After a difficult week for hosts Staveley Staveley, which saw them part company with their management team, it seemed inevitable they would bounce back and get into winning ways against Teversal, who before the game were averaging just short of two points a game and lying in sixth place.
On a beautiful sunny day, it was Teversal who showed up well and two great saves by Rob Poulter kept the visitors at bay.
Both sides were finding some of the refereeing decisions not to their liking and on 30 minutes, after awarding what the refer
ee saw as a free kick, it was the assistant referee who put his flag across his chest to signal a penalty to Staveley, much to the annoyance of the Teversal players and management.
After a five minute delay when the referee booked two Teversal players, Danny Herring saved Ryan Damms’ penalty, but a further delay was incurred when yet another Teversal player went into the book for further indiscipline.
Staveley began to dominate and after a rasping drive by Danny Robinson was parried by Herring, Lee Gregory pounced to head the rebound over the keeper and give his side a 30th minute lead.
In a first half that was pretty even, the referee then decided to send the Teversal manager away from the dugout in the second half.
Staveley kept Teversal at bay for much of the third quarter . On 69 minutes a neat pass by Robinson to Damms saw him turn his marker and thread a neat ball through to Gregory who nipped past Herring and saw his left foot narrow angled shot find the back of the net, much to the delight of the Staveley players who were growing in confidence throughout the game.
Teversal tried in vain to get back into the match but further indiscipline by them saw them with a series of additional bookings.
Another link up between the Staveley strikers saw Gregory put through by Damms and, as he was through on goal, he was brought down in the box with the referee having an easy decision in awarding another penalty.
Gregory was offered the penalty and, despite being almost on his knees through sheer hard work, he put the ball into the rigging for his and Staveley’s third.
STAVELEY: Poulter, Wharton, Swan, Storer, Culley, Broadbent, Goff, Robinson (Jackson 85), Damms, Gregory, Simpson (Fores-Chambers ht). Sub not used: Flanagan.
TEVERSAL: Herring, Cancellara, Goodacre, Scott, Hall, Giles, Atkins (Gee-Pemberton 58), Smith, Woodcock, Orton, Lyall (Townroe 77). Sub not used: Thacker.
REFEREE: Steve Smith of Grassmoor.
ATTENDANCE: 65.
TEVERSAL MAN OF THE MATCH: Jamie Goodacre.
The full article contains 442 words and appears in Ashfield Chad newspaper.
