Staveley MW 0 v Sutton Town AFC 0 - Staveley won on penalties - Teversal Tournament

Left click to enlarge team sheet

Monday 9th July, at Canarvon Street, Teversal
Teversal Tournament
Staveley Miners Welfare (0) 0
Sutton Town AFC (0) 0
Staveley MW won 5-3 on penalties
Admission £1, Attendance 68
Free full colour team sheet ... muchas gracias, scooter bloke.
A most worrying thing happened to me shortly after arriving at Teversal FC, when it was pointed out to me, that myself and Kev Newton, the Football Secretary at Carnarvon Road, had amicably agreed with each other twice in the last month.
Eek!
Does this mean that Kev's mellowing, or that I'm getting more cantankerous (i.e. just like him) in my old age!?
There was good turn out of local non league managers tonight, a veritable 'who's who' ... and an erstwhile trio of scruffy looking bloggerist types.
There must be a few freebies going at Carnarvon Road, because Brian Dennett, of Carlton Town fame, was present again too (great holiday snaps mate).
Staveley were expected (by me at least) to win comfortably tonight, but Sutton hadn't just turned out to make the numbers up and they raised their game a notch to give as good as they got, over a goalless 90 minutes.

James Colliver, wearing the captain's armband, is slotting in well at the back for Staveley, from what I've seen of him so far ... marshalling the back line and keeping an eye out for some of the younger players around him.
He'll definitely be a stand out player for them this coming season.
21 year old ex Mansfield Town and Retford United goalkeeper Luke Herriott turned out for the Blues tonight too.
To be honest, I'm surprised that the Stags ever let him go, because he's a great prospect with loads of time on his side. But, ignore the You Tube footage of a clanger he dropped against FC United of Manchester, when he was at Cannon Park ... it was a very windy day and that kind of thing could happen to anyone.

Andy White, White, White

This first Tevie Tournament semi final, was a tight game that could've gone either way, but clear cut chances were at a premium, as the teams slugged it out, in a game that was more often than not, bogged down in the middle third of the pitch.
I guess, that sometimes it's easy to get carried away, yearning for 'total football' and 90 minutes of non stop end to end thrills and spills, whilst forgetting that most pre season games are, in essence, just like tonight's ... practice games where nobody wants to over exert themselves or pick up a knock before the real stuff starts any time now.
Staveley's Joe Thornton came closest to breaking the deadlock late in the game, but his angled shot on 87 minutes, went narrowly wide and into the side netting.

This being the Teversal Tournament, any game that is level after 90 minutes, skips extra time and goes straight to penalties.
James Colliver took the first spot kick for Staveley and calmly slotted the ball past Jordan Riley, the Sutton keeper, who had replaced Gavin Saxby at half time.
James Whitehead, the Snipes captain, then levelled things up.
Andrew Fox cheekily chipped Riley with the next effort, once the keeper had already moved ... a delightful technique when it comes off ... which it did.
Craig Charlesworth evened things up again, using the time honoured and effective, hit it firmly and on target method.
Andrew Cooper then put Staveley 3-2 ahead; while Daryl Hewitt squeezed the ball under Luke Herriott, who almost blocked the third Sutton kick out.
Ryan Damms, took up the gauntlet from Andrew Fox and duplicated his team mates technique, to keep up Staveley's 100% success rate from the spot.
Sutton right back Dean Sweeney then stepped up and belted the ball with no small amount of force, but an even smaller amount of accuracy as it flew wide of the goal. An effort that did Sweeney's prospects of being a future England international, no harm at all.
Four kicks apiece, 4-3 and advantage to Staveley.
Richard Patterson buried the Derbyshire side's fifth kick and rendered Sutton's last penalty pointless, as the Blues booked their place in this coming Saturday's final (3pm) against the winner of Wednesday night's Parkgate v Borrowash Victoria game.