Local derby ends in stalemate

A local derby game whets the appetite, but the strong wind and typical autumnal conditions at Carnarvon Street simple was too much for either side to produce any football to warm up the excellent support of 166 on such a miserable day.

Shirebrook started brightly and an excellent passing move on 10 minutes saw Wiltshire play a superbly weighted ball into the path of Thompson who drilled a low effort wide of the target.

Both sides tried to play through the conditions and it took until the last five minutes for the home side to make a mark on the game with Danny Williams being the source of torment to the visitors. Initially the Tevie wide man had a darting run before lifting effort over the advancing Saxby, but the effort hit the outside of the post.

Dave Cockerill then held the ball up before the Tevie skipper found Williams again with time and space to fire a low cross that saw Somes in a great position, but unable to guide his effort on target. Again in the dying minutes Williams again smashed an effort across the six yard box that was neither a shot nor cross and brought the half to a close.

If the first half conditions were difficult, then the second half turned even worse, with the swirling wind getting even stronger.

Both sides tried their best but the conditions simple stopped the game being the entertaining spectacle everyone had hoped for.

The wind was so strong that when Shirebrook tried to take a corner it reached the six yard box and was blown back towards Getliff who had taken it. Then there was a flurry of substitutions that added to the stop-go state of the game.

Things looked like they would boil over when Danny Claridge was lucky to receive only a yellow card for a two-footed lunge that took Ashley out just below the knees that saw the Tevie man needing treatment to both legs before he was substituted.

The game moved into the last 10 minutes and, like in the first half, the home side looked the most likely side to break the deadlock and will be disappointed that they didn’t claim all three points when initially Pearson broke down the right flank before drilling a low cross into the six yard box that Dave Cockerill was only inches away from sliding it home.

Then on 85 minutes another rash challenge saw Tolley received a yellow card with Colin Cockerill having an opportunity from 20 yards out to the right of Shirebrook 18-yard box, but Cockerill’s effort cleared the wall but also the bar without testing Saxby in the visitors’ goal.

The best opportunity of the game came as the 90 minutes neared when Tolley’s 30-yard back-pass to Saxby was held up in the wind and Teversal substitute Wood seized on the ball as Saxby tried to make amends for his team mate.

Tthe Tevie sub rounded the keeper before shooting from a very tight angle, but the goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Shirebrook defender Witcombe, who had chased back to cover the goal for Saxby and prevent his old team mates a second win for their new manager.

Even from Witcombe’s clearance, Wood created another opportunity for Dave Cockerill, whose weak effort was collected by Saxby as the striker did well to get an effort on target as the ball from the pass ran behind him.

The draw was arguable a fair result under the conditions, but on chances created the home side will be the more disappointed as they created more than the visitors and of a better quality to win the game.

Teversal’s next game is on Tuesday when Basford United visit Carnarvon Street in a Notts Senior Cup Second Round tie.

Then on Saturday the Tevie Boys travel to face Bottesford Town for a 3pm kick-off in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One.

TEVERSAL: Ryan Brooks, Daniel Pearson, Ricky Starbuck, Luke Pickering, Jacob Ashley (Colin Cockerill 80), Will Harcourt (Greg Tobin 75), Mark Robinson, Sean Gregory, Adam Somes (Oli Wood 60), Dave Cockerill, Danny Williams. Subs not used – Callum Pursglove, , Triston Burrell.

SHIREBROOK TOWN: Gavin Saxby, Danny Claridge, Danny Wiltshire (Danny Blair 45), Matthew Thompson (Danny Bacon 61), Kris Witcombe, Ross Henshaw, Craig Getliff, Glenn Tolley, Aaron Moxon, Jamie Brown, Danny Booth. Subs not used – Josh Bachner, Jason Bradley.

REFEREE: Paul Tomes of South Yorkshire. ATTENDANCE: 166

MEN OF MATCH: Teversal - Danny Pearson. Shirebrook Town - Kris Witcombe.