Lacklustre Teversal let strugglers escape with a point

Credit must go to the visitors, who put in a hard-working performance in every department which was well-disciplined and one could argue deserved more than a point.

The hosts, however, felt that had they shown what they were capable of and, in patches, played at a tempo from which expected they game would have been for the taking.

On 37 minutes the assistant referee raised his flag after Teversal looked to have scored a perfectly good goal.

The ball was passed round in a patient manner and, when Burrell played in to Cox, he somehow lifted the ball over the keeper from six yards before hitting the post which came back to Dickinson to fire home.

Only the assistant referee would be able to say who was offside and when as the flag didn’t go up until the Tevie Boys were celebrating.

Apart from the disallowed goal and Hallam having a goalmouth scramble as their best opportunity, neither side did enough to say they had the better of the first period.

Whatever was said in the Tevie changing room at half-time worked for a few minutes, because from the kick-off they played a neat passing move that was finished off when Cox played in to Burrell to score his third goal in two starts on 46 minutes.

The Countrymen followers were wondering if their side would fold, but that wasn’t the case as they went back at the Tevie Boys.

They were gifted a way back into the game when Wild put in a needless and reckless challenge on Highfield after shepherding the young striker away from goal for the easiest penalty decision a match official will ever make on 53 minutes.

Sam Eckhardt converted the resultant penalty, despite Brooks making an excellent effort, but the power was enough to put Hallam back on level terms.

The game was end to end without any real tempo and took the feel of a pre-season friendly, both sides creating a moments of hope, but nothing that threatened the draw that was clearly more acceptable to Hallam in the battle against relegation.

Teversal will have to start and turn the draws into wins if they are to achieve the aims of beating last season’s record-breaking campaign and gain FA Cup qualification.

Teversal’s next game is another home game tonight (Tuesday) when second-placed Cleethorpes Town are the visitors for a 7.45pm kick-off, then on Saturday the Tevie Boys travel to face Rossington Main for a 3pm kick-off. Both games are in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One.

TEVERSAL: Ryan Brooks, William Harcourt, Ricky Starbuck, Jordan Schofield, Liam Wild, Sean Dickinson, Mark Robinson, Brad Cox (Sean Gregory 65), Triston Burrell (Dave Cockerill 70), Oli Wood, Daniel Williams. Subs not used – Mark Walker, Lewis Weaver, Joseph Darby.

HALLAM: Adam Ledger, Lee Dexter, Khalid Alali, Herve Sezerano, Robert Adgie, Julian Lawrence, James Cook (Adam Carter 78), Mark Kokot, Joe Lightfield, Sam Eckhart, Jardel Mansell (Bradley Sampson 88). Subs not used: Ryan Simmonito.

REFEREE: Steven Taylor of South Yorkshire.

ATTENDANCE: 58.

TEVERSAL MAN OF MATCH: Ryan Brooks.