Thursday 15 November 2012

Retford United U19 3 v Teversal U19 2 - NMU19L Div 2

Team line ups courtesy of Keith Parnill of Tevie FC
Thursday 15th November 2012, at Cannon Park
North Midland U19 League Division 1
RETFORD UNITED U19 (0) 3
Reece Thompson 57, 69 (pen), 78
TEVERSAL U19 (2) 2
Max Curzon 6, Ryan Whitehead 12
Admission £2, Programme £1, Attendance 54
Tonight's victory saw Retford move up to third in the table, just 3 points behind second placed Handsworth but with a game in hand.
League leaders Sheffield FC lost at home to Worksop Town, the Badgers next opponents in a week's time, in what promises to be a lively Bassetlaw derby game, between two sides who are both sure to have plenty of supporters present.
Sheffield visit Arnold Town on Monday, while Staveley Miners Welfare entertain Southwell City and on Tuesday, Handsworth play host to Pinxton, so there's bound to have been a lot of jockeying for positions in Division 1 before Kelvin Stannington's team arrive at Cannon Park next Thursday.
Of course, Bassetlaw's best Under 19's football team, Harworth Colliery Institute,  are at home next Wednesday against West Bridgford Colts, at Scrooby Road, Recreation Ground, Bircotes, DN11 8JT. Kick off for this 'must see' game is 7.45pm ... don't miss it!
This was the typical sort of night that blog writers, desperate for material to fill up their column inches, dream of; because they can resort to unleashing a plethora of football clichés on their ever dwindling number of readers.
Yes folks (I think I can still just about refer to you plurally), Teversal must have been as sick as proverbial parrots, while United will have been over the moon Saint, at the end of the day, when this game of two halves, ended in defeat for the plucky visitors from West Notts.
Teversal definitely took the spoils in the first half, while Retford fought back gamely, to pip them at the post in the second.
Alas, the referee also had his own game of two halves, when he was reluctant to give Retford the rub of the green in the first half, but seemed hell bent on restoring parity in the second half, by not giving any decisions Teversal's way at all.
I'm not saying the official got most things wrong, because that would be completely untrue and unfair, but he did make an above average number of calls that completely incensed either one bench or the other and a good few more that even had the neutrals who were present, raising their eyebrows in surprised amazement ... astonishment even.
Of course, 99.9% of football managers and club officials are 100% biased and take a very blinkered view of games involving their respective teams.
But, despite the fact I'm involved with sponsoring a couple of the young Badgers side, I wasn't leaning either one way or the other tonight, because I have have several very good friends at Tevie too.
And from my completely neutral view of things, I can honestly say, that several decisions tonight, possibly took the shine off of what was otherwise a very competitive and close game of football ... and probably had more than a slight influence on the final outcome too.
The game was only six minutes old, when Max Curzon turned the ball past Jack Aldred from the edge of the penalty area, when the Retford defence had made a mess of clearing their lines when Ryan Whitehead had played the ball across the 18 yard line.
Teversal, who had beaten United 2-1 a week ago, went two ahead when Jordan Oldfield and Max Curzon worked well together, to get the ball out to Ryan Whitehead on the right hand side of the box, where he smacked home an unstoppable shot past Jack Aldred.
Retford tried their damnedest to get back into the game before the break, but had their keeper Jack Aldred to thank for keeping the interval score down to 0-2, when he twisted backwards to tip away a long range shot from Max Curzon that was destined for the top corner all the way
HT - Retford United 0 v Teversal 2
Hmm, I wonder if someone got dressed in the dark ;-)
Retford made a change of personnel at the interval and after an uncharacteristic, lacklustre first half, looked more like their usual selves after the break.
Eight minutes into the second half, Bobby Johnson rifled a shot at the Tevie goal from out on the right, that Tom Johnson could only parry and Reece Thompson was on hand to knock in the loose ball from close range. But the goal was chalked off for offside.
But Thompson, from almost the same spot, got his first goal of the night, when Luke Walker's precision cross only needed a deft flick of the head to divert it into the net and Retford were back in the game.
On 69 minutes, Joe Marson knocked a well weighted through ball into the Teversal box for Luke Walker to run onto. Tom Johnson sprinted from his line and clipped Walker's outstretched leg as he knocked the ball past the visitors keep and tried sprinting after it. Walker started to stumble but tried staying upright, but the ball went harmlessly out of play.

Decision time. All view's are hypothetical by the way.
The Retford view:
Contact had been made in the penalty area, momentarily this had prevented a goal scoring opportunity and no advantage was gained when the referee delayed blowing his whistle.
The Teversal view:
Accidental contact had been made when two players reached the ball at the same time. the Retford player had tried to keep going because he knew the contact had been minimal and not actually a foul.
The referee's view. A penalty.
My view:
I'm glad I didn't have to call this one myself, I've seen them given but ... contact was made, in the area, and though it was a bit harsh on Teversal's keeper, the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. The keeper wasn't dismissed because it wasn't a deliberate foul, but a goalscoring opportunity had (possibly) been denied.
However the referee had decided to call it, somebody would've been up in arms.
Reece Thompson's view:
F*** it! I'm going to score anyway. 2-2
Jack Aldred was called into action again, when he was left woefully exposed and had to deal with Max Curzon in a one onto one duel just inside his area. It wasn't the most convential looking save I've ever seen, but it was effective never the less and he emerged with the ball.
Teversal's Craig Newton was booked, for what merely looked to the majority of people in the ground like two players going for the ball at the same time and colliding as it spun away. Nobody was hurt, nobody appealed for a foul and ... Craig, you were bloody unlucky. Happy birthday for yesterday, by the way.
Adam Ellis passed the ball out to Reece Thompson on the right side of Tevie's area, he was clearly offside, but the flag stayed down and Reece played to the whistle and fired United in front for the first time in the game on 78 minutes.
The visitors were devastated, but were determined not to go home empty handed and pushed forwards in search of an equaliser. This left them a bit vulnerable at the back and Reece Thompson almost took advantage, but this time he crashed the ball against the upright when it must have been easier to score.
Maybe he'd done it on purpose to atone for beating the offside flag when he completed his hat trick. I strongly suspect that wasn't actually the case though.
The full time whistle sounded and Retford United were victorious, but they knew they'd been in a game tonight for a change, after a few recent one sided affairs at Cannon Park. As for Teversal, hmm .. I don't think they were very about about the outcome at all.
The referee had dropped a few bollocks tonight and one of them had led to a goal.
We all make mistakes and are only human.
But, by the same token, when other people's errors prove costly, then humans have emotions too.
But, least said soonest mended and all that.
Teversal could've had this game sewn up by half time and Retford are to be commended for their comeback. But,I suspect it wouldn't have been the performance of either football team that people were discussing as they left the ground.
Draw your own conclusion.
Footnote - Sam Hutchinson (sponsored by THE66POW) had a great game.