cap an excellent second half team performance and mark a good personal performance from Giles. Teversal hope to maintain the shock pressure on the top boys, when they travel to Worsbrough Bridge on Saturday 27-10-07 for a 3.00pm kick off, leaving Carnarvon Street at 12.30pm.