Preparation for the game were hindered for the Tevie boys with over 20 players unavailable for one reason or another, but they prepared well with the players available for the daunting challenge offered by promotion chasing Melbourne Dynamo, who were looking to put the previous weeks cup disappointments behind them and will have viewed this as the perfect game to do so, preparing for their midweek County Cup Final

Has expected the home side dominated the early possession, with Tevie setting their defensive stall out from the off, the visitors did have a penalty claim on the board in the 8th minute when Dawson flattened Gregory in the process of heading the ball clear, the Referee was unmoved with the home side cleared their lines. It was a call that some days may be given, but certainly one the Officials would always upset one side as you would be disappointed if you conceded a penalty this way, but equally and disappointed if you don’t get.

The Teversal injury curse hit again when Oli Baines had to come off after 12 minutes after what looked like an hamstring injury, a reshuffle of the pack say Hadley drop in the backline and Marshall coming into midfield.

Teversal sustained the resolute defending and looked to hit the host on the break. When a long punt forward saw the home Keeper struggle with his clearance under pressure from Gregory, Rocco Hardy picked up the loose ball and from 35 yards accurately lifted effort over the stranded Dean and into the empty net to make it 0-1 to the Tevie Boys on 18 minutes.

Melbourne pushed to get back in the game and on 20 minutes looked to have found the leveller when Goodband missed timed his run to latch onto an excellent through ball by Muir to clinically finish, only to see the Assistant Referee waving his flag for offside.

Muir pressured Handley for the ball in the 18-yard box with it running loose to Goodband to fire an effort that Hunter managed to block to take the sting out the effort, but also past Jablonski heading goalwards, but McWilliams had come round to clear the effort from in front of the goal.
On 36 minutes though Melbourne did manage to level the score at 1-1, when a well worked move from home side saw Bickerton pick up the ball in the middle of the park before picking out Withers with the wide man’s first-time cross inviting Muirs who shown good anticipation to be in the right place at the right time to tap home from 6 yards.

Teversal took the setback in their stride and accepted a 39-minute gift to restore their lead, when Dean spilled a ball that had bounced into his 18-yard box with the hardworking Gregory on hand and was rewarded when the ball dropped to his feet to finish with aplomb to make 1-2 to the visitors.

On the stoke of half time the host pulled level again when Hunter failed to intercept Goslings cross field ball that managed to find its way to Goodband who delivered a ball across the 6-yard box the McWilliams tried to intercept to deny Withers a simple tap in, but the clearance across goal found its way into the back of the net to take the game into the break all square.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first half, Melbourne having plenty of the ball, Teversal defending resolutely to keep the danger at bay and looking a threat on the break, with the visitors regaining the lead for a third time on 61 minutes when Spencer pinpoint cross to far post found Bamford whose looping header left Dean with no chance as the ball nestled into the net. To make it 2-3.

Again only 3 minutes later, Goodband had thought he had levelled the score again when a deep out swinging corner fell to the wide man on the edge of the penalty area to unleash a tremendous effort beating Jablonski at the near post, but the effort was again disallowed as the corner had gone out and back in in the initial delivery.

Teversal’s efforts looked like they would be rewarded with a rare three points, but two controversial decisions denied then not only 3 points, put even a share of the spoils. The third equaliser came in the 90+1 minute when Teversal had played the ball forward towards the corner flag, when Maltby chased it with Brown shadowing the ball out for a goal kick, but the Tevie sub had other ideas and chased to try and retrieve the ball and played it off the Melbourne defender for a corner, but the Assistant Referee who was only yards away gave a goal kick. This was humped forward and when the clearance dropped to Bickerton who worked it forward quickly to find Hughes who fired a 30 yard screamer to level at 3-3.

Melbourne was pushing the winner and Jablonski was called upon to make a tremendous reaction save during a goal mouth scramble and looked like he preserved a point for his side. But again, the Tevie Boys were denied with them feeling hard done by yet another controversy decision. The ball was played up to Maltby who was taken out from behind by Bodill who took the ball and man, Teversal feeling a free kick should have been rewarded, but with the loose ball dropping between McWilliams and Hughes, which the Melbourne player won and was fouled by McWilliams for a free kick to the home side. Macauley Jones delivered an inch perfect ball to the far post where ironically it was Bodill who was on hand to add a 90+6 winner to infuriate the visitors, who deserved something from the game.

Teversal: Adam Jablonski, Will Hunter, Jack McWilliams, Callum Spencer, Oli Baines (Fynn Marshall 14), Ryan Ordidge, Shane Burton, Kurt Bamford, Dillon Gregory (Troy Maltby 84), Rocco Hardy, Nathan Hadley. Subs Not Used: Will Hall, Dan Williams.
Tevie Bar Player Of The Match – Dillon Gregory

Next outing is on Friday 14th March 2025 with a local derby with a trip Lees Lane to face champions elect South Normanton Athletic for a 7:45pm kick off.