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

TEVERSAL  4  -  4  BOTTESFORD TOWN Prepared by Kevin Newton

TEVERSAL - Dewberry, Holmes, Parsons, Short, Mawdsley, Hudson, Edwards, Scott, Woodcock (Rathbone 74), Tighe, Townroe. Subs Not Used – Atkins, Foster.

BOTTESFORD TOWN - Slocombe, Bell, Cattermole, La Rocca (Nikolaidis 69), Cutler, Baross, Leech, Harrod, Jackman, Chatterton, Lill (Carter 73). Subs Not Used – Turay.

REFEREE - Mr N. Mason from Sheffield.

MAN OF MATCH - Teversal – Danny Tighe, Bottesford Town – John Baross

ATTENDANCE - 55.

"Classic! But Yet Another Drew!" Teversal went into their final home game with nothing but pride to play for against a Bottesford Town side who are in the thick of a promotion chase. But no could predict a game that simple was a classic and a joy to watch. A totally entertaining opening 45 minutes saw 7 goals and the visitors taking the advantage into the break that seemed to come round very quickly. Possession wise it was pretty even, but the visitors who took the lead after 10 minutes when the Tevie Boys had looked most likely with Woodcock looking dangerous and Scott turning sharply to force Slocombe to make a routine save. But it was Jackman who put the visitors in front when he headed home at the near post from a Lill corner. Only 4 minutes later it was 2-0 when a good quality move saw Lill send Baross clear to clinically fire past the advancing Dewberry. Teversal hit back with Holmes going close with a powerful header from Tighes free which marginally cleared the bar. Tighe though was the source to the Teversal first goal when the midfielder’s cross caused problems in the visitors defence with Edwards firing home to make it 2-1. Bottesford then looked to have took control with two goals in the 33rd minute and it looked like Teversal were out of the game at 1-4 when Harrod produced a speculative 20 yard overhead kick that looped over Dewberry and then a defensive lapse by Short allowed Harrod to calmly slot home his second to put a false complexion on the game and send the visitors in joyful celebrations. Teversal though weren’t going to lie down and die, and spectacularly hit back and were rewarded with two goals in a minute for themselves. Both goals again came from Danny Tighe deliveries, the first coming from Jamie Hudson’s timely run to head home past the static Slocombe. The second came from a rare goalkeeping error by the highly rated Slocombe which gave Edwards a free header into the empty net to score his second and make it 3-4 after 41 minutes. Whilst everyone was getting their breath whilst enjoying the half time hospitality, no one thought that the level of entertainment could be maintained, but it was, with the only surprise being that only one goal was added to the first half blitz. The goals stopped but the entertainment didn’t with both sides hitting the woodwork, missing chances, desperate defending and some stunning saves, non better than that from Dewberry making his league debut for Teversal when he denied Jackman’s effort from six yards. Teversal’s deserved equaliser came on 75 minutes when Tighe again was found with time and space to produce a telling cross that Scott ghosted in to volley home at the far post to make it 4-4.  Even in the three added on minutes, the home side went close on two occasions, firstly Rathbone cushioned header from Edwards found Townroe who cleverly lifted effort over Slocombe only for the effort to come back out of the underside of the bar. Then Marc Scott got in behind the visitors defence only for Slocombe to make an excellent block to keep the score at 4-4 and an even share of the spoils, which was possible a fair reflection of the 90+ minutes. Teversal’s next game is the final league game of the season, when they visit Champions Dinnington Town on Saturday 26th April 2008.