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

TADCASTER ALBION  1  -  1  TEVERSAL Prepared by Kevin Newton

TADCASTER ALBION - Ryder, Pitts, Cressey, Farthing, Hartas, Ellis, Stilgoe (Smith 69), Sunley, Gray (Dempsey 45), Zoll, Willoughby (Biscombe 24) Subs Not Used – All Used.

TEVERSAL - Wilson, Tighe (Pascoe 79), Goodacre, Holmes, Short G., Giles (Walker 65), Sweeney, Short D. (Thorpe 65), Woodcock, Lyall. Subs Not Used – All Used.

REFEREE - Mr S. Hawkins from Wakefield.

MAN OF MATCH - Tadcaster Albion – Danny Pitts, Teversal – Gavin Short.

ATTENDANCE - 52

"FOOTBALL PLAYS SECOND FIDDLE" Sometimes our game of pride, passion and determination gets a severe jolt and the true character of club comes to the forefront. Well Tadcaster Albion they are hoping they have had their share of hard times after firstly having extensive damage caused by arson to their clubhouse and just as that repair work was complete they was devastated by flooding that saw there pitch under 4 foot of water and the clubhouse flooded. With both restored they Brewers made the Tevie Boys welcome with a great spirit around the place. The fact that they even got the pitch ready after the River Wharfe burst it’s banks only two weeks ago is extraordinary. Obviously it wasn’t in prestige condition but it certainly was playable and a credit to the club. Teversal however came to be the party spoilers, and dominated the early exchanges, so when Gray received the ball out wide after 10 minutes to produce an inch perfect cross for Steffan Zoll to powerfully head past the stranded Wilson to put the home side in front, it certainly looked like the Brewers would be going against adversity at long last. The goal gave the home side a boost, with Gray and Zoll starting to have more involvement in the game, but with Gavin Short and Sam Holmes in fine form at the heart of the Tevie defence this kept the Tadcaster marksman at bay. One question that must have been on the lips of the visitors at half time, “how are we not at least level in this game” with the best of the openings they created coming on 39 minutes when Scott headed back across goal to Lyall who looked to have slid the ball past Ryder, but the home custodian stuck a leg out to save. Lyall was involved on the stroke of half time when an exquisite lofted pass from Sweeney found the young wide man in on goal, but a clumsy challenge from Pitts was enough to put Lyall off, with The Taddy defender fortunate not to hear the whistle for a foul and subsequent penalty. The second half saw the visitors again having the better of the play, and the excellent home record of having only dropping 2 points in previous home games by the Brewers looked seriously at threat. On 61 minutes the inevitable equaliser arrived when Danny Tighe’s free kick pick out Holmes who’s headed effort was only scrambled clear to Sweeney who fired home with the aid of a slight deflection to restore the equilibrium. Sensing the opportunity to holt a run of league draws, The Tevie boys pushed forward and both substitutes Thorpe and Walker had opportunities to snatch a winner. But the home side also created openings of their own, especially in the dying stages as the visitors started to take more risk in trying to nick it. Zoll and Smith went close, but the pint size substitute Smith had the best chance of all in added on time when Zoll’s defence splitting pass found his strike partner in acres of space, but fired his volley hopelessly wide of the mark.  Teversal entertain Pontefract Collieries at Carnarvon Street next weekend (16-02-08) with a 3.00pm kick off. That comes after a visit Rainworth Miners Welfare on Tuesday 9th February 2008 which kicks off at 7.45pm.